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After Stay: Thank you/goodie bags?

I would love to put together small little goodie bags for my clients to give when they pick up their pup after their stay! Any ideas or has anyone had success/failure with this? My clients are really awesome and I've thought of things from sending them with a printed picture to giving some homemade doggie treats (some of the pups have food allergies so that was a little harder to think of a universal gift).

Would love to hear what others have done! Thank you!

Comments

I try to do different things, depending on the client. I have given stickers to alert Fire rescue, Guides to what fruits/veggies dogs like, printed extra-good pictures, poop-bag holders, or any small useful items I can think of.

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I LOVE the idea and decided I was gonna do it when I first signed up for Rover. Not only is a great perk for pet-parents who are deciding on a sitter, but it's a way to show your appreciation that the pet-parents trusted you with their baby! Here are some tips that I've found helpful when putting a goodie bag together:

As you mentioned, treats all depend on the dog's diet and allergies, etc. Ask the pet-parents what their dog usually eats for treats, and if it's not too expensive, buy some to throw in the bag.

A printed picture of the dog's stay is a wonderful idea! Not gonna lie, I didn't think of it until you said it, but I will definitely steal that idea!

Keep up the rapport with some good marketing - include a little note saying thank you, perhaps with a little description of how great their dog was. Then end it with a friendly reminder to post a review for you if they were satisfied with their dog's stay.

Of course, try to keep the cost low! If you can, buy little toys/treats in bulk so that you have your "generic" goodie bag, but then you can modify it slightly depending on the dog's specific preferences and needs.

I'm still new to Rover, so it's a method that needs some real-life testing so to speak, but I think it's a good way to set you apart from other sitters and may even increase your chances of getting more good reviews and repeat customers! Good luck!

Comments

Yes this was exactly what I had in mind! I know I would love that if I has someone watch my pup! I think adding some business cards that they could potentially pass out to friends/family would be a great way to ask for referrals without having to really push for it. Thanks for your comment Nicole!

I love this idea also and was thinking about doing the same. You guys have some good ideas that I hadn't thought about. A picture of their dog and a business card is a great way to get referrals. Thank you

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I have posted this elsewhere on the forum, so forgive me if you have already seen it. Here is what I do - thanks to the community member who gave me most of the ideas:

Travel sized lint roller (2/$1 at Dollar Tree)

Small hand sanitizer (3/$1 at Dollar Tree)

Roll of poop bags (I have seen 3/$1 at Dollar Tree but I bought a case at Amazon.com)

Framed photo of pet's stay at my home (tons of frames picked up for .50 each at Goodwill)

Business card with my discount code to share with a friend

I put everything in a tiny white goodie box (12 for $1 at Dollar Tree in the wedding section) and add a few home made dog cookies and a laminated card with the recipe for the dog treats (so they know exactly what is in them) but you could easily skip this item.

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Great Ideas!

Thank you for these amazing recommendations! Could you possibly share your favorite recipe for dog treats? Would greatly appreciate it :)

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For a very regular customer, I bought her a really cute dog tote bag, so she didn't have to haul around a big shopping bag and his current 28 lb bag of food. Now, she keeps his toys and travel bowls in there and a Ziploc of the appropriate amount of food. I've often thought of either having tote bags made or buy some others for future, regular customers who rely on grocery bags. ;-)

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I often thought of a goodie bag, but as others have stated, food allergies and things can be a problem. I decided on a report card, parents love them! I include things like favorite activities, funny moments and such. I do also have a place for any concerns, like feeding or if I notice problems with stool (worms, blood, mucous, etc) This year for Christmas I am sending all of my regular clients a mini scrapbook of pictures that I have taken through out the year of their pets.( I am CRAZY with pictures, I can seriously take 200-300 during one outside potty break/playtime and there is no way i could send them all through Rover lol) For first time visitors I send home a small toy that I purchase at petedge.com, they have bulk boxes of toys, usually for retailers to restock their displays but the public can buy from them as well. I usually get the stuffed animals. They have seasonal ones as well.

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I'm very new to doing gift bags, but I had one amazing response and one that didn't mention it. (I put them in the customer's tote bag as a surprise for later.) I listed many of the items I include at https://www.rover.com/community/quest... I may add fetch/tennis balls (2/$1) for dogs that play fetch. I'm also thinking of doing a spa themed gift bag to mix it up for repeat customers, where I buy a big container of either wet or dry shampoo (or both) and separate them into little hotel-sized bottles. Put one or two in a mini organza bag (6/$1) with a small washcloth (baby washcloths are 4/$1 at the dollar store) and maybe a small towel or some lavender potpourri (I've heard dogs find lavender calming). I also may do larger single gifts instead of multiple smaller gifts - the best photo in a nice frame (or a magnetic frame for the fridge), a doggie-themed quality tote bag, or a small photo album with all the best pictures from their stay (longer stays only). I'm also thinking about doing a doggie journal for some of my repeat customers - each day with an entry from the dog's perspective. I think this would go over really well, especially if I added pictures throughout; it just takes a little extra time, motivation, and commitment. I may also do winter themes when the time comes and get little sweaters, booties or dog pad balm, doggie Christmas tree ornaments, etc. Hope these help! If anyone has dog treat recipes that are corn/gluten/soy free that don't require freezing, please post!

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Thanks for the ideas!

I LOVE the doggie journal idea! So cute and creative! When I start booking regulars, this is definitely going on my marketing list! You're a genius! <3

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I personally use the Walgreens app and have a nice picture printed for my client when they pick up their dog the first time. Everyone loves it and it costs about 2.50 to do and as the Walgreens I use is a few blocks away it is also a good walk for the dogs and I. I also always make sure my clients see the dog totes that rover offers as they are quite well made.

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Love love love this idea!

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i bake homemade dog treats and haven given a couple clients goodie bags with treats after their stay. Honestly, they seemed to think it was a little strange and I don't know that it helped create client loyalty because they haven't contacted me again about booking another stay.

It might just depend on the client though and what they're expecting. I'm considering handing out treat bags again but only to repeat customers who I've already built a relationship with. I think goodie bags are a great idea in general though and I know that other sitters have had success using them to build good relationships with clients.

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I have started doing this for my clients. I am mainly a travelling sitter. So, most of the time, pet parents are not home while I care for their pets. They like coming home to a thank you card and doggy treats. I bought some very simple, generic cards that simply say "thank you" on the front, and are blank inside for a hand-written message. Then, I bought a package of stickers (paw prints) to adorn the cards. Voila! Grab some cellophane bags, and wrap up some treats! These are some great ideas, everyone!

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I have been wanting to do something like this for a while! My issue is time. I did some homemade training-type treats and they were pretty time intensive, but that was because I was particular about the size.
I did make a reusable doggy bandana for one client and that went over well. Much faster than the treats too, and if you buy the fabric from the scrap section, it's pretty cheap. I have also wanted to make something for the owners, but allergies/dislikes is even more of a problem with that.

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As a client, I would be absolutely thrilled with something simple and personal, especially cute would be a picture of you and/or your dog(s) (if applicable) with my dog in a little magnetic frame with a note to my dog and me "suggesting" we look at the picture next time you will sitting to remind my dog how much fun they had! You can even print stickers for the frame with your contact information to make it that much easier to hire you again! Print the pic on the computer, use Oriental Trading to order magnetic frames, buy some clear labels to add info/cute images to frame, the whole gift would cost less than $2 but worth every penny in repeat customers and referrals!! If you want more of a bag, put in a tennis ball or frisbee and write the dogs name on it (sharpie, cute writing), anything personalized (by you, cheap!) would make me feel like you care a little extra about my dog!

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