Meet-and-greet visits: the first booking with a new pet
Pet sitters, groomers, trainers and animal therapists: why a short first visit helps, how to offer it as its own service, and what to ask about the animal.
6 min read
Before the first walk, groom or session, a short meet-and-greet visit lets you and the animal get to know each other, and lets the owner see how you work. Offer it as its own short service, separate from your regular bookings, ask the key questions about the animal in the booking note, and only open regular slots once the visit has gone well. It takes 20 to 30 minutes and saves surprises later.
Why a first visit matters with animals
An animal can't tell you it's afraid of clippers, reactive with other dogs or stressed by strangers entering the house. A meet-and-greet shows you how the animal behaves, how it reacts to you, and what the owner expects. For the owner, it's a chance to see you with their pet before handing over the keys or leaving it for two hours.
It also protects your schedule: a dog that turns out to need a much longer groom, or a cat sitter visit with a medication routine, is better discovered before the real booking than in the middle of it.
What the visit looks like, trade by trade
| Trade | Where | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| Pet sitter or dog walker | At the owner's home | Keys, routine, food, lead behaviour, other animals |
| Groomer | At the salon | Coat condition, handling, reaction to tools and noise |
| Dog trainer | Home, park or training ground | Behaviour, goals, household situation |
| Animal osteopath or massage therapist | Home or practice | History, sensitivities, the owner's concerns |
Make it a separate service
On Book, create a short service, for example "Meet-and-greet (new clients)", with a description of what happens and whether it's free or paid. Open a few slots for it each week at times that suit you, for example late afternoon for home visits. Keep your regular services, like walks, grooms or training sessions, as separate services with their own slots.
Say in the description of your regular services that new clients start with a meet-and-greet. If someone new books a regular slot directly, call them, book the meet-and-greet yourself from your calendar, and keep or move the other booking depending on how it goes.
What to ask before the visit
The booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. Use the service description to ask the owner to write in that note:
- the animal's name, species, breed and age;
- size or weight, for groomers and walkers;
- known fears, reactivity or health issues;
- the address, for home visits, and access details;
- what they're looking for: regular walks, holiday sitting, a behaviour issue, a first groom.
You receive an email for each new booking, with the note, so you arrive prepared.
During the visit
- Let the animal come to you. Talk with the owner first, and let the dog or cat approach in its own time.
- Go through the routine. Meals, walks, medication, where the lead and the carrier are kept, what the animal isn't allowed to do.
- Try the basics. A short walk on the lead, a brush, handling the paws, depending on your trade.
- Agree on the next step. Which service, which days, and how the owner will book or how you'll book for them.
Write down what you learn right after the visit, in the notes you keep for each client. Next time, you won't have to ask the same questions again, and the owner will notice.
After the visit: regular bookings
If the visit goes well, the owner can book regular services from your page. For fixed routines, like a dog walk every weekday at noon, you can book the slots yourself from your calendar so the routine is guaranteed. For group walks or classes, set the number of places on the slot, so each owner books one place per dog and the slot disappears when it's full.
If the match isn't right, say so kindly and suggest another professional. Better now than after a difficult first real booking.
Changes and holidays
Pet sitting gets busier around school holidays. Open holiday slots early as their own service so owners plan ahead, and give priority to clients who have already done a meet-and-greet. When a booking has to move, reschedule or cancel it from your bookings list and tell the owner yourself, since Book doesn't email them when a booking changes. Book doesn't take payments; keep your usual way of getting paid.
Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission and no contract.