I was pretty excited when I initially hired Toni to do some cat-sitting things for my elderly mother. Things like taking the cat to the vet, changing litter, some grooming. She was very sweet on the phone and via email. She was licensed, insured, and certified, which made me feel confident about our burgeoning business relationship. She had contracts, and she provided them to me in a timely fashion electronically.
But then, a week or so later, after the contracts were negotiated and signed, she informed me that her rates weren't accurately-represented in her contract, and she would need to charge extra for things like transportation to the vet. Simple enough, right? So I asked her to provide me with a new contract that specified her rate schedule and we could renegotiate. Not unusual, pretty average stuff in business.
However, in response to this, she said that my request was "too technical" and was "making her nervous."
She also didn't have receipts to provide for individual payments in cash, which is unusual.
She was a very nice lady, and I'm sure she is great with animals, but it was all really unprofessional in the end. I expect this sort of behavior from the neighbor kid I hire to mow the lawn. Not from someone who runs a small business. read more