Why Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers Don’t Always Pickup the phone.

You’ve decided to book a vacation or that you need a dog walker; You’ve heard about professional pet sitters, and the advantages of real care for your pets. A quick search on Google has found you a few company names.

~You pick up the phone and dial the first one…

~ Voicemail.

~You try again a few minutes later, and you get the voicemail again.

You are unsure of why nobody is picking up the phone. After all, it’s the middle of the day. You’re asking yourself “What is going on? I need to find a pet sitter now!”

Don’t panic! We get it. We know it can be frustrating to get voicemail when you call… But we promise we are not ignoring you!

Here are some of the top reasons why your pet sitter may not be picking up the phone right away:

– Your pet sitter/Dog walking is driving

By any definition, pet sitting and dog walking includes providing pet care at their owner’s home. As such, pet sitters and dog walkers are required to spend a lot of time on the road and in their vehicles, getting to many clients in a day. Not only it is illegal to use a cell phone while driving, it is also very challenging to note information or check the schedule for availability while doing so. We’ve heard of pet sitters taking phone calls and bookings while driving, only to forget about the details (literally) down the road, with the consequences you can imagine.

– Your pet sitter or Dog walker is walking dogs

It is basically impossible to have a cell phone conversation while holding a leash, a poop bag, and a notebook. The sound of the wind, people, and cars passing by make it difficult to listen clearly. Add a rabbit to the picture, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Not only is it not professional to operate this way, it can be flat-out dangerous.

As most dog walks are performed between 10 am and 4 pm, you can expect your pet sitter to be busy during these hours.

– Your pet sitter or dog walker is currently at a client’s home

Many may wonder why their pet sitter may not be picking up the phone during the rest of the day, like when they are caring for a kitty or after bringing a dog back from a walk.

We used to pick up the phone and return calls in our client’s houses, but then we realized that most phone calls would last anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. It’s unfair to our existing clients to have their pet sitter on the phone instead of paying attention to their pets. Plus, with more households having indoor cameras, security systems and home automation these days (Alexa!), it raises genuine concerns regarding privacy and personal information, where conversations could be watched and recorded.

To continue the previous point, many professional pet sitters are on a tight schedule. There are only so many hours in a day to perform all the pet sitting visits and walks, and delays can significantly impact a pet sitter’s ability to get everything done. Needless to say, there is no way we can miss a single visit where you pets are concerned!

Most of the (legit) phone calls we receive are from new clients inquiring about services, availability, pricing and policies. Because we want to be thorough in our answers, it is not unusual for these phone calls to go on for longer than a few minutes.

As we can receive several inquiries a day, answering each one “on the spot” or when we’re between two clients would mean putting us back in the schedule each time. Unfortunately, this is not a sustainable situation, especially during busy times – and we feel it’s unfair to our scheduled clients to be late for their visits.

– Your pet sitter or dog walker is currently meeting with a client

A delicate part of this job is the meeting new clients and their pets. Most pet sitters will conduct consultations and “meet & greet” sessions after business hours, or on the weekend. Of course, as a courtesy, we won’t be able to pick up the phone during a meeting.

– Its after Business hours and we are spending time with family

Just like everyone else, your pet sitter/dog walker needs some personal time and can’t always pick up the phone, especially around dinner time, when picking up kids at school, or late at night. Be mindful that when you call around those times, it is likely you will have to leave a voicemail.

So, what’s the best way to communicate with your new pet sitter if he or she can’t pick up the phone right away?

We’re glad you asked!

First, visit the website. These days, many pet sitters will put a lot of effort into their website, to design an eye-catching homepage where all the information is readily accessible.

Most websites will list the services provided, information about pricing, cancellation policies, credentials and their “area of service”. Within minutes, you can learn if a company is a good fit for your specific needs and save YOU a lot of time.

Once you’ve found your perfect pet sitter or dog walker; Take a Close look at their website, Is there An Email Inquiry form to use? Or Like Lake Country K9 to 5 Does this sitter have a new client Screening Button that allows you to submit a Questionnaire with all your person all pet information on it?

At Lake Country K9 prescreen Forms Are the best way to get ahold of us.

Why? Because it allows you to fill out all the questions we would ask on the phone, as well as your personal information (Location) and your dogs information, your visit information (time-bock requesting) at your convenience and it allows US to review this information at our convenience and be able to tell Right away if we will be able to accommodate your service request or if you need to refer you to another professional. This is a convenience for both parties saving time and piece of mind knowing when we call back we have all the information we need AND we can either accommodate your request or we have a referral ready for you!

Now of course, there’s nothing wrong with leaving a voicemail or sending a text. But for all the reasons listed above, you might have to wait for the pet sitter to be in the best situation to call you back.

Hopefully, we’ve been able to explain why pet sitters and dog walkers may not pick up their phone during the day and return calls as quickly as they’d wish.

A successful pet sitting company is a busy company, with lots going on and many clients and pets to keep safe and happy. We desire nothing more than to add you and your pets to our ever-growing family.

If we don’t pick up the phone, don’t give up on us! And if you don’t feel like talking to a machine, shoot us an email. We will get back to you soon. We promise.