At the beginning, everything was wonderful! The owners, Tom and Laurie, seemed genuine and after a long phone interview, asked to have a Skype interview a few days later. During that Skype interview they asked me questions regarding my management style and the issues I have dealt with in the past at previous boarding facilities I managed. Puppy Tubs was a lot smaller than the current place I was managing, and they asked me for a lot of advice on some of the issues they were having. Being new to the industry, they seemed very lost on some of the most basic procedures and protocols every safe boarding facility should have. They offered to fly me down to Georgia to spend time at the facility and interview in person. They graciously paid for me to fly down to Georgia, and even picked me up at the airport. The following day, I was at Puppy Tubs from 7am until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I was able to observe their staff during their heavy check in periods, feeding and medications, as well as watch their staff interact with the dogs. Making my way throughout the facility I was not expecting to see the “luxurious” accommodations for the dogs as small crates you would buy at a pet store...everywhere I turned there was a major safety concern. While the groomers and reservation staff were very nice, the employees actually handling the dogs concerned me the most. Although they were “trained” on dog behavior and body language, they seemed overwhelmed and flustered whenever with the dogs. The condition of the facility is marginal at best- the outdoor yards are screaming as a liability. Their fence was not intact and there were sharp rocks and large holes throughout their play area. Every red flag was popping up for me, and at the end of my day there, I briefly went over some of the issues I found and some of the ideas I had. I would never leave my dogs there...Puppy Tubs was a far cry from a luxury boarding facility, but Tom and Laurie seemed like they really wanted to change that. They were very attentive during our meeting and took notes the entire time. At the end of my stay, I was told that they wanted to go forward in the hiring process. They were going on vacation that following week, so I told them to enjoy their time and to just email me their offer letter upon their arrival. Two weeks pass and I email for a follow up- Tom wants to do a phone call to catch up. After postponing that call twice, he tells me he wants to wait for Laurie for the call. Finally, about 6 weeks later, I get on a call with both of them. They were both catching me up on some of the issues at Puppy Tubs and how they had already started to fix some issues I pointed out with my suggestions. At this point I was starting to believe I had been sucked into a scam. It seemed like they flew me down to get a free consultation. Laurie even asked me to write up some protocols for them...I asked them for the third or fourth time to send me an offer letter so I would be able to discuss it with my husband. We would have to make a multi state move, and we can’t make any decisions responsibly without knowing the financial aspects of the situation. Tom and Laurie both agreed they would send something over by the end of the week. I also asked them the time frame they would want me to be down in Peachtree City- they said about 6 weeks. At the end of the week I heard nothing. I decided to not reach out to see how long it would take them to send an offer letter. About a month later, I sent them a formal “good bye and good luck” email. I think it was extremely unprofessional to drag someone along when I do not believe they were going to hire someone at all. I’ve hired hundreds of staff throughout my tenure, and never did I lack the courtesy to tell someone they did not get the job. I was scammed into a free consultation for their business, with hours upon hours of my time wasted. What is most disappointing is that they preach they are a family oriented business with Christian values...Not even able to send a two sentence rejection email is pathetic, especially for a family who would like to grow their business and franchise. I post this review in hopes that if you are interviewing for “operations manager” to run- as far and as fast as you can away from this family and this business. They will drag you along and take your ideas, and then “ghost” you. I wish them the best with their business, but they need to learn to be respectful and professional in the pet care industry. You will not be able to franchise successfully if you build your business the way you are.
