4 Ways to Wow Your Clients: How To Meet and Exceed Client Expectations
We’re so excited to see how much our Meowtel community has grown over the last few years. Clients have more choices than ever before when they’re choosing the purrfect caregiver for their precious kitt-os. With the ever-growing number of sitters to choose from, you might be asking yourself how you can stand out from the crowd. Well, we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of our favorite ways to delight and leave a lasting impression so that your name will be the first one clients think of when they need a-meow-zing care for their kitties.
What Our Clients Expect During a Reservation
You may have already seen our FAQ about what each of our visits includes. If you haven’t already, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it to ensure that you are fulfilling all the expected requirements of a Meowtel visit. While this covers the basics, such as the general tasks (food preparation, water refreshing, litter box cleaning, tidying up, written update, photos, etc) we have a sneaking suspicion that you want to know more about what our top sitters are doing that really a-meowze their clientele. So, without further ado, let's dive right in!
#1 Being Proactive
Most Meowtel sitters can relate to the anxiety a cat-parent feels when they have to leave their kitties with someone new. One of the best ways to ease their fears is by being proactive. This begins as soon as a client reaches out to you with a reservation request. Don’t wait for the client to ask about setting up a Meet & Greet. Proactively offering this shows you’re eager and invested in getting to know them and their kitties. Being proactive also helps instill confidence in your clients. It demonstrates that you feel confident in your abilities and have the experience and knowledge they are looking for.
During the reservation, our top sitters continually keep their clients informed. Letting your clients know when you have arrived and when you are leaving a visit gives them the opportunity to reach out to you in real-time with any questions or requests they may have for their kitties. Sending detailed updates, videos, and before and after photos of completed tasks (litter, food, water, etc) is the purrfect way to demonstrate that you’ve taken care of everything! If a client has to reach out to you about how things are going, that is often a sign that they are not receiving the kind of updates and information that they need.
When things are wrapping up, be the first one to get the ball rolling for any key return scheduling that may be needed, and don’t forget to politely ask for a review of your services so you can continue to build those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-star reviews.
#2 Take notes!
Some clients may already have notes written for you. However, this is not always the case, and it’s important to make sure you have all the information you need prior to a reservation. There is a notes feature on your client's page in the app where you can jot down things, but you may also use your own note-taking app as well. We’re all guilty of thinking we will remember something only to find that we don’t when the day comes when we need that information, especially when there is a larger gap of time between the Meet & Greet and when the reservation starts.
Wondering what things you should ask during a Meet & Greet? Check out this comprehensive guide!
If you’re more of a pen-and-paper fan, try checking out our official Meowtel Meet & Greet notepad in our Sitter Store. In addition to being adorable, it also has items broken down into suggestions to help guide you through the kinds of things that are helpful to ask on your Meet & Greets. 🗒️
Want to take your notes to the next level? Try creating a Google doc that you can share with your client that you and they can edit and add to as you sit for them.
#3 Extraordinary Updates!
It’s safe to say that the world loves cat photos and videos, and our clients are definitely no exception! Getting to see our adorable fur friends while we are away gives us all the warm fuzzy feelings. To take it a step further and really wow your clients, turn on your camera’s “portrait” mode to capture some Instagram-feed-worthy snapshots of their kitties. This effect blurs the background slightly so that the focus is all on their fantastic feline. 📸
Many of our top sitters also include before and after photos of any tasks completed, such as litter boxes, food, water, tidying up, etc. This not only gives clients peace of mind but also covers your paws in the event that a complaint is ever escalated to us.
You can find our top sitters also crafting charming, funny, and unique written updates that tell a story about the day's visit. Include information that is specific to the kitties, such as unique habits or adorable antics that are personal to them. This shows your attention and appreciation for these special babies and assures your clients that their kitties are getting the absolute best care while they are away.
#4 Giving Thanks
It can be a big step for many cat parents to trust a stranger to care for their cats, even one that is highly rated and experienced. Taking a moment to recognize that trust and thanking them for taking that big leap is another purrfect touch you can leave on your final visit. A handwritten note thanking them for their trust in you, and for getting to spend time with their precious kitties goes a long way. Some sitters also will use this space to write something fun, like a poem about the cats, or a cute illustration of the kitties. We encourage you to make it your own and get creative. When in doubt, ask yourself what would make you feel happy as a client to read.
If you’re in need of some cat-tastic note cards, we’ve got some official Meowtel Thank You Cards that feature our adorable mascot, Timothy. If you wish to leave a gift such as toys or treats for the kitties, please always check with the cat parents first to ensure that is ok and safe, as some kitties may have allergies or sensitivities to certain items. ❤️
Get Out There and Wow!
We hope these tips have been helpful and have given you some new ideas on ways to grow your business, create lasting relationships with clients, and provide you with some insight into what our clients expect and look forward to during a visit.
Are you doing something to delight your clients that wasn't mentioned above? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email us at [email protected] and you and your idea may be featured in one of our Sitter Newsletters!
