Dog Walker being underpaid

[cheryl knowles]

I've been walking dogs and Pet sitting for over 6 months and am self employed.I am also a member of a website that help me get jobs for a small fee. I started off setting my price at £8 an hour. I don't mind this for now. This one job in particular, I have to walk two small dogs together for the same owners.(a couple who both work) They live almost 5 miles away. To get the job to begin with I told them £6 an hour for the two dogs. They asked me to start straight away after we had a thorough consultation first about their needs and I walked with the owners and dogs for an hour. They require a walk, snack on return and let them play in garden for a while,before I leave. This goes over an hour. Even though I walk locally,the man wants me to track the walk every time. Now I have to fiddle about with setting his WiFi password when I arrive and often the signal is weak,so it doesn't always work. So this is a pain. I explained this and he seems ok so far.
Anyway, my problem is the hourly pay. I walk the couple's two dogs,dachshunds, for £6. I should really be getting £12. I have to drive almost 5 miles there and back. It's not really worth me doing this job unless I can get more work in the area.
They are really happy with me working with their dogs,they really look forward to their walks and the fuss I give,and they gave me a 5 star review on my profile.
But how do I approach the subject of asking for more money? It's embarrassing because sometimes they sometimes work from home.

 

[fisicx]

Just be straight with them. Tell it’s no longer viable and you need to charge more. If they don’t want to pay more wave goodbye and go find clients willing to pay a better rate.

 

[Chawton]

Explain that, given your particular circumstances, it isn't economically viable. Go on to explain what price would make it economically viable. It isn't personal. They can either accept that and agree to your new pricing or look elsewhere. That outcome, again, isn't personal.

On the subject of 'embarrassment', if it helps, theres nothing you've said in your explanation that a reasonable person could have an issue with. Ergo you shouldn't be embarrassed to say it. You may 'disappoint' them that the original bargain rate they were getting is coming to an end, but that is NOT a reason for embarrassment. Please understand this crucial difference as it's really important for business, if not life generally.

They have already had great value out of you at £6 per hour for however many walks so DON'T feel embarrassed. On the contrary, feel GOOD about that! They certainly should!

 

[cheryl knowles]

Thanks for your advice. Appreciated.

 

[Prime81]

I second everything that has been said. They have been lucky to get a bargain rate for so long. Just say you are putting your hourly rate up slightly due to petrol prices rising and increased insurance, or some other cost excuse. I would say that 'i totally understand if you want to find another dog walker and if you ever need a one off walker im happy to help' A friend of mine who started her own dog grooming business was charging next to nothing at the beginning but as you establish yourself your rates need to reflect this. Just be confident in yourself. Travelling and working for £6 is not worth it.

 

[mattk]

The first problem seems to be that you are working for more than an hour (even if you ignore travel times) and only charging them for the hour. Therefore, my first suggestion is that you start charging them for the time you actually spend with their dogs. Maybe charge in increments of 20 minutes, with a one hour minimum?

Next you need to address your rate. You are charging less than minimum wage. I appreciate you say that you offered a low rate to win the business, but all that shows is that the barriers to entry in your market are almost non-existent. There is very little to stop someone else undercutting you, especially if you try to increase your rates.

You then mention about walking two dogs should be double the rate. My question is whether this is double the effort for you? If not (and I doubt it is), you will struggle to justify charging significantly more for additional dogs.

My suggestion, now that you have built a relationship with this customer, is to sit down with them and ask what they feel is a realistic rate for the amount of work you are providing for them. You seem to be wildly undercharging them in my opinion.

 

[Gecko001]

Try to make the rise in pay as impersonal as possible. So if you are increasing the rate for this customer then make sure you increase it with all the other customers. If there is something that you can link it into such as a sudden large increase in the price petrol or car insurance, then that might make it more palatable for the customer. In any service business where you get regular return work from customers, increasing rates always has a risk of losing customers, hence it is always a good idea to set your rates as high as you when you start.

