EXPERIENCING OUR PET CARE CENTRES Support Office and Field Teams
FY26
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EXPERIENCE DAY
CONTENTS
Click on the sections in the contents list to take you directly to the section you’re looking for.
Introduction
Our Customer Journey
Our Pet Care Centres
Our Pet Care Centre Teams
A Day in the life of our Pet Care Centres
Our Practises
A Day in the life of our Practises
Recommended Activites
Moving Forward
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EXPERIENCE DAY
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to your new journey at Pets!
As a support office colleague, you play a crucial role in bringing our purpose to life: creating a better world for pets and the people who love them. To fully understand and support your role, we believe it's essential for you to experience first-hand what our colleagues in our pet care centres (both retail and veterinary practice) do every day. This booklet is designed to guide you through your one-day visit to a pet care centre, where you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of our business. By experiencing both the retail and practice areas, you'll gain valuable insights into our ecosystem, how our business operates, and what our customers experience when they walk through our doors. Throughout your visit, you'll find questions to ask and reflect on within each section, helping you deepen your understanding and connect with colleagues from different areas of our Ecosystem. This day isn't just about learning—it's also about networking and getting to know the colleagues who will be supporting you in your role. Above all, remember to have fun! We believe that learning should be enjoyable, and we hope that this experience will not only enrich your understanding of our business but also inspire you as you embark on your journey with Pets!
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EXPERIENCE DAY
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOKLET This booklet is broken down into different areas so your able to navigate back and forwards between the areas you need or want to learn more about whilst on your experience day. There is information on both our Pet Care Centre and Veterinary Practises so your able to understand how each operate and how they work in connection with one another as one Ecosystem and get the most from your experience day.
What our customer journey looks like within our Ecosystem- Putting yourself in the customer shoes!
You will find a breakdown of each job role within our Pet Care Centre and Practises to support you when working alongside colleagues in your experience day!
Questions that you can ask colleagues working within the Ecosystem that will help to to gain further understanding and knowledge!
Recommended activities that you may be undertaking and supporting with during your experience day!
How moving forward you can use your knowledge from your experience day and put into practise in your role!
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EXPERIENCE DAY
OUR CUSTOMER JOURNEY
As you explore your experience day, it's important to grasp how every part of Pets connects.
Click on each area to find out more!
Each aspect plays a vital role in shaping the customer journey. Understanding this interdependence highlights the importance of teamwork across all areas. Together, they ensure a smooth pet care experience. So, during your day, keep in mind how these elements work together to fulfil our mission of creating a better world for pets and the people who love them!
Pets Club
Now you can see how the elements of Pets work together to provide a unified pet care experience. More products and services lead to more visits to our stores, groomers, practices, and website.
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EXPERIENCE DAY
Our Pet Care Centres
Pets at Home is our retail brand, and we are the leader in UK pet retail, offering a host of services and products, including own brands such as Wainwrights, AVA and 3 Peaks. The draw for our customers is our colleague's customer service, and extensive expertise and pet care knowledge Pets Grooming is the UK's largest network of professional grooming salons for dogs. Offering a range of services from extensively trained groomers, located either in our Pets at Home stores, or as standalone. In total, we have over 450 stores, and over 300 Pets Grooming salons nationwide - all there to support our customers and consumers with various products and services and to drive our purpose of creating a better world for pets and the people who love them.
As part of your induction into our Support Office and Field Teams, you will have the opportunity to visit one of our Pet Care Centres, allowing you to experience how our stores and salons operate on a day-to-day basis. Over the next few pages, we have shared an insight into “A Day in the Life of a PCC” where you can read about the roles we have in our practices, their individual duties and responsabilities and some key questions and areas of interest to think about and ask when you visit.
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Our Pet Care Centres
At Pets, our colleagues are inspirational, and collectively, help contribute to the success of our business. As part of our evolution, we have designed what is known as the four C’s, which are guiding principles our teams follow to really contribute to future success and growth.
Our customers are imperative to our success, however, they choose to shop. Therefore, our colleagues look to ensure our customers are always prioritised over task, are provided fantastic customer service, and wowed by our teams pet expertise and knowledge, so our customers want to visit time and time again.
#1 - Customer
To be successful, we require capital and ultimately, for our customers to spend their hard-earned money with us. Our teams ensure stock is on shelves, promote products, and execute price changes flawlessly to encourage customer purchases.
