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how long should I wait to raise my fee?

When I started Rover in January, the site recommended that i list my fee lower than others to get stated. I have booked 3 jobs and continue to get more requests. I'm wondering when is an appropriate time to raise my fee.

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Namasté, When you start to get a good rating then you would want to raise rates, as your credibility is shown. Remember, if the owner will compormise your business do not take the client on. I raise rates for puppies, older an multiple dogs any dogs that require more work. Namasté, Marcus

6 Answers

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I started out in January and listed my boarding at $30 which seems to be the most popular rate in our area. Daycare ranges a lot so I just chose $24 and I put my walks at $10. I told myself that when I get 10 different customers per category that is when I will raise my rates by 15% to get the amount of money I actually want before rover fees are taken out.

I just raised my rates for walking by $2 and sent out this letter to my walking customers to notify them of the change: "I want to take a moment to thank you for your commitment to me and my growing business. It is such a joy for me to provide walking services for your sweet dog. Not only that but also provide loving care, consistent photo updates, wellness checkups, fun doggy playdates at the park, and special treats (doggie sundaes…if allowed). Since beginning this journey 3 months ago I’ve had 15 different clients and 22 bookings for walks alone. I strive to provide the best customer service, value, quality and availability in the NoVA area. With that said, this business is my full-time job and I wanted to let you know that I will be slightly raising my walking rates to $12 per walk, which is still an unbelievable deal for this area. The second dog in the family is still half price. You can also still book in advance or short notice and I will never raise my rates for holidays, puppies or weekends. Any walks already booked for later dates will be locked in at the original price. If you have questions feel free to send me a message. Thank you for your understanding but most importantly thank you for sharing your fur baby with me! Sincerely, Natassia E."

I will do the same thing after I get 3 more new boarding visiters ($6 increase) and after 5 more new daycare visitors ($5 increase).

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For me, I raise my rates when the number of requests I am getting exceeds my ability to handle them. My partner and I only sit part time; I work full time and he's in school, so even though our available time is pretty flexible, we still have our hands pretty full and need a decent amount of time without coming home from school or work every day to yet another set of responsibilities. Even the most amazing guest dogs are still extra energy. I've raised our rates twice since starting last March - once after a couple months when we had a couple good reviews, and once at the beginning of this year because we had been booked more consistently than we wanted.

This may still be a good strategy if you're wanting to sit full time; your threshold for what you can handle would just be higher than ours is. If you're finding that you're having to turn away clients regularly because you're already booked, or that you're working more than you're comfortable with, raise your rates a bit and see how it impacts your requests. Your previous clients will likely still book with you if they were satisfied with your service, and as your experience and reviews increase, you'll attract more new clients' attention (generating more repeat clients), and the cycle continues.

Comments

Namasté, Better to change your availability then to change rates if you are feeling overwhelmed. Changing rates alot makes owners not book with you. Yes, make your rates as whatever you feel you deserve. Fifteen percent of your total pay goes to Rover, remember. Namasté, Marcus

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I didn't raise my main fee but raised the fee for additional dogs. I noticed in my area that I was lower than anyone else when it came to the second dog. You can always adjust your rate if it is a regular customer and you don't want to charge them as much.

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When I first started out, I was a few dollars lower than my immediate competition. As you get through a busy holiday and you have a few reviews, I raised my rates to match the local competition. Now that I have successfully made it through an entire calendar year and booking clients as far as July and December, I am thinking about raising my rates a few bucks. If you go a full 5.00 when your local competition is 5.00 cheaper they will over look you if they are new clients. But if you go 3.00 higher and you have the reviews to back you up, the 3.00 vs the 5.00 doesn't cause as much shock value. You really need to do your competitive intelligence. Once you know the market rate you can play with the rate.. Good Luck! Rosie

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As soon as I received a positive review I uped my rates. In my area, Nebraska, I looked at other sitters rates and they ranged from 53 -18 for an overnight at sitters house. So really I could set my own price anywhere in that range an still be competitive. I choose 29 for adult 25 for puppy and 20 for cat. It's honestly whatever your area will support.

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Serina, I would encourage you to have higher rates for puppies - they are a lot more work due to their energy levels and potty training. I even break down my puppy rates for 0-6 mos and 6-12 mos.

really? for me it's the opposite. the worst a puppy can do is have potty issues. the adults are usually the ones with behavior issues, medical needs and high exercise req.Plus since I have a 6mth old puppy, they love playing together. Older dogs usually too rough or dont want to be bothered

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As a person you walk the dogs for I do not appreciate having the rate increased so significantly because your business is doing so well. I quite offended by the person who decided to lowball his or her rates at the start knowing he or she would increase the rate once we were sucked in. Reminds me of my TV and Phone services that think people won't switch and treat the existing customer as a has been....and new customers like gold to suck them in. It may be just a 25 % increase to you, however a person with 2 plus dogs this is a significant increase. My dog person just let me know the rate will increase from $20 TO $30 for a half hour walk because her dog walking business is doing so well. This is just not reasonable!! And no matter how happy I am with you that great thing about Rover is I have a ton of options Now I do believe $10 to walk one (1) dog is not a reasonable rate. At the same same time I do not believe $24 to $30 plus the fee we pay to Rover is reasonable. A Flat Rate of say $20 with a not to exceed "number" of dogs seems more reasonable over all. As for options to choose from I do not understand why there is a play with dogs and feed option and not a walk with dogs and feed option, but that is another topic.l

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Luckily, as you said, you have a ton of options.

I don't disagree with you about the significant increase so soon after starting. What I will say is that rover takes 15% from dog-walkers/sitters so when I increased my rate, I did it to cover what I was losing to Rover.

Rover takes 20% now. But I hear you. 20 to 30 dollar increase, I'd be mad too. Or at least going some place else.