The Meet and Greet
We have a simple process of getting to know you and your pet. We believe trust starts with open communication. Over the years, we have found the best way to start that is with an in-person Meet and Greet. While not always possible, due to pandemics and emergencies, we absolutely stand by them as part of our process. Our free, 30-minute Meet and Greet is a great way to learn more about each other!
If you are going to be boarding with us or bringing your dog over for daycare, the meet and greet with take place at our house. If you’d like for us to do walks, drop-ins, or house sitting, we will do the meet and greet at your house. We have a very detailed meet and greet form that you will fill out before we get together. This allows us to start reviewing that information and ask more specific questions during the meeting.
4 reasons for a meet and greet
1. Asking questions
We know you love your pet like family and may have a lot of questions for us, especially if it’s the first time you’ve used a pet sitter. No question is off limits. If you’re thinking about it, it’s ok to ask us! After 10 years in business, we know the more questions you ask, the more at ease you’ll be. If you can’t think of any questions during the meet and greet, you can always call or text us. Some owners like to write them down and bring it to the meeting. This is also a time for us to ask questions to get to know your pet. Our software will send you a digital Meet and Greet form for you to fill out, but there’s typically a follow-up question or two.
2. Knowing the routine
You have a schedule and we want to keep it! No detail is too much. If we’re coming to your home, you can show us where the food, treats, cleaning supplies, and toys are located. It’s also the opportunity to show us any tricky door knob or if you have a special way to lock the fence. We may take notes during so we don’t miss anything! If you’re boarding your pet with us, or doing a daycare, you can talk about places they like to rest, whether they like the couch or not, or what kind of fears they have. If you’re pet requires medications, we may ask you to show us how it’s administered so we can make sure we stay consistent with you.
3. Building trust
Obviously a big one for everyone! If your pet has never had a pet sitter, he/she may need to see you interacting with a new person before they’ll trust us. We recognize that newness can be stressful for many pets and ascribe to the rule of threes. Where the first three hours with us is an adjustment period and by 3 days they’ll be in the groove of the routine. Bringing your pet into our home for the meet and greet allows them to get comfortable, smell all of the new smells, and start getting familiar with the new surroundings.
4. Setting expectations
The foundation to any working relationship is setting proper expectations and boundaries. The Meet and Greet is the time to discuss expectations on update frequency, timeliness, price, etc. We can also discuss our policies and procedures. We will also discuss the temperament of your pet and what we expect the first few visits or hours to look like in their adjustment period.
If you’re ready to get started or have more questions, we’re happy to help!
