I use a pet sitting app which clients can use to fill out anything and everything having to do with them and their pet. But every now and then, I get a new client who hands me printed pet care instructions and it’s a novel! I’m talking like Tolstoy's War & Peace...and not as cohesive as that!
After reading it I feel like I’ve earned college credit or a stiff drink at least. Most of the time the instructions are not complicated, they’re just painfully detailed. "To open the front door, put key in key hole then turn until you hear a click. That's how you know the door is unlocked. Then turn the knob to enter. Be sure to close and lock the door behind you. The lock is the stick just above the inside door knob..." It just goes on and on and makes me want to tear my hair out...what little I have left.
I mean who was pet sitting for you before me a toddler?! All I can say in that moment is, “Thanks so much!” while quietly wondering what goons needed step-by-step instructions for “how door work.” Then I take that 3,000 page tome, create the Cliff Notes version in the app and then toss it in the recycle bin like the confusing IKEA manual that it is!
I get it. You love your pets. You want everything to go smoothly. But I’ve been doing this professionally for
over 17 years. I’m not some pimple-faced 13-year-old who just discovered pet
sitting between Fortnite matches and Hot Pockets. And trust me, I don’t look it.
So please, save the doorstop-sized instructions for that kid. I promise I can
figure out how to open a door without a picture book and a motivational quote. The more concise the instructions, the better for me. I can quickly look at any notes, get the info I need and then properly care for your critters!
