How to Compete With On Demand Dog Walking Apps: Part 2

Last week we talked about setting yourself apart from on demand app walkers so you’re not competing directly with them, and instead are attracting more discerning pet parents. This week let's dig deeper into how to help your business be the preferred choice over on demand apps.

Nail Your Customer Service

One of the benefits of being a small business it that you have the ability to offer superior customer service. We've all experienced the run around if there’s an issue with a large company, and one of the biggest complaints about apps is when things go wrong, the customer service is lacking. Being able to speak to a real person who listens to client needs and takes action to immediately address those needs is a huge deal. 

Educate Your Audience

I teach dog walkers to cater to clients who are selective about who cares for their dogs. Pet parents who consider their dogs as family members want to make sure their pets are well cared for, even if it means paying more. For them, the peace of mind that their dog is in the hands of a capable and responsible dog walker is worth the added cost. 

But there are some people that could be great clients if they were educated about why it’s important to hire someone like you, rather than using an on demand app. For that reason it’s in your best interest (and IMO a huge help to the general public) to provide education about why you’re better. Many people have had good experiences with app walkers (of course there are some great people doing these walks, but that doesn’t cancel out the fact that many of the walkers do not have the experience necessary to provide the service safely). But it seems like there are more stories of dogs being lost, injured or tragically killed every day under the care of walkers working for on demand apps. When you educate your audience they learn why they should be more discerning about who their dog walker is, and they’ll want to hire you. 

Make It Easy for Pet Parents to Say Yes to Your Service

It’s easy for on demand app users to book a walk, plus there are fun bonuses like gps tracking and photos. You can absolutely compete on that level. There are a number of software programs available to dog walkers that allow online booking, gps tracking, and more. Here are 3 options, all of which you can try out for free: 

Time to Pet, Handlr, Scout for Pets