6 Ways to Attract & Retain Long-Term Dog Daycare Customers

As a dog daycare owner, it’s essential to have a steady flow of customers who trust and appreciate the services you offer. Searching for new clients is exhausting and takes time that could be better spent on building your business. Long-term clients are what you need. They're the ones that you rely on and that can help you earn a steady stream of revenue. However, finding and retaining long-term customers in today’s competitive market can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are several ways you can attract and keep loyal customers for your dog daycare. Let's dive in!

Provide Quality Care for Your Customers’ Dogs

Providing quality care for your customers’ dogs should be your number one priority. Make sure to give dogs plenty of playtime, attention, and affection. When your clients come to pick up their pets, they'll be able to see if Fido had a good day or if he was treated poorly. You should also provide a safe and clean environment for the dogs. A customer’s trust in your daycare can be quickly lost if their dog comes home sick or injured. By providing a high level of care to the pets at your business, you're setting yourself apart from the competition. The dog daycare industry is booming, so if there isn't competition in your area yet, there will be in the future.

Offer a Convenient Online Booking System

Making it easy for customers to book appointments is essential. Offer an online booking system that’s simple to use and saves customers time. Your online booking system should be accessible from a computer or mobile device, and it should allow customers to view your availability, select a date and time that works best for them, and potentially make a payment as well. DoggieDashboard offers an online client portal where your clients can quickly request appointments, see unused redeemable passes, view past and future invoices, etc.

Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Customers will return to your dog daycare if they feel appreciated and valued. Provide exceptional customer service by going the extra mile to make them feel welcome and valued. Respond promptly to their inquiries and concerns, and be willing to offer solutions when things go wrong. We've all had great customer service experiences in our lifetime and we've all had horrible customer service experiences. Make it a point to go above and beyond for your clients. They're going to appreciate it and they're most likely going to tell their friends that have pets about your business, so you might just gain some new clients through word-of-mouth marketing.

Offer Discounts and Special Promotions

Offering discounts and special promotions to your customers is a great way to attract new customers and retain current ones. For example, you could offer a discount for repeat customers or a special promotion for first-time customers. You could also offer special discounts for referrals from existing customers. Offering random discounts can be a great way to show appreciation. Maybe you give your clients a free day of daycare on their birthday so that they can go take the day for themselves. Things like this really mean a lot to people. Creating a referral program is quite simple. Just let your clients know that if they refer anyone to your business, they'll get a free day of daycare or something similar. Then, when a new client walks in the door and says that Kelly Smith referred them, you'll be able to send her an email to thank her for the referral and let her know about her free day of daycare.

Stay Connected with Your Customers

Staying connected with your customers is important. You can do this by sending regular emails or newsletters, offering promotions, and responding promptly to customer inquiries. You can also use social media to engage with your customers and provide updates on new services and promotions. If you haven't seen a client in a bit, you can send them an email to see how they and their pet are doing. No need to push them to come back to your business. Just showing some sincerity in how they're doing is a nice thing. It's also a great idea to keep your social media active. Post pictures throughout the week to keep the content flowing. This will make sure that you're showing up on your clients' newsfeeds.

Conduct Regular Surveys

Regularly conducting surveys will give you valuable insights into what your customers like and dislike about your dog daycare. Use this information to make improvements and provide the best possible experience for your customers. Besides sending out a mass survey with something like SurveyMonkey, you can also send appointment follow-ups to see how your client and their pet is doing. You can ask for any feedback in that email and then integrate that into your business.

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