Pet Grooming and Washing in PDX

The website looked great. The video was a really nice touch! The «I don’t want you to worry» section made me feel good. When you look through this website you get the warm & fuzzies! So I used the form on the website to contact Charles & expected a prompt response from this small business owner. 24hrs later, no response. 48hrs later, no response. 5 days later, no response. Hmm, well, ok, lets give Charles the benefit of the doubt. :) Perhaps the contact form on the website is broken, perhaps he’s on vacation and forgot to set up an «out of office» auto-​reply.
I contact Charles a second time using email instead of the website’s contact form. 24hrs later I get a reply; great! Charles tells me via email that he can provide service and that he will send a reference list and asks to meet over the weekend. I received a rather messy/​unprofessional reference list via email. I respond to Charles w/​my availability for a first meeting and start to call his references. I make 5 calls. Only 1 client speaks with me (she is a current client and has positive things to say including he «rarely» flakes on us), none of the other clients answer their phone or return my call. 24hrs later Charles has not responded to my email looking to firm up a date for our first meeting… warm & fuzzies fading… a week later and (1) no return calls from his references and (2) no follow up from Charles on setting a date for an interview. Warm & fuzzies gone. Totally.
So… I head over to Unilocal and am extremely disappointed. Only 5 reviews but just 1 star overall. His correspondence with Colin & EM was just… disturbing. Not at all professional — he resorted to name-​calling! A small business owner calling clients names, arguing with them, via email and Unilocal.Whoe! and «Eek!» I say!
Additionally, I agree with several other Unilocalers: it’s bad business to not respond promptly to potential customers. If you’re going on vacation, set up an «out of office» auto-​reply. If you are no longer taking on clients, update your website to reflect same and set up an auto-​reply instead of ignoring email inquiries. In this day & age where we are all so connected there’s absolutely no reason for it to take more than 24−48hrs for a potential client to hear back from a small business owner.

This is the first service that came up on my google search and his website looks good so, I emailed him to arrange service to check on my dog while I was on vacation. I never heard back from him and e-​mailed him again a few days later. Not very good business for not getting back to potential customers.

I have been using PDX Pets On the Go! for over three years, and have been completely satisfied and thoroughly delighted with the service that Charles provides.
Charles walks my dog five times per week and covers multiple visits per day when we are away on vacation. He is very prompt in replying to my email requests, and has always been willing and able to drop by on short notice. On one occasion, my dog became very ill before we left on a two-​week vacation. I was, of course, very emotional and distraught, but having Charles there to take care of my aging pup, give her meds, walk her, and update me on her status throughout my trip was invaluable. Even without my requesting it, Charles gave my dog extra attention and I appreciated it immensely.
Additionally, when I’m away on business or my job becomes overly stressful and busy, Charles has been available to take my dog to the vet or to the groomer for bathing.
Needless to say, my partner and my dog and I love PDX Pets On The Go! Charles has my utmost respect and confidence as a caretaker for my beloved pet.

This is my first review on Unilocal,and certainly the first online review I’ve ever left for a person I haven’t actually met, or a service I never received. That said, I feel compelled to share my experience with Charles Sutton.
I’ve seen his ads on craigslist several times; he posts a few times a week. Brags about loving dogs and being fabulous. He even wrote a press release (a self-​interview he calls it) here:

I sent him an e-​mail asking if he’d be interested in walking my dog, but I got no reply after a week and a half. Very, very unprofessional. Whether you’re interested or not your should REPLY. I’m a small-​business owner, too, and I would NEVER ignore contact from a current or potential customer.
I followed up with another email (before I read his reviews here), and he said, «Sorry I have no ability at this time…» I checked craigslist again, and he had JUST posted an ad. Whatever.
Based on my experience and the two other people here who have met him and find him odd, I’d avoid him. It seems he’s a great dog walker to certain people on certain days if he’s in the mood.

Please do not contact this person. During his initial consult he stormed out of our house 2 minutes into the initial consultation when we mentioned that we were interviewing a number of agencies to take care of our animals. He proceeded to call my husband names over email when we asked for an explanation for his behavior. We are actually worried for the safety of our house and animals after our interaction with him.

