I was watching a TV program I love… Grand Designs… and the budding home builders featured were the owners of a canal boat hire business in England.

Always having had a hankering to do such a trip, I googled their site to find out more. Amongst the great info on their site (and being a pet owner) one link caught my eye… ‘We Are Pet Friendly’.

What was said in a few lines was expressed so well it convinced me they were the boat hirers I would use if and when I get the chance!

In just a few elegant lines, they convinced me they understood me and were happy for me to bring my dog. They would not merely just put up with my mutt.

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Obviously they knew and understood dog owners. They walked in my moccasins. Convince me my dog is welcome and you’ve got me.

Here’s what they said:

We Are Pet Friendly

“On all our boats we offer dog friendly holidays. Here at bearBOATING we believe it’s not a holiday if all the family can’t come and that’s why all our boats are pet friendly at no extra cost. All we ask is that you leave the boat as you find it – so if you are bringing Fido then please spend a little extra time before you leave removing any dog hair from the boat. Whilst we would prefer that you keep dogs off the furniture we know that if they go on the furniture at home then it’s difficult to stop them – in this case we request that you bring some blankets or throws to cover the seating areas to prevent any damage or staining to our upholstery. Please ensure you advise us if you do intend to bring your four legged friend then we can put a bucket and sponge on the boat as well as a dog towel so you can give them a wash if they get wet or muddy – before they go back on the boat.”

How did they do it? Simple! They wrote in a way to show they knew dog lovers, they wrote it from my perspective.

Shouldn’t we do that all the time? Show we understand our customers and express it from their point of view!