Maddie’s Fund and Petfinder.com Foundation Team Up for a Second Year
July 14, 2010
Contact:
Sharon Fletcher, Director of Marketing & Communications
925.310.5458
fletcher@maddiesfund.org
Starting July 19 and running until September 24 (10 weeks), cash prizes will be given to Petfinder.com member shelters and rescue groups throughout the U.S. who demonstrate good customer service. Organizations can win cold hard cash in any of the following ways:
Rescue groups - Check your in-box!
Each week, three rescue groups will be randomly selected to receive e-mail questions about an available cat or dog posted on their website. If a reply with helpful information is returned within 24 hours, the group wins $500.
Shelters - Say Hello!
Each week, three member shelters will be randomly selected to receive a phone call about an available cat or dog posted on their website. If a live person answers the phone and provides helpful information about that animal (or immediately connects the caller to someone who does), the shelter wins $500.
Put Your Best Face Forward
A "secret adopter" will randomly visit one selected shelter in a different state each week. If the "adopter" reports that the shelter experience was positive, pleasant and helpful, the shelter wins $2,000.
Second Chance Prize
New this year is the "Second Chance" prize: Shelters and rescue groups who were contacted by phone or email but did not win an award will get a second chance the last week of the program. Two from each category (phone call and email) will be contacted and selected for a second chance to win $250.
SPECIAL BONUS: CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKBOOKS
Animal Friendly - Customer Smart: People Skills for Animal Shelters, by Jan Elster will be given to contacted shelters and rescues as a special bonus. Organizations that would like to purchase this excellent customer service workbook for $10 can order on line at: www.shelterskills.com. Petfinder.com members who submit their Shelter ID will receive an additional free book for every ten purchased.
FAQ's
Why are you rewarding good customer service with cash prizes?
Maddie's Fund and Petfinder.com believe that good customer service saves lives. The first step in good customer service is to capitalize on the public's enthusiasm for adopting by responding right away when initial contact is made. The second step is to make a potential adopter's experience positive and helpful.
We hope our cash prizes will encourage shelters and rescues to assess their customer service and entice them to improve it if it is lacking.
Will you publish the winners?
Maddie's Fund and Petfinder.com will post the winning shelters and rescues on line each week. We will also enumerate the number of shelters and rescues we e-mailed, called and visited that missed out on the awards.
When will shelters and rescues get their prizes?
The Petfinder.com Foundation will notify winners immediately and distribute cash awards provided by Maddie's Fund the following week.
About Maddie's Fund
Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy from 1987 – 1997 and continues to inspire them today.
The Foundation has awarded over $275.7 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S.
Maddie's Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie.