How to be a great petsitter

Setting up your profile

Your profile is the first chance you have of making a good impression on potential clients. It should be a place where you can show your experience.
Your motivation: it’s all about the first impression
Make sure your account only contains accurate information and don‘t hesitate to write as much as possible about you and your previous experience with pets. Petsitters with longer motivations are chosen by our clients twice as often as others.

The more detail you add to your profile, the more trustworthy you will look. Introduce yourself. Describe your experience with pets. Whether you have been professionally petsitting for years or only look after friends’ pets once in a while, every detail matters.
 
Pictures: add life to your profile
Did you know that adding pictures to your account doesn’t just make it look great, but also increases your chances of being selected for an assignment by 150%? 
Your services, your rates and your calendar: time to be professional
Your Holidog account is flexible and you can easily adjust it to fit your needs: do you offer dogwalking, petsitting or even dog training services?There is a service for each of them, so make sure to choose the ones  that suit you when you create your profile:

GoHoliday (for assignments of at least 24 hours, either in your home or the client’s home. However, do not say you can petsit at your own home if your landlord forbids it, for example). 

GoNanny (same service but only for a few hours a day, as a one time event or a regular occurance).

GoWalk (for dogwalking).

GoSchool (for dog training, a certificate will be required).

You can also adjust your rates and your calendar at any moment from your «settings» on your account. Be serious about this, as this will save you a lot of time later on with clients.
 
Still have trouble getting noticed?

It could be because the competition is tough in your area. Don't despair, we have a solution! How about getting a premium account?

What’s a premium account? In short, you will stand proudly at the top of all the searches in your area, armed with a great Holidog review, written by our dedicated team, for only $ /month!

What’s the difference?
Premium petsitters are booked on our website 5 times more often than non-premium petsitters.
Give it a try: No extra cost, no commitment, you decide if you want to keep your premium account active every month.

For more information, please visit the following page:   
What to do when you accept a notification?
Your profile caught the eye of the client and you received a notification! So that the booking and assignment go smoothly, here are some important guidelines:
 
Transparency
Make sure the client has all the relevant information and that what is expected of you has been clearly stated. Don’t hide anything and make sure everything is ready at your home for the pet’s arrival. Also, ensure you know how to manage the pet you are about to mind. If you don’t have a lot of experience with dogs, for example, we would recommend going for a smaller breed.
Responsiveness
Monitoring your messages and your notifications is essential. A fast reply shows you‘re professional and interested in your job. In fact, if you reply to all your messages within 6 hours, you‘ll be twice as likely to get assignments as other petsitters.
Anticipation
Ask questions! Make sure you‘re comfortable with the assignment. Offer to meet beforehand in a public place. The client will appreciate it and you‘ll be able to meet the pet and make sure you are both comfortable. If you have a pet, make sure he can get along with the new arrival. If you have pets from another client, make sure all clients are okay with it first.
Reliability
 If you say you‘re available, make sure you will be. Your rates are a part of your profile, and the client uses that information to book you in the first place, don‘t change them during the conversation unless the assignment calls for it.
Remember to respect our rules - no exchange of contact information between you and the client is authorized before the client books you on the website (by paying the Holidog fee). You will receive a confirmation email when the booking is made. Clients with subscriptions still need to book you beforehand.

You have been booked, what to do now?
Great, you’re about to take care of someone’s furry friend. Here are some tips on how to complete your assignment successfully and make sure both the pet and its owner are at ease:
Be punctual:
Showing up on time for the first meeting and the assignment is not only common courtesy, it‘s also very important for clients: they may have to board a plane very soon and can‘t be delayed.
Be professional:
Pay attention to the pet’s needs. Never let someone else take care of them for you unless the owner has been made aware of it prior to the booking. Remember that the pet is your responsibility once you‘ve started an assignment; you should not end it unless a serious event forces you to.
Take care of the owner’s belongings:
Leave the items you have used, or the rooms you have been in, clean. Make sure you do not misplace objects entrusted to you. Make sure to give back everything you have been lent (Leash, bed, remaining food provided by the owner...).
Communicate
Keep the owners updated. If they have no news, they will feel forgotten and worried. Mistakes happen. If you make one, make sure they are informed. Also, keep Holidog informed should anything happen. This is very important so we can understand what has happened and help find a quick solution.
Compensation
The client should pay the compensation directly to you. You can organise how you’d like to be paid with the client. At Holidog, we recommend that the client pays you 50% at the beginning of the assignment and 50% at the end.


Your first assignment is completed, well done!


 

Was it fun? We hope so! Don’t hesitate to ask your clients to rate you on our website, this will be the n°1 reason for clients to select you, a sign that they can trust you:
 
    Petsitters with reviews are 30 times as likely to be booked.
 
Holidog welcomes you to the family and the entire team hopes you have lots of fun on the website. Don‘t hesitate to contact us if you have more questions, and if not, get out there and start your journey to becoming the best petsitter you can be!