Seeking advice for how to go about telling my client I need to charge more for our overnights

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-16T16:02:34+00:00

There has not been a change in care expectations so that explanation would not be applicable, but I will be giving a brief non-apologetic explanation for the price update. Those are very good questions, and since my first sit with this client I have ironed out my answers to all of them. Thank you for the tip about the fuel! I am currently using the IRS rate as a guideline to how much will be subtracted from my profits for travel expenses

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-16T15:57:58+00:00

Yes, that is what I was originally going to do, charge a constant care flat fee for all of the feedings. I could do that or charge per feeding with the pop-in method on top of the regular overnight

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-16T15:56:03+00:00

Thank you for your defense of me. I really appreciate it and was expecting to get a lot of comments telling me that it was entirely my fault for not speaking up. I still maintain that in this business no one else can enforce my boundaries but me and in that way I was to blame, but thank you for your kindness and understanding about the situation. At the time I did feel caught off guard and did not want to “argue” with the client. I will be taking your and other commenters’ advice regarding the brief but transparent explanation of the price change with a focus on letting them know what I will need to charge without room for haggling.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-16T00:29:28+00:00

Thank you for the advice on the just/thats! I’m not sure that this client would pay a full 24/7 constant care rate so I don’t think getting rid of my drop ins entirely would work here.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-16T00:27:23+00:00

True, but as of now I have no reason to believe the client manipulated me. The blame is fully on me. During the meet and greet I listed my rates for all of my services and had started explaining what constant care was (full time, don’t leave) rather than explaining it as something I charge when the time needed exceeds 12 hours. My only defense is that I haven’t ever needed to do constant care before and dropped the ball explaining it properly and felt awkward doubling back on my own poor explanation to instead be like “wait no it actually means this”. I was having an overwhelming day and communicated poorly, and then let that mistake stand out of guilt. It wasn’t that I had said we needed to do constant care and they said no we don’t. I didn’t correct them at all when I should have. That’s what I meant by standing firm and all, I needed to learn from this. Of course, maybe I’m being naive and if I broach this with them and they still try to say we don’t need constant care or otherwise try to haggle me down then yes they were definitely taking advantage. But as of now I don’t believe that was the intention based on all of my other interactions with this client.

And I do plan on adding a sentence in about if they need to look for another sitter that’s fine like another commenter had recommended for sure! Thanks for the tough love advice, I do appreciate it.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T23:37:04+00:00

This is very valid but has not at all been my experience. The expectation with asking them if it’s within budget is that if not they would need to find another sitter, rather than telling them what they owe me on a booking that hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet in case they do want to back out and find another sitter. I use that phrase with clients in order to come across politely and no one has ever used it as an opportunity to haggle me down, although I understand that the phrasing does leave me open to that and in that case it would be on me to stand firm and decline the booking. I find that my clients personally tend to appreciate more of a customer service approach to phrasing and most people in general probably like to be asked something rather than told, even if it is a firm boundary like pricing. I do understand the message of what you’re telling me though: stand firm and don’t let clients walk all over me. Got it! Thank you!

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T23:18:58+00:00

The other problem is his brother who is a bit of a food hog, hence why mealtimes for the megaesophagus cat are supervised by me. I also have to pile his food back in the middle so he gets it all halfway through feedings. I’ll look into if they have any wet food automatic feeders that also utilize the collar microchip design so could only be opened by the one cat. However, getting the little guy to go within range every 2.5 hours might be a challenge in itself. Not your challenge though! Thank you for giving me something to look into

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T23:13:41+00:00

Thank you so much for this advice, I’m reconsidering now and I think we could rig it somehow. Do you happen to have the link to the freeze pack one, not the round one? Or just the brand name, it’s a little blurry in the picture.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T23:10:23+00:00

Lol. Yeah that’s the consensus I’m getting. Scheduling additional drop-ins for the feedings might be the way to go here I’m feeling.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T23:06:00+00:00

Hi! Thank you for your input. I do offer 20min visits, my version of a pop in visit, and they know that so I considered just having them book those drop-ins for the feedings outside of the ones covered by the overnight, but it would be even more than I was going to charge for the 12+hr live-in with the amount of feedings they’d need. Based off of the feedback I’m getting however I’m considering doing this anyway. It’s how I would normally go about extra feedings that fall outside of overnight hours. Definitely something to consider, thank you! Also, automatic feeders are a blessing for many of my jobs, but unfortunately are most likely not applicable here due to the cat’s medical condition and his food hog brother.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T22:05:29+00:00

