Casey Jentz
Association Perspective
Customer service can help sell bulls.
As we begin to enter Angus bull sale season, there are many choices for the commercial cattleman to buy their Angus bulls. Many places have the genetics they are looking for, along with the expected progeny differences (EPDs) and performance records that help them make their decisions.
Another aspect of getting commercial producers to purchase a bull from your program is to provide outstanding customer service. There are many things that can go into providing great customer service.
All of these ideas might not work for your program, but if you can find the ones that do and do them well, having a return customer is likely to happen. Some of the sale day things that can help are discounts on volume buyers and free delivery options for purchases. Some breeders like having the option to house the bulls until they are ready to turn them out. Standing behind your bulls when something goes wrong with them is always a great policy to ensure customer satisfaction.
Finding a way to be involved in your customers’ program is the best customer service you can provide. Herd visits in the summer and any help marketing their calves out of your bulls will also help those bull buyers return to your sale with confidence, not only in the genetics that you are selling, but happy with the position you have taken to make their operation successful. In turn, this will help your own operation be successful. There are other ideas that also help your buyers learn such as hosting different educational workshops on nutrition, health, DNA and genetics.
Angus Media has some tools to help you stay in touch with your customers, like thank-you notes and mailings. There are plenty of options for customer service.
Editor’s Note: Casey Jentz is the regional manager for Region 4, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
[Click here to go to the top of the page.]