I've been trying to come up with a clever
way of stating that I don't just do dog walks and pet-sitting while
people are vacationing.. but clever isn't always best. Sometimes you
just gotta come out with it, so here goes.
Generally, I
have two types of clients: 1) Those who call me up as they're planning
their vacation, and 2) Those who I call my 'standing orders'. My
'standing order' clients are those who give me a housekey to keep.
Their pets usually have a routine schedule (M-F visits, once a week
visits.. etc). Although, I do have a handful of pet owners who have me
keep a house key, and then all they have to do is give me a schedule for
that month, or even just call me the night before. While their pet's
don't require daily visits, this way, they know I can come check on
their pet's last minute, if need be.
Often,
with my 'standing order' pets, because I have an extra house key, I've
been able to help out with matters unrelated to their pets. Locked out?
Give me a call, I'll be right over. I've been able to help clients out
by letting in a repair man, if they couldn't get there in time. I've
even checked on leaky pipes during the day. I even did a rental
walk-through for a client, as she was deploying overseas.
Some
of my visits are for pets with separation anxiety, some are for potty
training puppies, some are to run dogs to help get the wiggles out, and
one of them was simply to help the dog learn how to walk properly on a
leash. I even had a client who paid me to take a training class with
her, so that she could work with one dog and I could work with the
other!
I've been working with companion
pets professionally since 2005, but I just started pet-sitting
professionally this past year. But prior to starting this endeavor, I
made up my mind early on, that my mantra would be 'to not be a busy pet
sitter, but to be an effective one'. I've turned down many great
marketing opportunities because I'd rather be heard of by way-of-mouth.
If every Joe Schmo who saw an advertisement called me to pet sit for
them, I'd be way too busy to care for your beloved pets properly. Quite
honestly, I have no desire to be busy! I want to be dependable,
trustworthy, professional and courteous. I am there when you need
someone to help you out!
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