The document discusses the Adopt Line Team at Austin Pets Alive, which answers emails and phone calls about adoptions. The team uses Google tools like Gmail, Calendar, Voice, and Docs to efficiently respond to inquiries. It has grown from answering 30 inquiries per day to over 150. The team aims to promptly facilitate meetings between adopters and pets. It also provides standardized responses and allows volunteers to help remotely. Building a strong Adopt Line Team can increase adoptions and provide clear communication. The document also covers Austin Pets Alive's return policy and how the team gracefully handles the small percentage of returns.

1. The Adopt Line Team
Virtual Front Line of APA!

2. What I Hope to Accomplish
• Familiarize you with the adopt line
(adopt@) team
• Go through some of the tools adopt@
uses in order to be effective
• Show you why you need a similar
group
• Illustrate how to build your own
adopt@ team

3. Adopt@ or Adopt Line
• Answers all emails coming into the
adopt@austinpetsalive.org address
• Answers all vmails coming into APA’s
main number (currently no live answering
of phone line, all calls go to vmail)
• 100% volunteers, we take turns manning
the adopt@ ‘inbox’

4. Adopt@’s Task:
For adoption inquiries:
• Locate each rescued animal within our
system and facilitate the meeting between
the adopter and that dog or cat
• Get back to the adopter promptly with
detailed instructions on how to meet that
dog or cat
• Offer up alternatives if the adopter’s first
choice doesn’t work out

5. Adopt@’s Task:
For other inquiries we answer if able, or
forward to the correct group for handling:
– PR - Accounting
– Volunteer Group - Management
– Donations - Marketing
– Medical - Fosters
– Records - Adoptions Counselors

6. Amazing Growth in 2+ years
– Nov 2009 – average of 30 emails/vmails per day
– Jan 2012 – average of 150 emails/vmails per day
Daily rate
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Dec-09 Feb-10 Apr-10 Jun-10 Aug-10 Oct-10 Dec-10 Feb-11 Apr-11 Jun-11 Aug-11 Oct-11 Dec-11
Daily rate

7. Where We Are Today
• Group of ~10 volunteers answers emails
and phone messages 365 days a year, 14
hours a day
• Most responses go out within the hour
• Responses are standardized
• Volunteers can respond from work, home,
school, anywhere they have access to a
computer w/ internet
• Average response takes under 1 minute

8. How Did We Get Here?
• Organic growth (started small – 2
volunteers)
• Constant recruiting/training
• Team leader has to:
– Have good customer service skills
– Have to be able to pitch in as needed
– Be organized
– Have good people management skills
– Be familiar with APA’s structure & operations

9. How We Do What We Do
• Where do emails and vmails come
from?
• What tools do we use to respond?

10. Where do emails come from?
• Saw animals or contact information on our
website
• Petfinder ad
• Craig’s List ad
• Saw one of our
adoption sites
• Misc other

11. Where do vmails come from?
• Saw main phone number on our website
• Yellow Pages
• Misc other

12. Tools
• Google Mail
• Google Calendar
• Google Voice
• Google Documents

13. Why Gmail?
• Widespread Use
• Ease of use with companion products
(Google Docs, Voice & Calendar)
• Threading
• Canned responses

14. Gmail - Threading

15. Gmail - The Canned Response

16. Gmail - The Canned Response

17. Google Calendar
• Volunteers sign up as they have time.
• There are no preset days/hours per
volunteer.

18. Adopt@ Google Calendar

19. Why Google Voice?
• Transcribes and forwards vmails to gmail
inbox
– Most calls can be handled without a callback
• Free call backs
• Protection of identity

20. Vmail Transcribing

21. Making a Call from GVoice

22. Calling Back From GVoice

23. Google Documents
• One set of documents to be
updated/edited
• Great for sharing guidelines, new
protocols, etc
• Owners of documents from other groups
can invite adopt@ easily
• Examples of docs we share:

24. Google Docs
Resource Guide – Getting Started

25. Google Docs
Dog Foster Spreadsheet

26. How We Work
• Computer with multi-tab browser
– Adopt@ Inbox
– Calendar
– Petpoint
– Foster Dog Tracking Sheet
– APA Website
– The Adoptline Resource Guide

27. 6 tabs workstation

28. The Nitty Gritty
• Manual contains detailed instruction on
how to get all set up and then answer our
top 4 inquiries:
• Site dog
• Foster dog
• Cattery cat
• Foster cat

29. Benefits of a Strong Adopt Line
Team
• Higher number of adoptions
• Extended hours of service
• Clear and uniform communication
• Reduce burden on other departments
• Help to avert problems & aid in quick
resolution

30. Questions/Comments?

31. Returns
Dealing Successfully With a Reality of
Rescue

32. APA’s Return Policy
From our website:
APA! will take back any newly adopted pet if the
adoption does not work out for any reason. Please e-
mail us at adopt@austinpetsalive.org to start the return
process. If you are having behavioral or medical issues
with the pet, please specify the problem as APA! may be
able to assist.
Pets that have been in your care for over 30 days will
have to go through our PASS program that is set up to
assist owners in rehoming their pets.

33. APA’s Contractual Requirement
“I agree not to sell, trade, or transfer
ownership of this animal. I agree not to
dispose of this pet in any way, but to notify
APA! if I must relinquish custody of this
pet at any time. I understand that if the
relationship does not work out regardless
of the time frame, I am to give APA! the
first opportunity to accept the pet.”

34. APA’s Return Rate
• In spite of our open door policy, APA’s
return rate is 9% vs national average of 8-
12%
• Barring extreme behavior or health
problems, all returned cats and dogs find
new homes

35. Return Reasons
• Health (of adopter or of pet)
• Behavioral
• Moving
• Lack of pet housing
• Lack of time
• Divorce/loss of job/death
• Changed mind

36. Return Procedure
• Adopter contacts APA with a return
• Return personnel get more information to see if
behavioral, medical or resource help will prevent return
• If the return is necessary, an email is sent out to the
adopter in order to get valuable behavioral and medical
information prior to taking animal back
• Appropriate groups within APA notified
• Arrangements are made with adopter to return cat or dog
to APA
• Good adopters get the option of an exchange

37. Detailed Documentation In Manual
• Return Documentation Emailed Out
– Dog return email
– Cat return email
– APA Owner Surrender Form

38. The Odd Ones
• Pet found, owner can’t be reached
• Pet turned in as stray to other shelter
• Owner surrender to other shelter

39. How To Handle Returns Gracefully
and Why
• Regardless of the validity of reasons given, APA return personnel
arrange for the return in a polite, supportive way
• Especially in the more trying cases, any other response endangers
the animal
• In some cases, a totally supportive response actually leads to the
adopter deciding to keep the animal
• Adopters are often traumatized by having to return their pet, and a
supportive staff can help minimize the stress on people and animal
alike
• For those adoptions where it was a bad match but a good adopter,
many times we can successfully place another pet into that home
• Almost all returns are readopted and end up in a better fit/situation