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Dog walkers: how many extra favors do you do for your clients? [closed]

My dog walking clients buy a LOT of stuff; everyday they have around 5-6 packages between their front porch and door downstairs and not all of those packages are light. In the past I've brought in the light packages sometimes but the dog mom just today asked me to bring in the little packages at the downstairs door since it will supposedly be raining so heavily later (although there was actually a very large package and a smaller one downstairs along with a few light-medium heavy ones on the front porch upstairs) . It got me thinking as to whether I really should be bringing in the packages everyday or not (currently I do not & somewhat rarely bring in the lighter packages; this is the first time she's asked me directly to bring anything in).

What do you think? On the one hand, I kind of resent becoming an everyday moving person in addition to their dog walker & want to prevent being asked for lots of little unpaid favors but maybe not bringing the packages in makes me look rude.At the same time, there ARE a bunch of them (heavy and light) literally every single day.

Also, do you guys bring in the mail if you're just doing dog walking?

Closed for the following reason too subjective and argumentative by Sarah B.
close date 2017-01-23 18:23:31.382856

Comments

Package theft is an ongoing issue where I live, so I'll usually bring in any packages left for my clients. I don't touch the mail. Can you put packages inside without carrying them up/down stairs?

Hi, there's literally no theft where I live and they live on a hill. It is a very very safe suburban area with no crime that I know of. They also have 3 cameras outside watching where the packages are delivered.

I wouldn't need to carry packages up/downstairs per se but I would need to go in the house, downstairs to the basement to unlock the downstairs door from inside & bring the packages that are by that door in that way.

And keep in mind that this is an everyday thing, and not all packages are small and light. I'm not whining about bringing in a few packages a week or something.

Hmmm. I understand where you're coming from. My response might be something like this. "Hey soandso. I love walking doggo and don't mind helping y'all out on occasion, but tending to your deliveries is infringing on my time with doggo. If you'd like me to take care of your packages, I'd be happy...

...to for an additional charge. Let me know what you think."

Thanks, that sounds like a reasonable plan. Shockingly these past two days they haven't received any packages! Makes me paranoid that they somehow saw this thread lol

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It sounds like you've been giving it some thought. Here is what I would suggest: Mention your concerns to your client. Perhaps say something along the lines of "I've noticed that you all have been receiving several packages lately. While I would love to help by bringing them in for you, I feel that it has started to detract from my time spent with (pet's name) since we only have 30 minutes together. Would you be comfortable with a small fee of $_ for the additional time spent lifting and bringing in the packages for each day/week?"

Comments

Thank you so much for your positive contribution here & recognizing that this isn't an average daily delivery situation. That sounds like a good idea; I will have to mull it over some more. The only issue would be that this has

gone on for a long time so it might seem kind of random. But definitely a good idea :)

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Book a Stay
Woodbridge, VA

When I arrive at my clients and there are packages at the door, I open the door and place them inside. This is just polite and good customer service.

Comments

I agree but it seems like Sarah feels it's excessive and she's being taken advantage of. So, it sounds like she has to decide what she wants to do

Walt, do you have clients who receive 5-6 packages everyday, some that are quite heavy? I have no problem placing the odd package inside but this is like an extra job. Additionally, the packages are both at the front door and a side bottom door for which I have to go in the house, in the basemen

and open the door downstairs to put them inside.

Sarah, you asked a question of the community. You clearly feel that something needs to change in the situation (regardless of how others may feel). What is your plan? Venting isn't changing anything. What will you do?

I'm interested in hearing more perspectives before I make up my mind. Plenty of people come here to vent & there are also people who tend to answer questions in a very knee jerk way. I didn't realize I had to make my mind up this second.

I'm going to step away from this question. Period. Have a good day all.

I'm sorry you didn't like my response to you talking down to me so unnecessarily in a separate thread

Thanks for the downvote Moureene

Sarah, if you read this thread I was trying to be supportive. I can choose to walk away when things become combative. You have already had a thread closed by Rover for this same reason. We're service providers. Be Zen

Lol I closed that other thread myself... Rover doesn't close threads. I think that suggesting someone is impolite for not moving something in the house invites a full response; I agree that one should move things inside in the abstract but the vast majority of clients don't receive 6 packages a day

When you tell someone that they need to decide on something now, that's being confrontational & really doesn't make much sense. My response to Walt was totally reasonable and didn't necessitate your response chastising me. Not sure why you're telling me to be zen when you clearly aren't.