 

[Newchodge]

I agree with most of the advice above, except setting the fee in consultation with the client. It is your business, you should decide what you charge.

Work out a realistic charge - minimum wage is £7.83, so for 1 hour 20 minutes you would earn £10.20. While the cost of a 10 mile round trip may seem a lot to you, you can claim £4.50 against your tax, which makes it a little less costly. Also, while it is reasonable to increase your rates,it may be pushing it a bit to also charge extra for the second dog.

For a new customer perhaps charge an extra 25% for each additional animal - it isn't double the work, but it is definitely more than nothing!

 

[mattk]

The reason I suggest consulting with the customer is that there's a factor most people are overlooking. Maybe dog walking isn't a viable business? If the customer won't pay circa £10 to have their dogs walked, then I think you're wasting your time. Maybe it is only an activities for plucky amateurs who want to earn some pocket money?

As it stands, OP would make more money working in McDonalds AND you get a free lunch!

 

[Newchodge]

The reason I suggest consulting with the customer is that there's a factor most people are overlooking. Maybe dog walking isn't a viable business?

That's certainly a valid point, however if the OP needs to charge £10 to make it viable, and the customer will not pay that, they will find out when they tell the customer the price. If the customer says they are only prepared to pay £9 during consultation it is harder to tell them it will be £10.

 

[Mr D]

The reason I suggest consulting with the customer is that there's a factor most people are overlooking. Maybe dog walking isn't a viable business? If the customer won't pay circa £10 to have their dogs walked, then I think you're wasting your time. Maybe it is only an activities for plucky amateurs who want to earn some pocket money?

As it stands, OP would make more money working in McDonalds AND you get a free lunch!

True, would make more money being employed.
But being paid what they agreed to. Yes it was too low but that's the problem of pricing to get the business - you can price yourself too low.
Now they can negotiate or lose the custom. Which is better for the OP anyway - not all custom is wanted if its not going to be cost effective.
And the customer can always try and find someone else willing to do all that work cheap or spend the time to do it themselves.

 

[Gecko001]

There should be no negotiations for this type of business, because clients talk to each other and compare rates they are being charged. Set your fee scale and stick to them for all clients.

 

[BustersDogs]

Hi, this is a common problem for pet sitters, undercharging in the early days and taking jobs too far out because they just want to get the work in.

Firstly I'd do a review of all your expenses, and outgoings, to make sure that the price you are charging is high enough in general. Even £8 for an hour's walks sounds much too low, but of course if your expenses are low, then that might be fine for you.

Once you've worked out how much you need to charge to make the job profitable, contact the client and let them know that you've reviewed all your prices, and need to make an increase. I usually give 3 months notice of increases to current clients, and start new clients on the new fee straight away, but a month would be sufficient. Bare minumum would be two weeks, to give them time to find someone else should the cost not be to their liking. Now because it seems you need double the price, that's not going to go down very well. If you want to keep the client (which I advise no due to distance and due to all the other things that have been added to what should be a simple walk), then you could offer a £3 rise in a month, then the final £3 in 3 months. An alternative would be to offer them a 30 minute visit, but everything needs to be done in that 30 mins, so no extra time for setting wifi etc, and keep the price the same (but explain it's because prices have gone up in general).

My opinion from what you've said, these people won't want to pay more, or have less time. Of course they are happy with your walks, they are getting a very great deal of work out of you for peanuts.

You could avoid all this of course, and just let them know that sadly you have found you need to keep your area a bit smaller than you expected so wont' be covering their area any longer. Give them your standard notice (two weeks if you haven't got t&c set up), give the dogs a kiss and a cuddle and say goodbye.

 

[BustersDogs]

The reason I suggest consulting with the customer is that there's a factor most people are overlooking. Maybe dog walking isn't a viable business? If the customer won't pay circa £10 to have their dogs walked, then I think you're wasting your time. Maybe it is only an activities for plucky amateurs who want to earn some pocket money?

