In a recent blog, we discussed some of the criteria you should consider if you were looking for a Dallas dog walker or Dallas pet sitting company for your pets. One of the items we urged you to inquire about on the list was to ask the average tenure of a potential local pet sitting company’s employees before hiring them.
Park Cities Pet Sitters’ employees average a tenure of just under five years each with the company. That is incredibly long for most people in any industry to stay at the same job these days, and is practically unheard of for a local dog walking company that has a relatively large staff like we do.
Why does employee longevity matter when it comes to you hiring the best Dallas dog walker or best Dallas pet sitter for your household? Here is why we think it is an important factor in who you hire. Consider these points:
- Security and Experience. A Dallas dog walker or pet sitter is likely going to have regular, unsupervised access to your home, and is caring for your beloved pets. Knowing that, it only makes sense that you want to feel comfortable that whoever you hire to be your Dallas pet sitter has been sufficiently trained in best pet care practices, has been background checked, is bonded and insured, and has experience in providing great customer service. Obviously the longer someone has been with a Dallas dog walking company, the more on-the-job experience they are going to have; and it also likely means they have provided good service in the past or they wouldn’t still be employed with that company. Like it or not, bad employees can’t hide being a bad employee for too long! So, this is one reason long employee longevity can be a great signal that a Dallas pet sitting company is going to provide the level of service that you expect.
- Happy Employees Provide Better Service. Employees that enjoy their job, AND like their boss often stay with their company for a while. Have you heard the saying “there are no bad companies, just bad bosses”? Many service-based businesses know that the secret sauce to providing good service to clients first starts with making the company a great place for employees to work. What does that mean? For companies like Park Cities Pet Sitter, it means managers are taught to be servant leaders for the staff. If an employee is struggling to learn something or asks a lot of questions, we don’t yell at them or dismiss them or get annoyed with them—we tell them our purpose for being there IS to help make them successful. We WANT employees to ask for help when needed so we strive to always maintain an environment that encourages that. This makes for happier employees, which we know leads to happier clients. So, if someone really loves their Dallas dog walking job and the company they work for, it is not a far-fetched notion to believe that clients are also more likely to receive good service themselves.
- Forging Strong Bonds. Let’s face it, doesn’t everyone that hires a Dallas pet sitter want one that is going to form a real friendship with and bond with your pets? In our own marketing we have said “we want to be your best friend’s “2nd best friend.” We want your Dallas dog walker to be the person your dog is most excited to see behind you and your family. That kind of attachment and joy comes with having consistency in your pet’s life. We have clients whose sitter has been with them when they got their puppy, until many years later when that same dog took his last breath as a grey-muzzled senior. It is one of the very best parts of being a Dallas dog walker and pet sitter, but also one of the hardest too. Our staff bond with your pets, love and play with them for years, and then grieve them when they cross the Rainbow Bridge—because your pets HAVE become our friends. Don’t you want your pets’ local dog walker or pet sitter to be a consistent presence in their life? Isn’t that better than having a different sitter or walker every week?
This is why employee longevity with a Dallas dog walking company should be a consideration when you or someone you know is looking to hire a dog walker or pet sitter. Relationships matter. They matter to humans, and they certainly matter to your pets.
