Artificial Intelligence has already started to transform how businesses are engaging their customers across all channels (website, social media, phones, SMS). The businesses that are embracing this technological advancement are seeing higher profits, improved customer experiences and are delivering a higher quality of service to the pets in their care. This isn’t to say that AI is caring for pets, but it is helping accomplish many tasks and freeing up your staff’s time on administrative tasks and allowing them to focus more time caring for pets in the facility.
Business Growth with AI
As a CEO, you can grow your effectiveness when investing both time and money into leveraging Artificial Intelligence. Pet care business owners are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT) to write blog content, respond to negative reviews, create marketing materials, write job descriptions, and even turn pictures into social media videos. These tasks don’t require you to be tech savvy, just require a little bit of time and experimentation to get the best results. If you haven’t already signed-up and started using ChatGPT, then that would be your first step to harness the power of AI. You can sign up at www.chat.openai.com.
In the next 12 months, you will begin to see the adoption and implementation of Omni-AI Agents. These are AI driven personas that integrate all customer engagement channels and can be trained to intelligently answer the phones, schedule appointments, send emails, build report cards, respond to text messages, respond to social media posts and reviews, update vaccination records and a variety of other common tasks. Being aware of new technologies and establishing a technology adoption plan that you are comfortable with is essential to the continued maturity of your business.
AI for the Customer Experience
When you consider all the ways that your customers engage with your brand, using AI becomes a powerful tool to sync the information from your kennel software platform, social media accounts, website chat conversations and phone calls.
- AI CHAT BOT- The most basic implementation for integrating AI into your website is to install an AI driven chatbot that can answer questions about the business, policies, services and pricing. If you are using a Wix website, I recommend SmithAI chat https://smith.ai/chat because it’s very easy to load FAQ answers that are specific to your business and can provide immediate answers to customers researching your business and potentially wanting to schedule a daycare evaluation, boarding appointment or training consultation.
- AI WEB AGENT- If you haven’t experienced talking to a website in 2025, you will before 2026. Having conversations with AI embedded on your website will continue to expand in popularity. These solutions use natural language processing, have low latency (meaning how long the AI takes to respond) and can have a natural conversation with website visitors. As your customers ask the AI questions, the AI will navigate on the website AND answer the question with natural language. This approach will require a more technical aptitude, but the results are very powerful in delivering an amazing customer experience (especially for non-technical pet owners who struggle with simple tasks like booking appointments online or knowing what your daycare evaluation process looks like). The most powerful aspect of this is that your website agent can pull up the customer information from your kennel software platform to provide more accurate information based upon dog, breed, appointment history, vaccinations and notes your team has on their dog.
- AI PHONE AGENT- You’ve all been called into a business and have a directory to press #3 to get to the right department. Many pet businesses use an ‘after hours call center receptionist’ to handle phone calls and to be honest, most aren’t very helpful; they are just physical receptionists who doesn’t know your business or have access to your kennel software to act. With the advancement of AI, you can now leverage AI Voice Agents to answer the phone, tell your company story, answer service & pricing questions and even schedule appointments while following your script and prompting pet parents to add enrichment and departure services to capture the perfect boarding appointment. The benefit and power of an AI Agent over traditional skilled workers is access to real-time information. Integrated AI Agents can connect to your pet care software and know if it’s appropriate to offer a bath because it can see in real-time the last grooming service, the date of service and which groomer delivered it. This predictive analysis can also be leveraged to make the best enrichment recommendations based upon past appointments and report cards that were sent out which noted the services the dog loved. And of course, it will ensure your phone calls are always answered, which is a clear advantage in the pet care industry as there are many times we don’t have enough staff to answer the phone every time it rings.
AI Boarding Software
One of the most immediate benefits AI brings to the pet care industry is the ability to streamline operations. Whether it’s a dog daycare, boarding facility, grooming salon, or dog trainer, AI tools can automate routine tasks, freeing up staff to focus on high-value activities.
- Smart Scheduling: AI-powered systems can optimize employee schedules based on predicted demand, reducing labor costs and ensuring adequate coverage during peak times. This will help pet business owners accomplish key metrics of ensuring labor costs are no more than 35% of revenue across all services you offer.
- Capacity Optimization: Every pet care facility that offers dog boarding has one or maybe two staff members who are great at managing the run assignments to maximize occupancy with the smallest number of rooms transfers during their stay. Having AI implemented allows this process to be done automatically, saving hours every week when your facility is near capacity. This is especially helpful during peak holidays as stress is high, there are a million things to do, and you can re-allocate the staff labor to tasks delivering services and the always constantly required cleaning protocols.
- Inventory Management: Advanced algorithms can predict inventory needs for pet supplies, grooming products, or medication, minimizing waste and ensuring items are always in stock.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): AI-driven CRM tools can track customer preferences, send automated reminders for appointments, and even identify customers who are “at-risk” and haven’t used services in x number of weeks. This type of implementation streamlines customer communication and allows you to send targeted content to the customers that meet specific criteria.
- Price Optimization for Grooming: If your facility offers grooming services then you already understand the complexities with ensuring dogs are being priced appropriately based upon size, coat condition and temperament. Using AI in your boarding and grooming software will effectively create rules that look at several indicators to personalize the price and duration of each grooming service. This ensures you are not overscheduling your groomers and capturing all the revenue based upon the services that are being delivered.
