Meet and Greets!
What are they and what can I expect during one?
You’ve sent in an inquiry! Yay! Now what?
I will reply to you as quickly as possible. I try to get to all inquiries within 2 hours of them being sent. That being said, I am not perfect and will get to you within 24 hours at the absolute latest.
Next, I will confirm whether I am indeed available for your requested service dates and then we can dive into the good stuff! We will then set up a time for a complimentary Meet and Greet. I require these for all inquiries before booking so that myself, your pets, and you are all comfortable and happy with the arrangement. A face-to-face meetup allows both of us to chat, get to know each other, and see how your animals interact with me. These usually last 30 minutes, but can take longer for more complex sits or sits with multiple pets.
If you have never done a Meet and Greet before, you may be wondering “what is a meet and greet?” or “What should I expect during one?”. I am here to set the stage for you! First, we set up a date and time with me to come to your residence/you to me depending on the services you are booking. Once I arrive, we get to the good stuff.
As I try to change your animals’ routine as little as possible, I ask owners to walk me through a typical day for their household.
- When do you wake up?
- Do they need breakfast or exercise first?
- Mealtime! What do they eat, how much?
- Any silly quirks they have during food time? My dog now must be sung a silly song to start eating her dinner or she will refuse! She must be serenaded.
- What do they do during most of the day?
- What is your routine for leaving them alone when you run errands?
- What treats are they allowed to have, if any?
Once we have gone through these details and some others about your animals’ routine, I ask that you show me around the house to all relevant areas that I have access to and may need. This includes where cleaning supplies are stored, where I will sleep (overnights only), pet living areas (crates, beds, couches, etc), dishes, WiFi (overnights only) etc.
Next, we talk through how I will get in and our fo your residence. This can be super simple or conplicated depending on your house set up!
- Do you live in a gated community? If so, will I have a code, an opener, or will I need to interact with security?
- Do you have a garage I can use to get inside?
- This is often an amazing resource because there is no exchange of keys that need to be made. Many clients change their door code temporarily for me for the time I am there and change it when they get home. I never share any of this information! But I always encourage extra security.
- Do you have an alarm system? Would you like me to use it while you are gone?
- Would you like me to come pick up a key/opener before you leave or would you like to leave it hidden for me somewhere?
Please ask questions throughout this whole process about me as well! I will be asking questions the whole time, but this is an important two-way dialogue, and you can never give me too much information. Many owners like to make their own document with the routine written out so that they make sure they don’t forget anything and it is a great reference point for me if I forget anything! If this is something you prefer not to do, that is totally fine, I will be taking notes throughout our meeting either way.
The last thing I typically talk about is emergency scenarios and your preferences there. These questions include:
- Local Emergency Contacts
- Preferred Vet
- Preferred Emergency Vet
- Backup Contact for you
- This can be anyone you may be traveling with if I cannot get ahold of you.
Then we wrap up the conversation address any last questions either of us may have and we say goodbye! You can always message me with questions or information you may want to share with me after our appointment.