One things for certain, there is nothing that is certain. Sounds stressful, and it can be. Change is something to embrace, especially in this industry. There are ebbs and flows to all parts of the Dog Daycare Business. Busy season – off season – hiring – firing – evaluations – dismissals – growth – stagnancy.
Planning is helpful, but as most of us probably experience, sometimes s*** just hits the fan. Your plan may have not failed, life just tossed you a big ‘ol “that wasn’t supposed to happen, what now?” Riding the waves with a steady head is essential to your survival. Learning to surf takes more than one wave. (or day!)
We have all experienced the days where we feel like we must rip everything down to the studs and rebuild. But fret not, that’s not how change is best served. Gradual change, where we chip away toward a bigger picture, is how we stay on track to success. We have to zoom out, look at the bigger picture, adjust our lenses, clear up the fog that is ‘instant gratification’ and chip, chip, chip away each day. Big picture change happens in consistent day to day operations.
Figuring out our ‘promises’ to keep to each of the clients coming through our doors. Creating friendly, real and reliable customer service. What would make us come back? What would make us trust someone with our prized family members? What kind of experience would we look for in such an important part of our life?
Understanding the responsibility, we have to owners and their pets. To keep them safe, clean and being cared for properly at our facilities. Making sure they are being fulfilled through us and productively socializing with our staff and other dogs under our care. Providing dogs with a safe environment to play, engage, learn, rest. Prioritizing finding and keeping a strong foundation of staff. Proper training and support with a bought in staff will take your facility to all of the places you want to go. People come into the industry with a passion for dogs and we can fuel that by making them feel confident, capable and understanding in how they can provide for them. That is something that you cannot fake. Quality of care will shine through how much your staff know and are willing to show up.
Look for feedback from clients. Surveys, follow up phonecalls, reviews, etc. Knowing what people think from their experience is the very thing that will keep people coming through your door. The only way you become a staple in your community, setting you aside from others that may be able to offer similar services, is how you take criticism, how you use it to listen and to grow within your community. Anyone can sell a service but when it comes to peoples’ dogs, we have limited chances to make a good impression, to create connection and to right any wrongs. What works for us one day, will need tweaking the next. Start, reflect, re-adjust, repeat. Make it a priority to sit down, to look at what you have been doing, what has worked, to get feedback, suggestions, etc. Meetings that make it to the schedule and that we do
not skip out on. Meetings that include management, the staff that are working alongside you toward the bigger picture. These meetings should be ‘solution stations’ where we experience creation as a team. Good teams bring concerns to the table, reflect on the not-so-good stuff, plan to create better outcomes and hold one another accountable.
How can we improve the quality and performance of our staff? What do we need during this specific season of the business? In this industry, change does not mean unqualified or unsure, it means you are fully present. Balance looks like ebbing and flowing with what your facility needs. The catch? Everyone’s balance is different. The solution? Finding and building a community of those that want to see one another succeed. Sharing ideas, suggestions, ways that we can move the needle of the industry in the right direction. Through employee training, policy and procedure and creating a space for growth and learning together. Cheers to being a forever student and belonging to a community of people who want to be better, do better, in the name of dogs. Forever changing and forever wanting you to succeed,
Pack Pro
I loved reading this, it really motivated me for a day of training with managers and team members! Great read!