021- First booking! Now what?

Getting organized!

Where are you storing a client's info?

Where are you storing pets info?

Keys?

How will you accept payment?

Rover/Wag takes care of this

Cash

App like Time to Pet or others

Paypal

Review your notes from the meet and greet and fill in any missing information

Done research on the specific breed?

Health concerns?

Behavior?

Training needs?

Do you know their alarm code?

What to do with poop?

Do you have good shoes/visibility?

Checked the weather

Have emergency contacts programed in your phone

Prep mentally:

Have your emergency plan in place

Be prepared for new or undisclosed dog behaviors i.e. bad ones

If house sitting or dropins, be prepared for messes and clutter that you may have to clean or work around

We reached out to Facebook and Instagram to see what other sitters suggested

Look at long-term growth verses "needing clients". Is this client going to be a promoter or a detractor for your business?

As you accept new clients, continue to WOW them! Client referrals are key when building your client base.

Think about the type of clients you want. Always be marketing to your target client and be ready to lose those clients who are not ideal. It's ok to take them on at first, but if they cause you stress, they aren't ideal.

Make sure to build a relationship with other pet service providers in your area. Groomers, pet shops, trainers, vets... they can be your best friend and advocate, or they can be bad news for you. Show them you're wonderful with pets and that you care. Also, bring them treats and cupcakes because that will stick in their mind.

Establishing a sit routine.

Meet and greets, at least 2-3. Sometimes an overnight trial.

Evaluation!

-What makes a good pet sitter

Meghan's list: loyal, dependable, caring, loving, compassionate, on time, respectful (of dog and items in your house), playful, active (so they can play with the dogs), has excellent review (or at least testimonials), available (if you travel a ton, your clients may go elsewhere if you aren't available a lot)

Collin's List:

- on time

- Communicative

- Let's you know if they're running late, before they're late

- greets your pet too

- Takes notes during meet and greet

- Upfront about prices

- Knows their limits - doesn't over promise

- Is honest about their schedule and other commitments

We asked other sitters what makes a good sitter,

Listen, greet pets, polite, interested in job, follow direction, level headed

Knows dogs not just likes them

Meets personal expectations and has same values in expected care

Mesh well

Professional website and photos of yourself

Takes their job seriously

Confident, empathetic, observant

Someone who will work with the owner, as a team member

As sitters, we tend to have VERY high expectations of other sitters

Remember, you will never be able to please everybody or meet their expectations all of the time. As the sitter, you have the power to say NO too. Be picky with your clients and choosy about what experiences you want to have. Focus on your strengths and seek out those areas in the market to have the best fit.

-now the stay is over so lets think about what you'll need to be doing now:

Follow up with client

Card or gift?

Asking for review

Returning the key?

Possibility discussing anything bad that happened/concerns you have

If they didn't pay ahead of time, follow up about full payment or completing payment

Debrief on the stay-personally

Very first question, would you take care of them again? Why or why not?

What worked/didn't

What did you like about it?

What can you control/ask next time?

Review any notes you took during the stay and make sure they are filed appropriately

These are things to instill in your employees, because they'll have a first stay too

Then they need to check in with you, their employer, to debrief and discuss how the stay went for them

Next week, we're really excited to have the founder of JETRO Taxes and host of the "Small Business Tax Savings Podcast" Mike on to talk all about your favorite topic… Taxes!

https://www.petbacker.com/blog/how-to/the-essential-guide-for-the-first-time-pet-sitter

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