**A Guest Blog from Laura Capra of Keep Me Company Pet Sitting, Longmont, CO**
We’ve all been there – something comes up last minute and the scrambling begins to get it all done because always, whatever comes up last minute is THE-MOST-AWESOME-THING-EVER-THAT-IS-GOING-TO-BE-EPIC! Like a ski weekend with friends, or a free ticket to Vegas, or a dinner date, or a promotion party, or a new shampoo that you want to try – whatever it is, you are SO THERE!!! But wait, you have pets that will need to be fed and let out for potty breaks and given their kibble-yum-yums at 9:10 before they get sung to sleep by your wonderful pet sitter – OMG, you need to call your pet sitter NOW because you need them to come to your house in like, 3 hours because you have some awesomeness to attend to. Here are tips on how to ensure a pet sitter answers you call and agrees to your last minute request. Because you never know, they may be out on some awesomeness of their own.
1) Call. Don’t text, don’t email – do it the old fashioned way and call them.
2) Be gracious and respectful, and if you can be, be a little apologetic – you want them to drop their own plans so they can help you out. Let me repeat that – they are HELPING YOU OUT. Yes, it is their business to take care of pets and we all want to grow our business. But do you call Kohl’s an hour after they’ve closed and say “OMG I’m going on a trip and I REALLY REALLY need this pair of pants before I go! I’ll be there in 10 minutes if you could just open the doors, I’ll be so quick about it”. NO, you don’t because that would be rude. Don’t be rude. Ever. No one likes a pain in the ass.
3) ASK if they can help vs ASSUMING they can help. ”Something came up and I was hoping you are available this weekend to take care of Fluffy and BamBam. I’d really appreciate it, if you need to adjust the times you visit that’s ok, I can be flexible because I know it’s last minute and I’m sure you are very busy. You come highly recommended and I’d really like to use your services” vs“I got a last minute invite to the beach house this weekend, I’m at the liquor store picking up some beer and wine, man it’s going to be epic. I left the key under the mat for you, I just have cats so they’re easy and you don’t have to meet them. I’ll pay you when I get back”.
4) DON’T QUIBBLE ABOUT THE PRICE. If you call a reputable pet sitter and question their prices, they are not going to want to help you out. You don’t quibble about the price of the Kohl’s pants, it’s rude. Remember, you’re the one going away last minute, you’re the one who needs help. Either the price is right for you or it isn’t. If it isn’t, say thank you and hang up and call someone else. But good luck because you’re in the final countdown, your beach is calling.
5) The easiest way to get a last minute pet sitter is to avoid needing one in the first place. PLAN AHEAD. Now, I’m all for spontaneous weekends and traffic jams and things that come up; BUT if you call me on Thursday and tell me your plane leaves on Saturday morning and you need a pet sitter for a week – I KNOW YOU’VE HAD THOSE PLANE TICKETS FOR WEEKS!!!! I KNOW! Thanksgiving is coming up and guess what – THEY PRE-PRINT IT ON EVERY SINGLE CALENDAR – so you really have no excuse for not planning ahead when it comes to holidays. Christmas is always on December 25th. Call today for your reservation.
6) LEAVE A TIP
If you do all of the above, and most of them boil down to common respect and courtesy you’re pet sitter should say the 5 words your longing to hear “It would be my pleasure”.
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