Personalized Care for Pets
AI is enabling pet care providers to offer hyper-personalized experiences that cater to the unique needs of each pet and their owner.
- Behavior Analysis: AI-powered cameras (which iDOGCam is currently working on and testing) and real-time sensors can monitor pets’ wellbeing, alerting staff to any signs of stress, discomfort, or health issues. For instance, a boarding facility can use AI to identify dogs that may not be adjusting well (drinking little water or not eating all their food) and provide immediate intervention.
- Health Monitoring: Wearable devices integrated with AI can track a pet’s activity levels, sleep patterns, and vital signs. These insights can be shared with veterinarians or pet care professionals to proactively address health concerns.
Revolutionizing Customer Experience
AI is transforming how pet care businesses interact with their clients, offering seamless and engaging customer experiences.
- Virtual Assistants: Chatbots powered by AI can answer common customer queries 24/7, book appointments, and provide real-time updates on their pets during daycare or boarding stays.
- Digital Check-Ins: Facial recognition and AI-driven kiosks can expedite check-ins for pets, reducing wait times and enhancing convenience.
- Tailored Recommendations: AI algorithms can analyze a customer’s history to suggest products, services, or care plans that align with their pet’s specific needs.
Voice AI Personas: Driving Higher Revenue per Pet
One of the most exciting developments in AI for the pet care industry is the emergence of Voice AI Personas. These interactive, voice-driven systems are designed to engage pet owners and promote premium services, ultimately driving higher average revenue per pet.
You can see an example of Voice Personas by checking out and talking to the Voice Agent at www.sindarin.tech.
What Are Voice AI Personas?
Voice AI Personas are custom-designed virtual assistants that use natural language processing to interact with pet owners in a conversational, engaging manner. These personas can be integrated into apps, kiosks, or even smart devices in pet care facilities.
How They Work
- Interactive Upselling: Voice AI Personas can suggest add-on services during the booking process, such as enrichment activities, grooming packages, or Scent Space sessions. For example, “Hi Sarah, I see that Bella is booked for daycare tomorrow. Would you like to add a 20-minute play session in our Scent Space? It’s a great way to keep her engaged and relaxed.”
- Educational Engagement: These personas can educate pet owners about the benefits of additional services or products, helping them make informed decisions. For instance, “Did you know regular grooming can help reduce shedding and prevent skin issues? We have a grooming slot available during Max’s boarding stay.”
- Personalized Recommendations: By analyzing data from past visits, Voice AI Personas can tailor suggestions. “We noticed Daisy loved her agility training session last time. Would you like to book another session this week?”
Revenue Impact
- Increased Add-Ons: By actively suggesting relevant services, Voice AI Personas can significantly increase the average spend per visit.
- Premium Packages: These systems can promote bundled packages, such as a daycare plus enrichment combo, encouraging customers to opt for higher-tier services.
- Customer Retention: Engaging interactions foster loyalty, ensuring repeat business and long-term revenue growth.
AI-Powered Marketing in Boarding Software
AI is also transforming how pet care businesses market their services. From targeted advertising to predictive analytics, AI tools enable businesses to reach the right audience with the right message at the right time.
- Social Media Optimization: AI can analyze engagement metrics to determine the best times to post, the most effective content formats, and trending topics within the pet care community.
- Email Campaigns: Automated email marketing systems powered by AI can personalize messages based on customer behavior, such as reminding a client about upcoming vaccinations or suggesting holiday boarding services.
- Predictive Analytics: AI can predict customer needs based on historical data, enabling proactive outreach. For example, if a customer’s dog typically visits every six weeks for grooming, the system can send a reminder to book the next appointment.
Enhancing Training and Education
AI is also set to revolutionize staff training and education within the pet care industry. By leveraging AI tools, businesses can ensure their teams are well-equipped to provide top-notch care.
- Interactive Training Modules: AI-powered platforms can offer engaging, scenario-based training for employees, helping them learn how to handle various situations effectively.
- Knowledge Repositories: AI systems can provide instant access to a wealth of information, enabling staff to quickly find answers to pet care questions or troubleshoot issues.
- Performance Monitoring: AI can track employee performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement and tailoring training programs accordingly.
Building Trust Through Transparency
AI tools can help pet care businesses build trust with their clients by providing greater transparency.
- Live Video Feeds: AI-enhanced cameras can offer live video feeds of play areas or boarding facilities, allowing pet owners to check in on their pets at any time.
- Daily Reports: AI can automate the creation of detailed daily reports, including photos and notes about a pet’s activities, meals, and mood.
- Health Alerts: Wearable devices can send real-time alerts to pet owners if any concerning health trends are detected.
The Road Ahead
The integration of AI into the pet care industry is no longer a distant dream; it’s a reality that’s rapidly unfolding. Over the next year, we can expect AI to:
- Drive higher efficiency and profitability for pet care businesses.
- Enhance the overall well-being of pets through personalized care.
- Foster stronger relationships between businesses and their clients.
For pet care providers, the key to staying competitive will be embracing these innovations and investing in AI-powered tools like Voice AI Personas, automated systems, and predictive analytics. By doing so, they can deliver exceptional care while driving growth and setting new standards in the industry.
The future of pet care is smart, efficient, and deeply connected—and AI is leading the way. Are you ready to embrace the possibilities?, track pet health records, and more—so you can focus on what truly matters: the pets in your care.
