4 January, 2011 
We continue to get customers who expect us to offer assurances that litters of weaners will be available on specific dates, in specific numbers and of specific sexes.
When I explain that it is not possible for any livestock operation to give those assurances, especially months in advance, the customers retort that they will find someone who will, express doubt about our honesty and intentions, and ask how we can remain in business when we don’t give customers what they want.
Many customers simply won’t accept that it is impossible to give assurances that litters will have a certain number of pigs, of the desired sex and available on a specific date.
They won’t accept that nature doesn’t work like that.
They won’t accept that we’re not a factory with with a predictable and reliable production schedule.
Unfortunately, I can’t just dismiss all the customers who come to us with the consumer expectation that they will get exactly what they want, on the date they want it and at a price that is cheaper than it was six months earlier. There are too many of them to ignore.
Instead, I explain that we can put a boar in with a sow when she comes into season but can’t ensure he serves her at the best time.
I explain that we can’t ensure a litter will take from that serving or that the litter will go to full term.
I explain that we can’t ensure the litter will be farrowed on the expected date, be the desired size or have the desired survival rate.
I explain that we can’t ensure the weather will co-operate to ensure the desired growth rate by the sale date and that bigger litters usually mean smaller weaners while smaller litters mean larger ones.
Customers listen to all that and still demand assurances they will get what they want.
I refuse.
I am not going to give assurances that litters will be the size anticipated, with the sexes desired by customers and available on the desired dates at the specific, desired size.
It doesn’t work like that and anyone who says different is either totally naive or a liar.
The big commercial pig operations can come close to meeting some aspects of those desires for predictability, especially in terms of serving and farrowing dates, through the use of various drugs but even they can’t give the sort of assurances that customers expect and demand of us—no matter how ridiculous those expectations are.
We do the best we can to target times of peak demand, produce pigs with provenance and in good health and sell pigs that we actually have on the croft. We are not going to guarantee more than that.
It’s ironic that we’re treated with suspicion for being honest about the realities of pig breeding and production, while customers will happily hand over their money to people who offer all sorts of warm assurances and guarantees but don’t deliver.
It happens in the so-called “micro-pig” market. It happens with haphazard cross breeds that purport to be specific breeds or have specific qualities. It has happened with “virtual pig” and “pig share” operations.
Many of the assurances that customers demand and are given are worse than worthless, but they still want them and are suspicious of those of us who don’t offer them.
They should remember that we, and other responsible pig breeders, don’t give assurances that cannot be met.
We sell the pigs that we have, when they are ready. No more and no less.
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I’m not sure that people who expect nature to operate to order like that should be trusted with pigs, big or little. I suspect they also have unrealistic expectations of everyone around them, which is not a good thing.
There are even people with livestock experience who think like that. As soon as they put on their customer/consumer hat, realism flies out their ears and they expect to get exactly what they want exactly when they want it.
We have potential customers who want pigs at the beginning of the Easter weekend so they have the entire weekend to settle them in. We have potential customers who want pigs at the end of the weekend so they have three days to prepare fencing and housing. We have potential customers who want pigs at the beginning or end of the Easter school holidays so they can have them in place before or after they go on holidays.
Almost all of them want assurances “their” pigs will be ready on their desired collection date. They also want assurances there will be two, three or four weaners for them. They also want assurances they will all be gilts.
Easter is a peak time for pig sales, so we have tried to time litters to be weaned about two weeks prior. But there are absolutely no guarantees we can achieve that, even working at least 185-200 days ahead of the desired time. We just have to see what unfolds.
Customers don’t want to be told that. Even if they already have experience keeping, or even breeding, livestock themselves.
Unrealistic is putting it mildly Stoney, however I believe that many people have little or no idea how food is produced; expecting that with what I call the “Supermarket” syndrome everything is available “off the shelf” ! For example whoever thought that milk came from cows…. how silly …. it actually comes from cartons in the shop …. doesn’t it?
I hope your sensible and relaible customers continue to enjoy the good products from your business/croft.
You are doing all you can and you are honest.
Personally, I can’t imagine so many people being so ignorant!!
Come and spend a few months doing customer service for us. You’ll soon change your mind.
The OH and I were just talking about one customer. He has a small business that employs several people and makes certain goods to order. He comes to the croft, tells us about the similar hassles he has with his customers and then deals with us in the exact way that he’s just told us he dislikes so much.
It’s the consumer mentality.
How do these people find you?
They surely can’t be blog readers? If they are they should be ashamed of themselves.
Some read the blog. Some find us by word of mouth. Some find us via the Berkshire Pig Breeders Club, the British Pig Association or the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Some find us via various smallholding/downsizing/self sufficiency forums. Some find us via advertising. It doesn’t make much difference as the consumer mentality is firmly entrenched in the modern Western mindset and culture.
I may have remarked before, but you have to deal with some mighty peculiar people. Some of whom it seems are actually outmatched intellectually by your pigs.
It’s not just us: it happens to other livestock breeders too. I’ve read similar stories on their blogs. Customers believe they can have whatever they want whenever they want it without any responsibilities on their part.
I’ve had two emails in the past fortnight, since I mentioned we still have two weaners for sale following a cancellation, from people telling me they can get “coloured weaners” from marts in England for less than a tenner. In some cases, less than a five. So that means I’m being greedy and ripping customers off by wanting £60.
Never mind that those coloured weaners had to have been sold at a huge loss. If they were from commercial operations they were either unwanted poor performers (if it’s going to cost money to put it down and dispose of it, then it makes sense to flog it off to any sucker that comes along) or the businesses are going down the tubes. If they were from the hobby breeders, then they’re subsidising their costs from off-farm salaries and shutting their eyes to the reality.