Dealing with Difficult Clients as a Pet Sitter

Every pet sitter wants to land the dream pet sitting gig, with great behaving pets and pleasant pet owners who will turn into repeat clients. But what happens when you are stuck with difficult pet owners who seem hard to please?

Maintain Your Professionalism

Pet sitters encounter a number of different pet and client personalities on a day-to-day basis. Most clients that they work with are easy to get along with and are appreciative for the hard work that they put forth. Under such circumstances, it is easy to be amiable and professional. However, if you end up working with difficult clients, this can try your patience to the very limit. But it is important to always maintain a high level of professionalism, even when you are not receiving the same level of couresy and respect in return.

Look at the Client's Point of View

Difficult or hard to please clients can try your patience, but you should try to see their point of view. For example, if their tabby is diabetic, do not be surprised if you are asked to demonstrate your ability to care for the cat's special medical needs, or if you receive phone calls each day checking up on their pet's progress. These are simply signs of a concerned, loving pet owner. Such an active interest in the pet does not necessarily mean that you are being undermined or mistrusted as a pet sitter.

Provide Extras for Clients

Difficult clients have often dealt with negative past experiences with pet sitters. If your latest client has received a sub-par level of work from a previous pet sitter, it is understandable that they will be on their guard as they hire you. Do not be surprised if they have a long list of requests, questions and queries. Go a step further for the clients by providing extras that they have not asked for, such as grooming their longhair cat, putting the bins out or writing a daily report on their pet's progress. These little extras can add up. Even if the client does not thank you for what you have done, they are likely to remember you and call on you again.

Difficult, hard to please pet owners can try anyone's patience. If you have years under your belt as a pet sitter it can be particularly galling to have to answer for everything you do for the client's pet. But you can still enjoy a rewarding pet sitting experience, provided you maintain your professionalism at all times, try to look at things from the client's point of view and if you are prepared to provide the odd extra service to clients.