Question 1

Are you an insured business and do you guarantee your work?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We always carry current full Public Liability Insurance and National Police Certificates not more than 12 months old which we bring to the free "Meet & Greet" for the client to view for their peace of mind and satisfaction.  We are more than happy to guarantee our work.

Question 2

How did you decide to get into your line of work?

Accepted Answer

It began in 2005 with the idea of doing housesits and farmsits where we would care for families' domestic and farm animals in return for free accommodation. In 2010 Carol decided to retire from office management in the health field and look for a position completely different (preferably outside of an office environment). Being a lover of animals and nature she quickly fell into an advertised position for a sub-contractor for a local pet sitting agency. She loved this, but sadly, the role only lasted 12 months when the owner decided to close her business down. She then went on to sub-contract for another pet sitting agency who passed work to younger employees for lesser commission. It was at this point in June 2012, Carol decided to commence her own business and have full control of every aspect of it. With her background in health management this was an exciting time and still is to this day!

Question 3

Do you have a favourite customer story you would like to share?

Accepted Answer

One of my clients told me when I went to the free "Meet & Greet" that their H-U-G-E English Mastiff had once broken free of his lead and dived into a Gold Coast canal.  The canal system was very large.  The mastiff loves to swim and would not come back when called by his master.  The master had to strip down to his underwear and dive into the canal and swim after him!!  Apparently the mastiff finally came out of the water and landed in the backyard of an elderly lady who lived on her own on the edge of the waterfront.  You can imagine her shock and surprise when close behind came the master in his red underwear ... she was horrified and ran inside her house screaming and locking the door behind her, lol!!

Question 4

What do you like most about your job?

Accepted Answer

We love dealing with both our clients and their furry family members (or otherwise).  We particularly like building a rapport with our clients' pets and gain the greatest satisfaction when we can win over an anxious or untrusting moggy or doggy through "whispering" techniques.  To gain an animal's trust is super important .... to bring them joy and happiness EVERYTHING!

Question 5

What questions should a customer ask to hire the right service professional?

Accepted Answer

* Can you provide evidence of full Public Liability Insurance? * Can you provide evidence of a National Police Certificate not more than 12 months old? * Can you provide evidence of business registration and ABN? * Do you hire sub-contractors (as these often do NOT follow the instructions given to them as they have no loyalty to the client, unlike a business owner/operator who does the job themselves and relies heavily on client satisfaction to maintain and build their business) * What age are you and how long have you been in this business ... to ensure the person servicing their request has a few years experience under the belt and the maturity to cope with things that can go wrong (like fire alarms going off in the owner's absence, pool filters playing up, etc) * Do you own your own vehicle (to establish it is not a teenager relying on mum to get them to and from jobs). * Can you provide verifiable references/testimonies?

Question 6

What questions do customers commonly ask and how would you answer them?

Accepted Answer

How long have you been doing this?  I tell them we started out doing private housesits and farmsits in return for free accommodation back in 2005 in both Qld and interstate.  Graeme was already semi-retired at this point but Carol retired from office management in the health field in 2010 and pursued a career in pet minding, starting out as a sub-contractor to a couple of local pet sitting agencies, but then going on to build and commence her own business in June 2012.

Question 7

What makes you the most reliable and trustworthy person for the job?

Accepted Answer

Our maturity in years, our fitness level, our knowledge from years in management roles in the workforce and business ownership, our transparent track record through "Word of Mouth" referrals/testimonials. To view the most current 5 star reviews please feel free to pop onto our Facebook business page "Carol's Contented Critters" at https://www.facebook.com/CarolsContentedCritters.

Question 8

Why should a customer hire you over another service provider?

Accepted Answer

We are a semi-retired husband and wife team who do not hire sub-contractors, so we bring a calm, reliable, flexible maturity to the board. The people you speak to on the phone will be the people who do the pet sit or dog walk for you. Our prices are one of the most competitive for pet sitting by professional businesses on the Gold Coast. We offer full Public Liability Insurance, National Police Certificates not more than 12 months old, proof of Business Registration with ASIC and ABN number. More importantly, we believe it's not enough to just "love animals", we believe you must have a proven, trustworthy track record backed by a number of excellent testimonials from satisfied clients who are more than happy to offer repeat business. We work in closely with a local vet and pet shops should we have any concerns. We go the extra mile and it shows.

Question 9

What are the typical things that you need to know before you can provide a quote to a customer?

Accepted Answer

* Their location * Number of pets * What type of pets * Are daily dog walks required - if so, for how long and can their dog go leash-free? * Are medications required to be given (topical, oral or injected) * Are there any behavioral issues * Any other special requirements by the client * If doing visits to their home, are they able to provide a house key at the free "Meet & Greet"

Question 10

How can a customer save money before you start the work? Please give 3 tips

Accepted Answer

Customers can save money by: 1) if booking visits to their homes, having a house key ready when we offer our free "Meet & Greet". This saves key pick-up and drop-off fees. 2) ensuring they leave enough food, litter and any other necessary supplies for our visits. If they run out and we have to go to the shops to purchase more, they will be charged additional fees on a pro-rata basis for our time. 3) ensuring their pets are wearing full identification and are microchipped, and their fencing is adequate to retain their pet. The client could encounter additional fees on a pro-rata basis if we are asked to go search for an escaped pet.

Question 11

Are there any special offers you would like to offer to Oneflare customers?

Accepted Answer

For all new clients accessing our service we would like to offer $20 off the invoiced price for visits to clients' homes (provided 3 days or more are booked).

Question 12

What makes your pricing competitive?

Accepted Answer

Being debt-free, and owing our own home, we are able to keep our prices low.  This means we can pass the savings on to you, our valued client.  We do what we do because we love doing it, not because it's a means to pay the bills.

Question 13

How do you normally charge for your service?

Accepted Answer

Our charges are based on the amount of time it takes to do a service. A full listing of our services and rates can be found on our website at "https://www.contentedcritters.com.au" or at our Facebook Page “https://www.facebook.com/CarolsContentedCritters", and contact can be made via these sites also.

Question 14

Is there a particular aspect of your trade or industry that you specialise in?

Accepted Answer

Not really ... we are a well rounded business that is happy to offer once or twice daily visits to your domestic pets in their own home, overnight stays in your home, and dog walks. We thoroughly enjoy the variety so our role never becomes boring ... we are forever learning and truly enjoy this aspect of our positions.

Question 15

What experience, skills, qualifications or training do you have to make you the right person for the job?

Accepted Answer

We are Graeme and Carol Pieremont, a happily married, semi-retired couple. Graeme has been actively involved as a Duty Volunteer at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary since 2002. Carol has chosen to work specifically as a pet carer in the pet minding industry since her retirement from office management in the health industry back in 2010. Carol has a Cert IV in Practice Management (Health), a Cert III in Community Services (Assistant-in-Nursing) and a Cert III in Business Administration (Health) along with a good understanding of medical terminology. We both immensely enjoy interaction with people and our animal friends and gain much joy in providing excellent outcomes for both. Carol has grown up in a family where the opportunity was given to own a variety of "critters". Carol would also regularly go horse riding, when the opportunity arose, and still does to this day. Our pet sitting roles have seen us caring for horses, goats, alpacas, geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, reptiles, parrots, mice, rats, axolotyls and salt & fresh water fish but these days we mostly care for domestic pets.

Carol's Contented Critters

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