Is it ok to state that you will not take single day bookings? It really is hurting my business. single day visitors block my calendar for longer stays. I am getting multiple requests every week. I am already ranking very high in my area. But i do not take multiple clients. and how would you word it on your profile?
I added this wording to my personal description. I would appreciate opinions if you think it is clear without coming off as rude. any change advice is appreciated. thanks in advance. ( also if anyone else wants to copy and reword it for themselves feel free)
* IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the volume of requests for sitting, I may restrict stays to a 2 night minimum. So please take into consideration that if you are looking for a single night and we reserve you, that I may contact you to let you know there will be an additional pet. That being said, I do have the capability to segregate dogs in 4 separate areas for feeding if necessary to avoid food aggression. Since I prefer to take only one client at a time single night stay make it difficult to keep a full house. * There will be no exceptions for holiday weekends*
Jamie, you could have a graduated rate. The longer a dog stays, the lower the daily rate. (Which translates into short stays costing more, which might discourage people from booking short stays -- or reward you enough that it's worth your while.).
I list graduated rates in my profile. I use a spreadsheet[1] to figure it out quickly. When I receive a stay request, I click the "edit price" and make a "one-time adjustment."
I wish Rover handled this better. In your case your "Day One" might be so high that it would make you look unattractive in the list of boarders. People have to read your profile to see how their daily rate might be half that amount (with a longer stay).
You can also archive requests to keep your availability open until someone actually commits to a stay. (I have read others say this is how they deal with similar issues.). I would communicate to the person you're available on a first-come, first-served basis and more than happy to meet/greet and book them. "In the meantime, I am archiving your request until it is booked." (I think when you archive it, it looks to them like it's being declined. So, you'd want to communicate something, I believe. You can still communicate with them in the archived folder, and book it from there.
Yes, you can limit yourself to just one at a time. There are many sitters who only host 1 family's dog(s) at a time. Under Dashboard, Services & Rates, I'd suggest you check out & edit if needed Service Options. Currently, it displays you can take 3 dogs/night.
i can take 3 dogs. but only one client. dogs must already be family. what i am asking, can i say i will not take visits of only one night. must be 2 nights or longer
Yes. I'd suggest you add to your profile something like due to availability, you can only accept stays of min. 2 or more nights. Of course, some people may contact you anyway, but that may reduce the number or declined requests. Also, you'd want to add that you only host one family's dogs @ a time
I agree with Deb. Just say that you require a 2-night minimum stay. I don't think you need to give a reason. Put it in a separate paragraph so it stands out.
Yes, I figured it out my first year. Doggy daycare is not as profitable as a dog staying 5 days, so I put 2night minimum on my profile. I also prefer to get two dogs from one house at a time to maximize profit.