How to Avoid Bad Pet Sitting Clients! Tips from a Pro
Vložit
- čas přidán 10. 11. 2021
- We have all dealt with a less-than-ideal client at some point, and we would all like to minimize this as much as possible. Here are some of the red flags I watch for and how I handle them.
Schedule a Coaching Call with Doug: dougthedogguy.co/
Get 50% OFF your first FOUR months of Time to pet using my referral link! www.timetopet.com/doug
Check out my pet sitting and dog walking business: badtothebonepetcare.com/
A big red flag for me is when new clients act like they don't trust me right from the beginning.
I had one guy make a huge point of telling me that he'd bought new locks and installed them on his office door to make sure I couldn't get in there. I was like...if you don't trust me that much, why are you letting me in your house? I let it slide and did the job anyway, because the wife was super nice and I think a lot of their caution was due to having been foster parents for many years and being kind of jaded as to strangers in their house. Thankfully it went well, but yeah, in general I see it as a huge red flag when someone that supposedly wants you to stay in their home and care for their pets is so distrustful.
I agree! I’m on a hs right now and I now know these to be red flags! This person texted me asking about outside furniture! Apparently she asked her neighbor what it looks like over here! Never again! So disrespectful! I don’t have a car so it’s not like I packed it up and took it somewhere LIKE REALLY!
That’s exactly what I came here to say.
Hundred percent agree I declined a client because of this
Pet parents that are clearly wealthy but want you to come down on prices!?
THIS!!! if they can afford taking care of a pet , children and a house especially in ny then I’m sure they can handle $70-$80
It’s one thing to be frugal but tightwad???
Had that experience twice now. It's very frustrating since I make sure to clarify the price at the get go. Got extremely annoyed, most of that money is used to pay for petrol for my car and they obviously know beforehand how long they'll be gone. So it gets annoying when they try to get me to lower the price (I'm a student who's currently looking for work so pet sitting is a nice little job to get some form of income)
"Not every client is ideal"
No kidding. I used to do landscaping. Holy cow a lot of people are nuts.
For me a huge red flag is being asked to do stuff way outside my job as a petsitter. I showed up to a petsit once and the owner (who hadn't left yet) asked me to drive her to the airport. Yeah, that's a no from me. Watering plants or getting the mail is fine, but I'm not a chauffer.
I also had someone who had originally contacted me a few months back and we had a Meet and Greet but I ended up having to cancel because I got sick. They contacted me recently and had an emergency and asked if I could stop by to do a drop in visit. I don't normally do these, especially without a Meet and Greet, but it was $100 for a couple hours of work so I decided to do it. The visit went fine, but when she contacted me again a few days ago, and wanted me to stay overnight in their home, still without a Meet and Greet, and it wasn't even the person on the account contacting me but her mom, something just didn't feel quite right so I made excuses as to why I couldn't do it.
I totally get this! I always feel like I have to make excuses as to why I can’t do it if I feel uncomfortable, but you do NOT have to do this! If you don’t feel comfortable, you have every right to feel that way AND voice your specific concerns to them! You don’t have to lie and make up BS excuses. Your feelings are valid and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! You have every right to simply tell them “sorry, I don’t think I’m a good fit for you,” or “sorry, I don’t feel comfortable sitting for you because of x, y, z,” or even just “sorry I don’t pet sit for anyone without doing a meet and greet beforehand.” Totally justified! These are complete strangers and you have every right to be cautious and proactive. You SHOULD be cautious and proactive. I’ve heard some horror stories from other sitters who didn’t take those precautions like having a meet and greet first.
I found this to be very informative, assuring, and therapeutic. I recently had to release a client for making me walk her dog in the overwhelming Texas heat, and consistently complaining about her service in the summer months. Here in Texas, it gets extremely hot in the July and August months. I have to exercise heat precautions (sticking to the shade and on the grass), and constantly explaining to customers about the temperature of sidewalks and asphalt. Her dog was a Wheaten Terrier. They are of Irish origin and they are extremely sensitive to the heat.The poor dog just hated it! I advised her many times, that if she wanted the type of walk that she wanted, we needed to walk him at a cooler time of day. She didn't want to do that. Her previous dog walker quit on her, so that was a big red flag.