Absolutely it is a viable business. It can be very profitable. Like any industry though, some people can make it in their chosen line of business, and some people can't. Some people loose money with every step they make, but not everyone.

 

[BustersDogs]

For everyone else, walking two dogs in many way is double the work. In fact it can often be triple the work of one dog. It's very definitely double the risks.

 

[Toby Willows]

Also, while it is reasonable to increase your rates,it may be pushing it a bit to also charge extra for the second dog.

Unless you only offer solo walks charging extra for additional dogs is standard practice for dog walkers, usually around the 50% mark per additional dog.

 

[cheryl knowles]

Unless you only offer solo walks charging extra for additional dogs is standard practice for dog walkers, usually around the 50

Quoting half the price for an additional dog is a good idea,I never thought of that.
Even though I'm not earning a great deal just now,I know that once I get more walks I'll be happy. But I find I do get more money petsitting and visits. Customers have been happy with me caring for their pet while they go away. They'll most probably have me again and recommend me to others.
I'll continue with this until a year is up and decide then whether it's worth carrying on

 

[BustersDogs]

If you're walking dogs in mixed groups then all dogs take up a paying space, whether they live at the same address or not. You do save some time on collections if you have a large area to cover, but if you only cover a small area, then there's not much saving. I charge full price for multiple dogs from the same family.

Most of my multiple dog families choose 'private' walks (where I only walk their dogs with potentially one of my own), because those I charge by time, not by dog.

 

[STDFR33]

you can claim £4.50 against your tax,

To clarify, the £4.50 reduces your profit. HMRC don't give you £4.50.

If you are a basic rate taxpayer, the £4.50 cost will reduce your tax bill by £0.90.

I suspect at £6ph, you may not be paying tax?

 

[Jessica A.]

The fact that you're driving 5 miles a day just to walk their dogs for that amount doesn't cover the expenses of gas, insurance and your precious time. If you could get more customers in the area and get the rates up a bit then you could break it even. Don't be embarrassed about asking for more because you are already doing more than what is required of you for a measly price. Simply tell them that with rising costs of gas/goods or whatever, the increase was justified.

 

[Chawton]

Gas?!

 

[am:pm graphics]

Like others have said, don't make it personal to them. Just say you are putting up your prices. Perhaps have a flyer or something printed out to hand over to them with all of your prices on. You could charge a bit extra for travel, walking more than one dog etc. I know dog walkers that have different rates for walking dogs individually and group walks with a few other dogs. Have a look at your competition and make sure you are not too cheap. People will want someone reliable and trust worthy rather than being the cheapest. Good luck!

 

[Xantilor]

A printed price list is a good idea. And be brisk, and don't apologise as you hand it over. If you find this difficult, it might be worth reading some self-help books on building confidence and assertiveness.

 

[xjr13m]

Why not ring a few 'competitor' dog walking services and find out how much they'd charge you for one or two dogs, and if they charge any mileage? Once you understand what the local 'going rate' is it will give you more confidence to set your own prices at a realistic level.

 

[Page]

I like the printed price list idea - it formalise things a bit and forces you to stick with it also

But really what you have to do is decide how much you are doing it as an earner and how much as the love of pets

In the long run if you want to earn from it then you need to be earning a lot more and so charing a proper rate

To repair that car - pay for hols and sick days etc

And if you cannot get enough then maybe rethink whether it is love of pets or a businesses

There i nothing wrong with combining the two but be aware how you are earning less than in a job and decide of that make it worth doing still

 

[Mark Donnelly]

For reference, we have a dog walker who walks our 5 dogs (Yes 5 and theyre all Labradors)

He charges me £10 PH for the first one and £5 per hour for the second one. I know what time they come and what time they leave from the Alarm Code report and see what time they take the dogs out.

He normally arrives at 10 and leaves at 11:30. He charges me £25 for the hour and half.

He walks 2 while leaving the other 3 in the garden, comes back after 30 mins then takes out the other 2. Comes back and take out the old one for about 15 mins.

Im happy and hes happy