Top 7 Pet Sitter KPIs and How to Track Them: Boost Your Business Performance!

As a successful business owner, you know that keeping track of key performance indicators (KPIs) is vital. The same goes for pet sitters. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or a growing pet sitting business, tracking these metrics is important to understand the profitability and sustainability of your enterprise. Today we are going to dive into the top seven pet sitter KPI metrics and give you tips on how to track and calculate them.

• Pet sitter retention rate: This KPI is the percentage of pet sitters who remain with your business over a certain period. A high retention rate means that you have a dependable and loyal team, which is beneficial for reputation and costs. The industry standard for pet sitter retention rate is around 80%.
• Average revenue per client: This metric measures the average amount of revenue generated per client. Increasing this KPI can mean a higher return on investment, and it is a way to ensure that your pricing is sustainable. Our research shows the industry average for this KPI is $62.00.
• Number of client referrals: Referrals serve as a valuable metric for measuring your business's reputation and performance. Referrals come when you provide excellent service to your clients. Having a high number of referrals shows that people are satisfied with your service and are likely to refer you to others. The industry average is 25%.

In the next sections of this article, we will cover more pet sitter KPI metrics, including average number of services requested per client visit, customer satisfaction rating, number of new clients acquired, and average response time to customer inquiries. Please continue scrolling down and learn how to track and calculate these important metrics for your pet sitting business.

1. Pet sitter retention rate

Definition

Pet sitter retention rate is the measurement of the percentage of pet sitters that are still employed after a certain period. It is an important metric that reflects how loyal and dedicated your staff are.

Use Case

A high pet sitter retention rate indicates that your employees are satisfied with their job and feel valued. This can lead to a positive work environment and better overall care for your clients' pets.

How To Calculate KPI

Calculation Example

If you started a period with 20 pet sitters and ended with 18, and 2 left during that period, your pet sitter retention rate would be:

KPI Advantages

• Indicates the level of job satisfaction among employees.
• Helps identify strengths and weaknesses in management and training techniques.
• Provides insights into employee turnover rates.

KPI Disadvantages

• Does not reflect the reason why employees leave.
• May not be applicable in businesses that have a high rate of seasonal employment.
• Does not account for new employees who were not present at the beginning of the period.

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The pet care industry average for pet sitter retention rate is approximately 85%.

Average revenue per client

Definition

Average revenue per client is a KPI metric that calculates the average amount of revenue generated by a single client over a specific period. This metric helps pet sitting businesses understand the revenue potential of each client and identify how their services are being utilized.

Use Case

Pet-sitting businesses can use the average revenue per client metric to determine the most valuable clients and focus their marketing efforts on acquiring similar customers. Additionally, the KPI can indicate the pricing strategy effectiveness by measuring how much revenue each client is generating and adjusting the pricing accordingly.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate average revenue per client, use the following formula:

Calculation Example

Let's say that your pet sitting business generated $100,000 in revenue last year from serving 500 clients. To calculate your average revenue per client:

KPI Advantages

• Helps identify high-value clients
• Assists in evaluating the effectiveness of pricing strategies
• Enables pet sitting businesses to focus their marketing efforts

KPI Disadvantages

• Not suitable for measuring the profitability of individual clients
• Does not consider additional factors that contribute to revenue generation
• May not provide a complete picture of the business's financial health

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The benchmark value for average revenue per client varies depending on the region, size of the business, and the services offered. However, some sources suggest that pet sitting business average revenue per client should aim to be around $200-$300 per year.

3. Number of Client Referrals

Definition

Number of client referrals is a key performance indicator (KPI) that tracks the number of new clients your business acquires through referrals from existing clients. Referrals are a sign of customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Use Case

Referrals are essential for pet-sitting businesses to grow and expand their customer base. Having a high number of referrals indicates that clients are satisfied with your services and are recommending your business to others. This KPI helps businesses to measure customer satisfaction, brand awareness and growth.

How to Calculate KPI

To calculate the number of referrals, divide the total number of new clients acquired through referrals by the total number of new clients added during a given period, such as a month or a quarter. The formula for this KPI is:

Calculation Example

Let's assume your pet-sitting business added 50 new clients during the first quarter of the year, and 10 of them were referred by existing clients. To calculate the number of client referrals:

Therefore, the number of client referrals for the first quarter of the year is 20%.

KPI Advantages

• Provides insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Helps businesses to identify their most loyal clients for customer retention programs
• Indicates the effectiveness of marketing efforts and brand awareness

KPI Disadvantages

• Does not indicate the quality of the referrals received
• Does not consider the size of the business or the target market
• May not be applicable to all pet-sitting businesses

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The average number of client referrals for pet-sitting businesses is around 20-30% of total new clients added during a given period.

4. Average number of services requested per client visit

Definition:

The Average number of services requested per client visit measures the average amount of services a pet sitter is requested to complete during a single visit by a client.

Use Case:

This metric can help pet-sitting businesses take a closer look at the utilization of their employees’ time while on the job. By tracking this KPI over time, businesses can identify trends and pinpoint potential issues early on.

