Ventura Pet Wellness is now Truly Force Free!

Dog Training Classes: No refunds are given 7 days prior to the start date of the class and cannot be credited towards any classes. If the class does not fill and is cancelled a refund will be given.

Private Training Session: We thank you so much for choosing Shannon Riley (Coyner), owner of Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center, as your fur-babies Private Trainer. 

We also want to take a moment to recap our cancellation policy. First, we want to let you know that this policy is as important for you as it is for us. A strong cancellation policy keeps you accountable and ensures that you keep the commitment to yourself and your fur-baby. However, when clients know they will be charged for a session if they don’t show up, it forces them to prioritize their appointments. This policy dramatically decreases no-shows and short-notice cancellations that do not adhere to our 72-hour cancellation policy. It is this type of consistency that ensures the best results for our clients.  

Second, a cancellation policy is also important for us as a business. The average dog training facility can expect to experience a 25 - 40% cancellation rate of their weekly scheduled appointments. Can you imagine losing 25 - 40% of your business revenues or income every week?  

A hair-stylist doesn’t need such a strict policy because most people eagerly anticipate getting their hair done; a massage therapist wouldn’t have to enforce as firm a policy because few people want to miss their massages. These industries don’t suffer from the high rate of cancellations that a dog training business does. You see, when you make an appointment with your trainer, we reserve that time for you. Your trainer spends time preparing for your session and may drive quite a distance to be here for you. When a client cancels on short-notice, it is very difficult (and many times impossible) for us to make a connection with another client who could possibly take that appointment. That time then becomes lost and the revenues and loss to the trainers’ income cannot be recovered. Other industries that suffer this type of cancellation rate have developed different systems for sustaining their business. The airline industry’s strategy is to overbook appointments with the advanced knowledge that a certain percentage of people will not make their flights. We are unable to use this approach because there is no way for us to know who will cancel on short-notice and when. This type of approach would result in multiple double-bookings and upset clients every day. We hope you understand that we spend time regularly discussing this topic because we never want to institute policies that can potentially upset our clients. We recognize that we are in a difficult situation as a business: our number one priority is customer service, but how is charging a client for an appointment they cannot make a good customer service initiative? At the same time, if we do not have a strict policy, our business does not succeed.  

Let’s review our cancellation policy as stated in your Private Training Client Agreement Form: I understand that Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center operates on a scheduled appointment basis for all Private Training sessions and thus, requires that I provide 72 hours (business days) notice when canceling an appointment. No charge will be levied should I cancel with MORE than 72 hours (business days) notice given. Should I cancel a session with LESS than 72 hours (business days) prior notice, I will be charged in full for that session. I understand that Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center recommends that all cancelled sessions be rescheduled to ensure consistency and progress.  

Our approach to dealing with this difficult situation is to begin by educating our clients in written correspondence as to why this policy is critical for them and for our business. We are confident that if you understand our policy, you will make every effort to give us advanced warning of a cancellation and, in the event you have to cancel on short-notice, it will be easier for you to understand the charge knowing the background information. We also want you to know we will make every effort as a business to try to reschedule your cancelled appointment as soon as possible with no additional charge. We are also sympathetic and understand that things come up that may force you to cancel unexpectedly (illness, work and home emergencies, etc.).  

Thank you so much for your understanding! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Ventura Pet Wellness & Dog Training Center at (805) 620-7616 or email us at shannonvpw@gmail.com