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Client Updates During Stay

Staff script and protocol for handling a client's call asking how their dog is doing during a stay.

Purpose

Clients regularly call to check on their dog during a stay. Since the front desk may have limited direct contact with the dogs in the school, the worst thing you can do is answer from a guess. This procedure covers how to get an accurate answer quickly instead.

At a Glance

  • Never "wing it" if you're not personally familiar with how a specific dog is doing.
  • Put the caller on a brief hold and check with a team member who has more direct contact with that dog: health, training progress, eating habits.
  • Respond quickly. A caller who feels they can't get an accurate answer starts losing confidence in the school.
  • Names in the example exchange below are the example names used in the original SOP; it illustrates the pattern, not a real client record.

Steps

  1. Answer the call and confirm who the client is asking about.
  2. If you're not personally familiar with how that specific dog is doing, don't guess or improvise an answer.
  3. Ask the client to hold for a minute, and let them know you're checking with a team member who spends more time with their dog.
  4. Check in with that team member, covering health, training progress, and eating habits as relevant to the question.
  5. Return to the call promptly with the accurate update.

Example Exchange

Names below are the example names used in the original SOP, not a real client record.

  • Client: "Hello, this is Mr. Smith. I'm just calling to see how Buddy is doing."
  • Staff: "Hi Mr. Smith, I believe Buddy is doing fine, but can you hold for just a minute while I chat with a trainer? They're the ones who spend the most time with Buddy."

What do I say when I don't know how a specific dog is doing?

Don't guess. Tell the caller you'd like to check with the team member who spends the most time with their dog, ask them to hold briefly, and get back on the line with an accurate update rather than an assumed one.

Who to Ask

Ask whichever trainer or team member has the most direct contact with that specific dog. Health, training progress, and eating habits are all fair questions to bring to them before you get back on the call.

The standard phone greeting and hold etiquette this call builds on live in Greetings/Telephone Etiquette and Scripts.