Cannot justify dog walker's price increase

[Dogwalkissue]

Our dog walker currently charges £15 an hour walk. She has just sent a message to say her prices are going up to £20 an hour.

She said that she has researched other dog walker's prices and says they all charge a minimum of £20 and many £25. I do struggle to believe this as I did a quick local search and the most expensive I could find was £17. We are in a town in Suffolk.

Anyway, I honestly can't justify anything else going up in price. She currently walks my dog twice a week. I work full time and on the days I am in the office, she walks my dog, so twice a week meaning my weekly dog walking will go from £30 a week to £40 a week. With the cost of shopping, fuel, heating etc etc I just can't have something else going up - my own salary doesn't ever go up by £5 an hour.

I like the dog walker and feel really awkward to cancel the dog walks but I need to now as it has priced me out of the market. On the days I am in the office, I'll pop back at lunch time to walk the dog now.

What should I say to her? Be honest that I am nown prices out the market?!

You could say that you can't afford a price rise but would she consider keeping you on at £15 for 45 minutes instead. If that would suit you.

No need to feel awkward. If her services are not worth £20 to you then terminate the contract.

It's a risk she is running by putting her prices up, but don't forget she might be quite happy to lose £15 clients. It's just business and market forces.

And you’ve decided to respond despite non existent reading comprehension skills.

Tell her no thanks. I don't think you'll need to disrupt your office days, you know there are others providing the service you need at a price you're happy to pay.

On this basis I’d deffo cancel and I think it’s fair to say along the lines of:

”Hi, thank you for letting me know. Unfortunately this is now out of my price range for regular walks so I will have to cancel my twice weekly bookings going forwards. I will certainly be in touch on an ad hoc basis where needed to see if you have any availability as we have always appreciated your service and our dog loves you! All the best”

I pay £15 a day for two dogs 30 min lunchtime walk / visit so the price doesn’t seem unreasonable but I also would be shocked at the steep increase she’s asking for. Would dog be happy with a lunchtime walk round the block with you and then a longer one in the evening?

Wow. Those prices amaze me. Mine goes to a doggy day care one day a week. They run them in packs and are entertained all day - indoor play, wet play, agility.

I drop him off at 7.30am and pick him up at 5.30pm. He goes once a week and is exhausted when he comes back. He hardly moves the next day. It costs me £40 per session!

Do you have anything like that around you?

Peak Mumsnet 🤣🤣🤣

My dog is walked every single day and is spoilt rotten after a really awful start in life as a racing greyhound. I am in the office for 2 days a week (9-4pm) and I pay the dog walker to walk her on those days. But this is a luxury when the office is only 10 mins away and I could come home to walk her. It was a luxury I was willing to pay for but now it just feels too much.

And you have decided to be a twat

If she is putting up prices she's effectively looking to 'renegotiate the contract' (even if there isn't an actual contract) so it's perfectly ok for you to walk away if you don't agree. No need to feel bad about it

Sack her off tell her it’s too expensive

We pay £13 an hour for a solo walk in the North West but that is very cheap. We used to pay £18 and even that was cheap. £20 per hour for a solo walk would be reasonable here I think. Slightly cheaper for a group walk. For £20 I would expect a "proper" dog walker though - insurance, references, proper protocols in place.

if there are cheaper ones in your area, then change to one of them

Thanks everyone. I keep meaning to say, she walks her 2 dogs when she walks my greyhound. So does that count as a group walk?!

Just cancel , it’s a bit off putting the prices up twice in a year even if the original price rise was small , not very businesslike.

Don’t be ridiculous that isn’t the OP’s idea at all .

It definitely counts as a group walk, as she's not giving you the option to choose a 1-1 service. Charging £20 when she has 3 dogs is expensive, and I think most of her customers will look elsewhere.

Slightly off grid but can I just say how lovely your dog has a loving home, after, as you say, a bad start as a racing greyhound. From a hard, cruel life to domestic bliss. Wonderful!

The amount of money people are willing to spend on dogwalkers always blows my mind.

Stick a poster through some local doors within 5 minutes of home saying you're looking for a dogwalker, £10 an hour cash, must be an animal lover and responsible. You'll probably have a student or retiree or similar biting your hand off.

Yeah yeah, not insured bla bla. Unless your dog is specifically difficult to handle or some other extreme circumstance, the ability to walk a dog is a low bar...it doesn't need special skills.

but you have multiple children (presumably) the dog walker may be walking solo
btw I stopped childminding 9 years ago charged £4 an hour or £30 for day

I think you should cancel the walk and save £40 a week. Your dog will be happy with half hour walk on your lunch break, it’s only 2 days.
I have to leave my dogs a couple of days a week and they sleep most of the time.

I’d give notice and find another walker

She’s having a laugh then @Dogwalkissue . Taking her two out anyway, and making money for having your dog along, I don’t have dogs as pets, I have cats. The dogs I walk are lovely, but are my business. I pay insurance to walk them, covers vets and injuries. Bet she doesn’t have that. Greyhounds are lovely, very affectionate and friendly. Older ones are docile, and certainly don’t need as much exercise as younger ones. Used to walk an ex racing one who was retired from the track. Lovely boy,

That is a big jump and seems to be based on greed rather than her costs going up etc. Interesting that your research on costs doesn't match hers!
Funnily enough, I live in Suffolk and my dog walker only charges £14 (group walk) for a nominal hours walk. (A very generous hour usually) He's really flexible if days/times need adjusting.

Walk your own dog?

The price is the price OP.. take it or leave it.