With August upon us, Summer is in full swing and Vacation Season has officially arrived! Pet owners are heading to all ends of the globe to take a break from their lives…which also means they take a break from their pets. While it can be hard to leave a furry friend behind, it feels SO much better when you have a pet care company you love and trust with your fuzzy child(ren). Now, with that being said, Alexandria Pet Care LOVES being your pet-care company of choice…but we wouldn’t be able to do any of the amazing things we do without our equally amazing office team!
If you’re an old client, new client, or potential client…. let me introduce: The Allisons! We have two wonderful ladies (both named Allison – not a job requirement though) who make up our office team. They work from home M-F 9-5 and share the “on-call” responsibilities on the weekends/off hours to ensure that our operation runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. They are the hub of our company, and are responsible for all aspects of client services and front office work: answering emails and phone, scheduling clients, making schedule changes, consulting with new clients, coordinating our pet care professionals, and SO SO much more!
In the spirit of introducing the “behind the scenes” staff to our readers and client base, I had the chance to catch up with Alison O. recently and ask her some questions about her life, working at APC, and some fun facts about herself…. read on to see what she had to say!
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1. How long have you been with Alexandria Pet Care and what prompted you to seek a position in a pet care company?
I’ve been with APC about 5 months. I have worked as a volunteer with a dog rescue for several years now, and I’ve always loved animals. So I was very excited to see an opportunity to take my office experience and apply it in a field I’m genuinely interested in!
2. What is your favorite part about working in the office/ with APC in general?
My very favorite part is the staff here. Everyone has been wonderful to me and you’re all easy to work with! I also love getting a little glimpse at people’s pets and their habits. All animals have fun quirks so it’s interesting to hear about them.
3. What does a typical day in “the office” look like?
Most of the work happens between 9-5. We arrange schedules for clients and staff, deal with issues that crop up, and introduce the team to prospective clients. During on-call hours, we field urgent issues and emergencies, like a sick pet or last minute travel arrangements for a client.
4. What would you say is the question asked most often by new clients?
“Will I get to meet the team that works with my pet?” Yes, absolutely! That’s one of the best things about our service, that the team, pets and owners are all well acquainted before visits begin.
5. If there is one thing you’d like our clients to know about how the office runs, what would it be?
That we don’t have access to any information on your pet beyond what is in the online system in the clients’ online account – especially if you’re new, like me! If your pet’s account is empty, or outdated, please update it. The more information we have, the better we can help you.
6. Are you a pet parent yourself? If so, tell us a little bit about your pets!
Yes, I am. I have a rescued rat-terrier mix named Bailey. She’s around three years old. Bailey is really smart and loves to socialize with other dogs. She struggles a bit being comfortable with new people, so we are working on that (with help from APC’s trainer, Alex Bonilla!). I also am a frequent foster mom to a variety of great pups.
7. Can you say a little bit about your background with animals?
I have always really connected with animals. I rode horses as a little girl and we always had dogs in our family. As I got older, it became very important to me to return the love and kindness I had received from animals to them, which is why I got into animal rescue.
8. Tell us one non-animal related fun fact about yourself
Semi- animal related: I was in a movie as a baby, where I was eaten by a dingo (and my costar was Meryl Streep!)
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So there ya have it! A little bit into the exciting life of Alison O.! Stay tuned to read more about our wonderful staff members, and as always, feel free to comment below!
