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How long should a meet-and-greet last?

I recently had a meet-and-greet that lasted almost two hours, and it was mostly just us the owner trying to figure out any possible question to ask. When I tried to wrap it up, she would hurry and come up with one more thing. Now she wants to meet again, and I'm not sure if there's a way to tell her politely that it's time for me to leave when she starts running out of relevant questions. I don't want this to turn into a two hour awkward moment again.

Comments

Normally around 30 minutes, maybe you can ask her politely why she needs a second meet and greet? She have already seen your house, you, your dog.... If she has any other question it can totally be solved through rover messages. Good luck

12 Answers

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I plan on the M&G lasting between 30 mins and an hour, and they're usually closer to the short end of that span. I've offered a second M&G when it was a dog who was pretty intense and high energy (a lot like my own) and they needed a slower introduction to prevent conflict from arising between them. I also offer multiple M&Gs for very shy dogs who will just need more than one meeting before feeling comfortable around me. I love working with shy dogs (one of mine would never have trusted a new person without a lot of effort, though she's come a long way), so I'm more than willing to put in that extra time to build trust with dogs and their owners, since I know how hard it can be to find a sitter for them.

But if an owner just wants to meet to ask more questions, I would tell them the M&G is complementary, but that if they wish to schedule any more appointments in person that there will be an hourly fee for your time. Then I'd offer to address any more questions they come up with via Rover's messaging system (or phone, if you like).

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Usually, I plan on 1 hour for a meet&greet. Sometimes it's a bit shorter or longer, but I found that's a good average to let the dogs walk outside together, see their home or invite them inside to see mine, and get to know everything. However, I've been in that awkward situation too. My suggestion would be telling her how much time you've allocated for a second meeting in advance, and ask if in the interest of everyone's time she'd like to discuss anything over the phone.

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I normally do half hour meet and greets --- first I ask the owner questions, play with the dog and do a few smaller tests that I do on new clients. Then, I open up for any questions they may have. Lastly, I tell them that if they have any questions or concerns from that point until the booking, they should feel free to contact me directly at the phone number through Rover. Normally, this keeps M&G down to a minimal time, and allows us to go on with our day!

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I send over a pretty detailed questionnaire through the Rover messaging system and it works pretty well so that the meet & greet can be pretty short. Unfortunately, http://Rover.com doesn't require owners to enter notes or information about their dogs.

You can also set an expectation up front that you only have 30 minutes or 1 hour for a meet & greet.

Ajay

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Mine are about 20-30 minutes. I haven't really had any super chatty clients so far. I only recently started getting more "official" with a list of questions to go through; before that, it was unscripted and a bit more awkward. I think going through the questions also helps jog the owner's memory about things to share.

Honestly, if this lady wanted to meet again, I would either try to get them addressed via messaging, or try my hardest to book another client immediately after her to keep things reasonable. How long was the stay for?

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The stay is for about a week. 1-1 1/2 hours, I thought was reasonable, because she also had reptiles that need special care, but after that, it just got drawn out and I felt that we were just sitting their for too long without much production. At least she said she was willing to pay me for my time for a second m&g.

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I allot 30 minutes to an hour for a M&G, depending on the situation. If the client is new and I am boarding the dog, I allot 45 minutes. I play with the dog a little to get them used to me, let the owner & dog explore the house and the yard, and give the dog some water, with owner approval. I then sit down with the owner and go through my checklist of questions. I explain my usual daily routine and confirm the dates of the stay, including dropoff and pickup times, with any day care fees if appropriate. I then ask if they have any questions. At that point I stand up and tell them I would love to keep their dog and that they have 72 hours to book and pay for the stay.

If I am visiting the dog, I also allot 30-45 minutes. I meet the owners and dog(s) and pet the dogs. I have another checklist that I go through, emphasizing that I want to replicate their normal routine. I make sure I know where the food and treats are kept, what times they are fed, if the dogs are to be walked, and if there is an alarm system. I explain what I will do during my visits and ask where they would like me to put the mail or any packages.

I've never had anyone ask for a second meeting, but if they did, I would tell them they can call me with any questions they may have.

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I agree, 30-45 minutes for a M&G should be plenty. Sometimes there are lonely people who need a reason to prolong it. I'd suggest just be polite and wrap it up when the relevant stuff has been addressed. Then emphasize the messaging platform thru Rover for follow up.

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It should only take 30 minutes to an hour and an hour is kind of pushing it. When it takes an hour it's only because the owner is telling me her life story. I would ask the customer if there is any question you can answer via a phone call or email. If she insist you go back to her house, then I would go and after about 15-30 minutes tell her you have another appointment you need to get to, but that would be my last option. Two hours is way too long for a M&G.

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I set aside an hour for my M&G's. I would do a second or even a third to help build trust between a shy dog and myself and my dog. However just to ask a question after the initial M&G, I would politely point out they can call or message me any questions, concerns, and addition information or requested services. The suggestion of charging for an additional M&G is a good idea for the clients who just want to have everything done face to face.

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usually less than 30 minutes, I introduce their dog to my dogs, ask about allergies and medical history. Watch dog interact with me and my dog

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