I have a client who is interested in booking drop in visits but would like me to stay at the house about 4 hours at a time because the dog has separation anxiety. Does anyone have an idea on how to charge for this? Usually my drop in visits are 30 minutes to an hour give or take.
I have a regular client who prefers 1 hr. visits. As I have recently transitioned to being a full-time sitter, I had several things to consider in determining how to charge fairly. Not all of these considerations may apply to you, but hopefully, this will help.
First, I didn't think it was necessarily fair to charge her the full price for 2 half-hour visits, as I factor in my travel time in setting prices.
Second, I consider the client's expectations for the stay. In this client's case, she asks that I feed her puppy, take him out a few times on leash in their fenced back yard, and play with him in a manner of my choosing for the remainder of the visit. The overall effort that this requires, comparatively, is very small, so I considered that in setting my hourly price as well. Third, I know that the client wants one consistent sitter, and as the puppy was only 10 weeks old when I first started caring for him, I knew that if I could set a rate that the client was happy with, I could potentially have regular business for many years to come. This means that I had to consider my rate in comparison to other sitters in my area, as well as my skill set. I have a good deal of experience in veterinary medicine, so clients might be willing to pay a little more for my time, but there are also a lot of other seasoned sitters in my area, so I have to remain at least a little competitive in terms of pricing. In the end, I decided to charge my base rate plus 20% for the additional half hour. I feel adequately compensated, and I have gotten the benefit of watching my new puppy friend learn and grow, which is obviously compensation in and of itself. I hope this helps you set a price that works for you!
Looking at your drop in rate of $10 per 30 minutes your expected charge would be $80. But what you charge should be dependent on whether you have other clients to care for on the same day - less clients, less income, the 4 hour visit should at least compensate you for your time and lost business
Why have people other sitters ruin it for us by lowering our price. They spent money buying the dog and food and shots but the sitting she s not worth what she wants?? Girl kick butt n don't haggle. Use ur skills as a great sitter . Trust me u will get people.
You have to set boundaries now. I would that client is being disrespectful to us sitter. 4v hours is daycare rate. I would not start anything with someone who does not believe you are worth it and so is the dog. Sometimes they will make one profile for four dogs,again u know she s like this.
I'm not sure that's the issue here Shawna, Ashley didn't say anything about multiple dogs under one name or that the customer was trying to swindle her out of her pay. She just asked how to charge for a four hour visit.