I got my first message from a client today - how do I properly respond?

Since the customer may have contacted several walkers, you need to get back to the customer as quickly as possible. Thank them for contacting you and set something up to meet them. You need to ask questions about the pup (habits, type of dog, how well it walks, will you be able to control it, etc.) and how you access their home.

In the meantime, read over some of these articles on Rover:

https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/ar...

https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-res...

Always make sure to find out the customer's expectations and how well it meshes with the service you are offering.

Good luck!

A good question to ask as well is "Does your dog have any quirks?"

This has been SO helpful for me as what is normal to a dog owner is not normal to you. Just make sure you do a meet and greet as soon as possible, and be thorough with the information you ask.

Show enthusiam, responsibility, flexibility, be prompt. :)