I am usually really good with people but this job is very important to me on a professional and personal level. I'm a Boarder sitter so i just want to make sure I'm ready for any questions and concerns ! Thank You .
When I do a M&G at my home, I start with showing them my backyard and open the gate to show them the greenbelt and at the same time explaining my routine of inside/outside/walks, etc. After the gate is closed I have them take their dog(s) off the leash to run around and sniff, mark, etc. and continue with my a.m. rise drop off/pick up & shine time/p.m. bedtime last drop off/pick up time. That's when they meet our pup Jack and have the dogs meet. Then we all move inside and I show how I separate dogs when feeding, lots of dog beds balls/toys in the living room, lap dogs get lots of lap time, etc. I give them a form I made up asking for info about their dog, emergency contact, who is authorized to pick up if they are delayed, vet info., medications, etc. By the time the M&G is over I have usually answered all their questions. During the M&G I am developing a re pore with them and asking a lot of questions about their dog. I want to make sure we are both a good fit so the M&G is for you and your pets And your customer & pup.
It really depends on the owners. Some are really forthcoming with questions and others are not. I try to match my responses to their preferred style of communication. If they're asking me a lot of questions with specific answers, I'll answer them succinctly and move on. If they're more chatty, I'll chat. If they can't quite figure out what to ask, I'll step up and walk them through the process, explaining to them how everything works and what I think they should know. Essentially, respond to their cues to make them comfortable. Sometimes that's being very business-like, and sometimes it's being more friendly and casual. In any case, I'll ask them a lot of questions as well - about their dog, their routine, and some more personal questions, like where they're going, what they do for work, how long they've been in the area, etc. Most of my M&Gs end up just being chats about dogs or other common interests we discover, which I really enjoy. I can tell that the owners are at ease. It's really hard to leave your dogs with a stranger (even a professional), but it's much easier to leave your dog with someone who might be a friend. I have met a few friends through Rover, which is really cool.
Honestly, owners rarely ask me any questions. It's kind of weird. I go through a list of questions for them first, so maybe that answers any questions they might have had? Even before I did that, though, they still wouldn't say much.
Welcome to Rover! In my experience, dog owners aren't going to grill you with questions. I do meet and greets more for dogs to meet to make sure the dogs will get along. Dog owners most commonly ask me what to bring when they drop off their dog. I usually confirm pick up and drop off times during meet and greets. Owners less commonly ask how I like Rover and dog sitting in general, and sometimes they'll ask if they can just pay me in cash/not use the website. I've never had any difficulty redirecting people from that route. I just say that I love Rover and the site, and they're perfectly happy to use the site then. (They usually just worry that I'm getting gypped.) Dog owners may ask you about what you do with dogs during the day, what your routine is, what your dogs are like, if you have any concerns about sitting for their dog or their dogs being with your dogs, how often and when you feed dogs (you can just say you're flexible depending on who you sit for). Those are the most common things I can think of. You can also check out the Rover handbook for more info on meet and greets https://www.rover.com/campaign-assets... and Rover's article on meet and greets here https://www.rover.com/blog/meet-greet.... Hope that helps!