Keep Your Pet Sitting Business from Making This Post Office Mistake
No one really likes going to the post office, do they? I think this quick story exemplifies one of the reasons why. It's also a good example of what type of customer service your pet sitting business should avoid if you want to stay in business for very long:
I snuck through the doors of my local post office the other night at 5:57pm. Whew, 3 minutes to spare before they closed!
After waiting in line (there's always a line, of course), I walked up to the post office dude who was going to help me. By this time it was about 6:03 - a whole 3 minutes past when the doors officially close. Just then, a guy walked in from the parking lot hoping to get inside. But, the doors were locked. Mind you, the doors are glass, so the unlucky patron could plainly see myself as well as about 8 other people still in there. He politely knocked to be let in. No response from the post office staff. He then proceeed with a litle more force and shook the doors a little to try and plead his case. Again, no response from the staff in blue.
As I'm standing there looking over my should at him, the post office rep says to me
- "Well, you snooze, you lose. And shaking the doors isn't going to make me feel any worse for you, buddy."
Ok, so I get that every business has to draw a line in the sand for when they close. Otherwise, they'd probably stay open for hours trying to accomodate every last late-comer.
But, the attitude of this worker was surprising none-the-less.
Really? You hate us as customers sooooo much that you have no problem telling your other customers that you have absolutely zero interest whatsoever in putting forth the slightest bit of extra effort give someone the service they're paying for?
What kind of service does your pet sitting service provide? Do you treat people like the post office sometimes does? Or do you actually welcome your pet customers to do business with you and make them feel special?
If you're annoyed by your pet sitting customers, maybe you should find another job to do. If you don't, your attitude towards the people paying you may put you on a path towards bankruptcy, just like with the post office.
If you like your customers, let them know not by telling them, but by showing them. For example, answer the phone 3 minutes after you "close" once in a while. People will notice and appreciate it. And keeping doing business with you.