Scout for Dog Walkers User Reviews

Top reviews

Recent bug

I’ve had an issue since the last update (version 3.2). On my schedule it says “you’re clear! No appointments in the near future” but I actually do have appointments and they are scheduled. It shows the green dot on the dates that I have visits, but when I click on the specific day it shows NOTHING being on my schedule.I know I have visits there but I feel like something is corrupted. I’ve tried uninstalling/reinstalling. Nothing has worked.
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New update issues

“Forbidden” error message when trying to check box, “save photos to camera-roll” and “10-minute warning”. Please fix soon. I enjoy the saved photos after the appointments.

Love it- needs a few tweaks

I’ve had scout for a few years now. It’s super affordable and the software does what I need. BUT I wish I could manage appointments and approve booking requests through my professional app instead of the web dashboard. Scout has consistently listened to feedback, solicited feedback and has always been amazing in customer service. I personalize my emails, they manage the billing and my calendar syncs to google.
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Worst app of the year

Very bad app I recamend not using

Behind on the times

As a former Pet check user I have to say I’m shocked at the lack of features and the overall clunky-ness of the app (as someone else on her mentioned.) The lack of customization and odd choices in formatting both on the app and admin portal leave a lot to be desired. Worst of all, my application for the Braintree payment processor got rejected and I have to use a 3rd party processor. Braintree is probably one of the worst processors out there. I may be switching back to Pet Check. It seems like the developers are way in over their heads and are behind on many fronts. As a business owner in 2020 I need the latest and greatest tech to push my company forward.
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Response from developer

Hi Will, I have to say, you certainly got our attention with this review. I'm sorry you didn't have a great experience with Scout. This isn't feedback we typically receive, so we'd love to learn more about what you found to be odd about the software and why you believe it to be behind on the times. If you'd be open to talking, please message into support@scoutforpets.com. We'd love to hear more.

Can’t sign up

There’s a login button but no sign up button

Not intuitive, kind of clunky.

I was one of the first to use their branded white-label app feature and while I was super excited at first to have my own ‘app’ so to speak, I was ultimately let down and had to cancel due to there being better options on the App Store for a dog walker/pet sitter.

Ultimately, their dog walker app is extremely limited. You can really only start a walk from the app, you have to use the website to schedule or do any sort of admin tasks. Which is super tedious to do from a phone (and asking way too much in 2019). They don’t have a natural boarding or daycare feature, instead they kind of have a ‘recipe’ to hack together a way to do it with their walking system, that just ended up feeling awkward. They don’t have a text message option. Customers that don’t pay with a credit card will not be able to see their invoices in the customer app (which then makes the customer app really only useful in scheduling...and even then I had an issue where a pending appointment never made it in front of me. They said it was an edge case.)

I honestly was a little surprised as one of their beta testers that they didn’t ask for any feedback upon me requesting to cancel...but oh well. Guess they got it figured out.

I did give it an extra star because they seem to have the reporting features that really large companies might need, such as bank reconciliation, etc. (none that I really need or prioritize) and if you have a lot of different line items you bill for. 🤷

Cole C.
Dabbin Dawgs
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Response from developer

Thanks for your review, Cole. I'm sorry you were ultimately unhappy with your branded app experience. It was explained that it was a white-label version of our existing app, which you had tried, so there shouldn't have been any surprises. Regarding your other concerns: ------------- Ultimately, their dog walker app is extremely limited. You can really only start a walk from the app, you have to use the website to schedule or do any sort of admin tasks. Which is super tedious to do from a phone (and asking way too much in 2019). ------------- This is true. When we first built Scout, we were servicing larger companies that typically operate with a manager or preferred to do things from a computer as managing a larger amount of staff wasn't as easy on a phone. That said, we're about to roll out a mobile-optimized admin portal in addition to adding administrative functionality to our new mobile app, which is being built from the ground up. ------------- They don’t have a natural boarding or daycare feature, instead they kind of have a ‘recipe’ to hack together a way to do it with their walking system, that just ended up feeling awkward. ------------- Also true. We built the software initially to serve dog walkers, so this functionality wasn't built-in. However, it's on our roadmap. ------------- Customers that don’t pay with a credit card will not be able to see their invoices in the customer app (which then makes the customer app really only useful in scheduling. ------------- True, but customers are emailed their invoice. However, we've heard this feedback and it is something that will be available in our new app. ------------- I had an issue where a pending appointment never made it in front of me. They said it was an edge case. ------------- You did run into an issue that was indeed an edge case. We also fixed it immediately after you reported it. ------------- I honestly was a little surprised as one of their beta testers that they didn’t ask for any feedback upon me requesting to cancel...but oh well. Guess they got it figured out. ------------ We would have liked to have gotten your feedback but you abruptly canceled and left the platform. Again, I'm sorry that you didn't have a great experience with Scout. This is not the typical feedback we receive, so we definitely take it to heart and are working to make things better for every business. All that said, I hope you've found something that fits your needs. Wishing you all the best, James

Expensive & lacking

Warning: the annual cost is $250 add to that the astronomical fee Braintree takes for using Scouts billing.
Only a third of my clients use it. The rest prefer old school cash and texting.

Response from developer

Thanks for your feedback. We're certainly always looking to improve and will continue to do so. I wanted to address a couple of your concerns: Pricing While Scout isn't free or the cheapest, we are by no means the most expensive. With our annual plan, you're saving 17% over the annual monthly cost, which is cheaper than 90% of competing softwares. Credit Card Fees Braintree's fees are something that is currently out of our control. The 2.9% + .30 transaction fee is almost a standard across the industry nowadays. All that said, Scout doesn't force you to use credit cards -- you can easily accept cash, check or other off-system payment methods.

Great App

I love this app. Very user friendly for both client and service provider. I wish that all the desktop features were accessible through the app though- definitely would be way more convenient

Logging in

I downloaded this app as never had it before, but it asks for your email and password (never gave me the option to set one up) so now i can’t get into it because it’s not accepting anything i put in.

Very useful and easy to use!

I really enjoy using this app for my clients’ walks. The only thing I would improve is being able to use all the desktop features such as billing as well as being able to upload photos from your camera roll instead of only having the option to take it directly through the app.

Excellent App!

I’m absolutely thrilled I found Scout! I am a neat freak and also very organized. Scout has made my business and all that goes with it so much easier! It’s a must for a dog walking/pet sitting biz.

TL;DR - best dog walking software out there

As the owner of a dog walking and sitting business, Scout is basically everything I've been looking for. There are a number of administrative programs out there to help organize walks, billing, and payroll but they all have significant problems. Clients don't want to have to deal with a difficult interface, and as an administrator I need an intuitive system where I can get where I need in two clicks or less. The major issue with other applications is they were built with mobile access as an afterthought. Scout is built from the ground up as a modern solution.

The customer service also is second to none. Not only are the developers extremely accessible, but they are genuinely interested in learning exactly why you need what you need and then implementing changes or adding features based on that feedback.

The scheduling page is amazing. The way they've set it up, you can easily drag and drop walks from one staff member to another and sort by staff or customer or service status to easily access whatever you need.

Both the walker and client apps are set up in a clean and modern way. Can't wait for the admin app to be released!
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No

It won't sign in so confused