Is everyone doing boarding without a meet and greet?

In my experience/opinion, owners who don't want MnGs often have circumstances/dogs you wouldn't want to deal with.

Holding an M&G is the cornerstone of a successful booking, personally, I would never host a pet without one.

Well, you could always risk it and accept a dog without a M&G and see how it goes, but I would caution not to do so for a long booking. Weekend/holiday weekend only?

I've never had any customer balk at having to come over for a M&G. In my area--waving at you from the city--all the owners generally work full time and still manage to not only meet me but others they have contacted. And, trust me, I don't operate like a 24-hour Starbucks.

You are getting a lot of requests mainly because your rate is among the lowest for the area and, I've noticed, there don't seem to be a huge number of sitters in Westmont itself. Of course, there are others in the surrounding burbs, but you appear on the first page, so it is inevitable that you'd be contacted a lot. Owners who shop for bargains are likely to be major pains in the neck, as others have said. They're probably going to disrespect you and try to take advantage. Their pet might even have issues they'll never disclose.

My opinion is consistent with the others. If an owner really cares, then they'll not only find the time but want to see where their pet is staying and talk to the caregiver. You wouldn't dump your aged parent at a nursing home without inspecting it, would you? Be thankful you are still getting requests. :-(

I prefer a M & G, however when I get a client from out of state or country that is not always possible.

I live in a resort area. Some of the hotels around here aren't honest about how pet friendly they are—they will tell the owners that they are over the phone, and then tell them they aren't when they get here. This usually happens during the spring break and summer rush, and these are the only clients I will consider booking for boarding without a Meet & Greet first. When I do, I'm very aware that I'm taking a risk. I ask the relevant questions, of course, but I really have no idea of what the dog is like until they're already here. Luckily, I haven't had any truly terrible guests!

But I think that aside from this kind of scenario, it's very odd when owners don't want to meet face-to-face-to-pet. They're turning down the opportunity to see where their pet will be staying, letting their pet get a feel for you and your place, and getting to know you a bit themselves. I know it sucks to turn down opportunities to sit (I used to hate doing it when I first started!), but for the sake of you and the pets, I think it's better to insist on a Meet & Greet.

Absolutely do not take a booking for any service without a M&G. I can list the 100 reasons why but common sense practices should guide you in your decision making. If you are losing a few potential clients because your business depends on mature and best practices like a M&G, oh well, too bad. You don't need clients that don't play by the rules anyway. Remember, you will always be more successful in the long run by using best practices and tried and true guidelines for pet sitting. Pay attention to sitters that have been doing this a while. Their mentorship should be very helpful to becoming a really good pet sitter. Good Luck and do the right thing. This is not about losing money. It's about being a really good and responsible pet sitter!

Those are the owners with the problem dogs that don't want to meet first. You are bringing an animal into your home - do not risk it without an introduction. Remind the owner that the meet and greets are meant for the two humans involved to discuss care routines and pet health history. I have a 7 page questionnaire which I require owners to either fill-out online or meet with me for 15 minutes with the dog so that I can fill it out for them while we casually discuss the dog.