It was just one of the most bizarre experiences that I have ever had. I also agree with the comment that if the customer is extremely mistrusting without checking references, you should avoid them.
advice: never be backup for a regular sitter - it's a thankless cover on all counts. you will not be appreciated by the primary sitter, the company, or the client. you will always be "just the backup person". if you want the money, make the company pay you more because as a backup, you are the person ensuring the client is retained for the primary sitter and the franchise. require a 'comp' from the franchise or don't do it - that comp will be the ONLY "thank you" you will get for "helping out". be smart. get comp granted via an email first, and do a great job.
Oof! Yes, one of my worst petsitting moments was when I was a backup. This is such a salient point.
I have been doing pet sitting at my house for a year via Rover. Very happy with them. I require a meet and greet, if they can't do that, I don't trust the owner. I also have a pretty short time frame I allow for a meeting, 15 minutes. One time I had this client camp out and tell me all about her personal problems and the alledged health problems of the dogs. Pretty sure the dog was depressed by having a nut for an owner but I declined to accept the dog. I felt like the lady was going to have a problem with anything I did. It was a learning curve but now I'm pretty efficient about weeding them out. I also look their profile in advance. No puppies, unaltered, avoid pee pad trained (that means they are peeing on my floor on purpose), or if my dog doesn't like them.
curious on the problem with pee pad trained dogs? my pom is pee pad trained (I provide the pads) because at night its not worth walking her. she's skittish and nervous in the dark, and is only 8 pounds. I worry about raccoons or anything else attacking her. and she always makes it on the mat
First time ever not having an in and out meet and greet. 5 hours! Yes 5 hours! I should have known the. She would be over bearing. This Hs is the reason I joined River I will not hs for free anymore for pet parents who are overbearing
this guy is totally experienced with people. our stories are so linear. you can only discuss this stuff with other pet sitters because non-sitters just won't get it; in fact, they might get defensive, even if they've never needed a pet sitter. I made the mistake of sharing pet sitting dramas with office coworkers at the beginning of my part-time pet sitting experiences. I stopped sharing. he says "stay positive" at the end of this segment which tells me he knows the petsitting industry and thoroughly understands it. thank you!
Houses that are ocd clean. Those clients will almost always micro manage you and treat you with a lack of respect.
Going through that right now. I feel better knowing it’s not personal, but it feels crappy. The check they gave me bounced. First time this has ever happened to me.
I think once the micro manager realizes you can do the job they back off. Their response is one of fear, once the fear is gone they relax.
I’d rather be in a house that’s “OCD clean” that way it motivates me to be as clean as possible.
i'm a sitter and ocd lol
@@heatherrogers548 people still write cheques?!
1. Says we ask too many questions 2. Says out onboardig process is too long 3. Says our fees our too high 4 fights about not have a Rabies vaccine /Titer or exemption letter 4. Says dog need to "get to know you before teusting 5. Says dog need muzzles at vet 6. Has too little litter boxes pet ratio of cats. 7. Doesn't fill out online account in timely manner - your timely manner statement is one of my key factors for sure.♡ If they don't ahead the time to invest in preparing we don't have the time for caring ♡ ... gosh I can go on for ages 🤣
Doug, You don't miss. This man does NOT miss. Keep it up! I appreciate you linking me to this video.
Thank you Cody! Lmk if you have more video ideas!
Hi there!
I watch dogs on the side and I ran into someone who said they didn't have time for a meet and greet beforehand. I went ahead and agreed to watching his dog but no meet and greet could lead to bad things!
Yikes! I will not provide services without a meet & greet. Hopefully all goes well!
I've only once provided a drop in visit without a Meet and Greet because it was an emergency, but when the client wanted a subsequent petsit where I'd actually be staying in their home, plus it wasn't even the person on the account (Rover) contacting me, it was her mom, I made excuses. Just so many weird things that didn't seem quite right.
@@starjewel16 wow, that is super weird!!!
I just got disrespected by a bad client who wasted two months of my time. All of the red flags and I am so rattled from being so deeply disrespected and my time taken for granted.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. It happens to all of us at some point, don't let it keep you down! Learn from the experience and think about how to prevent it from happening again. Sending you pawsitivity!
How was it a waste?
How was it a waste?
How was it a waste?
How was it a waste?
