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Can I state in my profile all prices are final and no negotiations?

I am pretty flexible and I do offer discounted prices for longer stays and multiple dogs from one family. All prices are stated clearly in a pricing section on my profile. I also give additional generous discounts to my existing regular customers because I know their dogs well, enjoy watching them and appreciate them coming back to me. But every month I get two or three new clients who contact me and try to negotiate my prices! I mean if you have a pet and can't afford an accommodation for it while you are going on vacation, please don't get one. Or sometimes people with two or more dogs expect a much lower price than my discounted price, but it takes the same amount of work to take care of each one. And after a rover fee and taxes are taken out, that would make a penny. I had a client who knew my prices and showed up with two dogs and still asked me if I would offer a lower rate. She ended up asking her relatives to watch her dogs because she didn't want to spend that amount of money. I mean I understand that we all have different budgets. But I feel upset when my time is wasted and services are devalued. On top of that these unbooked stays affect rating in search. So I am thinking how to state" no price negotiation policy" in my profile a nice way:)

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This is how I explain it to the clients who just do not understand how asking for a discount from a small business affects their revenue: When you offer in-home boarding, the amount of dogs you can take in your home is limited so lets say you can take three dogs at once, each dog represents 30% of your earning potential so offering a discount to a client eats up a whole lot of your revenue.. Large scale operations can more easily offer discounts because each dog does not represent such a high percentage of their revenue potential but then you do not get the personalized attention of a family style boarding.

And like someone said above, I do have very high prices which weeds out the "cheaper"or less wealthy clients but I do offer a very high standard of care so my clients do not mind paying a bit more to receive a lot more. I do however have different prices for regulars clients or dogs I know are barely any work at all like you do.

Unfortunately we have now become very demanding and many people now come to expect to get everything for free or at least for very cheap, just think of free steaming movies, music and all sort of content that people refuse to pay for or how many clients ask to pay cash and get a discount here on Rover, same thing would happen when I rented my apartment on Airbnb. It is very unfortunate but this is how people are now, they feel entitled to people's hard work without having to pay for it. I know it sucks when cancellations or refused bookings affect your visibility and such but most dog owners are amazing and if you work hard, take great care of the pups in your care, you will build yourself a good business with great repeat clients and many happy dogs. So my advice is be patient, stick to your guns and keep giving great service to the clients who are willing to pay for it at its just value.

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Thank you! I really needed to hear that I am not alone facing this situation and to hear some words of encouragement. I will keep on providing the best care to my clients and try not to get discouraged. Also I will also try to explain why I am charging what I am charging if people try to bargain.

My prices are average in the area. I tried once to raise them and got a request from a customer who later wrote that she would never pay that kind of money...so I thought maybe it was a little high so I returned to old prices. But I will consider Jennifer's and your advice on pricing if it helps to

weed out "price shopping" customers. Btw I agree with you that we live in a time where everything is cheap. However, if people wan't the cheapest price, they shouldn't expect the best care.

Try going up by $5 and see if that helps at all :)

I will do. Thanks:)

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My prices are at the lower end of the spectrum for the LA area, but I still constantly get requests for discounts. I keep my prices lower to ensure that I am budget friendly, but I never add additional discounts. Unfortunately, because there is no large structure behind our pricing as independent contractors, clients feel more comfortable asking for those discounts. Whenever someone asks, I have a copy/paste message in my notes that I send:

"Hi (Owner) & (Pet/s):

Thanks for reaching out. I do have spots open over those dates, and I would be happy to help out. The first step would be to setup a meet and greet if you would like to move forward. Unfortunately, my prices are set. For the dates you sent, the cost would be $X/night. I keep my prices low for the Los Angeles area so that I am able to help out families on a budget. To make sure I am able to do that and still provide the same excellent level of service for every client, I don't go below the quoted price. If you feel that my fees are out of budget for you, I'm still happy to help you find a sitter. I have a referral network I can reach out to on Facebook or I can direct you to Rover Match."

I like this message because it reframes your "no" as a "no, but I can help". Honestly, after sending this, most people that ask for discounts ended up going ahead and scheduling a meet and greet. If you feel like you are getting steady business, there's no need to lower prices or offer discounts. There is value in the service you're providing, and you really don't want to work for any client that doesn't see that value. Those end up being the hardest pet parents to please.

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I love how you give a firm but still an accommodating message. It helps pet parents to understand why you have set prices and if they decide to opt, you still have good relationship with them.