#2 - Cash
Our colleagues are our unique selling point - and ultimately, they make the difference. We encourage our teams to support each other, sharing knowledge and expertise, but also look to celebrate our teams and reward them for the amazing things they do each day. Importantly, it’s also about having fun, and ensuring our colleagues enjoy coming to work everyday. Core encompasses our business as usual, and ensures the basics are still completed, and held in high regard. This includes providing a shoal to our colleagues at the start of a shift, ensuring our Pet Care Centres remain presentable and tidy, and following our procedures and policies, which include Pet welfare.
#3 - Colleague
#4 - Core
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EXPERIENCE DAY
Our Pet Care Centre Teams
Our Colleagues
When it comes to our Pet Care Centres, our store colleagues are a different breed.
They care about pets, our customers, their colleagues, our stores, performance and sales. They offer a warm welcome. They ask and they listen. They think about the best solution and offer choices. And they make sure each one of their customers leaves having enjoyed an exceptional experience. And as they give that care out, they get it back tenfold as they are supported by the team, encouraged and inspired, respected and valued. Yes, there are targets to meet and performance standards to achieve, but we go a long way to make sure those are fun and enjoyable, we achieve them as a team and we look ahead together to see how we can be even better every day.
PCDP Pet Care Development Programme
All of our retail colleagues complete Our Pet Care Development Programme, which provides all retail colleagues the opportunity to learn and grow, covering a range of modules which includes Pet Care Ecosystem, customer services, till training, and pet knowledge. The programme is designed to be comprehensive, and includes e- learning modules, offline activities, and hands on training supported by a buddy
PCDP: The PCDP is completed in the first 6 months from a colleague onboarding, with dedicated training hours provided.
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Our Pet Care Centre Teams
Deputy Managers and Store Managers
Out Pet Care Centre leadership team are responsible for delivering excellent customer service, maximising sales and driving the performance of the team though achieving various KPI’s and sales targets. Our leadership teams are also vital to ensuring our processes and procedures are completed correctly and are ultimately responsible for ensuring pet welfare is adhered to and maintained. They achieve this through building a highly engaged and high-performing team, providing honest feedback, utilising effective communication, and also, importantly, supporting the wellbeing of the team. Leadership starts at our keyholder stage, whereby pet care advisors take on their first-ever management responsibilities and tasks , with our full time leadership roles then progressing into deputy, store and senior store manager roles.
Duty Management Training & People Management Fundamentals
Duty Manager training is only available to our retail colleagues, and provides all new managers, external or internal support and knowledge to sufficiently develop as a competent Duty Manager in our Pet Care Centres. It covers the technical day to day elements and provides on demand content, supported by on the job training and utilises field team members. People Management Fundementals is live across the entire business, and provides a suite of resources to support our managers in undertaking their roles, with a focus on their knowledge, skills and behaviours. It provides content focused to the colleague journey, including talent acquisition, health and wellbeing and diversity and inclusion, and spans across various business areas including relevant policies and processes.
EXPERIENCE DAY
Our Pet Care Centre Teams
Our Salon Team
In our salons, we operate a four tear structures, ranging from assistant stylist, all the way to head stylist:
Assistant Stylist: Hourly paid role, providing an opportunity to learn basic techniques of Grooming, including first aid, behaviour, prep it and clip it. Stylist: Hourly paid role - in addition to the previous responsibilities they would have passed snip it, and be continuing to develop their commercial grooming techniques. Senior Stylist: Hourly paid role - recognises those stylists who have mastered their grooming techniques, and can demonstrate advanced techniques including hand stripping, hand scissoring and breed standard styling. Head Stylist: Salaried role, responsible for equipment, ordering, rotas, recruitment and training, audits and risk assessments. Supported by the store leadership team.
Our stylists take pride in their work, ensuring pets enjoy the best possible grooming experience and exceeding their owners’ expectations. That begins with a warm welcome, continues with listening to needs and offering solutions that exceed expectations, and extends to ensuring they leave intent on coming back.
