PSI's Denver, CO Regional Meeting

How the West Was Won… PSI’s Denver “Pet Sitter” Stop

 

On Monday, May 18, PSI members from across Colorado as well as members from New Mexico, Virginia and Arkansas joined PSI staff at the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Denver for an information-packed day of educational sessions and networking. The stop in Denver was PSI’s first regional meeting of 2009.

 

The day kicked off with an in-depth customer service workshop led by 2008 Pet Sitter of the Year, Robert Nager, of Decadent Dog, Needham, MA. Attendees discussed the necessity of exceeding clients’ expectations, the core components of quality service and how to address problems - or even turn down clients without ruining their business reputation.

 

Robyn Simnioniw of Priority Pets in Colorado Springs offered her advice on turning down clients she does not want to take. “I let potential clients know up front that it is my responsibility as a professional to ensure that we are a good match. In that way, if I do not want to take on a client, the client doesn’t take it personally but places the responsibility on me.”

 

Following a networking luncheon, attendees worked with one another in a pet sitters’ roundtable discussion, exploring issues ranging from how to use staff to the best way to organize keys to what hard lessons they had learned since opening their pet-sitting service. Attendees also shared why they became pet sitters and how long they had been in the industry.

 

The “Going Green” session led by Lisa Faust and Kathy Dietsch of A New Way to Life Pet Services and Publishing was an eye-opener for attendees. Lisa and Kathy, along with their dog Cedar, presented tips for implementing green practices into pets’ lives and pet-sitting businesses. While many attendees were mindful of eco-friendly practices in their daily lives, they often did not think of ways to implement these same practices into their business or their pets’ daily lives. Lisa and Kathy went on to explain how becoming educated in green pet practices can help establish pet sitters as leaders in their local communities.

 

The last session of the day, led by Dr. Clark Nelson, DVM, addressed a topic very important to all pet sitters—identifying and handling pet emergencies. Using real-life examples and practical explanations, Dr. Nelson debunked some popular myths, such as poinsettias being deadly to dogs, and stressed the urgency of immediately responding if certain other items, such as anything containing xylitol, was consumed. The session also covered guidelines for medicating pets, characteristics to check for if a pet appeared ill and tips for handling common stomach problems in dogs and cats.

 

To close out the day, many of the attendees joined PSI staff and the local Denver pet-sitting network for a great dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery, where they were able to continue the pet-care discussions sparked by the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about how you can

participate in an upcoming PSI Regional Meeting or Quest conference, visit www.petsit.com/conferences.

 

 

 

 

A very special thank you to our 2009 event sponsor, Iams!