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How Should I Charge My Client for 3-4 Hour Drop-In? Please help!?

I need help, please!

I have a regular who books half-hour "walks" for her dog 3 days a week. Recently, she asked if I'd be willing to stay with him 3-4 hours a day, 3 days a week. So 9-12 hours total a week. I say "walks" because her dog is incredibly anxious, so it's difficult to even get him outside to use the bathroom. I take him out to the bathroom and as soon as he's done he's pulling to go back upstairs. The owner asks me to stay with him for the remaining half an hour. This dog is also basically my weight. They also do not have a backyard where I can just let him out to go. We live in NYC and they live on the 5th floor, and he does not like going downstairs or in the elevator.

I offered to reactivate the drop-in visits service for her to book. The problem is that she only wants to pay about $25 each day. So I'd only be making $75 for 9-12 hours of my time that could be used to walk other dogs and make more money.

For one half-hour walk I make $16 alone (a walk is $20, but Rover takes 20%), and the minimum wage in my area is $15 an hour. I really like this owner and her dog, but I feel as if $25 for 3-4 hours is not an appropriate price considering I could be making more somewhere else, I could be using all that time to walk other dogs, and 3-4 hours is just a lot of freaking time to commit to a single client!

Most drop-ins are booked for half an hour to an hour, and people in my area are paying $25 for just that time alone. The time I'd be committing to this one client drop-in alone would be 4x that.

So how do I price this, and discuss it in a way where I don't seem like I am trying to just get money out of her? She seems to be set on or very close to $25.

Is this unfair? Or am I the one in the wrong? She had another girl who offered to do it for $25 a day, but the owner has stated that she'd really like to keep me because of how well I do with her dog (he is not an easy dog to deal with)

Thanks so much in advance!

2 Answers

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If it were me, I wouldn't think twice. I would tell the woman thanks, but no thanks, and wish her well with the other sitter who will do it for $25.

IMO, her offer is insulting. Your fee for a 60-minute walk is $31, so she is not even offering you anything commensurate with the time you would be devoting to her pet. As you've stated, you could be out walking or doing drop-ins on other pets during those 4 hours.

Unfortunately, pet sitting and minimum hourly wages do not align. If you really want to keep this client, come up with a flat amount that you can live with. Let's say, $50 and see what she says. However, as many sitters/walkers here on this board will tell you is that clients who want to haggle on rates often turn out to be the most problematic. They don't value your services or respect that you are running a business. She is not a personal friend. Sometimes you just have to walk away because it isn't worth it.

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I have met owners like her who told me they had ANOTHER girl who was willing to do the job for the $$$ they offered, but they would like to keep ME because of how well I do with the dog. I always tell them it is in their best interest to hire the other person who really wants this job, because i can tell she really needs this job and I wouldn't want to take this job from her as I have other clients to work for.

In my opinion, you should not work for her because you pity the dog and the owner is making you feel bad. Of course it's up to you to make the choice. If you value your services and you pride yourself in what you do, you thank them and tell them to hire the girl who is willing to work for the money offered and you go and get yourself new clients who value you too. Good luck.