Should I offer discounts for dog walks? (when and why you should)

It’s tempting, especially when you’re building a new business, to use discounts to gain customers. Whilst using discounts in specific scenarios is a benefit, we’re going to look at why you shouldn’t offer them automatically for the easy win.

Reasons to offer a discount to dog walking clients

Gaining dog walking clients

This will be the main reason you might be considering offering discounts.

Once you’ve finished the meet and greet the potential client may be reluctant to book with you and very often people are shy about saying that they can’t afford you. (One way to reduce wasted time doing meet and greets is to make sure your prices are listed on your website and social media channels.)

But sometimes people just want to feel as if they’ve got a good deal. Offering a small discount in return for booking right there and then, might just be enough to tip the balance in your favour. Indicate that as you’ve just started up that you’re not going to get a better deal in the future and fix their price for a set time so that they don’t incur any price rises for the foreseeable future.

Extra services discounted for current clients

Another reason to offer discounts would be when you book extra services for that client.

If a dog walking client goes on holiday (taking the dog with them) and they ask you to visit and feed the cat whilst they’re away, discounting this service would come across to the customer as a thank you for being loyal.

Reasons not to offer discounts to dog walking clients

Multi Dog Households

This is the most common discount I see a new dog walking service offering.

When an owner has two (or more) dogs then the walker discounts the second dog for the walk by a staggeringly large amount, usually 50%

The reason I don’t advise doing this is because you only have a set number of walking slots per day to fill, and you’re limited to how many dogs you can take (either by vehicle size, insurance limitations or local council regulations).

If you discount one of those spaces then that discount is permanent, can’t be made up by taking on another walking client for that group walk, and will eat into your profits heavily.

When you pick up two dogs from the same address you’re only really saving a small amount of fuel and time, so if you discount at all it should be closer to 10% not 50.

Multi dog discount example

Let’s say you only have one multi dog household that you discount by 50% for the 2nd dog.

If you do 5 walks a week, and charge £12 per hour per dog, the weekly discount amount is £30

Over the course of a year, that’s a gift of £1,560 you’ve given that client by agreeing to the discount.

Maybe you have 2 multi dog households that you discount for? That’s a loss of £3120 per year.

If I were you, let that client book with someone who offers discounts because you’re not going to give away over £3k a year, are you? Fill those slots with full paying dogs instead.

Booking for 5 days a week

Many walkers will offer a discount for anyone booking 5 days a week.

Pre covid I would have advised not to do this as owners are either at work and need the dog taken out, or they’re not. However, post covid and the rise of working from home has changed my mind somewhat.

If someone works at the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (Known as TWaTs apparently…) then they might be persuaded to book you for the Monday and Friday if there was a discount, rather than taking their own dog out themselves. Suggesting that not only does it save them time but it also gets them out from under their feet and off of the inevitable Friday afternoon zoom meeting.

Undercutting your competitors

Setting your prices to be cheaper than your nearest competitors, or discounting your fees to match or undercut theirs, creates a ‘race to the bottom’. This is where everyone tries to be the cheapest in order to gain business until one of you can’t survive at such a low price and folds. This leaves the ‘winner’ with far too much work at such a low price that they too can’t survive.

Getting clients instead of your competitors relies not on price alone but value.

Value is the thing that you can offer a client and it helps when some of your value is made up from things your competitors don’t offer.

Professional dog walkers offer several additional values beyond the walk itself.

1. Exercise and Physical Stimulation
2. Socialization Opportunities
3. Mental Stimulation
4. Reinforcing Training and Commands
5. Companionship and Emotional Support
6. Regular Routine and Structure
7. Health Monitoring
8. Flexibility and Convenience
9. Peace of Mind: Perhaps most importantly, professional dog walkers provide peace of mind to dog owners. Knowing that their beloved pets are in capable hands, receiving care, attention, and exercise, allows owners to focus on their responsibilities without worrying about their furry companions.

Show your potential clients just how much you can offer them and that your hourly fee is more than worth it.

Sell the sizzle, not the sausage

Help, I can’t say no to people asking for discounts

I get it, I do. It can be difficult to say no. No to discounts, no to weekend walks, no to time changes, no to day changes. When it comes to saying no to discounts I have a little trick for you that might end up making you more money…

Once you’ve set your price for a dog walk, add 10%

So if you’re charging £12, add 10% to make it £13.20

Now if someone asks for a discount, suck air through your teeth like a mechanic looking at a car engine, and offer them a 10% discount.

10% of £13.20 is £1.32.

£13.20 – £1.32 = £11.88

So you’ve gotten almost the hourly rate you wanted, the client feels like they got a good deal and they’ll probably round it up to £12 anyway.

And some people won’t ask for the discount, leaving you with 10% more than you wanted 🙂