Recently, Pet Camp received a scathing 1-star review from a first-time day camper. As much as it pains me to say it, we earned it.
To be clear, the issue wasn’t pet care. By all accounts, the care we provided exceeded expectations. Our communication, on the other hand, was abysmal.
Strike One: Pet Camp Express
We have two basic rules for the Pet Camp Express:
- First-time campers must have a pet parent present at pickup.
This isn’t about convenience – it’s about safety. We don’t know how a dog will react to a stranger entering their home. - All campers ride in crates.
Again, this is about safety. San Francisco driving is unpredictable, and our drivers need to focus fully on the road – not on managing dogs in the back.
The pet parent said these policies were never communicated. We reviewed our phone calls – nothing. The counselor who gave the tour is confident they explained it. Maybe they did. Maybe they didn’t.
But here’s the reality: if a client says they didn’t understand something, we didn’t communicate it well enough. That’s on us.
Strike Two: Camper Cameos
This camper was signed up for our Pioneer Package, a high-touch program designed specifically for senior dogs and handled by our most experienced counselors.
The pet parent was frustrated that their dog never appeared in Camper Cameos.
Here’s the painful part: our team took nine photos.
We posted none of them.
Maybe they weren’t award-winning shots – but that’s beside the point. We could have posted them. We absolutely should have sent a few directly to the pet parent.
That’s not a pet care failure. That’s a communication failure.
This one is simple.
A client called with questions.
We didn’t get back to them in a timely manner.
No excuses. None.
And candidly, had we handled this one thing properly, the first two issues might have been forgiven. But three strikes later, the result was predictable – and deserved.
Why Share This?
Why air our dirty laundry publicly?
Maybe it’s a little cathartic. Maybe it’s better than venting internally to a team that already feels awful about what happened.
But more importantly, it’s this:
Exceptional pet care can be undone by poor human communication.
At Pet Camp, we hire first and foremost for pet care. Many of our counselors would happily spend their entire day communicating with dogs instead of humans – and honestly, who can blame them?
If I’m being honest, I’d rather fail in communication than in care.
But if I’m being really honest… I don’t want us to fail at all.
A Second Chance
So, this is, in part, a request.
If you’re a pet parent who feels your pet received great care but our communication fell short, I want to hear from you.
Email me directly at mark@petcamp.com.
I’ll share what we’re doing to improve – and I’ll try to earn a second chance to communicate as well as we care.
Thanks for reading.
Pet Camp has been providing award winning pet care, even if not award winning communication, since 1997. With three San Francisco locations, Pet Camp can provide overnight care for dogs and cats, dog day care, dog training, bathing/grooming for both dogs and cats and pet transportation. If you are a San Francisco Bay Area pet parent with questions about your pet or pet care needs, give us a call and speak with a counselor.