Want to Welcome Dogs In Your Store? Consider These 3 Quick Tips.

Let’s face it… not everyone is a dog lover.  And that includes some customers or potential customers. So what’s a store owner with a furry pet always on site or even a store that just welcomes furry visitors to do?

Below, consider these three tips to help make your store both dog friendly and customer friendly.

1. Let your customers know you are aware that your dog may not be their thing. Identify this through a simple yet friendly store sign near the entrance, stating that you have a store pet (or are a dog friendly store) and are happy to accommodate customers who may be affected by this. This could mean you simply leash the dog to a stationary spot during their store visit or offer to help the customer in another way.
2. Understand that dogs – even your seemingly perfect one – can get in the way. Sometimes it may be best to have your pooch stay home, such as during special events or days that are known to be busy. A tip to decide when your pooch would be better off at home is if you are missing sales because you need to attend to your dog. Even if you are okay with some missed sales, your lost customers might not be.
3. Offer sensitivity to people with dog allergies or even those who simply don’t like them. We know it’s your store and you call the shots, but simply showing respect to these two situations goes a long way. Accommodate your customers however you can when this happens, and go out of your way to help them still enjoy your store. It’s likely they will appreciate your extended customer service and in return, be a customer that spreads the word about your store.

Another tip to consider? Dogs don’t always understand human behavior. So if your dog barks unexpectedly or jumps without consent onto someone, immediately attempt to ease the situation. Preferably, this means relocating your dog from the store floor to a backroom or office that is out of sight from customers. Having a space that your dog can call his own – and by his own, we don’t mean your store sales floor – can also help give your dog private time for when he may want a nap or simply want to be alone.

More and more stores are becoming dog friendly and just as many are bringing their own pups to their stores. This is a fun trend to follow, but the core business of any store is customers – so always keep this top of mind.

Photo Details: Jazzy Reyhle, Retail Minded’s very own “store” pup.