Home sweet home.

[imported_Cassie]

Well, I have been considering buying the boarding kennel I work at. My boss has decided its time to retire and move out in the country. I moved into her home for a couple of weeks while she went away on vacaton and took over all aspects of the business. I realized its not for me, while staying there (and uprooting all of my poor dogs to live at her home) I found that kennel work is NEVER done. I'd close up the kennel at 6:00 pm and go have supper...then since I was there I thought that I might get ahead on some work so I wouldn't have such a big day the following day...then I let the dogs out at 9:00pm for about an hour before bed...then I would lay in bed worrying about them...and found myself going down to check on them...I of course did not neglect my own dogs and found I was taking all of my dogs plus the owners dogs out in the evening for walks. I then woke up at 5:00am went down let all the dogs out in the boarding kennel so there would be no mistakes for the day...completely clean throughout...normal kennel work, groom a few dogs etc. etc. The worst was that I lost my social life for those few weeks...living there and working there are completely different things...working there I just closed up, knew the owner would be there in the evening and throughout the night, go home take my kids out and have my normal life...but, living there...it seemed the work was never done. Customers made unreasonable demands on me...and I can't say no :oops: I'm quite a push over, so I had people asking if they could drop off pick up dogs at their convenience...I had one guy say he was going to be a little late (we close at 6:00 pm) he finally showed up at 10:00pm that night :roll: I was talking to a friend of mine in the area who owns a boarding kennel as well (we are all a close knit bunch :wink: ) and she said that her customers were taking such advantage of her due to her living on premises that she started locking her home when she locked the kennel...she had one customer come right into her home without knocking to drop off a dog for boarding, she was having a nice romantic evening with her spouse :roll: once she started locking her home up (while she was home) she had a few people tie their dogs to the door knob of the boarding kennel! many people in my area who have the boarding kennels wish they had just opened up a dog grooming shop instead...when your open 7 days a week people really take advantage of you...especially if they know your a spine less push over like me :lol:
I can certainly understand why my boss wants to retire at 55 years of age :wink: It has been an experience and has made me realize I don't mind working there...but, I don't want to buy it...too busy for me with pop in's etc.
I'm glad the owner asked me to stay there for the few weeks she was gone so I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life...whew... :wink:

[Guest Anonymous]

WEll sorry that it didn't work out the way you wanted it to, but in the end it looks like you made the right choice ;) sounds likea real tiring and demanding job, and one needs a social life, or we'd all go insane :)

[marion]

Wow, sounds too much hard work for a lazy sod like me. :D

Lucky you could try before buying. :D

[mouseatthebusstop]

while the owner was away you did all the work by yourself- When the owner is there you are there to help maybe it's not as bad as you think,
The man who arrived at 10pm should have been charged an extra day

[courtnek]

the man who arrived at 10:00 p.m. should have been SMACKED upside the head AND charged an extra day...people can be SOOOO rude.....

If you're not the sort to be LOUD in return (ask myself and HF about that, we'll gladly give you pointers... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: )
then it's not the sort of life for you. You really gotta stand down on rude and obnoxious people in this arena.. they will take advantage of you if they think they can get away with it....

Glad you found out before you bought!!

:o :o

[Horsefeathers!]

many people in my area who have the boarding kennels wish they had just opened up a dog grooming shop instead...

From what I hear on the grooming forums, it isn't much better. I hear all the time that people will often show up late at night, or on Sundays and basically demand to have their dogs groomed since "you're home, anyway!" Also, from what I hear, people dicker with you much more when you work from home. They think they shouldn't have to pay much since you're working from home. Au contraire, my prices will probably go UP if I move my business here as the cost of living in the town I reside in is higher than where I currently work.