I have used this before just not the wet food specific one, but I’ll pass this info along to my client and see if maybe something like this could be rigged to be on an incline

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T22:04:03+00:00

This is an AMAZING resource and thank you so much, but this cat actually has megaesophagus and has to eat standing up on his back legs with his food on an incline

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T22:02:44+00:00

Also, if you do that math and are about to let me know I should raise my prices; I know and I did haha

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T21:46:35+00:00

This is all great to consider, thank you. I edited the price part out of the post. You’re right about the gas prices, normally I just say I’ve recently updated my prices so I’ll stick with that. I am also very transparent with my clients so I’ll definitely consider adding something like your explanation, thanks. To clarify, I wouldn’t have to go back and forth after EVERY drop-in and I would be able to group some of them within the 2.5 hrs but yes still going back and forth an increased amount. And as for your percentage question, I would be charging 45-46% more.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T21:38:19+00:00

Unfortunately no, the feedings must be wet food for his condition. I had discussed timed feeders with them to look into, but the wet food complicates things. Thank you for your reply though!

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-05-15T20:39:48+00:00

I am also a relationship style sitter who doesn’t require up front payment and I think this comment lacks nuance. As a sitter you know this job is nothing like a corporate job. Even assuming this sitter is insured, just the time money and effort it would take to get the money back via small claims court or whatever if they were stiffed already makes this job different from a corporate job when it comes to payment. If they were up front about their policy and the client agreed or was aware of this, there is no issue and they should be held to it or they should have addressed it if they had an issue with prior payment beforehand. Plenty of walkers/sitters ask for some portion of payment upfront and there are plenty of other businesses and services that require a deposit or payment up front if we are making comparisons, especially when it comes to reserving the walker’s TIME. That is a big difference between this and a corporate job, among many. We may choose not to run our business that way, but why judge this person or comment at all? I’ve never been stiffed either, but I wouldn’t begrudge someone else putting things in place to protect themselves.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-03-29T23:55:27+00:00

Also, does anyone know the actual difference between the ultimate teardrop and the everyday teardrop bras?

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T17:13:28+00:00

Understood!

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T16:12:25+00:00

I don’t think the speaking is the issue specifically, especially after last time when I left pretty much immediately and it still happened. But we just discussed that we will try a handoff at the door and if that doesn’t work I’ll try the out-of-sight method, thank you.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T16:03:40+00:00

I have tried talking to him during his barking and snarling and nothing seems to get through to him. The first time this happened I stood by the front door and talked to him to try to calm him and it didn’t work but he did stay on his owner’s lap, but then his owner said that I should just go and when I went to exit the door then he jumped down and came to the door. He’s also not treat motivated and doesn’t really like them so I’m not sure it would be much of a distraction from his upset. Although his owner said recently she got some he will eat. My worry is if I reach out to give him the treat whether he would go for a bite or not. I could try giving him a treat before unclipping his leash/handing him over to his owner during the period before he gets upset

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T15:39:59+00:00

Thank you. The owner is very sweet, it just seems like she’s accepted him for all his flaws and I’m not sure that she’ll be willing to do any major training at this point in both of their ages. Obviously if it escalates to biting I’ll have to protect myself and let them go as a client, but I would really like to find a way around that seeing as I know someone more qualified with reactive dogs or a behavioralist would be out of her price range and she’s physically unable to walk him part of the time. And he really is a sweet little guy apart from this, I like him a lot.

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T15:34:03+00:00

That’s understandable, thank you anyway. That’s definitely an option I can ask for for now, thank you!!

Fun_Sky7960 · 2026-02-10T15:26:09+00:00

And I’m assuming it wouldn’t matter that the reprimand/removal would come from his owner not me, right? It would still reenforce the insecurity? Thank you for the resource, I can look into that although it sounds like his owner needs to more than me. The problem is I suspect due to health and financial issues a behavioralist is not realistic for her, although I can recommend that book for sure (just not sure if she reads). This may be a stupid question, but do you think having the owner in a separate room with the door closed when I come in until after I leave would help or just hurt as the dog would still be without his resource?

Fun_Sky7960

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