A Great Example of Bad Customer Service: the Timberwolf Preservation Society

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Sales is the life blood of all companies and organizations in one way shape or form.
That form might be donations, members, customers, products, something that generates people wanting to buy or contribute to your company or organization.
Without customers and revenue companies and organizations don't exist.
There are somethings in the world that can interfere with your relationship with your customers that are out of your control (natural causes like storms, economic policy, etc.). There is one that you absolutely have control of- CUSTOMER SERVICE!
What is your sales organization doing to provide good customer service.
Here is a tale of an organization that is providing BAD customer service...

I'm a sucker for animal causes. Cat shelters, dog shelters, horse shelters, I contribute to them all.
Given my love of animals, I was looking forward to visiting the Timber wolf Preservation Society recently.
I had never been to the Timber Wolf Preservation Society location on south 76th street in Franklin.
I knew our admission fees and any money spent on souvenirs would help with their cause.
I thought a nice afternoon outing with my 3-year-old, who loves wolves, would be just the thing to do on a warm sunny March afternoon.
What I hadn't counted on was how rude and mean the staff would be, and that they wouldn't allow my son and I on the grounds. I've read stories about bad customer service. I've even suffered some bad service before, however nothing like this!
Instead of talking about how great a time we had to friends, family, and the world at large through social media, I'm now ranting about how rudely the staff treated us and how we will never support the Timber Wolf Preservation Society.

The Timber wolf Preservation Society (henceforth TPS) is only open on weekends from 11-3pm. I was excited that my son and I had a beautiful spring-like March day for our visit.
Pulling onto the grounds via a narrow muddy road, you come upon a small parking lot and a ranch style house behind a chain link fence. The preserve is located in a small wooded area roughly 100 yards west of 76th street.
We arrived just after lunch and it was apparent there were more volunteers than visitors at this time.
The parking lot was a sea of mud, however I was encouraged that there was someone laying out a cardboard path for people to walk on to get to the house.
As my son and I got to the path, I asked the man (I'm going to be nice and not print his real name, or any other volunteer's name, so I'll nickname him "T"):
Me: Where do we go? It is our first time here.
T: Just follow the cardboard. We normally have people go through the gate over there (pointing to a metal gate about 20 yards from where we were) however we have something going on today so we have to have everyone
go along this path. Be careful on the cardboard it might be slippery.
Go to the house and the people there will tell you what to do."
Me: Thank you.

It was after this conversation my first inkling that something wasn't right hit me. Ten feet from the parking lot, next to the path was a large cage with a smaller cage inside of it. There was roughly 18 inches between the fencing of the first cage and the fencing of the second cage.
Inside the cage were two beautiful Alaskan Huskies. One of whom started howling as we came down the path.
Since the cage was right next to the path and the dog was howling, my son who has heard wolves howl in the wild, stopped and asked me if that was a wolf.
I said no it was an Alaskan Husky. He waved and said "Hi Husky," as every cute three-year-old would do.
From behind us T yelled in an annoyed tone "keep going please!" We were stopped perhaps ten seconds.
I understand you don't want to have the dogs upset, however if you don't want kids to look at the dogs, don't have an entrance that runs right next to the cage, or move the dogs someplace where they won't bark at everyone!

I need to make some points at this time for clarity.
I understand that the facility is staffed by volunteers.
I know that it was muddy and the first weekend of good weather after a long winter. I also understand that the volunteers were probably working on getting things cleaned up and hence might be a little dirty.
If you are going to be thought of as being a serious educational facility, you should invest in some staff shirts, name badges, or at least hats so that customers can easily tell who is a staff member and who is not. It makes everyone look more professional and it has been my experience that people will donate more to a professional looking operation than to something that looks like it is being run by a bunch of rag-a-muffins.

