TIMEWASTERS. very annoyed

[akashapachamama]

I thought timewasters only popped their annoying heads up when involved with buying a horse.
I am offering livery on my very nice quiet scenic private yard and ive had a hellish few weeks.

I have had loads of calls from people who seem very keen and who say they'll call back to arrange a viewing and then never do!

The worst are the people come and look round, which means I have to rearrange my day, take time off work as im currently self employed to spend time tidying up and then waiting for them, and then they never show. those that have turned up never ring back to say whether they're interested or not.

Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had it with these people. WHY ARE PEOPLE SO SELFISH?

 

[niagaraduval]

IMO the worst sort are the ones that are looking to loan a horse.. Had so many when I was looking to find someone to loan my boy, 50% of people came and tried him and went home, never replied to e-mails etc. Wanted a free ride IMO !! Grr ! Hope you come across some truly interested people soon.

 

[Dolcé]

I thought timewasters only popped their annoying heads up when involved with buying a horse.
I am offering livery on my very nice quiet scenic private yard and ive had a hellish few weeks.

I have had loads of calls from people who seem very keen and who say they'll call back to arrange a viewing and then never do!

The worst are the people come and look round, which means I have to rearrange my day, take time off work as im currently self employed to spend time tidying up and then waiting for them, and then they never show. those that have turned up never ring back to say whether they're interested or not.

Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had it with these people. WHY ARE PEOPLE SO SELFISH?

Is it other local yards checking out the competition do you think? Why don't you take names and numbers from the people if they want to arrange to come and look around and then at least you can call them back and tell them just what time wasters they are (would make me feel better anyway!!) Good luck with finding the perfect ones for you (and hoping you manage to avoid the nutters!!) Make sure you have a watertight contract in place!

 

[Natch]

NO, for goodness sake don't ring them back and rant at them! What a way to get a rubbish reputation and put the genuine ones off!

OP, do you think there might be something that is putting people off? IMO these people aren't time wasters, but are either finding somewhere else which they prefer, or being put off your yard for some reason. Would be good if you could get honest feedback from them in some way. Maybe take email addresses so that a month after they've been around you can email them a brief questionnaire?

 

[Kat]

I'd take their contact details and then call them up and ask them whether they are interested and see if you can find out why they aren't interested if they aren't. There could be lots of reasons that aren't time wasting. Maybe a space somewhere more convenient came up, maybe the horse they were buying fell through, maybe they weren't keen on your place, maybe they decided to give their current yard one last chance?

If there is something that is putting people off then you can see whether you can put it right. I would also check your advertising gives as much accurate information as possible to avoid wasted appointments.

I would also try to arrange appointments at times that are convenient to you where possible and preferably one after another!

 

[martlin]

I find the drive-by-and-drop-in-unannounced type the most testing, OP
Have a full blown guided tour, ask several questions, engage you in a long-winded conversation and then point out that it's nearly noon and your stables aren't mucked out yet... well, they would have been, if I haven't spent the last 3 hours showing you around
And the ones that are moving in next Saturday, can you make sure a bed is made up from their chosen bedding (always one you don't provide as standard)... only to be never heard from or seen again

 

[Kat]

I can see why Martlin, but I think I'm going to have to resort to a bit of dropping in unannounced in order to find a yard in the area as few seem to have adverts or contact details anywhere! Wish more yards would list themselves on some of the free advertising websites, or get their own website and list an email address and phone number. Finding a yard is nearly as tough as finding a horse!

 

[martlin]

As long as you understand that the YO/YM might be a tad busy, and whilst happy to have a quick chat and a tour, might not be able to drop everything to talk to you, I have nothing against dropping in unannounced
BTW, I have a website and am ''listed'' on various advertising websites including my contact details All my adds also state that I DO NOT DO DIY (sorry, just a little rant of mine), but it doesn't stop people asking...

 

[akashapachamama]

hmmm. I definitely think I am being honest in my advertising.
Ive explained that its a private yard not busy competition place and i've stated the fascilities clearly.

Ive had liveries before and they've been very happy here. Everything is clean and tidy and in good working order unlike many places which are held together with bailertwine, the yard is beautiful and the grazing is immaculate, no mud at all even in this point in the year!
and with what im charging im being very generous.

I just think its very rude when people are happy to spend ages visiting/chatting on the phone and then dont bother calling or emailing back. it isnt that hard to send a quick text!

 

[Holly Hocks]

I went to see loads of yards when I was looking for the right one for my horses. I don't consider it being a time waster to look round, ask questions and then decide it's not for you and that you prefer another yard.....could be for any reason - size of stables, school surface, turnout situation......some like turnout in a big herd, some want individual turnout. I went for the one which, although not perfect, offered more positives, than negatives. However I did always ring back afterwards to tell them that I would not be moving there.

 

[Steeleydan]

Its the ones when you are advertising a horse for sale, ring up spend an hour on the phone asking every question under the sun, including how many times a day does it s**t, say its exactly what they are looking for, will ring to make arrangments later that week to view then you never hear another word!!! WTF is all that about, if I ring about a horse I ask all my questions I want to ask if I get an answer I dont want to hear, I just cut the conversation short and say "Thank you but hes not what Iam looking for, good bye"
I havnt got the time or money to waste on phone calls.

