Why meet & greets are important

I've been asked before why I require a meet and greet, so I thought it would be fun to make a little post about it. The reasons why I do meet and greets, and why I find them important. This is all my personal experience and opinions. I'm sure there's lots of different reasons for other companies as well.

• The most important point is you get to see the person behind the company. You'll see how I interact with your pet(s) and how I go about things. You can look at my website all you want but having that real person interaction makes a world of a difference and it's the start of building trust between us.

• Meets help clarify expectations. We go over my contract, how each visit will work, go over your pet needs in more depth, what we both expect out of services, go through emergency plans, and locations of everything.

• There's a lot of information I gather at a meet. We go through your pet(s) routine, and I get to see the layout of your home which tells me a lot of things. We may discuss any off limit rooms to the pet(s) and I, any hiding places your pet(s) may have, where their toys usually are located, food and water placements, and so much more. Driving to your location also helps me figure out best routes, planning between visits, and making sure I have the right location in the first place.

• Another important step is making sure door entry goes smoothly. A lot of doors have 'quirks' and visually seeing you use your door, or doing a test entry helps a lot. Checking keys to make sure they are the right ones, checking door codes or other entry points help prevent those awkward "uh oh I can't get in" moments.

• Some people have very picky pets. Maybe your cat will only eat if I'm eating too, or your dog wont pee unless they spin around 5 times. Animals can be so funny lol.

  Visually seeing these things helps me cater to those needs. A lot of people don't realize certain quirks either, and I get to see those for myself as time goes on which is also really cool!

• Some pets have bumps, past injuries, etc. I want to be able to see any marks, lumps, wounds or other things on your pet(s) body whether it's of concern or not. It's something for me to know so that there are no surprises if I see it later on.

• The next thing I look at is time estimates. When figuring out what kind of services you're looking for, I take account of what needs to be done per visit, your pet(s) personalities like if they are on the shy side etc. Maybe your pet is super energetic and needs a bit more time for play. These are things that help me determine what is a suitable amount of time for you and your pet(s) while also taking your personal preference in mind.

There is a lot of info I take in, whether that's your pets health and how they react towards me, or planning out a catered pet care routine. I'm sure there are things I'm missing here, but this is why I require meet & greets. Setting expectations and preventing as many 'surprises' as possible. Since all initial meets are required, I don't charge for them so it's honestly a win/win!

You get to know me better, and I get to give your pet(s) a great service catered to their needs.