Anyone else been asked for references?

It's absolutely OK for them to ask for references, and it's totally up to you if you allow them to call some references or not. I have had maybe two cases of people asking to call references, to me it's the same as when I was a nanny for children, and now I am a nanny for pets. I do have couple people who are my clients that I met on NextDoor, and they are always willing to talk to potential clients of mine. But the decision is yours :)

If a client asks for references I asks them to read the reviews posted on my profile. Don't reach to prior clients asking them to write a reference or be called by a potential client. If the new client continues to push, well they aren't the right client for you so move on. Best of luck

I’ve only had one person ask for references and I luckily had two past clients who gave me their phone numbers with actual directions to list them as references for whatever and I don’t need to give them a heads up (I still did anyways), but if I didn’t happen to have those on hand I would have just referenced them to my profile. It’s a little strange to provide references when there are testimonials/verified reviews readily available on everyone’s profile.

I personally have thought of creating a reference list of past clients to bring when I’m doing a meet. I treat every meet as a job interview and I just think bringing references would be an assurance for the pet owner and show professionalism. I know new clients can be apprehensive about leaving their pet with a stranger so references could make them feel more confident in their choice of you.