Controlling client?

Personally, I drop clients like this. I make sure I'm cordial and provide great service so they have no reason to leave a bad review but I let them know I'm no longer available and apologize. People need to realize that when working with animals, a dog will not notice if you're 10 minutes late. Also, working with animals, things happen. It's not an office job where you can clock out. Fido may have an accident just as you're about to walk out. I would say let this client go and find another client that treats you better.

Tell her that you now only give a range of time during which you will be walking dogs. Let's say, it could be between x hour and y hour. Your established procedure will be to text the client approximately 5-10 minutes before arrival, just so they will know you are set to perform the service. They will also get the official Rover update via the app. If she would like to continue getting walks from your business, then they will be performed according to your established (and communicated) business procedures. You guarantee nothing, except that her dog will be walked between x hour and y hour. If she cannot accept this, then you are sorry. You have other clients and things happen with such a personalized service. Don't tell her you have other clients wanting her spot. You really don't need her unless she totally accedes to your proposal. Otherwise, good riddance. You don't need that kind of aggravation.

Dealing with a difficult client can be challenging. I am a daily walker and none of my clients have demanded I arrive to walk their pups at a specific time, yet allow me some flexibility. I strive to arrive at our agreed upon window of time and care for their pups. If this client cannot be controlled its time to move on and find another!!

I’m been Rovering for about two months and it’s beem great. Only recently Have I’ve begun dealing with a difficult client, I think I’m going to drop. I spent about an hour or so at the meet and greet with them. They came outside to meet me, which should’ve been a red flag. They said they wanted to enter the house with me so their dog wouldn’t freak out. This dog has needed nothing short of constant attention. During my first visit over, the dog was so afraid to see me that he was cowering in the corner going to the bathroom. I then had to spend 15 minutes trying to leash him up in between his growls and snapping at me. Twice I have had to have the owners come home, at their request, so that we could see if the dog would do better with me and Them together. But that only last as long as they are there. I’ve seen the dog on my own twice now, the first 15 minutes are spent with the dog cowering in growling at me. I have to put on a slip leash just to get them outside in the backyard. He doesn’t go for walks because he’s too nervous and reactive.

I’ve really gone out of my way for my clients, and you can see from my reviews in every bookings that I give great service. I take impeccable notes I don’t meet and greets. My fourth visit in, the owner asked me if I was feeding the dogs lunch. There was nothing in the apps care instructions about lunch, and there was nothing in the notes I had taken that look like she wanted me to feed the dog. I reached out to her within a few minutes to let her know I hadn’t been feeding him and I didn’t see that anywhere in the notes. She said well we did go over it in the meet and greet. Then she canceled one of our meetings for this week. I can already see that this is going to be a difficult client, and my instinct tells me to seek another client elsewhere. Good help is hard to fine and that’s no joke. You can find a client that a better fit who you are.