Salon Training : Qualifying as a Stylist
Covers the essentials: bathing, drying, clipping nails and overall preparation and handling of dogs. Also training on equipment, different dog breeds and coat types, and animal and colleague welfare. Focuses on scissor techniques and head styling. This involves continuing to gain a more in-depth understanding of grooming and the various techniques. Indepth focus on different breeds and their specific grooming needs and styles. Also how to handle and groom puppies safely and with compassion We l come Guide
#1 - Prep it
#2 -Clip it
#3 - Snip it
EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Pet Care Centre
Our Expertise
At Pets, many of our customers choose to shop with us for our expertise - this is because they know that our colleagues and pet care teams have extensive knowledge to support them in purchasing the right products or use the right services to support their pets. After all, one of our values is to be ‘ experts in our field.’ We refer to the areas of our business as an ecosystem, as ultimately, they work in unison to enable us to be successful. In a similar vein, we have more than just stores, grooming salons or veterinary practices - we have Pet Care Centres, where all these different areas work together to support our customers and consumers. In addition to that which has already been covered, we have two additional expertise routes for our Pet Care Centre teams, which feature becoming a SQP/Rama, or a Customer Experience Lead
Customer Experience Lead
SQP stands for a suitably qualified person, or may also be referred to as a RAMA - a registered animal medicines advisor. It is a colleague who is qualified to dispense licenced medicines to companion animals, including those for direct sale, or for subscription. To qualify, select colleagues need to complete examinations held by AMTRA and Harper Adams University, which upon qualifying, provides the SQP/RAMA a earn as you learn trigger and pay increase. Customer Experience Leads drive exceptional experiences in Pet Care Centres by role-modelling service excellence through ‘Customer Magic’ and coaching colleagues. They focus on customer, services, and pet care—creating personalised interactions, promoting products, ensuring welfare standards, and gathering feedback to improve performance while inspiring colleagues and turning great service into loyalty and sales.
E
SQP/RAMA
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EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Pet Care Centre
Considerations for your Pet Care Centre Visit We hope you’re excited for your Pet Care Centre visit, and are looking forward to meeting various members of our team at the agreed location.
We want you to get the most out of your visit, and for it to be as beneficial as possible, and therefore, have provided a few areas below to support you prior, and during your visit.
Things to consider when you visit This includes some considerations, to help you to understand what to expect, as well as various questions you can ask, or suggested activities you can complete during the day.
Understand the working environment: the office and colleague room is a shared space. Understand customer expectations Explore challenges currently facing the retail and grooming industries Every day is different - unexpected events and situations may take place. As there are pets and animals within our Pet Care Centres - expect there to be the occasional mess. You may get dirty. Understand that the experience and skillset of each team can vary, including that of our leadership teams.
Be respectful of all colleagues within our Pet Care Centres. Understand the different tasks and various operations that they have to complete. Be aware of colleagues' wellbeing and the support they receive. Consider how the ecosystem operates across our salons, stores and practices. Find out what the colleagues enjoy about working at Pets. Remember customer is a priority, so will be supporting them throughout the day.
Have fun and enjoy your visit!
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EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Pet Care Centre
Questions to ask on your visit Below we have listed some questions you may want to ask when you visit one of our Pet Care Centres. What was the appeal for you working at Pets? How many colleagues do you have working here/how many work on a daily basis? Do you have an onsite practice and grooming salon?
What is the update on today’s daily shoal?
What is the priority and focus for today?
What KPIs are the team really great at?
How long have you been with the business?
What hours are you open? When are you usually busiest??
What’s your favourite breed of dog to groom? [Salon Q]
What is your favourite dog spa product or package? [Salon Q]
How long have you been working in our salons? [Salon Q]
What was the appeal for you working in the salon? [Salon Q]
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EXPERIENCE DAY
Our Practices
Vets for Pets and Companion Care
We have 450 practices across the UK, made up of both in-store and stand alone practices. Some practices are Company Owned while others are Individually Owned. Our ownership model allows Practice Owners the freedom and independence to run their own veterinary practice with the benefit of being part of a large community of industry professionals. They can lead with complete clinical autonomy meaning they can make the best decisions for their clients, community and practice. As part of your induction into our Support Office and Field Teams, you will have the opportunity to visit one of our Pet Care Centres, allowing you to experience how our practices operate on a day to day basis. Over the next few pages, we have shared an insight into “A Day in the Life of a Practice” where you can read about the roles we have in our practices, their individual duties and responsabilities and some key questions and areas of interest to think about and ask when you visit.
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A Day in the Life of a Practice
A typical day for a Practice Owner/Manager involves: Practice Owner/Practice Manager Morning setup: Ensure the team is ready and supplies are available. Diary management: Plan schedules and staff rotas Meetings: Attend various meetings and communicate with other internal stakeholders. Team engagement: Regular catch-ups to address colleague wellbeing Afternoon audit: Review and address outstanding client debts.
Their role revolves around coordination, communication, and ensuring smooth operations for quality client care
Veterinary Surgeon A typical day for a Veterinary Surgeon involves:
Morning preparation: Review appointments and plan for the day's surgeries. Coordination with nursing team: Discuss surgery preparations and medication requirements. Client communication: Report results, prescribe medications, and address client queries. Administrative tasks: Respond to emails, make callbacks, and engage in continuing professional development (CPD). Clinical meetings and coaching: Participate in discussions and provide guidance to the team.
