Fran is the host of Ranch Setting, one of Sniffspot's most popular spots. She has taken the time to write up the lessons she has learned about how to be a great Sniffspot host.
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Back in February 2018 when we excitedly dove into offering a spot. Our goal was to provide service that reflects our appreciation, compassion, honesty, and respect for our guests and their beloved pets and/or fosters. This is still our goal every day with every guest. Its starts with a warm welcome on the first visit and then privacy for them to enjoy their time with their pet(s).
A component of this philosophy is listening to what our guests like and what we can change to allow us to serve a wide variety of needs. They have been an integral part of what we offer providing useful suggestions that we've incorporated into our Sniff Spot. We feel that being open to change is important to improvements. We like to put ourselves in our guest's shoes asking, "What would we like to see at a spot"? I think convenience is part of the answer. It needs to be easy to find water, toys, pet waste bags, and waste cans so a guest doesn't need to "pack it out". If you're like me, I would rather not have pet waste in my vehicle!
Providing all the basics and the little seasonal extras such as hot and cold beverages, sunscreen, hand warmers, snacks, covered seating, and such is born from our desire to make our guests comfortable in our sometimes unpredictable Pacific Northwest weather. We include as many amenities as we can think of like a charging station, a portable blue tooth speaker, and every now and again a few pet periodicals. We hope that providing those convenience items help our guests to better enjoy their time here with their pup.
The pups also have their convenience items like treats, clean, rotated, high interests toys, and several fenced areas to run. As I type this, I think, "what additional amenities can we include?" But I am often reminded it can be all about the "SNIFFS for some pups!".
With all that said, safety is paramount to guest confidence. It's actually the first thing we think about each day when prepping for our daily guests. Guests will find a pet first aid book and supplies. We greatly appreciate when a guest lets us know if there are any safety concerns they become aware of in our fields, and of course, we are dedicated to immediately remedying any issues.
We think good communication with a focus on letting the guests know what to expect is paramount in easing any guest anxiety. Knowing ahead of time about temporary activities like landscapers, and neighboring activity at our Sniff spot is important to our guests. With communication in mind, we believe that timely responses to our sniff spot guests are very important.
In addition, our goal is to be familiar with any anxiety or reactive issues with our guest's dog's and in doing so it gives us an opportunity to adjust the Sniff Spot environment for that pup if at possible.
We enjoy letting our guests know how much we appreciate them by greeting them with a personal message on our whiteboard as well as a "First visit" welcome gift. We also enjoy showing our guests our appreciation by hosting free drawings for pet-related prizes. We think guest service is about our love for the guest and their pets and hope our guests feel valued. Happy Sniffing!
About the author
David Adams is a man of many passions, but his love for dogs stands above all. He is not only a dog lover, but also the founder of an innovative platform called Sniffspot. This unique platform connects dog owners with private property owners who are willing to rent out their space for off-leash playtime. While the idea of Sniffspot was initially conceived by his wife, Rebecca, David has been the driving force behind its remarkable success, tirelessly overseeing its growth and development.David's dedication to providing safe and enjoyable spaces for dogs to play, explore, and socialize is evident in his unwavering commitment to Sniffspot. He strongly believes that dogs need ample space and opportunities to stretch their legs and have fun. As a result, he has worked tirelessly to build a network of private property owners across the country who share his vision and are willing to offer their space for the benefit of dogs and their owners.Despite his busy schedule, David always finds time to indulge in his passion for the great outdoors. He loves nothing more than exploring new hiking trails and embarking on thrilling outdoor adventures. Whenever he is not working on Sniffspot, he can often be found hiking or visiting multi-acre fenced sniffspots with his two beloved dogs, Soba and Toshii. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the fresh air, breathtaking scenery, and the sense of freedom that comes with being in nature.David is based in Salem, MA.
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