Ep. 67 – How to Boost the Feel-good Factor in your Dog Daycare with a Client Appreciation Event

What’s the real ROI (return on investment) of showing love to your best clients?

Can dinner, drinks and a friendly conversation really drive customer loyalty in your pet care business?

And how can you build a leadership team that actually frees you up to work on the business instead of in it?

Then stay tuned, because in this episode, Dom chats with Mike McIntyre from Fetch Family Pet Resort about his facility’s journey from launch to expansion. After a whirlwind opening just before COVID hit, Mike and his GM Carolyn built something truly special in Sewell, New Jersey – thanks in part to expert mentorship from Stephanie Shipley and a leadership team that now runs the show. Mike shares the little touches that make Fetch stand out, like sending new clients home with personalised artwork and creating word-of-mouth magic by building a truly “club-like” daycare experience.

Mike also shares the behind-the-scenes story of their first-ever client appreciation dinner: a simple but powerful gesture that turned regulars clients into raving fans. And, as Dom points out, it’s not just making a nice gesture for the sake of it – these are the kind of smart moves that fuel referrals, loyalty, and make high-margin memberships feel like an exclusive club.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• From Insurance to Enrichment – Why Mike left the corporate world to build a 10,000 sq ft pet resort (with plans to double it).

• Crates and Leadership – How working with a consultant helped rewire their approach to structure, team building, and dog care.

• Personal Touches Pay Off – Why every evaluation ends with a memento—and what it does for retention.

• Community, Not Just Clients – Inside their client appreciation event and why it worked better than any marketing campaign.

• Memberships Need More Than Discounts – Why emotional value beats price cuts when it comes to loyalty.

Huge thanks to our incredible show sponsor Canine Lab Testing!

Canine Lab Testing are the industries go-to partner if you want to keep your furry guests safe. They provide fast, reliable parasite screening and health testing, ensuring peace of mind for you and your clients! To get started with a stress-free screening process click here CanineLabTesting.com

Huge thanks to special guest Mike McIntyre for sharing his story. To find out more about Mike business go to FetchResort

Also, thanks to Molly Taylor from Mollys’ Mutthouse for sharing her bootcamp business wins. Find out more about Molly by going to Mutthouse

Want to work with Dom’s inside of his exclusive coaching programs? Go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/audition

Episode Highlights:

[00:51] – Dom introduces the episode and the key talking point: a customer appreciation night that became a word-of-mouth goldmine.[06:03] – Molly Taylor shares how she flipped her model from pay-as-you-go to membership-only—and ended up with a waitlist every day but Monday.[07:30] – The power of peer support: why bootcamp helped Molly take action fast and gain massive clarity.[13:30] – Mike McIntyre shares how a chance meeting and a bold pivot from insurance led to launching Fetch Family Pet Resort.[18:47] – How pet care consultant Stephanie Shipley helped Mike overhaul operations and embrace crate-based enrichment daycare.[22:30] – Mike explains how investing in staff education and certification strengthens client trust and builds reputation.[26:32] – Inside the Customer Appreciation Night: why Mike’s team took 12 loyal clients out to dinner—and how it boosted client buy-in.[29:45] – Real feedback, real results: how honest conversations with clients led to small tweaks and big relationship wins.[31:00] – Turning a pet business into a club: Dom and Mike explore how regular social events can power retention and community.[36:01] – Mike outlines future plans, including facility expansion, new service offerings, and a client membership program done right.