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EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Practice
Graduate Veterinary Surgeon
A typical day for a Graduate Veterinary Surgeon resembles that of a Veterinary Surgeon. They review appointments, assist the nursing team, and handle client communication and administrative tasks. They attend CPD sessions as part of their Graduate Programme and receive guidance from their GDP Advisor instead of providing clinical coaching. Their focus is on learning and development while delivering quality patient care
Veterinary Nurse
A typical day for a Vet Nurse involves reviewing the day's appointments and supporting the consulting vets. They handle tasks like vaccinations, patient monitoring post-surgery, and mentoring students. Administrative duties include email correspondence, ordering supplies, and client interactions. They also undertake CPD, run blood samples, and maintain cleanliness in the practice
Student Veterinary Nurse
A Student Veterinary Nurse assists in various tasks under vet supervision, including operations, consultations, client interactions, administrative duties, and maintaining cleanliness. They seek guidance from their mentor and work towards completing their training requirements
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EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Practice
The Client Care Advisor is the first contact point for clients and pets, managing calls, emails, and appointments. They handle financial transactions, reception setup, client communication, and reception area upkeep, including ordering supplies and registering new clients Client Care Advisor/Receptionist
Veterinary Care Assistant A Veterinary Care Assistant supports the clinical team by following instructions from vets and nurses, including holding animals during examinations. They also maintain cleanliness in clinical areas and kennels, ensuring all washing is done thoroughly.
Things to consider when you visit
Understand the working environment Understand client expectations Challenges currently facing the veterinary industry Every day is different - unexpected emergencies do occur Pricing can be different depending on the practice location Understand that the experience and skillset of each vet can vary
Be respectful of all colleagues within the practice Understand the difference between individually owned and group managed practices. Some may have their own policies and procedures in place that work best for that practice. Be aware of colleague wellbeing and the support they receive.
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EXPERIENCE DAY
A Day in the Life of a Practice
Questions to ask on your visit Below we have listed some questions you may want to ask when you visit one of our practices.
Is your practice individually owned or group managed?
How many vets do you have working here/how many work on a daily basis?
Do you have any Graduate Vets/Student Vet Nurses?
Do you have any practice interests i.e. cardiology, ultrasound, dentistry, exotics?
What cases do you see the most?
Do your colleagues have any pets? If so, what are they?
What made you want to become a vet/nurse/client care advisor? What hours are you open? What hours do colleague tend to work?
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Recommended Activites
Our Pet Care Centres are busy places, with lots going on at once. Each of our centres are different and unique in their own way, however, to support you get the most from the visit, we’ve provided some recommended activities for you to complete on the day. Please note this will depend on how many colleagues and members of the leadership are in, and what the Pet care centres offer/provide.
Be part of the daily shoal - find out how the PCC is performing, and what the focus of the day is.
Observe a colleague sell pet - whether that’s a small animal, a pet from our aquatics section or potentially even a reptile if it’s a reptile store. See what they do, and what information they share with a customer.
Watch our stylists bath and groom some dogs, and see the process from the desk to the back of the house. Be advised you may get wet and covered in animal fur!
Speak to colleagues and find out more about the different types of products we offer such as, accessories, nutrition and the services on offer.
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EXPERIENCE DAY
Recommended Activites
If it’s a delivery day, support with putting the deliveries out, or work some stock from our warehouse.
Ask what the current main promotions are, and find out what’s selling well at the Pet Care Centre. What are the hot ticket items?
Observe practice collegues and their daily tasks such as preparing medicines, checking the recovery of patients.
Talk to colleagues and ask them about processes within the practice and what a typical day looks like for them.
Observe appointments such as nail clips or vaccinations if available to do so.
Observe a Client Care Advisor and their duties such as liaising with clients, taking bookings and setting up payment plans.
Sign up to our Pets Club to understand the customer process. Before you leave, make sure you take a Pets club magazine!
INDUCTION
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EXPERIENCE DAY
Moving forward
Learning about something is one thing, what you then do to make sense of it and put it into action is another. You can build this through reflective practise. At the end of your day, use this form to take some time to pause and reflect upon what you've understood and the knowledge you have gained form your experience, consider what future actions you can take as a result and put into practise in your role!
Download and save this page
What- What did you learn? What stood out? What did you notice?
So What- What does this mean for you? How does it affect/ impact you?
Now What- What are you now going to do? What actions will you take and why?
You can use this page as a tool to continue to reflect upon your day and experience as you progress in your role!
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