Friday, February 24, 2012

Franchisee Profile: Greg Alonzo of Chicago, IL

Franchisee Since: November 2007

Q: What was your career before franchising?
A:  Before becoming involved with Fetch! Pet Care, my wife Carolyn and I were both working in corporate America doing jobs like accounting, sales and customer service. Most recently, I worked with 7-Eleven, which is how I became familiar with the franchising industry. Initially, we had decided that I was going to get the company up and running while Carolyn continued to work for the University of Illinois. However, our circumstances changed, and we decided she would stay home to start the business. I left 7-Eleven a year later to join her.  

Q: Why did you choose to enter the pet care industry?
A:  I remember the day Carolyn showed me an article on MSN.com featuring Fetch! Pet Care, which made me realize that this opportunity was just the venture we had always been looking for. We rarely traveled because we had an issue with not having anyone trustworthy with whom to leave our pets. With Fetch! Pet Care, you don’t have to disrupt your life to find someone dependable to care for your pets.

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?
A:  I loved the idea of having corporate support. Being able to have help or get advice whenever you need it is very important. If you start a business from scratch, you will have to rely heavily on family and friends for that support. When you’re involved with Fetch! Pet Care, there is a whole family of other business owners who are waiting to help you before you ever open your doors.

Q: With respect to your previous career experience, which skills do you think help most with your business?
A: The main source of help is our customer service background. Carolyn has dealt with many different types of personalities from her work at the University of Illinois, and I have experience providing excellent customer service from previous corporate jobs. This advantage is definitely one of our strongest when dealing with clients.

Q: What makes your business a cut above the rest?
A:  We have a variety of pet sitters who are equipped to handle all different types of animals. We never had to turn a client down because we weren’t able to meet the needs of their pet. Having strong, knowledgeable pet sitters keep our clients coming back.

ABOUT FETCH! PET CARE
Fetch! Pet Care was founded in Berkeley, Calif., in 2002 by Paul Mann, who wanted his pets to remain in his home instead of kenneling them while he traveled. Finding no professional company suitable to the task, Mann started his own firm with the goal of providing as-needed, reliable, and loving care to pets of all kinds. Today, there are more than 3,000 Fetch! professionals operating in 1,500 U.S. communities. FETCH! Pet Care is the nation's largest and most trusted provider of professional pet sitting and dog walking services, serving thousands of pets and pet parents from coast to coast. Comprised of pet lovers turned business owners, each independently and locally owned Fetch! focuses on taking the stress out of finding a sitter and adding convenience to customer’s lives by doing all of the legwork for them. Fetch! matches you and your pets with the most qualified, experienced pet professional possible. For more information, visit www.fetchpetcare.com

No comments:

Post a Comment

 
Web Analytics