Marketing & Promotions

Who manages your social media feeds?

Looking deeper at the results, D’Agnolo says: “The majority of both Thrivers and Strugglers manage their own socials. This suggests that Thrivers better understand how to use the platforms to drive brand awareness and connect with their followers. If the majority of Strugglers are doing this themselves and not spending much on marketing, imagine the impact these efforts could have with fine-tuning of their social media strategy.”

If someone in your area does a Google search for “pet store,” what page does your store appear on?

What percentage of revenue do you spend on marketing and advertising?

D’Agnolo notes that 53% of Thrivers spend 1-2% on marketing and advertising and 72% of Strugglers spend 0-2% on it. “This tells me that Strugglers either need to spend more on marketing to find new customers and/or they must improve their marketing strategy and/or skills to improve results. Some brands spend $120 per customer acquisition to drive sales online. Some marketing experts recommend you spend up to 10%, which is high for brick-and-mortar retailers. Bumping up to 5% could give Strugglers a significant boost in exposure and revenue,” she says.

What is your Google Reviews rating?

Thrivers edged out Strugglers when it came to 5-star Google Review ratings, with 43% attaining the highest rating compared with only 36% for Strugglers. We’re happy to see so many survey respondents at 4.5 stars and higher! If you need to improve your rating because of negative reviews left by disgruntled former employees and/or competitors, consider adding a review reward to your loyalty program to up your average and/or hiring a reputation manager. But if you earned the low ratings honestly, learn from the experience to improve your customer service.

What is a lesson you learned from a negative review? And what action did you take in response?

• “The need for clear communication. A customer was unhappy that we don’t carry retractable leashes, which we avoid for safety reasons. Instead of explaining why, we directed them to a nearby store that sells them. When they left a 3-star review, it highlighted to us the importance of being transparent about our product choices. Now we explain the reasoning behind our product selections to better inform our customers.”
• “I’ve learned to analyze every bit of what led up to the negative review, listen to the employee involved, watch video footage of the interaction and respond to the review honestly — and without apology for justifiable actions.”
• “When it comes to how they feel they were treated by the staff, we talk about what happened and how to prevent someone else from feeling that way.”
• “We can’t make everyone happy, but we can always respond with grace and our side of the story. Sometimes you even gain that person back!”
• “Don’t be afraid or bullied. I have gotten a tremendous amount of clients for calling out jerks. New customers tell me they saw the review and thanked me for the response.”
• “That sometimes one person’s perception of what happened is not necessarily the same as another’s. We address every negative review and do our best to make it right.”
• “To not read reviews as they are not helpful. Negative reviews are about the people leaving them, not the actual experiences. If something was truly a poor experience, that person should have brought it to our attention and had the problem solved — we can only solve issues in person, and we always do.”
• “That people don’t like to be told no. They don’t understand how businesses run. They asssume owners are wealthy. They lie in reviews. I always respond with the truth. I also send any video of the interaction to the customer.”

• “Have a professional respond to negative reviews. My responses are too emotional and defensive. Hire a company that specializes in review removals.”
• “Most of our negative reviews are regarding unrealistic training expectations or demanding refunds for partially used services, so over the years we’ve tried to make outcomes and policies as straightforward and clear as possible. We implemented a Client Agreement for our Intensive Training Programs, separate from the service contract, that explains in plain language what we expect from owners while they are participating in that service in order for their dogs to make progress. Clients initial each section, then sign and date the bottom. It’s really reduced drama!”
• “To use each as training and transparency opportunities.”
• “From some previous reviews, we have implemented a more thorough check-in process regarding matted pets and we have customers sign releases and confirm their permission to shave severely matted pets.”
• “An owner left us a bad review because we accidentally missed one of the dog’s (non-vital, thankfully) medications due to a glitch in our computer system. I took this as an opportunity to implement a strict three-person sign off on every medication that comes through our doors to ensure it’s in our system correctly.”
• “To wait until the next day to respond so there’s a cooling-off period. And to ask a team member who was not involved to craft the response to keep it more positive.”
• “Negative reviews are the best reviews because they give future readers the ability to see your true character. I’ve actually received a lot of new business from negative reviews, by utilizing them as an opportunity to show my willingness to right a wrong.
• “That you can’t please everyone. We are all human and make mistakes. I always try to respond positively and ask the customer to reach out, but they never actually do. I wish people had more grace and realized that someone might just have other things going on in their lives.”
• “How important our front desk position is. Spoke to employees about positive experiences only and being more welcome even if a customer is wrong.”

Rank the effectiveness of these social media platforms by your ROI, with time included as an investment.

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Google My Business
4. Threads
5. TikTok
6. Yelp
7. Pinterest
8. YouTube
9. NextDoor
10. LinkedIn
11. X

Rank the effectiveness of these marketing and advertising methods by your ROI, with time included as an investment:

1. Free social media posts
2. Email
3. Events and community participation
4. Paid (boosted) social media posts
5. Text
6. Encouraged online reviews
7. Free editorial in local media
8. Paid advertising in local media
9. Referral program
10. Paid search engine ads
11. Direct-mail

How important are loyalty programs to your customers?

Which reward — in your loyalty programs or otherwise — do you give most?

What special information do you collect from your customers?

These “Other” answers stood out: “Any behavioral issues. Weight. We do ‘Weighin Wednesdays,’ where customers can track their pet’s weight.” “Vet info, vaccines, age, breed, grooming history, and a photo of the dog, all in our grooming software.” “Any special discounts due to military service, community partnership, or the folks working in our plaza get a Good Neighbor Discount.”

Which activity do you reward — in your loyalty programs or otherwise — most?

Most “Other” answers were service related: number of nights boarded or prebooked grooms, staying on a grooming schedule. We loved this response: “We reward each visit to the shop, even if it’s just to pet the shop dog!” Only 11% of Strugglers do anything other than purchase-based rewards, while 36% of Thrivers tap into more creative aspects of customer loyalty. D’Agnolo says, “Thrivers likely engage more with their customers, improving their customer’s overall in-store experience.”

What percentage of your customers belong to your loyalty programs?

This stat had us tilting our heads: 14% of Thrivers do not offer loyalty programs, compared to 0% of Strugglers.