We continued along the 20 feet of path towards the house.
A group of volunteers were standing on the porch as we approached.
All of them were dirty. Most had scraggly hair that stuck out everywhere, or was pinned back in some strange manner.
Different jackets.
Non athletic team baseball hats.
It was almost the perfect stereotype of people you'd expect to see in the movies "Deliverance" or "Southern Comfort." I had a creepy feeling M. Emmit Walsh was going to be running out of the woods being shot at by Powers Booth.
As we approached the house all conversations by the volunteers stopped.
They stared at us in silence until we got to the porch. Almost as if we dared interrupt their conversation with our visit.
Looking at their stares I felt like we were in the beginning scene of a horror movie. The type where the innocent people come into a town and find out all the residents are psychos.
Being the naive type who believes all people are good. I ascertained it was safe to proceed.
There is one door on this covered porch. It had a sign saying "volunteers only." Not sure where to go I asked the gaggle of volunteers. One of them, I'll call "Witch" because it accurately describes her appearance, said we should go in there.
Next to the door, on a little ledge/table was a plastic squirrel lawn ornament and a porcupine lawn ornament that looked like it had been made of wicker.
My son, who is holding my hand and standing next to me, starts to pet the squirrel and says "Aw isn't he cute!"
One of the volunteers yells "don't touch that!" Once again, if you don't want a kid to touch a $2 plastic lawn ornament, don't have it where they can get it!
That was my second red flag.

The horror movie continued to play out.
We opened the door. I could just hear in my head a movie theater audience yelling "don't go in there!"
Happily no one feasted on our entrails.
We entered a dark brown paneled musty hallway and followed the hall until it emptied into a small nicely lit room with patio doors to our left and a cashier table on the right. There were two people
standing and talking to the cashier. We turned right into the room and got into line. As we are facing the cashier the patio doors are behind us and to our right is a shelf of souvenirs.
I start to get my money out. My son sees a little stuffed wolf for $10 and starts saying he wants on of those.
Behind me I hear a man (henceforth known as "Geezer") repeatedly clearing his throat . A woman, who I'll refer to as "Hag," said "excuse me sir!" and taps me on the shoulder.
I turn to face Hag (I'm writing this immediately after this happened so I can still see and hear the scene).
Still holding my hand, my son turned to face Hag when I did.
He and I both can see the wolf cages through the patio door.
He says "Daddy! Wolves!" The following exchange then takes place:

Hag: You can't bring that in here!
Me (confused): What can't I bring here?
Hag points to my 35mm SLR camera with motor drive (for those of you who don't know about cameras, this is a big one you can't fit in your pocket) hanging from my shoulder.
Hag: Your camera.
Me: Why not?
Hag: Because we don't allow it.
Me: Why not? There are no signs that you can't bring a camera.
Hag: Because we don't. We used to but not now.
Me: I don't understand. There are no signs anywhere. Why can't I take pictures?

At this point my son, still holding my hand, is pointing and trying to look around Geezer through the patio doors behind he and Hag at the wolf cage.
Geezer and Hag see this and back up against the patio doors blocking his view.

Hag: Because people sold them on the Internet.
Me: So why is that a problem?
Geezer (in an angry tone): Because we're volunteers!
Me: I understand that you're volunteers. What does that have to do with not taking pictures?
Hag: Because people sell them on the Internet! (now red in the face and very emotional) We don't get any funds. We're volunteers. We pay for things here out of our own pocket.
Me: So you're saying that I can't take a picture of my son next to a wolf cage?
Geezer: Right.
Me: I still don't understand (putting my money away). Why would I try and sell a picture of my son next to a wolf on the internet? So what does it hurt if someone sells a picture they took of your wolves on the Internet?
Hag: We raise money here three ways: tours, donations...did I say tours (asking Geezer)
Geezer: Yes.
Hag: ...tours and souvenirs.
Me: If you don't want people to buy pictures of your wolves on the Internet because that will force people to come to your preserve, isn't it also possible that people won't come because they can't get the personal photo with their families? What if they just like animals and want something for their scrapbook? Seems to me if people want a nice picture of a wolf there are lots of places they can get one that doesn't have a cage in it. I know this because I have one in my house-I took it! There is also the marketing aspect. If people can see what the wolves look like won't THAT make people want to come since the WOLVES are the main attraction? Even if someone took a picture and managed not to get the fence in it, when asked the person would tell that they took the picture at TPS and that might make people come.
I understand.