 

[akashapachamama]

including how many times a day does it s**t,/QUOTE]

Oh my god, has someone actually asked that?!

 

[Lexie81]

I don't think its wasting your time if they come and look, but it is rude not to call or text you back if they have agreed to do that-it doesnt take much to send a quick message saying thanks for your time but your yard/horse isn't for me...

 

[riding_high]

i went to view a few yards when i bought my horse, i was new to the area so i didn't know many places. i was late to see some places, they gave dodgy directions anyway! i would always apologise and say i'm happy to wait until they could spare the time to show me around, some were great about it and others were very snooty, i ruled them places out straight away and said so a the time.

the worst one i had was i phoned one place up to say i wasn't going to be moving there as it was a little out of my way and i got a full on rant off the owner about how her yard was perfect etc etc etc. i sat and listened for a couple of minutes and then pointed out to her that maybe she should stop the ranting and thinking her yard was so perfect and maybe that's why she only had 1 livery out of a possible 11.
i have to say it did put me off phoning the others back in case i got ranted at even more, i didn't need the stress. i did get my OH to phone them up and apologise and explain and they were fine about it.

 

[Loulou2002]

I know exactly what you mean, our yard is full at the mo but when i did have space had a couple of "viewers". One lot were really keen to get into a quiet yard - we only have six stables. Agreed a moving date etc and then rang to say my yard is too quiet! Have a lovely lot at the moment though and hopefully all are long term! Unfortunatly its one of those things, when they've gone dont give them a second thought and just wait to see if they come back to you.

 

[pip6]

I find it odd. Even if I'm late I'll ring & let them know how late I will be & that I'm still coming. It is so rude to make an appointment & just not appear.

 

[smellsofhorse]

You have to expect phone calls when selling or offering something. People are calling for more details, they then either get put off by something or have to think about it. I am guilty of saying I will call bsck and don't, its an easier way to end the phone call!

As for the visits you shouldn't have to spend extra time tidying up, they need to see the yard as it is if or may get our off when they on to the yard.

Some of the visitors may be mossy neighbours / competitors or something may be putting them off.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Its difficult to find a new yard without phoning and viewing. There are so many varibles and its always a case of weighing up the pro's and cons of each yard. It does take up the YO's time but I can't see any other way of doing it. Even yards with good websites seem to list all the facilities/prices and fail to show pictures of the grazing. Even the seemingly perfect yards may not be after talking to the YO and discovering she has a OCD and prefers the horses in thier stables rather than out pooing on the beautiful fields.
I wouldn't say viewing was time wasting, although not being honest and calling back quickly, is.

 

[king_of_diamonds]

We had that a lot. Random people phoning up and ask a few questions and then they arrange to come out and view the place, get directions and everything then never show up. Won't answer their phone or anything. I wouldn't mind if we hadn't put our lives on hold for some toss pot to never even want to appear in the first place!

 

[Ilovefoals]

The rudeness is what gets me! Why can't someone just say, "I'm sorry, I wont make it out to see your yard today", or "thanks for spending the time showing me around, but it's not what I'm looking for". I'd much rather that than not know if they are coming or not. I had people who viewed my place, spent 2.5hrs talking to me about their mares "special requirements", told me story after story about the fabulousness of said mare and arranged to bring her at the end of the month. I never heard from them again and stupidly didn't take their number. Months later, I was visiting a friend at her yard, and low and behold, here were the timewasters! I walked up to the guy and said, "oh, that's strange, I thought you were coming to livery at my place?" He said, "oh, we found this place and it's closer to our house, didn't think you'd mind!" Needless to say I gave him a mouth full on wasting my time!!! Clueless!

 

[Sarah Sum1]

The not turning up thing is rude.

But If I was a YO I would only expect a call back after a viewing if the person was interested. I don't see the point otherwise, the viewer will feel uncomfortable and probably won't be honest as to why they don't like it. The YO will feel disapointed. I would only expect to hear from someone if they wanted to move in.

 

[nona1]

This is a really interesting thread. I haven't been at a yard for years but I know that if I were looking for one, I'd visit several, and take my pick. I would turn up when I said, and if I told you I was moving in, I would (or call if I'd changed my mind). But it wouldn't cross my mind to call to tell you 'no thanks' after viewing. To me it's a business arrangement, that's all, I shop around for all sorts of things and don't contact the 'no's' to tell them when I've found what I want. It's like going to look around all the local gyms, you join one, you don't ring all the others to tell them no.
I wouldn't have thought people would think me rude for that.I'm just a customer checking you out. It's not personal.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Why don't you finish the viewing by saying 'If I haven't heard from you by the end of the week (or whenever), I'll assume that you have found somewhere else.'? That takes the pressure off the viewer, so that they don't have to find an acceptable reason to tell you and you aren't kept hanging on.