This week I have been flooded with phone calls from new clients. I was attributing this to Spring Break coming up soon, as well as Cabin Fever vacations, but many of them were people who just want to have a professional pet sitting or dog walker at the ready so they no longer have to impose on their friends.
Lets think about this. Your friend or neighbor may really love dogs, but do they want the burden of being tied down to a specific schedule on their time off? Doubtful! Maybe they simply don’t know how to say “no” but I can certainly tell you that many of our best clients come from a situation where they are “done” imposing their pet sitting or dog walking needs on family, friends and neighbors.
I happen to live in a lovely part of town. When we moved here, I became friendly with another dog owning neighbor who is the “pet sitter of choice” because everyone knows her. I said-GREAT! They know her, but what does SHE know? This particular woman confided in me that a dog had passed under her “watch” because she didn’t know the first signs of bloat, nor knew pet first aid or CPR. While you may know the character of this person, its really important that whoever you decide to care for both your pets and your home KNOW what to do!
Another important thing to consider is this persons background. I believe that many of you would be aghast to actually see a criminal background check. You may know this person, but have you done your dilligence in even looking at CCap? This is a very basic way to get started, but be forewarned-the results may terrify you!
I would attest that just about every other call sounds like “Well, my friends say I’m crazy to call a complete stranger and trust them” OR “How can I trust you” OR “How do I know your person won’t steal me blind? You don’t, but I do. I am happy to share my hiring and retention process and the major steps we take to ensure that every single Wisconsin Pet Care employee who enters your home has one thing and one thing only in mind-to care for your dogs, cats and other creatures. Heck, the head of the Wisconsin FBI was a client of ours. Don’t you think she did her diligence? (and to answer your question, her dog passed away and therefore no longer needs us!) Our hire rate is 1 in 35 applicants. Does that tell you something?
Lets talk about us taking your stuff. First of all, I do a background and ethics assessment on all candidates. This assessment tells me what type of person we are interviewing. If they aren’t the right moral fiber, we don’t consider them. We don’t have people on the team that I wouldn’t have in my own home, and I am my own worst client. Truly. I have the highest expectations of not only myself, but of my team. This is important stuff to me, and all employees are bonded, insured, and pet first aid and cpr certified.
Consider how important your pets are to you in your life. Would you leave them with just anyone? We aren’t just anyone…we do this for a living, 365 days a year because we adore animals. Its our job, our livelihood and our passion. We excel at it. Can your neighbor say the same thing?
