Best Practices For Maximizing Tipping

We’ve found that customers who accept credit cards and ACH payments receive over 7.5x as many tips as businesses that just accept cash or checks in Time To Pet. Last year alone (2022), our customers received over $12.2 million in tips, with the vast majority being added to credit card payments or ACH payments. In this article, we’ll discuss some ideas on how to maximize tipping in Time To Pet with our available features.

We'll take a look at Jane's Pet Care. Here we can view what the client sees when logging into their client portal. This company has added a portal announcement reminding clients to tip:

Available Time To Pet Features To Maximize Tips

You can effectively encourage and maximize tipping by utilizing some or all of the tools, tips, and features below within Time To Pet.

Using Time To Pet's Integrated Payment Processors

Accepting credit cards from your clients is easy with Time To Pet. Payments processed through Time To Pet are automatically applied to the client's invoices and, if your account is connected to Quickbooks Online, automatically synced to Quickbooks Online. 

Automatic Tipping

Auto Tipping automatically adds gratuity (either flat dollar or percentage) to each of that client’s invoices after it’s been enabled, eliminating the need for clients to log in to their apps or portals to add tips. This is particularly helpful for clients on Templates or with recurring services. Depending on your preferences and the needs of your company, you can choose to enable this setting for clients or allow them to manage their own Auto Tip. We'll cover how both you and your clients can enable Auto Tipping, as well as a few ways to empower clients to communicate they want it enabled on their accounts if you decide to handle Auto Tips on behalf of your clients.

If you would prefer to manage Auto Tips for your clients, you can add, remove, and modify a client's Auto Tip directly from the "Services/Invoices" tab on their profile.

Below is a view of the Auto Tip setting on a client's profile from the Admin's view. Here, we can also see our sample company is utilizing the Flags feature to show this client has auto tipping enabled:

To allow clients to manage their own Auto Tips, navigate to the Settings > Client Settings > Portal Settings section of your account and ensure the dropdown is set to "Yes":

Once this setting has been enabled, clients will be able to add an Auto Tip to their invoices from their Client App or Client Portal when they are making a payment on an open invoice. Currently, clients can only modify the amount of their Auto Tips or remove them through their Client Portal and not the mobile app. For more information on how clients can manage their tips, check out the Adding A Tip As A Client section of our Tipping In Time To Pet help article.

Automatic Charging

Auto Charging automatically charges invoices, and it also sends a reminder to clients 24 hours before their invoice is set to be charged, and that email includes a button to add a tip if tipping is enabled for the company.

Here's a sample screen of the email reminder clients receive with the tip button. Please keep in mind the Automatic Charge Reminder message on this email is entirely customizable:

Custom Client Fields

Custom Fields are perfect for encouraging clients to simplify their billing. Set up a custom field asking if clients would like to enroll in Automatic Charging or Automatic Tipping. Both features are very convenient for clients and business owners, saving everyone time and automating the billing process.

Here is a view of custom fields as a client would view them:

Client Reports can be run on client fields using Client Reporting, and notifications can also be enabled to send a notification when a client updates any of their client info.

Here is a view of "Clients With Value on Profile" and filtering for Jane's Pet Care clients who have filled out a custom field indicating that they would like to add automatic tips to their invoices:

Tasks can also be set to remind Admins to enroll clients in Automatic Charging and/or Automatic Tipping once they fill out their custom client fields.

Here's a sample task at the top of a client profile made by an Admin, reminding them that this client indicated they wanted to enroll in auto charging and auto tipping and when it should be enabled by:

Saved Replies

Saved Replies are a powerful tool. Utilizing a graphics creator tool, such as Canva, create a custom graphic and include a thank you message that can be used to send to clients who tip.

Here's a view of a sample saved reply thanking this client for leaving a tip for their pet care provider:

Mass Emails

Mass emails can be used to send thank you notes, or encourage specific subsets of clients to tip, enroll in auto tipping, or automatic charging and much more.

Here's a view of a mass email inviting clients to enroll in automatic tipping:

Time To Pet offers filters for clients on templates, clients who have recently had services, clients who have activated their accounts, and much more. If there are multiple clients who need to be thanked, creating a mass email campaign can be a great way to thank clients for their gratuity all at once.

Time To Pet offers many filters; here's a view of Template Filters. If a company wanted to email their weekly template clients inviting them to enroll in automatic tipping, they could add this filter when building their mass email list:

Scheduled Messages

The Scheduled Messages tool can be used to schedule messages when clients are returning home, schedule thank you notes, or schedule "things to know before you go". All three options can be used to remind clients about the ability to tip!

