People tend to think all you need is a love of animals to run a pet sitting business. I’m here to tell you it’s simply not enough.
The team at Heidi’s Hounds work together as a well oiled machine 👍 Our pet sitters are employees not independent contractors or some random stranger at the end of an app. This is an important distinction for you as a pet owner.
Of course you can hire someone who walks dogs and pet sits as a side hustle and save yourself some hard earned cash. But the difference in the quality of service is like comparing a McDonald’s hamburger to filet mignon. Shopping online vs. shopping at Neiman Marcus. I mean, it’s just a dog walk, how different can the kid next door be from the professionals?
There are many benefits to you working with a company that hires employees. Read on to learn why this is so important for you AND your precious pets.
INSURANCE
As a start, we provide Workers Comp coverage to protect our clients from legal responsibility in case a pet sitter is injured on the job. In addition, our entire team is covered by our bonding and liability coverage. A dishonesty bond gives you peace of mind that you will be reimbursed if anything is stolen from your home. We also carry a liability insurance policy that protects you from financial loss if we are liable for accidents that occur while caring for our client’s pets.
HIRING
Only the strong survive 😂. Heidi’s Hounds pet sitters undergo a vigorous screening process. This includes a third party risk assessment and personality evaluation. An in person interview with the company owner and secondary interviews and tandem visits with field supervisors. Once a candidate has passed those evaluations, they are subject to a national criminal background check, a Massachusetts ICORI check as well as a national sexual predator check. Your peace of mind is our highest priority.
CONSISTENCY IN CARE
Because we consistently train, coach and mentor our pet sitters, you will receive the same five-star service at each and every visit regardless of which Heidi’s Hounds pet sitter is assigned. Believe it or not, businesses that use independent contractors are not allowed to provide any guidance in determining how to service a client. Did you know that independent contractors can contract out their jobs? They can legally send anyone into your home without notification to you.
ACCOUNTABILITY
All of our employees are monitored and supervised each and every day by Heidi’s Hounds field supervisors and by the business owner directly. Companies utilizing independent contractors are not legally allowed to supervise pet sitters working under their company name.
In addition, management will periodically accompany pet sitters in the field for further guidance to reinforce training, company policies, procedures, and protocols. The management team also randomly performance checks work after a pet sitter has completed a visit to ensure Heidi’s Hounds standards are always being met.
COMPETENT, RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE
If you have any questions or concerns about our service, we encourage clients to reach out to the business owner directly by phone or email. Our employees are held to the highest standards of care and accountability. If you’re not happy, we’re not happy. If you’re hiring Independent Contractors through Rover, Wag or other online apps, who do you call if there’s a problem with your pet sitter?
I’m not going to lie, you will save some cash if you utilize the big tech apps or the kid next door. But I think you can see why it’s critical to hire a professional company that does it’s due diligence in hiring and training it’s employees. In a nutshell, we have the acumen that it takes to run a real business. Well-established systems that operate in the best interest of your pet’s safety are key. When you hire Heidi’s Hounds, you are hiring the best in the business and can feel confident your home is safe and your pets are given the very best care.
