What time would you expect my business to close for the day?

[ihavealife1]

I do doggy day care and dog boarding, in my own home. It's just a normal house, mid terraced, so there are neighbours either side (relevant).

I keep getting customers asking if they can collect their dog quite late at night. Like 9.30pm or 10pm. My answer is always that we close at 7pm. This is for a few reasons:

1. When dogs arrive or leave, the bell is rung, there is much excitement and lots of barking - not great for the neighbours, and I also don't want the dogs getting all bouncy at night time, when they should be winding down.

1. I actually would like a life! I want to be able to get in to my PJ's at 7pm, have some dinner, maybe even a glass of wine. I don't want to be sitting around in my dog walking clothes and clock watching. And I go to bed at 10pm, as I am always up at the crack of dawn.

1. When I started out, I did allow late pick ups, and people really stretched their luck, they would say "around 10pm", and then turn up at 11pm or even midnight!

1. Kennels are not open at these hours.

Some people seem genuinely surprised (annoyed?) that I won't accommodate a drop off or collection at "around 10pm" (which could easily turn into 11pm, or beyond). I have also had customers asking if they can drop dogs off as early as 5am! I even had one lady looking for day care every day, with a 5am drop off and 11pm collection, because she couldn't afford full boarding.

I would love others thoughts on this. Surely these requests are cheeky and unreasonable.

It is very regulated- here licences specify a time.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities/dog-day-care-licensing-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities

Just back from our lunch time walk, and have read all of the replies. Thank you! I think mostly, IANBU then!

I do control the barking, for the neighbours sake. Our bell can be unplugged. Also, any customers arriving before 9am text me on arrival. With the last pick up usually at 6.30pm (occasionally 7pm), there is no barking after that. All dogs come for a trial, and any who bark excessively are not taken on. So there is very little barking really. Perhaps an outburst 2 or 3 times a day.

There is no mention of permitted opening times in the licence - it would be handy for me if there was, as I could quote that as a reason why someone cannot rock up at 9pm.

I've had a few people, who I haven't wanted to deal with, due to very erratic and unreasonable requests, or even people bartering over the price. I've even been offered a haircut instead of money. I've had someone ask if they can pay me a month after the care has been provided. Thankfully this is not the norm though! Most people are very good!

7pm is more than reasonable. 10pm (or 11pm!) is very late especially if you get up super early. Ignore, they are being unreasonable

The times you are offering are reasonable.

It’s also not rude that people are looking for a provider that can offer a different schedule to meet their own needs. Not everyone works 9-5.

If it's all in your home, I would say 7pm ish Its not like you do this job in some kind of boarding kennels establishment,and could perhaps work later there.

@lalaloopyhead

I would have expected 6pm, so 7pm seems more than fair.

My friend has a dog in doggy daycare who drop back at her house between 4 and 5pm, so I suppose session finishes at 4pm.

Turning up at 11-12pm is absolutely bonkers - i would have locked up at ten and sent them a message to collect in the morning and that they would be charged for overnight boarding! Cheeky beggers

Yes, just after started the business, I was far too giving. This couple said they would be here at 10pm. I should never have agreed to it! They finally arrived at about 1130pm and chatted until midnight. Never again!!

Had another lady say she would be here at 5pm. She never showed up! I was due to drop my car to the garage, for its MOT the next morning! Her phone was off. She materialised at 7pm. Didn't want to cook dinner until the dog had left. Very frustrating!

Had a dog come for a trial - it woke up for the day at 3am, with a high pitched scream. I had to mention it to the owner of course. Yes, they know - it does that every day. Obviously I can't book her in for 2 weeks then!

The doggy day care I use opens at 8am shuts at 6pm. You are charged a fee for late pick up. I think you are being more than reasonable.

I think, considering the amount of lock down dogs in our area and the stream of people begging for people to take care of their dogs for holidays on Facebook, you can probably afford to be a bit hard nosed about it. Strict cut off times for delivery and collection and anything over that is extra.

It’s never wrong for a customer to ask - there’s clearly a demand. But also not wrong for a self employed person to choose their own hours.

Your hours are quite generous. I would have thought 6 pm to be a reasonable time (similar to nurseries).

You could, if you wanted, charge extra for later pickup times. Or even charge an extra day. But it's also fine to stick to your advertised hours. Your reasons for doing so are perfectly reasonable.

People are not unreasonable to ask. You are not unreasonable to decline. You are, however, unreasonable for being uncomfortable saying "no".
It shouldn't wind you up like this, People ask. You say no. It's all fine. Learn to use that word more. Don't feel bad (or resent others) for having boundaries.