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That's tough. Once you start offering to do things, or just do them out of kindness, you open the door to being taken for granted. As service providers, I think the majority of us are naturally helpful but this is why we need to be extra careful of our boundaries.
I tend to only do the service I am contracted for. I literally give myself tunnel vision in an effort to only see the pets in my care and their needs.
I took out someone's garbage recently during a stay because it bothered ME. I let the owner know on a message: "fed, watered, litterbox sifted and... took out the garbage because it was seriously wretched". This is outside of my normal duties and the owner knows it. He replied," thank you so much. You are so good to my kitty. You took out the garbage?! Sorry about that. You shouldn't have had to". Of course, if I'm house sitting, I leave the place looking better than when I got there. But, when I'm dropping in, I'm dropping in for pet services.

Really though, the choice is yours. It sounds like you were fine helping out until it was expected of you. I think most of us are like that. When we do things voluntarily it's our way of showing that we care and are going the extra mile. When a client heaps on extra responsibilities without compensation but full expectation, we can feel taken advantage of.

The problem is that now that you've made a habit out of helping with the packages, it may seem passive-aggressive if you suddenly stop. The client will know something is wrong but won't know what and therefore won't be able to make it right. You could just not mention it but raise your fees by $1 to compensate for the extra work. Then it wouldn't irritate you because you'd be compensated. Or, if you're able just flat out say, "you're the only client I get that receives so many parcels and has me bring them in. I really just want to focus on the pets".

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm not kind. I just focus my attention on the service I'm being paid for. I had a client in the hospital and they had to keep her extra days. She was released to her daughter for a couple of days and ended up in the hospital again. Our three day stay lasted about 8 days. I watered her plants, vacuumed and brought the bouquets she received in and put them in the fridge so they'd be fresh when she returned home. She was truly grateful. Some people are not.

Let us know how you handle this.

Comments

Thank you! These clients aren't from Rover & they pay via paypal so if I raised my fees I'd have to address them directly :/. I even brought in their mail today; I actually would be cool with bringing in the mail because it's easy but all of this stuff together is annoying

And I'm making it more confusing probably because I'm not a total pro at this point and don't have a concrete policy or anything

I'd still raise their rates by $1 a service. You can let them know that you sit for Rover and that you are raising your rates across the board for additional services charges. You're running a business. Sometimes you just gotta 'man up'.

To avoid confusing and feeling obligated, I actually ask this at my Meet & Greet. I basically just ask if they'd like me to bring in the mail, packages, water any plants, or take down the trash cans on trash day. It's mostly for drop-ins, but I ask walking clients, too!

I imagine those people only get like, a package a week at most tho, no? It's just the sheer number of my clients' and how some are very heavy that concerns me. Do you ever end up feeling like you spend a lot of energy on little extras you aren't compensated for?

I understand what you're saying; I had a new M-F walking client who had just moved into their new home and was receiving multiple packages a day of decor and such. I bring them in the house out of courtesy more than anything else. I'd hate for it to be stolen, and strive to provide the best service.

If you'd been bringing in small packages in the past of your own accord and this was the first time she specifically asked you to bring one in, maybe only bring them in if she asks from this point forward?

That makes sense! I guess it's just the sheer number of packages that are delivered everyday and always will be delivered everyday that bothers me. If it was only for a specific time frame, like when they were just moving in I think I'd be more willing. It's just that if I commit, it's forever

They live up on a hill in a very safe suburban area so I think it's pretty unlikely they'll get stolen but at the same time they seem SO paranoid... they have cameras everywhere. I mean, if it freaks them out that their packages just hang out there I get it, but at the same time it's just

a bit excessive I think. I've certainly never dealt with clients who bought this much stuff on a daily basis for no particular reason

This is a community for those who wish to ask a question, not rant and rave about situations. I've reported the question so Rover will shut it down

Thanks, Walt. And, yes, Rover does close threads.

I'm having a constructive dialogue with Hillary, Walt. It doesn't involve you. Although you've responded bluntly and rudely enough before that your comments could have been reported. And I've already closed the question just like I closed the one before. Note that it says 'closed by Sarah B'

I'm not sure why you're still involving yourself here Moureene.

Closed for the following reason too subjective and argumentative by Sarah B. close date 2017-01-23 18:23:31.382856 Now please stop trolling my account and thumbing everything down. I've reported you to Rover and they are monitoring

Cool, maybe you'll stop spamming the thread and downvoting me then.

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