I lost a request for a week long stay for a 3 month old and 10 month old dog because the owner was charged the puppy rate. I lowered the rate for one puppy, but she still went with another sitter. What should I have done differently?

that's a difficult call. You are always going to have customers looking for the lowest-cost sitting option. You have to look at what the rates are in your area for all services and see how yours compare. I see that you are new to Rover (no reviews from verified stays). Usually new sitters will need to lower their rates to attract and build a client following. After that, then you can slowly raise your rates to market.

As for this particular client, you did show flexibility, so kudos to you. If they had initiated an actual booking (not a M&G request or question), then they would have seen the puppy rate applied to both dogs from the outset and there wouldn't have been an confusion. You really have to decide how flexible you want to be with your rates. We are heading into the peak holiday season, when no one (or business) offers discounted rates. There is usually high demand for dogsitting services, so hopefully you can build your business without sacrificing too much on fees. Good luck!

I think you did a good job and other commenters have given you great advice.

Another thing to consider is what kind of client base you want to cater to. There are lots of price shoppers out there who want to get the most for the least, and these clients can be pushy and demanding. While you may have to make some concessions early on in order to build your business, it's often not in your best interest to cater to clients who request excessive discounts. You want loyal clients who value the work you do and book with you because of your skill, not because you give the most discounts and cave under pressure.

I'm happy to work with clients who respect me and want their dogs to get the best care. I give perks and discounts to loyal clients because I love working with them and hosting their dogs. I'm happy to work with someone who is in a bind, financial or otherwise, because they saw my profile and wanted their dog to have the care and experiences I can give them. I've even watched a dog for free because her owner was admitted to the hospital where I work and she had no other options. I'm much less flexible with clients who start out by asking for deep discounts and will go with the cheapest option; to me, that's a sign that they are more concerned about the price tag and what they can get from me rather than putting the best interest of their pets first, and those are not the clients I want to work with.

To be honest you did nothing wrong. I think your rates are low. Puppy rates are usually much higher because they are a lot more work. You didn't say if there was a meet and greet. Usually on the meet and greet rates are discussed, then the booking occurs after you see that the dogs will be a good fit in your home. Before hitting that "Book Now" button you can edit the price to the price you had previously discussed with the customer.

Your rate is already super low so I think it's just a case of some people being too hard to please