Same as childcare so 8am-6pm

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

7pm is already later than I would expect. So you are nice enough to offer that.

I agree. this is plenty long enough .

If dogs are not collected my this time, door will not be opened and an extra night boarding charge will occur.

Oh, I am sticking to my guns.

6.30pm

@IDontHaveAnOutingHobby my mum stopped offering boarding services at least 5 years ago, quite likely several years before but I was away at university so wasn't involved or aware of what was going on daily. I also wasn't involved in any preparations for getting the license and it proved to be more hassle than it was worth when dog walking was more convenient and provided enough income. Even with the holiday cover it's small animals in their own homes or offering support to someone else caring for the animal by doing daily walks and morning/evening visits. The only animals in her home now are her own.

I also suspect the OP's opening hours and prices are well advertised on any social media and in communications. I do in fact think it is a little rude to ask for something so wildly out of that time frame. Asking for a one off daycare until 7:30 is far different than arranging holiday cover and an 11pm collection. I imagine most people wouldn't ask a hair salon that closes at 5pm to stay open until 8pm for them and I do think home businesses should be treated the same.

@RobotValkyrie

Your hours are quite generous. I would have thought 6 pm to be a reasonable time (similar to nurseries).

You could, if you wanted, charge extra for later pickup times. Or even charge an extra day. But it's also fine to stick to your advertised hours. Your reasons for doing so are perfectly reasonable.

People are not unreasonable to ask. You are not unreasonable to decline. You are, however, unreasonable for being uncomfortable saying "no".
It shouldn't wind you up like this, People ask. You say no. It's all fine. Learn to use that word more. Don't feel bad (or resent others) for having boundaries.

That last bit works both ways though. People need to learn to accept 'no' rather than needing 'no, because...' with a long list of reasons until they hear one acceptable to them. Also saying no always ends up with a million replies 'what about X?' 'no' 'what about Y?' 'no' 'what about Z?' but because customer service you cant just say 'fuck off the Ts&Cs/our opening times are very clear on the website you enquired through' you just have to endure CF shit until they fall asleep, which when its multiplied by being a daily occurrence it's easy to see how it could wind someone up.

I actually had someone say to me the other day, that they would be leaving for the airport at 3am, so should they drop the dog the night before - genuinely had to ask!

It sounds like your target customers are people who work 9-5 out of the home all day; the equivalent of a nursery for children. For these customers, 7pm is a very reasonable closing time.

But you're also getting people who want to use your services ad hoc when they go out for an evening, and need you until night time. The equivalent of a babysitter for children.

So yes, stick to your guns, but I think you need to make your marketing more clear - you're a childminder, not a babysitter - and make sure customers understand you're strictly a nursery, not a childminder, before you agree to work with them.

YANBU. In fact, I'd say you were being generous with 7pm.

Most kennels have an operating window in which to drop off and pick up. If the time doesn't suit you, you have to book an extra day to drop off earlier. I've had to do this with a cat before.

Stick with the opening times that suit you. It's your clients' choice as to whether they use you or not. If they don't, good luck to them finding someone else that will accept late drop offs/pick ups!

Our local dog day care is 8-6

I'd expect 12 hours, something like 7 to 7 like a long day nursery. I think if someone works shifts they maybe need to go elsewhere as you can't work 24/7.

To be honest, irrespective of how you can disconnect your bell, if I was your neighbour and you hadn't gone through the relevant planning approval process, to change the use of your private residence to a business, I'd hate living beside you.

I would want you to find proper kennels and to set up your business and run it from there.

7pm seems very generous. I guess if they are really desperate for later they might be willing to pay a lot for it on a one off basis, but then it might well annoy your neighbours!

They’re taking the piss, I think even 7pm is generous and I’d expect it to be 6.

In my role we use catteries and dog boarding / day care so know lost of the local ones. 6.30pm is the latest I have come across or it's an overnight boarding situ. So 7pm is generous.

Yanbu as it's unreasonable to expect until 10pm! Usually doggie day care is 8-6pm, 10 hour charge for doggie day care. If you wanted to charge extra to do the odd late evening maybe once or twice a week bc it suited you, that would be an extra service but we would expect double the hourly rate from 6pm onwards and a late fee as well for those turning up late (so 2x hourly fee for extra hour to 11pm AND for eg a £15 or £20 charge but you have to put it in your contract, same as for late payers)