At Exotic Pet Birds Inc., Lifetime Support Leads to Lifelong Customers

TO SAL AND JAMIE SALAFIA, the birds they sell are their babies. Quite literally. The owners of Exotic Pet Birds Inc. in Rochester, NY, breed 70 percent of their stock. They also provide care long after these feathered friends — and those from other breeders — fly the coop.

THE IDEALifetime Support

How the Salafias raise and sell birds allows them to provide physically and mentally healthy pets. Post-sale efforts let them continue that care and form long-term relationships with the birds and their people, which leads to regular sales.

“Clients get a hug on the way out. They become our friends, too, and I treat them that way,” Sal says.

THE EXECUTIONPre- and Post-Sale

All babies go through quarantine in a contained area with its own air-handling system and staff. Once verified as healthy through third-party testing, they move into the main nursery and live there until fully weaned.

Staff hand-wean to maintain optimal health and to create people-friendly birds.

“Hand-fed babies crave human interaction, which everyone wants in a pet. They learn to trust us as companions,” Sal explains.

Selection begins with a conversation.

“We ask them what they’re looking for but also talk about experience. They may want a macaw but might not be ready for one,” Sal says.

With options narrowed, staff start opening cage doors and bringing out potential pets. A match usually takes about an hour.

“We don’t think the person picks the bird. The bird picks the person.”

Clients can pay for their new pet all at once or take advantage of the store’s interest-free layaway plan. The latter works well when purchasing a baby, as it holds the bird during weaning.

As the baby prepares to leave the nest, staff invite pet parents to visit and strengthen their bond. A visitation room offers comfy seating, a flat-screen TV with Netflix, and charging stations.

“We have a customer now who visits every day,” Sal says. “He’s going to have the sweetest bird.”

The Salafias continue to provide support long after their babies go to new homes. Staff groom the birds — as well as others in the home, even if purchased elsewhere — for free. They answer questions and post promotions in the store’s Facebook group.

Sal also makes himself available for one-on-one consultations.

“If a client calls with a question, I welcome them to come in for a one-hour meeting with me, no purchase required.”

THE RESULTSRapid Growth

Exotic Pet Birds Inc. saw 600 percent sales growth from August 2017, its first full month in business, to April 2018.

“Now we have more people in the store sometimes than we have space for,” Sal says.