How to Calculate KPI:

To calculate the Average number of services requested per client visit, divide the total number of services rendered by the number of client visits.

Calculation Example:

Suppose a pet-sitting business provides ten services per client visit to a total of fifty clients. In this case, the calculation would look like this:

KPI Advantages:

• Helps to measure and track the value of each client visit, making it easier to allocate resources
• Allows businesses to determine areas for improvement in terms of efficiency and service quality
• Assists in determining pricing strategies by breaking down specific services rendered per visit

KPI Disadvantages:

• Calculation can be skewed if a client adds or removes services mid-visit
• Some visits may be shorter or longer than others, altering the data
• May not account for variations in service needs due to pet type or individual customer preferences

KPI Industry Benchmarks:

According to industry data, the Average number of services requested per client visit typically ranges between 1 and 5 services, depending on the business.

5. Customer satisfaction rating

Definition

Customer satisfaction rating is the measurement of how happy customers are with the services provided by a pet sitting business. It is an essential Key Performance Indicator for business owners to track, as it directly affects customer retention and business growth.

Use Case

Measuring customer satisfaction is crucial for a pet sitter as it helps them understand what areas of their business need improvement. This KPI helps to identify service gaps and customer needs, giving business owners valuable insights into their business operation's strength and weaknesses.

How to Calculate KPI

To calculate the Customer Satisfaction Rating, the pet sitting business owner can use the following formula:

Calculation Example

Suppose a pet sitting business has served 200 customers this year, and out of them, 160 customers were satisfied with their services. The customer satisfaction rating for the pet sitting business would be:

KPI Advantages

• Helps business owners maintain high customer retention rates
• Provides valuable insights into what customers want and need from the business
• Allows business owners to track their customer's overall satisfaction with their services.

KPI Disadvantages

• Based on subjective data obtained from customer surveys
• Can be influenced by a single negative review from a dissatisfied customer
• May not provide a complete picture of a business's overall performance

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The average customer satisfaction rating for the pet sitting industry is around 85%. However, this can vary depending on factors such as the size of the pet sitting business and the location.

6. Number of new clients acquired

Definition

Number of new clients acquired is a KPI metric that measures the effectiveness of a pet sitting business's acquisition strategy. It calculates the total number of new clients obtained within a specific period.

Use Case

Pet sitting businesses can use this KPI metric to track their ability to expand their customer base and gauge the effectiveness of their marketing, sales, and outreach efforts. By monitoring the number of new clients acquired, business owners can identify trends and make data-driven decisions about where to focus their resources.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate the number of new clients acquired, use the following formula:

Calculation Example

Suppose a pet sitting business acquired 20 new clients in a given month. Additionally, 5 of the existing clients churned, which means they terminated their relationship with the business. Using the formula above, the total number of new clients acquired would be:

Therefore, the pet sitting business acquired 15 new clients in that specific month.

KPI Advantages

• Provides a clear picture of the effectiveness of a pet sitting business's acquisition strategy.
• Allows business owners to identify best-performing marketing channels and focus resources accordingly.
• Helpful in determining the success rate of promotional offers, discounts, and referral programs.

KPI Disadvantages

• May not provide insights into the quality of client relationships and customer satisfaction beyond the first time contact.
• May overlook possible lead conversions that result from offline or indirect marketing initiatives.
• Does not account for differences in the lifetime value of acquired customers.

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The number of new clients acquired varies depending on the industry and geographic location. A 10% monthly growth rate in new clients is generally recognized as a benchmark for a healthy pet sitting business. However, this may differ from one location to another.

7. Average response time to customer inquiries

Definition

Average response time to customer inquiries measures the time it takes for a pet sitting business to respond to customer inquiries through various channels such as email, phone, or social media.

Use Case

This KPI is important because customers expect timely responses to their inquiries. A slow response time can lead to lost business, negative reviews, and a damaged reputation. By tracking this KPI, pet sitters can ensure they are providing excellent customer service and retaining their clients.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate the average response time to customer inquiries, the pet sitting business should:

• Record the time the inquiry was received
• Record the time the inquiry was responded to
• Find the difference between the two times (response time)
• Repeat this process for all inquiries for a given period of time (e.g. one month)
• Add up all the response times and divide by the total number of inquiries to get the average response time

Calculation Example

For example, a pet sitting business received 50 inquiries in the month of May. The total response time for all of the inquiries was 150 hours. To calculate the average response time:

The average response time to customer inquiries for this pet sitting business in May was 3 hours.

KPI Advantages

• Helps pet sitters provide excellent customer service
• Ensures timely responses to inquiries
• Improves client retention rates
• Helps maintain a positive reputation for the business

KPI Disadvantages

• May not account for variations in response time based on inquiry type or urgency
• May not account for differences in response time during business hours versus after hours
• May not be relevant for businesses with low inquiry volumes

KPI Industry Benchmarks

According to industry benchmarks, the average response time for customer inquiries should be less than 24 hours. However, pet sitters should strive for even shorter response times, ideally within a few hours.