Tag archives: customer service

Feeling Grateful

Feeling Grateful

Paw Print Genetics was started in 2012 with the vision of improving the health of dogs through genetic testing, education, and counseling. Since then, we have not only contributed to improving the health of dogs but have provided the largest menu of tests with outstanding customer care, an unparalleled website for managing your dogs, orders and results, with the utmost laboratory standards in the industry.  We offer testing for more than 350 breeds of dogs, including diseases, disease risk factors, coat colors and traits and have launched other genetic testing services including a comprehensive genetic screen for dogs (Canine HealthCheck), the largest genetic screen for cats (CatScan) and sex identification for monomorphic birds (AvianDx). 

I am so grateful for our talented staff of PhD geneticists, veterinarians, biologists, and customer care specialists who have worked so hard to bring you the highest testing accuracy and best customer service available. We even found time this year for research and publishing with the discovery of the first dog identified with an extra chromosome 38, a new mutation causing longhair in Maine coon cats, and further characterization of dapple (merle) mutations in dachshunds.

The greatest compliment a business can receive is a ...

At Your Service-ALWAYS!

At Your Service-ALWAYS!

Have you ever wondered why we chose AskUs@pawprintgenetics.com to be our contact email address? In addition to offering the highest accuracy in the industry, at Paw Print Genetics, customer service is At Your Service! We want you to ask questions prior to ordering or after receiving your results because we know that genetic testing can sometimes be confusing.

We consider our customers to be part of our family and treat them as such. When a customer is in need of help when placing an order or trying to understand their results, our expert staff is here, ready to help. You can always count on us to respond to your emails or answer your phone calls, even on weekends and holidays! That is because we understand that your dog's results are important to you, and you are important to us. There is no such thing as too small of a question.

Our one-of-a-kind client services staff is here to help by answering your email or phone call, helping to understand our ordering process, or even placing your order.  Our team members, along with our expert geneticists and veterinarians, are pleased to help you. No excuses, no complaints, just ...

Can I Order Now and Use the Tests in the Future?

Can I Order Now and Use the Tests in the Future?

Paw Print Genetics offers exceptional discounts and sometimes you want to take advantage of those discounts, but you don't have any dogs to test today.  Keep in mind that your order never expires and remains open until we have received your samples and completed your testing.  Order as many dogs as you want in the same order and send them at your convenience.  We do not hold samples. Rather, we will test them as we receive them, so use some now and some later. The tests will be in your account until you need them. 

Here are some tips on how to order now to take advantage of the sale and use those tests in the future.

1. You must enter a call name, breed, date of birth (month/year) and sex for each dog in an order.  All of this information can be changed when you get ready to use the samples.  Many people call them Dog1, Dog2, etc or Pup1, Pup2, etc.  You can make them all males and put the current month and year as their date of birth. Having them all males with the same birth date helps as a reminder to change this information when ...

We have a lot to be thankful for!

We have a lot to be thankful for!

At Paw Print Genetics, we are so thankful for our customers. Without you, we simply wouldn't exist. Without your input, we wouldn't have some of our recently launched programs such as Veterinary Verification reporting, Paw Print Pedigrees and Clear by Parentage certificates, as these, and many other features and tests that we offer have been suggested by our customers.  We see our customers as our partners, suggesting changes, tests and features that enhance your testing experience with us.  

After a report has been issued, I send each customer an email thanking them for their business and for their commitment to healthy dogs.  These take time, but I feel that these emails are important to send. The emails remind me of how important it is to connect with our customers, to reach out to see if there is anything else that we can do for them, to ask if there are ways we can improve our service, and to provide a little reward for being a responsible breeder with a discount on their next order.  Will I be able to keep this up as we grow?  I hope so.  It provides such a great opportunity to get feedback from our customers and I receive ...

A Letter from our CEO

A Letter from our CEO

Since the announcement that we ended our litigation over the gene patents for  progressive retinal atrophy (prcd), collie eye anomaly, congenital stationary night blindness in Briards, and retinal dysplasia/oculoskeletal dysplasia in Labradors, there has been a huge outpouring of encouragement and congratulations from our customers. At Paw Print Genetics, we are all very touched by this support.

I have also received a number of emails from customers worried that we may raise our prices because of this new sublicense. I have even seen this question debated on Facebook and understand the concern.  As you can imagine, the lawsuits from the past couple of years were expensive. We paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to support our cases.  Last year, we won our case in Federal court and the patent for exercise-induced collapse (EIC) was invalidated. This allowed our customers to register their EIC results with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), but also cleared the way for other laboratories to offer this test without fear of litigation, even though they did not participate in the lawsuits or help fund our cause. As we are recovering from these huge litigation costs, we are doing all ...

