Have you asked your friends, relatives or neighbors to watch your pets? How has this worked for you? It can be an economical solution that goes off without a hitch or it can cause a bit of grief and hard feelings. Here are a few of the issues we hear from clients who come to us when things go wrong.
Accountability. What if your best friend or relative doesn't fill up the water bowl or doesn't clean up accidents or damage? What if you're packed and just about to leave, or you're already away, and they have something come up? When you come home to find things weren't done you can't actually complain without damaging the relationship.
Imposition. Gosh you really hate always asking. Their kids have so many things happening. They have their own lives to lead and you don't want to bother them. They will probably say yes but is it annoying them? Awkward.
Missed Visits. By far, this is the one that sends people running to us! They've hired the neighbor only to come home to find that no one has been there - YIKES! The dog was out of water, had eaten the trash and had clearly been trapped in the house or the cat litter box was overflowing and the cat had survived on a ripped open bag of bread and was plotting revenge. They had no idea their pets had been abandoned while they were on vacation.
Hiring a professional puts you in charge. You can hold them accountable to your exact requirements, you're never an imposition and a good company will provide GPS check in/out for you to know every visit has been done.
When hiring a professional you should do your homework.
Reputation. Check Google, Yelp and Facebook for reviews and feedback. You can learn what the customer experience is really like.
Longevity. How long have they been in business? While there are young companies that provide excellent service, established companies have a great deal of experience to handle myriad situations and a solid reputation that has been documented over many years.
Interview. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Your pets are family and you'll want to know as much as possible about who will be providing their care. Here is our recommended list of questions for your phone call or free consultation.
Processes. A great pet sitting company will have processes that guide you; from your first encounter with their website to scheduling your meeting and visits to keeping in touch with you while you're away to making sure you arrive home as scheduled. You will know you're in good hands by the way the company has developed its customer care processes.
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