We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alysha Riel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alysha below.

Alysha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

Being in the business of pets, unfortunately their passing is inevitable sooner or later. It can be an incredibly sensitive time in our business. Truly from start to finish I care about your pets. But the ‘care’ doesn’t stop once your pet has passed on. One of things we’re complimented on is just how *much* we care. Clients tend to remember two things; the first time you met and the last interaction. That’s why it’s important to set a good impression on both ends. When a beloved pet passes on it’s more important than ever. Any pet lover can tell you that’s the hardest part of pet ownership.

Sometimes a pet passes and the client notifies us right away, sometimes later and sometimes never, Sometimes it’s slow and predictable, while other times it’s sudden and shocking. When a client feels compelled to inform us of their pet’s passing I always give them our condolences. This may involve a direct phone call, or a message they can read at a time when they feel comfortable. We have some pets that mean everything to our staff, and I like to let those clients know exactly how much their pet was loved. I’ve been in that seat and knowing how many hearts your pet touched is a very powerful feeling while grieving. The next thing I do is either send flowers or an ornate engraved photo frame with their pets name on it. I always ensure the flowers are pet friendly. So many clients contact us years later, just to tell us what this meant to them in that moment. The thought to remember them is important in an industry that focuses on being caring and trustworthy.

Alysha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Alysha Riel, small business owner of Preferred Pet Sitter LLC. We provided dog sitting, cat sitting, dog walking and general pet sitting to animals in the southwest suburbs of Prior Lake & Savage Minnesota. I started becoming a pet sitter while working in the local Veterinary field.

We focus on above average professional pet care for pampered pets in our area. My veterinary training supports many of our dogs and cats with special medical needs like diabetes, heart issues and neurological disorders. I’m also a dog trainer in my personal life, competing with my own dogs at a national level. Two of the dogs I own are National Dock Diving Champions, as well as Flyball and BarnHunt Champions. This allows us to work with pets with behavioral needs that may be more challenging. I also serve on the Savage Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors which brings a value to my reputation locally.

We work as a team to cover your pets needs and schedules. Our dog walkers and pet sitters are fully staffed with the most caring and enthusiast pet lovers available! All staff members are background checked, pet first aid and CPR certified as well as confidential. Since opening 13 years ago in 2010, we have served over 600 clients in the Prior Lake, Savage, Shakopee, Burnsville and Credit River cities and boast all 5 star reviews. Our clients love us, and many are relieved to know ‘We’ve got your tail covered’!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Covid. Obviously that was a challenging time for everyone. But for the pet care industry it was an uphill battle. No one was travelling, and therefore needed no dog or cat sitters. Everyone worked from home, and no dog walkers were necessary. We spent riding the waves of covid focusing on our first responder clients and dog walking. Ensuring their pets had the best care while they were at work was absolutely a feel good thing. To know it was one less thing they had to worry about was powerful.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Commitment. When you say you’ll be somewhere, be there. When you say you’ll do something, do it. Never make a promise you can’t keep in business. People learn fast if you’re flaky. Particular with pets and pet care. If you fail to email someone today, what’s the likelihood you’ll show up to care for their cat tomorrow? It may seem like a stretch, but it’s really not. I believe in patterns of behavior, they are great indications of reliability. The same goes for hiring. I hire staff that are 100% solid on this point, if they come up short even once it’s a pass. There’s no room to waiver. Past behavior predicts future performance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mypreferredpetsitter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preferredpetsitter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preferredpetsitter
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysha-riel-cvt-ccmt-carm-ccktp-03490b48/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwMy5aQ9R8&t=2s
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/preferred-pet-sitter-savage?osq=preferred+pet+sitter