Avoid this person at all costs. My wife (username EM) posted about our interaction with him. It was so bizarre and unsettling I felt it necessary to post the entire, unedited email exchange I had with him before and after the event. During the initial consultation, when we told him we were interviewing other sitters, he literally stood up from our living room without looking at us, said «I’m hungry so I’m going to leave» and ran out our front door.
The emails below are unedited except for last names, phone numbers and addresses being removed. My name is Colin & he is Charles. Read from the bottom up:
— — — — — — — -
From: Charles
To: Colin
Date: May 24, 2010 12:11:43 PM PDT
Subject: Re: Pet Sitting References
Listen prissy, as you say there was no commitment on my part I decided we where not a good fit. You where supposed to call refereces prior to the consultation. Stop harassing me. I know that who ever you hire is going to charge twice what I would have. Think of me when you are writing the checks. Now leave me alone you inconsiderate waste of my time. Have a great vacation. Charles
— — — — — — — -
From: Colin
To: Charles
Sent: Mon, May 24, 2010 11:58:44 PDT
Subject: Re: Pet Sitting References
Charles,
We were under the assumption that the meeting was an «initial consultation» as you outline on your website here and that it did NOT reflect any commitment to work together. You yourself even say on the site that «You will not be charged for a consultation unless we agree beforehand.» How can you expect us to give you a key to our house, and trust our animals to you, without even meeting you first??? What is the point of the «initial consultation» if it’s not to determine a potential fit between both parties?
For your reference: every other pet sitter in town that we have talked to offers free, initial consultations. There is nothing binding about them. If you aren’t confident enough in your business to provide a free of charge initial consultation, then I suggest you find a new line of work.
And, yes, I did call your references. Unfortunately, I called them after you stormed out of our house so that I could explain the creepy interaction we had and to see if you were even in fact a real pet sitter and not someone who was scoping out our house so that you could burglarize us once we go on vacation.
I’ve not dealt with a more unprofessional «business person.» The way you handled that interaction was extremely immature and, quite honestly, unbelievable.
— — — — — — — -
On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 11:40 AM, Charles wrote:
Ok here is my explanation. I am very busy and did not feel like giving you any more of my time. I sent you references, which I am sure you did not bother to check. There is no reason why I should have to wait while you interview several other people. Then if you do decide to hire me I wouild have had to drive back over and get the key. I do not owe you my time. I can leave your house whenever I want. I can provide service to whomever I want. Sincerely, Charles
— — — — — — — -
From: Colin
To: Charles
Sent: Mon, May 24, 2010 11:04:45 PDT
Subject: Re: Pet Sitting References
Charles,
I would hardly consider that impersonal email an explanation for your abruptly leaving during our scheduled consultation. I really do want to give you a chance to explain yourself… whether it was something my wife or I did or whether you were experiencing a personal issue. With a valid reason I won’t be inclined to post any reviews of the interaction as we experienced it. I want to give you the opportunity to explain yourself and I hope that you can handle this in a professional manner.
Thank you,
Colin
— — — — — — — -
On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 10:07 AM, Charles wrote:
Hello, after careful consideration I have determined that I will be unable to provide pet sitting services on the dates you have requested. Thank you for considering PDX Pets on the Go!
— — — — — — — -
On Mon May 24^th, 2010 8:09 AM PDT Colin wrote:
Charles,
Any word on this?
Thank you,
Colin
— — — — — — — -
On Sun, May 23, 2010 at 10:17 AM, Colin wrote:
Hi Charles,
Can you please explain what happened this morning at our house? Needless
to say we are a little worried we welcomed someone into our house who we
don’t know and then the interaction ended the way it did. An explanation is
welcomed.
Colin
— — — — — — — -
From: Colin
To: Charles
Sent: Tue, May 18, 2010 at 12:25 AM
Subject: Re: Pet Sitting References
Hi Charles,
We are on for Sunday at 10am. Our address is:
########
Thanks and see you then,
Colin
— — — — — — — -
On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 7:46 PM, Charles wrote:
Hello and thank you for contacting me. Here is the reference list I
mentioned. I have you on the schedule for a consultation this Sunday between
10 – 11. If you have any questions please call me at ### — ### — #### also I never
got your address. Thank you Charles