I'm considering moving my grooming business from the vet clinic where I lease space and into my home for various reasons. This is the very thing that worries me because I am such an incredibly private person at home and have very little company as it is. The idea of people trampling in and out all day bugs me to begin with. Still, I'm pretty good at being assertive and I've fired pain in the butt clients before, so I guess I'll just have to make the rules and keep them. The first time ever someone shows up at my door at 10 pm will be the last time I ever groom that dog unless it's a REALLY good established client with out of the ordinary circumstances. I'm not much of a pushover and am not afraid for people to think I'm a real butthole. Whatever it takes to maintain whatever little sanity I have left.

Cassie, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, but at least you didn't get committed to it before you found out it wasn't your cup of tea. :)

[marion]

I work from home and people are so rude. :evil: They bring parcels to my house on a Sunday, :x they call for me to pick returns up at all hours of the day and night. The latest was 12 midnight :o and I was in dreamland. Then you get some who'll call before they go to work at 6am. :o Then they'll ring and say "you've been today, well I'm in now if you want to come back". :roll: They think you're at their beck and call 24 hours a day. :x :x :x

[imported_Cassie]

From what I hear on the grooming forums, it isn't much better. I hear all the time that people will often show up late at night, or on Sundays and basically demand to have their dogs groomed since "you're home, anyway!"

HF, your right...I was just discussing this with my boss at the grooming shop yesterday afternoon (after I posted this :wink: ) she had her grooming shop in her home for a little while and she did get fed up...she didn't have the personality either to be more confident and turn people away on a sunday or an evening...people would stop in to have their dog groomed after hours disturbing her...she would say.."well, I really can't do this at this time...blah blah..." when you sound unsure of your self etc. then people will take advantage of that. If you have the right kind of personality and don't rely on "new" clients (have your regular's) then you can "train" your customers. My boss set up under a Vet clinic (like you did) and if some one is late...say perhaps over an hour after closing time to pick up the dog...the dog goes up stairs to the Vet clinic to be boarded...the customer then has to pay for boarding and the groom. This smartens them up pretty quick...and it has actually happened a few times. One lady left her Golden with us at 7am and was supposed to pick up at the end of the day (we usually have set appointments and times to pick up so we don't have alot of dogs in the shop, but, this was an exception) any way the lady was running late called my boss and said she was going to have her husband pick the dog up after he got off work. 2 hours after closing time...no husband came to pick up the dog. My boss finally got fed up and took the dog upstairs to the vet clinic before they closed and left it for the night. The husband went for a few beers after work, forgot about the dog...and the wife had been out of town for the day and was unable to make it back that night. If my boss had waited she would have been there all night :lol: so, you can even have problems when you are not working at home as well.
HF, I think you will do fine setting up in your home. You mentioned before you have your clientel already established...and trained :wink: you also don't sound as if you would put up with any thing. If the customer is late picking up the dog...well, sorry my shop closes at 6pm...you'll have to pick up tomarrow and there will be a overnight boarding charge.

marion, oh my...it must be so rough on you to have people taking advantage such as they are. You may need Courtnek and HF to set up boot camp for your clientel and teach them manners :wink: :lol:

I am glad I had this experience to wake me up and realize that owning a boarding kennel is not all it seems. You don't just simply lock up at the end of the day and think the day is over...the dogs in your care still require potty times before bed...you always have a few which are hell to get back inside their kennel ( I have a few Shepherds I have to actually out smart each night to get back inside...they are sneaky and Im sure they sit and discuss ways to out smart me during the day) if I have a dog which is hard to get back inside I usually will throw down a treat to bait the dog back inside...take the rope which holds the door open...stand back so the dog can't see me and once they think I'm gone, they will slowly come in to get the treat...I then drop the door to the outside so the dog is now locked inside. Some of the dogs which are wise to my ways will either...not fall for the treat trick, or they will lay down outside...and then stretch out their front paws and reach for the treat while keeping part of their body outside...some of them amaze me :o I then have to physically go get the dog and bring it back inside...this involves walking completely around the kennel, unlocking the outside gate to the dogs individual runs, unlocking the dogs own personal out door run...catching the dog then bringing it inside....this takes longer than most would think :lol: not that I'm lazy, but, its a pain in the butt.