A Live Match

So I was helping out a customer who was interested in adopting one of our cats in the store.

-As we're in the middle of the 'we want a kitty for Christmas!' craze.

Which more often than not, heading over to the adoption center involves like 10 minutes of standing around staring at the customer as they snuggle with the kitty they wanted to hold...and usually ends up with no adoption happening.

In any case.

The customer asked me as she was snuggling a kitty....

If we price matched with other stores when it came to our cats.

O.o

Now. I'm often asked about price matching products in our store with other stores.

But live animals?

I can say that if customers have asked me this question before....it's only happened a couple of times.

Most of the time people don't think about price matching live animals.

Or well....they don't think about the fact that the prices could change in the store if its discovered that the same creature is less expensive in another location.

I think most people assume our prices on the animals are set.

As often when people see an animal -particularly our reptiles- on sale, they want to know why it's being discounted. aka -it's sick, it's too old, it's mean. etc. -

When in reality. The animal is just on sale like other products in our store go on sale.

So it's odd to be asked about price matching animals.

But especially the cats.

Because we don't 'sell' cats.

We 'adopt' out cats.

My store has nothing to do with deciding the prices on the cats that come into our store. That's all up to the adoption agency.

All I can usually depend on is that kittens will cost more than older cats.

And depending on if the cat is microchipped or not...the microchipped cat will cost more than one that doesn't have the chip.

So the fact that the customer wanted to try and price match the cat....

Was really odd.

Like it broke my mind for a second as I stuttered to explain why we didn't.

-Mainly the fact that the Adoption group sets the prices and we have no control over it.

Plus. It would be rather lame to price match a cat when they may not be comparable at all. The Age, the Breed, the Vaccinations already given, If they've been fixed or not. Microchipped or not. Etc.

So weird.

I can understand trying to find the best deal possible....

Just not with cats.

*shakes head*

Customers are weird.

-Sarnic Dirchi