When booking with Mad Paws, Meet & Greets are an important step in the process of finding the ‘perfect match’ for your furry friend’s best care.
The biggest benefit for both the pet sitter and the pet parent is the ability to get to know one another and establish expectations before committing to the booking.
Here’s everything you need to know in a quick fire round of Q&As!
What is a Meet & Greet?
A Meet & Greet is a chance for a Pet Sitter and a Pet Owner to meet before either party commits to the booking.
Why should I conduct a Meet & Greet?
Meeting the Sitter face-to-face is a brilliant way to ensure there are no surprises during a booking. Ask questions, get to know more about them and the environment your pet will be in…use this time to ensure the Sitter can meet your pet’s needs.
When should I conduct a Meet and Greet?
Before a booking is officially accepted by the Sitter, and after they’ve reviewed your completed Pet Profile. Once you’ve met and feel 100% comfortable, the Sitter can approve the booking to proceed with the booking.
Where should I hold a Meet & Greet?
3 options include:
• In a public place – Dog parks or pet-friendly cafes are some great options.
• At the site of the booking (either yours or the Sitter’s home) – if they’re happy with this, it allows you to get a real feel for where your pet will be staying and whether it’ll be suitable.
| 💡 Helpful hint: if the Sitter has pets, this also allows you to see how all furry friends interact with one another. |
• Via video call – Ideal if you’re short on time and/or it’s a last minute booking request.
What happens during a Meet and Greet?
It’s a great time for you to ask lots of questions, but also to give the Sitter time to bond with your pet.
Share information about your pet that helps ensure the best experience for them, such as:
• Feeding times & quantity
• General behaviour to expect
• Any health issues to mention (or medicines to administer)
• Exercise/play time routines
• Social preferences with dogs & people
To help ensure the best experience for your pet, be sure to complete their pet profile on your Mad Paws account. It has six sections of prompted information so you can be confident your furry bestie is being cared for the same way they would be at home!
What happens after the Meet & Greet?
If you and the Sitter are comfortable to proceed, the Sitter will approve the booking and you can lock it in with payment.
Where you’re not 100% satisfied with the initial interaction with the Sitter, you’re not obliged to proceed with the booking – it’s your choice and you’re in control!
If you’re not sure (or they’re not sure), either party can request a second M&G or further information before proceeding.
Head over to our Instagram page to see what a typical Meet & Greet looks like:
7 comments
Hello
i am very interested in dog walking because
I love being around dogs as they are a major
part of life for me.
It has had been some time (too long)since
I enjoyed the delughts of sharing my home with
My four legged family.
I welcome the opportunity to meet and greet
Your fur family
Let me know the next step.
Kind thoughts
Rozz
Hello Rozz,
Thank you for your interest in joining the Mad Paws community as a pet sitter! We appreciate your enthusiasm. To get started, please follow the link provided to review our rules and guidelines. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with them, you can proceed to the sitter application. If you have any questions or require assistance, our support team is available to help you through live chat. We look forward to welcoming you as a pet sitter on Mad Paws!
The meet and greet is a awesome way to get to know the owner and of course their fur babies
If you have a booking Pending but the Meet & Greet is not for another week – what is the best option with regards to the booking, do you accept it and you can then delete if it proves not appropriate?
Hi there Gillian, thanks for reaching out with this question. Leaving it pending is ok – you’re doing the right thing as you’re not ignoring the message.
You may receive a notification from us to take action, but in this instance you can disregard. It’s more of a prompt aimed to sitters who ignore/forget to check messages and bookings from pet parents. Hope this helps clarify!
Is there payment for the meet and greet session?
Hi there Helen, a Meet & Greet is typically part of the overall service. It’s a helpful way to ensure both Sitter and Owner feel comfortable, and there’s no obligation for anyone to move forward with the booking if it’s not the right fit. For this reason, it’s not a paid interaction. Hope this provides more clarity. Reach out again if you have further questions!