I walked Beagle on lunch break from the office. one afternoon I went in. the bedroom door was open. the client (single female) is in her bed asleep. guess how uncomfortable I felt, milling around her place with her lying there. she didn't even think to text me first to let me know she was home. oh ...her place had pooh and pee pads everywhere and additional requests all the time. I live in a major city so most clients live in apartments, not houses. every room is "in your face". another regular client had hippie couch surfers using her place while she was away. nude guy wrapped in sheet suddenly popping his head up from sofa. things like THAT.
OMG!!!
Thank you Doug 💗🐾👣🐾💗
Funny Doug my second house sit had all your favorite red flags but I was patient and its been okay so far! lol
Great video Doug!
Thank you!
Must see video. Thank you 🙏
I've said no to 2 so far.
Wow thank u so much for these tips!
I know a cat sitting company that uses Zoom sessions as their meet and greet.
Im a nurse, so all the red flags are standard behavior for my patients 😂
People with ocd are the worst clients. For example, you send a picture of their dog to them and they see that you put their reversible coat on on the "wrong" side and complain. It gets worse the longer you stay with that client. Get out while you can!!! Otherwise you attach to their animal and it's hard to leave!!!
What cat sitting companies do you recommend? I want to begin cat or pet sitting for my off-season months since my main job is a seasonal job. (Off season for me is early November to the end of April)
Is there a way to tell someone you're only experienced with cats and kittens? How far from your town are you able to go or does it depend on the company? I researched one company so far and there's no cat sitters in my area so far; only in cities nearby.
Sorry for all of the questions, I've always wanted to do some job involving cats. Maybe even a cat trainer.
such a great mustache bro.
Yep, there are pet owners and Pet Parents its a difference.
Absolutely
I do this part-time for a professional service to supplement income. my day job is a M-F (9-5) very boring office clerk gig. I had one multi-cat client who was demanding beyond belief. he treated me and other sitters poorly and would still email me, wondering why I am no longer accepting his assignments. moreover, he only tipped sporadically which signals he is bipolar. why would he continue to wonder why I was unavailable? to answer that he was either so demanding he just didn't get it or he is nuts.
Tipping sporadically does NOT signal bipolar. That is a bold statement.
At the beginning of my business l had a client that every time l went round she would ring and ask loads of questions one of which was where did you put the poo bag so l said in the bin l figured you didn't want it left in the kitchen and continue with fine a different dog sitter l am not recommending any one to you and finished the call😳🙄 she did advertise for some one else sx
I had a horrible client from Rover. She kept pushing me to muzzle her dog that has a bite History and is not friendly, and I kept telling her no, but she kept pushing it on me. It was a very uncomfortable position to be in and I couldn’t cancel because it was a day before it would reflect poorly on me. She was deliberately putting me at risk, should I expose her? I have receipts
Clients who want you to stay in a smelly home for a week
Definitely agree with this lol...been there done that and not going back!
Could u show us your form or share it with us ? And how u let ur Clinte fill it up ?
We have a couple different forms on our website, one is to request a phone consult and one is to sign up as a new client. I would definitely recommend having a place for clients to contact you on your website and use this to gather the info you need for your services
How is referring a bad client to someone else a good thing? Also, when I deny clients, I always feel like they will go on my website and leave a bad review.
Doug or anybody - do you know of a good, reliable and affordable pet sitter in the NOLA area West Bank?
Just has a woman be absolutely vile and snobby with me just refused her service I'm usually a person to get on with anyone. 😕
What do you suggest doing with clients that do not respect your schedule by booking and canceling last minute and most recently, didn’t even cancel! Just let me know two days prior when I sent confirmation text
Unless you need the business and you are willing to be treated like a yoyo, let know them you are sorry that you are unable to meet their needs and give them a referral to someone else. Or you can just tell them you don't have the availability/dates they are looking for AND send them somewhere else. I am generally relatively flexible and don't have much in last minute cancellations (and if I have one there are legit reasons and I try to reschedule especially if it's a client I've had for a while and has been reliable) but you need RELIABLE clients. You aren't running a charity. Things happen but if it's a pattern....girl, ain't nobody got time for that !! You are trying to make money!! And you are losing $$$.
Alternatively you can ask for a non-refundable deposit to lock in their dates that will be applied to the dates they requested but to cancel last minute too bad so sad but honestly you need to let them go and make room in your schedule for new, ideal clients. They are out there !!