Here's a sample view of a scheduled mass email inviting clients to enroll in Automatic Tipping:

Announcements

Time To Pet also offers our Portal Announcement feature. Custom messages that appear on the client’s portal or app can be added. Some customers will add messaging here about tipping.

Again, here's a view of what a client would see if a portal announcement was enabled for their pet care company. Portal announcements also offer the ability to set an expiration date, so the message can disappear if, for example, it was tailored towards a specific Holiday encouraging tipping; it could be set to expire just after the holiday passed:

Invoice Note

Add a friendly Invoice Note inviting clients to add a tip. Invoice Note allows you to create a default invoice note that will be automatically added to the bottom of all new invoices. Many businesses will use this to share their billing policies or to thank their customer for their business. This is not the message used for invoice emails. 

Here's a look at where an invoice note will show up on a downloaded invoice and a sample of what a client might see on their end:

Invoice Message

The Client Invoice Message is the message used for invoice emails. This is the message body that is sent to your clients when an invoice is emailed to them directly from within Time To Pet. It can also be customized and used to invite clients to tip. 

Here's a sample of a custom client invoice message and how it may appear on the client's end, depending on the device or email provider they are using:

Viewing Tips and Tip Reporting

Seeing Which Clients Have Tipped 

We have several places to see tips. There’s the Tips tab in the Pay Center. This shows dispersed tips in a list, and the Download Tip Disbursements button at the bottom of that page will show a list of all clients who have tipped. Here’s a complete list of our different Tip Reports: Tip Reports.

Staff Viewing Tips

Staff can also see who has tipped them. This is available on their app, under “Tips” and their dashboard under My Pay. Some companies prefer staff send their own thank you notes to clients who have tipped them.

Sample Messaging

"Your pet care professional goes above and beyond to ensure the well-being and happiness of your furry companion, and leaving a tip is a wonderful way to show your appreciation for their exceptional care and dedication."

"By leaving a tip for your pet care professional, you acknowledge their hard work and contribute to their livelihood, inspiring them to continue providing top-notch care and creating a meaningful bond with your beloved pet."

"Hey [Client's Name],

We hope this message finds you and your furry friend in high spirits and wagging tails! We wanted to express our appreciation for your trust in our dog walking services and share something extra special with you today.

Did you know that our dedicated dog walkers go above and beyond to ensure your pup has a tail-wagging good time? They put their heart and soul into their work, making sure your four-legged companion gets the exercise, love, and attention they need. 🐶❤️

As you can imagine, being a dog walker isn't just a walk in the park. It takes commitment, patience, and a genuine passion for our furry friends. That's why we believe tipping is a fantastic way to show your appreciation for the amazing job our dog walkers do every single day.

Tipping isn't just about spreading a little extra joy—it's a way to directly support these dedicated individuals who care for your pup as if they were their own. Your tips help them feel valued and motivated, allowing them to continue providing top-notch care and creating a lasting bond with your furry companion. 🥰

We've made tipping as easy as giving a belly rub! Simply visit our website or open our app, and you'll find a tipping feature that lets you express your gratitude with just a few taps. Every tip, no matter the amount, makes a meaningful impact on their day and encourages them to keep going the extra mile for your pup.

So, why not take a moment to brighten up your dog walker's day? A small gesture like tipping can go a long way in showing your appreciation and support for their exceptional care. Your generous act will make their tails wag with delight! 🐾💕

Thank you for being a part of our extended family, and for trusting us to keep your furry friend happy and healthy. We're grateful for the opportunity to serve you both.

Wishing you and your fur baby countless joyful walks and slobbery kisses!

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Company Name]"

"Hey [Client's Name]!

We wanted to reach out with a friendly reminder about the incredible work our dog walkers do, making tails wag and bringing smiles to our furry friends' faces. Tipping your amazing dog walker is an awesome way to show your appreciation for their dedication and pawsome care. They'll be over the moon with gratitude when they receive your tip—it's like a virtual belly rub! Thank you for considering this heartwarming gesture that means the world to our hardworking dog walkers.

Keep spreading the love and wagging those tails!

[Your Name]

[Your Company Name]"

"Hello [Client's Name],

We are thrilled and immensely grateful for the generous tip you gave us for caring for your beloved cat. Your thoughtful gesture has touched our hearts, and we're truly honored to have your trust and support. Thank you for making our day extra special!

With heartfelt appreciation,

[Your Name]

[Your Company Name]"

Additional Resources And Articles On Tipping

• Tipping In Time To Pet
• My Pay
• Invoices (Client App)
• Invoices (Client Portal)
• Should My Pet Sitting Business Accept Credit Cards?
• Creating a Pet Sitting Contract — Everything You Need To Include in 2023!