…to think it’s a bit tight & embarrassing to haggle on some things?

[NellesVilla]

Hello all,

I was due to cat and dog sit over Xmas for about 3 x weeks. It had been booked since last Xmas. I’ve worked for the for years and already offer them a mates’ rate discount- relevant.I was also their nanny several years’ ago whilst at uni.

Last night the family called me to ask for another discount just over 2 weeks’ before the start date, plus asking if I’d contribute to bills for my ‘stay’. Not that it matters but they are loaded, are flying to the states to a v expensive Christmassy city, and will be spending shitloads- they do every year.

So they want a discount on the already crazily reduced bargain rate I give them; money that I need and forms part of my meagre current income. Additionally, they’d like something towards bills- when they have asked me to care for their home and cherished pets.

Wtaf? Is this normal? Do I tell them to take a long walk off a short pier or what?! Please vipers; I need to grow a pair as I find this type of thing- money-orientated issue- challenging at the best of times!!

Maybe they want you to cancel as sucker neighbour will do it for less/nothing.

Hello Rich CFs
Re your phone call, and your request for a further discount to my standard rates and a substantial contribution towards your utility costs.

Such a reduction in my total fees makes it economically unviable for me to proceed, so I have no option but to cancel the job, as it upsets me that you so undervalue my services.

OP you seem worried about what they will say. I get that might make you want to do their bidding, but please don’t. You cannot make them like you, they are bullies here. Stand up, and tell yourself you are right, they are wrong.

Tell them though, DO NOT ghost them.

@NellesVilla you need to increase your prices!

I currently have cats and rodents.

I'm going away next week for 4 days will be paying £100 for visits twice daily, around £30mins each.

They charge £12 per visit, so £24 per day for 4 days, £96, and I just round up to £100, plus a small gift on my return.

I would absolutely LOVE somebody to be with the pets full time when I'm away. Looked into once a while ago and the price was extortionate.

£150 is too cheap.

PS - where are you based and would you like a new client?

Let us know their response!

£15 a day? And they want you to pay towards bills? That is not only embarrassing, it's disgusting that they think your time is worth that little.

My mum's friend dogsits for her (mates rates) and my mum happily pays £25 a day. She also returns favour for them with some free babysitting.
Pleased you are going to stand your ground. Wouldn't give a second thought about what she says to others, if she they are in anyway reasonable people themselves, they should tell her she was being incredibly cheap and taking advantage of you.

Op I know it was late last night, but don’t make them chase, this is your business. Contact them today (ideally not on the phone) and say you have reflected on their request to lower your rates as they have found someone else prepared to do it for less and you can’t lower your prices further and so have cancelled the booking. You hope they have a lovely holiday and to contact you if they need animal care again, if you can’t do it yourself you can recommend other businesses who offer animal care. (Only send details of people vastly more than you are charging)

Oh and for comparison- I pay £40 per 24 hours care for my dog in someone else’s home, friend paid £90 per night for someone to house sit. South east England, not in London.

Things like this really annoy me. They are not just paying for the time you are there but their trust in you and your experience. They also value their pets enough to pay your rate.

My hairdresser is very experienced so she costs more. I'm not just paying for her to color and style my hair. I'm paying for the years of experience she has and I know she won't unintentionally make it a mistake.

You agree to a rate and that's it. It's very unbecoming to grub around like this.

Surely their rich friends would be embarrassed to know what cheapskates they are and that they renege on done deals!

Hold on, so right now they only pay you £15 per day? And they are quibbling about that and asking you to pay towards bills too? Bloody hell they’ll be charging you to look after their bloody dog soon at this rate! 🤣

You seem worried that she could dis you to her friends and lose you potential clients.

Reply by email/text but be calm and measured (in case she shows the message to anyone else!) Remember to state the original rate was an already discounted £15 per day and yet she wanted yet more discount and payment towards utilities, as if she does show the message around then it will make her look like a total miser!

I recently house sat our sons Siamese cats ( my grandkittens) for 5 days and when I jokingly texted him the next day to say we needed to discuss payment ( he had bought me presents) he said he had spoken to the cats and they said that they had assessed the level of care provided and I owed them £27.50 per day .

Sounds like the CF holiday family should offer their home for a Xmas homestay holiday with pets for cuddles on AirB&B at £15 a day plus a weekly service charge for bills

Just because someone's charging more than you care to pay doesn't mean they are being "extortionate." That's insulting.

I would back out now. When someone shows you who they are, believe them!

I would send them an email today, so that you have a paper trail.

Dear CF
I was a bit surprised to receive your message, and rather offended. I have already given you a massive discount, and for you to now ask for an additional reduction plus a contribution to household costs is frankly beyond cheeky. You may be aware that the cost of living is rising dramatically, and I run my service as a business not a charity. Very disappointing, considering how long we have known each other.
It appears that you are not prepared to pay anywhere near the going rate for such an individual service, and as such I think it best if we cancel the arrangement. I have not charged you a deposit or cancellation fee so you are not out of pocket, and I’m sure you will find someone else to undertake this service.

If you wish to engage my services in the future I will be happy to provide a price list for you, but unfortunately there would be no further discount rates available.

Enjoy your trip
OP

And get a list typed up! You’ve seen on here what people pay, work out what you think you are worth, and don’t offer mates rates! I would say at least £50 a day to stay in someone’s house. And these CF’s were paying £150 a week…. No way.

Away you go @ZeldaWillTellYourFortune, you don't know the person or the price. But be insulted if you want 🙄

HaHa our cats would be the same , we'd owe them money .
Mine aren't beautiful chatty orientals , they are mini panther DSH who bring mice into the house

My DS said he'd catsit for nought as DD and DS live here and the cats are family .But DC don't refuse the money transferred into their accounts................

If you wish to engage my services in the future I will be happy to provide a price list for you, but unfortunately there would be no further discount rates available

Ah change that to If you want to engage my services in the future you can wait till Hell Freezes Over but worded in a more proffesional manner .

Around our area in the SE, petsitters (staying in client's own home) ranges from £25-45 per 24hrs so your rate of £150/7 days puts you at £21.42 per day so below the lowest rate, but not by much.
What do you usually charge? I wouldn't go below that, tbh, and would only do a discount (but more 10-20% max) for a long time regular, who paid promptly and made you feel welcome/left gifts for you, ie, someone who made you feel especially valued, and not just someone who uses you 1x a year.
For eg, we've used our kennels (don't use pet sitters) 6 times this year for a total of about 9 weeks and on the 2 longer stays of 17-18 days they've knocked a day off of each, without us expecting it at all, which was lovely of them. In fact bc we'd already paid both times we just told them to keep it as a deposit towards the next time we need them.

@Floralnomad love it 😂

I realize I'm overly invested in this thread, but really hoping OP comes back to tell us that she's told them to fuck off.

Me too…. 😂

Cheeky bastards!

In addition to agreeing with the points about you setting a non-negotiable rate, I would suggest taking a non refundable deposit which is common and appropriate in the pet sitting business (although many will allow it to be transferred to a future booking if the booker cannot go away for a good reason).

I can be a haggler, but I would never do that with a small business such as yours. Apart from feeling it wouldn’t be fair, most good pet owners feel lucky when we find a really good, caring, reliable pet sitter and wouldn’t risk causing offence.

OP, I may have missed it, but what have you actually replied with?