Embracing Customer Service and the Veterinary Leadership Institute

Embracing Customer Service and the Veterinary Leadership Institute

Customer service is of the highest priority at Paw Print Genetics. From the numerous positive reviews we have received on our Facebook page referencing our personal attention to detail, to the many emails we receive from our clients thanking us for a job well done, we recognized early on that we were on to something. After all, we know that without our loyal clients, we could simply not exist as a laboratory. The customer service goal established by our company culture is to exceed the expectations of every client that we have the privilege with which to work. We want our clients to come back to us for genetic testing, not because we are the only option, but because they have never had a better experience with a genetics laboratory.

Though the pursuit of exceeding client expectations is an ideal that most businesses strive for, the exact way to perform this level of service often remains elusive. In addition, there has been a long standing debate about whether the skills needed to provide great customer experiences are ones that can be taught or learned. One veterinary nonprofit organization, the Veterinary Leadership Institute, has helped prove that not only can these ...

You’ve Ordered From Paw Print Genetics, Now What Are the Next Steps?

You’ve Ordered From Paw Print Genetics, Now What Are the Next Steps?

Tracking Your Order

Keeping clients up to date on their order status is a very important part of Paw Print Genetics’ customer service. Once an order is placed, you’ll receive email notifications and can see status updates every step of the way until your order is complete.

Below, you will find an outline of the testing process and the updates you will receive:

 

 

 

 

  • Email of Order Confirmation
  • Email notification of Kit Shipped (if applicable) with USPS tracking number.
    • Yes, we include free cheek swab kits and return prepaid postage (in the US)
    • We also offer expedited shipping options through the USPS.
  • Email notification of Samples Received by our laboratory. We will begin processing your sample on the day it is received or the next business day.
  • Status update of Testing in Progress
    • If any issues arise during the testing phase you will receive a personal phone call from a Laboratory Director.
  • Status update of Data in Review indicates that your laboratory tests are done and the report and Canine Genetic Health Certificate are being drafted and reviewed by one of our PhD geneticists and one of our veterinarians.
  • Email notification of Final Report Completed
    • Your order ...

What Can We Learn From Large Corporations about Customer Service?

What Can We Learn From Large Corporations about Customer Service?

I recently took a trip to Colorado Springs to visit colleges with my son. I enjoyed spending time with him and visiting Colorado College. We were very impressed with the student-led information session and campus tour. The students were knowledgeable, poised, enthusiastic and inviting. If these undergraduates are a reflection of the school and its caliber of students and faculty, then I know that my son will do well there. We left with an overwhelmingly positive impression of the school, the campus and the region. I would give our student ambassadors an A-plus for customer service during our visit. However, during our trip we were customers of several other companies and many of them fell short of superior, or even acceptable, customer service.

Our flight to Colorado Springs was uneventful and the staff of United Airlines did an exceptional job in making us feel special and that they appreciated our business. However, when we landed in Colorado Springs, things started to fall apart.

We arrived promptly at the Hertz counter to find that the car we had reserved and paid for weeks in advance had been given to someone else. Hertz claimed to have no cars to rent to us ...

Paw Print Pedigrees Now Available!

Paw Print Pedigrees Now Available!

We’ve been busy here at Paw Print Genetics. As we celebrated our one-year anniversary on May 1, we had increased our screening of inherited disease mutations to 143 tests in 243 breeds – the most available on the market. One-stop shopping, outstanding customer service and 100-percent accuracy on all tests are the cornerstones of our company. We’re here to help you breed and buy healthier dogs, and to make that as easy as possible.

To that end, Paw Print Genetics has launched Paw Print Pedigrees – a new service for its customers to promote their dogs and the puppies they produce.

The completely free service is offered to anyone who has had a test performed at Paw Print Genetics, and allows you to display those results to the public. Open access to your genetic-screening records illustrates to the world that you’re taking breeding seriously, and gives you an online location to securely store and display your dog's results to potential breeding partners and puppy buyers.

Paw Print Pedigrees does more than just display your dog's genetic results. You can build a profile for your kennel and dogs – link to other health clearances such as hip scores, CERF certifications, generational pedigrees ...

What We Do Right! Not Your Ordinary Canine Genetics Lab

What We Do Right! Not Your Ordinary Canine Genetics Lab

At Paw Print Genetics, we’re seeking to raise the standard of canine genetic diagnostic and carrier screening testing from start to finish. We strive to provide the best customer service in the industry and have implemented procedures that are above and beyond those currently used in the marketplace. Here’s just a quick look at what we’re doing to help serve you and your dog better:

Postal Standards: The U.S. Postal Service has outlined how animal specimens may be shipped, and that includes cheek swab samples tested in labs all across the country. Among those requirements: triple-packaging of samples, a rigid fiberboard or equivalent container to protect the samples, the use of the international biohazard symbol on the second packaging and the words “exempt animal specimen” on the outside of the shipping package. Because these standards are necessary and exact, we provide the kits to you with each order that conforms to the USPS standards.

Reports: Our detailed reports will clearly state the results of every test you ordered and will give actionable information that you can use. These interpretations and recommendations give you the knowledge to breed your dog more conscientiously, information about any known genetic ...