I had a couple people cancel last minute so I changed my cancellation policy (to get a refund) from 3 days to 7 days. I work through Rover which means the owner pays when they book the stay. It really sucks to lose out on that income when I've had to turn other people down for that time slot, so losing money like that really hurts.
Start saying no to last minute requests , and charging full visit price or cancellation within a certain time period. Im sending out a note to people who schedule last minute, that unless its an emergency, I will not take requests for weekend visit if its not at least 5 days in advance. If they do ask the day before, I say no. In any business we have to train our clients of our expectations. After 9 years, and having employees, Im not accepting their lack of time management and planning anymore. We have lives, and I could fit them in, but need my sanity more.
How much should I charge someone who has several dogs?
How do I start
I've been pet-sitting occasionally through an official online house-sitting platform and my red flags for pet owners are:
1) When the owner details previous pet-sitting disaster's that have taken place. I turned up to watch a house (and cats) and the family told me over dinner about a former disaster when the cats got fleas during their last holiday. What do you think happened next? A week after they left on holiday the cats caught fleas (because they weren't treated) and I spent two weeks scratching silly and feeling sad.
2) As above - never assume a pet owner will learn from their previous mistakes, so get firm details about everything and ask for a reference from them! Don't be afraid, even though it seems an odd thing to do.
3) Get a written contract because owners will often go back on verbal agreements. A red flag is unwillingness to do a contract.
4) MAJOR RED FLAG - if there are long or awkward silences when you ask questions about pet behaviour, vets or other details. Also, dark looks or glances between the owners if they are a couple etc. Trouble!
5) When the owners act like they own you and have a sense of entitlement (this may be a primarily British trait to be honest)
6) Bad communication, as Doug has said
7) Unreasonable demands or questions
8) When they appear distrusting, but do not want to take up the offer of further references to ease their anxiety (they will likely try to spy on you sneakily instead)
9) You simply get a very bad gut instinct
10) You pick up a few small white lies
These are all great!! Totally agree with all and I love #4! Thanks for sharing!
The long and awkward pauses say the most!
Their pets are grumpy too loolll
Funny Doug my second
Epic moustache 😇
03:24 - I had an ongoing dog walk - busy JD and a busy MD (married). they didn't communicate with one another. one had me scheduled for a visit and forgot to cancel. I knocked on the apartment door as always. went in and they were both nude in the shower with the bathroom door open. guess how awkward THAT was? one of my friends said maybe they planned it that way. horrible. worse yet? I LOVED their dog. had to divorce them from my life. sad. I could not overlook it even though they were "kinda" apologetic. too risky. miss dog.
Is that a BBA degree? And what’s the one on the left?
Associates from Florida State College at Jacksonville and Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of North Florida
@@DougtheDogGuy This is so encouraging I’m sure that you use the bachelors of business as a tool belt for your business
Oh, at first I thought you meant bad pet sitters. Good video! May I talk about a problem here. (?) I live in the NOLA area and I'm having a terrible time trying to find a pet sitter. I've spent a lot of time on Rover trying to find a pet sitter and out of many contacted only 1 said she could do it but she wants exact days I need the sitter known up front plus she wants all those days booked up front. When I ask her if she can do the sitting job for sure before I book it she says something like she's getting booked up fast for next week. So, I'm wondering if I should forget her sitting not that it looks like she's going to anyhow. Another problem is all these pet sitters are wanting pretty high fees to just come in for a few minutes and leave.
Easy answer: give exact dates, always, and pay the fees asked or move on to someone cheaper but, in my experience, you get what you pay for!
I might get berated for saying this but as the parent of a pet, I would never, ever hire anyone to take care of my loved one. many have some reason or a scheduling issue with work or an emergency where they need a sitter but if one has a lifestyle like THAT, they shouldn't get pets that require high maintenance. e.g. someone had a wedding to attend for a friend overseas. a week before the wedding their dog needed surgery for cancer. they still went. I would have sent my partner and stayed home with my pet. That's just me. dog died two weeks later.
its important to know that a red flag shouldn't be a definite no. For example, I worked for a horder before, they are not all that bad. People have mental illness and America is too "cancel culture" these days. Lets be more tolerant of each other.