***I have to interject here that I really didn't understand their no camera policy. I suppose it is also possible that somebody took
pictures of their facilities and raised a stink about them and they are being a little defensive (or is there something questionable going on behind the scenes?)Whatever the reasons might be, there were no signs saying photography was not allowed.

Back to the "conversation"...
Hag: The only way we allow a picture is if you adopt a wolf and then we will take a picture with you next to your wolf.
Me: So how come you can take pictures at the zoo?
Hag & Geezer: Because they get more funding!
Geezer: We don't want you here. We don't like your attitude.
Me: Calm down. My attitude? It's okay if that is your policy. I'm just asking the reasons why. I don't understand, especially since there are no signs saying you can't take pictures.
Geezer: You better leave.
Me: Come on son. It is time to go (starting to walk down hallway).
Son: But I want to see the wolves!
Me: So do I but they don't want us to take pictures so lets go.
Hag: Someone call T!

Until this time I had been very calm, albeit confused as to why this is going the way it is.
Once outside, off the porch and on the path, our backs to the house, I'm confronted by Hag again. This time from behind.
Hag: It's people like you with your attitude that ruin everything!
Me (spinning around with finger in air): What do you mean me? You're the one with the attitude!

As I'm facing Hag, Witch flies off the porch (Even though I didn't see a broom, I'm not being puny) and grabs my left arm and almost knocking my son down.
I take my right hand and do a brush swipe along my left arm breaking her grip off my arm. What was she thinking grabbing a customer? Thank goodness she grabbed me and not my son!
Witch: Go get T!
Geezer: Already coming!

T appears off to my right. He appears calm.
T: You've got to go sir.
Me: Where do you think we're going?
Geezer, Witch and Hag: Get out of here! We don't want you here!

I turn back to the lot and move my son to my left as T has taken position on my right. He is walking even with me, but between me and the Husky cage.
He isn't what I call a threatening presence, but the fact he is there at all is proof of this crazy situation.
As we walk we converse:
Me: I don't understand what is gong on.
T: We don't like your attitude.
Me: My attitude?
T: They told you you couldn't take pictures and you chose not to believe them.
Me: No. That isn't right. For the record I questioned why. They wouldn't explain it to me. Hag and Geezer were the ones with the attitude.
T: Either way. There are some things going on here today. People are a little stressed so we don't need any attitudes.
Me: If people are stressed I can sort of understand, but that was silly.

T takes us to our car. My son and I get in. T moves to the side of the parking lot as we back out.
I stop next to him and put the window down.
Me: Since you are a volunteer organization you realize you just lost money today? Our admissions plus any souvenirs?
T: Doesn't matter. Have a great day.
Me: You too!

The TPS has been around for a long time before this incident and will be around for more years after this incident.
Instead of gaining a donor, they won't be getting any money from my family.
Instead of having a raving fan of their work, I'll be ranting about our shabby treatment to anyone who cares to listen or read about it.
Instead of having a supporter, I now question whether we need a preservation at all since wolves are now a healthy population in Wisconsin again.
Instead of educating a child on the importance of their work, they created a kid who for the next 30 minutes asked his dad "why are those people so mean?" If people think I'm being a bit one-sided in this tale, my verification was in his questions to me. If he picked up their bad vibes they must be mean!
Instead of setting a good example for an enthusiastic child, THEY are the ones that acted like idiots.
I won't shed a tear if they have to close down TPS someday.

Rather than waste your time and money on this little backwoods preserve, I'd encourage you to go to the Milwaukee County Zoo to see their wolves, which are not in cages, and there are no restrictions on taking photographs.
The previous sentence is a perfect example of what happens when you have bad customer service. Your current and potential customers will go away and say bad things about you. Once you are in that hole it is hard to dig out of it.
I hope any sales person, sales manager, business or organization that reads this takes the lesson to heart.