FAQs
Why does 1-Call Holiday Arrangements exist?
In addition to those Client Benefits, did you have any other reason to create 1-Call?
Is the motivation behind 1-Call based on your personal experiences?
What is on the list of Services provided by 1-Call holiday Arrangements?
What is the one major reason to select 1-Call to take care of things while away on holidays or business travel?
Can 1-Call assist where the Client strongly prefers to have someone stay in their home while they are away?
Why not ask family members, friends or neighbours to take care of everything while we are away?
What are the advantages of the 1-Call services at home, versus taking our pets to a dog boarding kennel and a cattery?
Will we have the same people take care of things every time we are away?
Will 1-Call take care of any tasks for our family even when we are not on holidays?
What happens if there is a dispute over the effectiveness or cost of a service 1-Call performs. Do you have a guarantee of some sort?
What happens if the Client needs to cancel our booking at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances?
What are 1-Call’s policies for Dog Walking?
How do 1-Call calculate the cost of the Services nominated by the Client?
Are Corporate employers and business-people able to access 1-Call’s services for their staff?
Do 1-Call have Gift Certificates for family or friends?
Do you provide housesitting services?
How can people get started with 1-Call?
What does an Encore Career opportunity mean?
Is this a service that applies beyond the holiday traveller?
Q. Why does 1-Call Holiday Arrangements exist?
A. 1-Call’s reason for existing is to provide peace of mind to regular travellers, while they are away from home on holiday or for business, knowing everything is being taken care of – home security, pets, gardens – whatever their individual circumstances.
Q. In addition to those Client Benefits, did you have any other reason to create 1-Call?
A. The other reason for 1-Call’s existence is to provide business opportunities for mature-age Australians.
Graeme is a long-time vocal advocate of the benefits to the economy in harnessing the expertise, experience and life-skills of mature-age Australians.
1-Call presents a business opportunity and “encore career” as Area Partners, to the many trustworthy and reliable Australians approaching “retirement age”, or currently semi-retired, who are not yet ready for the rocking chair on the verandah.
Q. Is the motivation behind 1-Call based on your personal experiences?
A. Lesley and Graeme are regular travellers, keen gardeners and pet lovers.
We have friendly long-term neighbours, low maintenance garden with automatic watering, monitored security system — but every time we arrive home from a holiday, or visiting the Grandkids interstate, there is that feeling of concern about what we might find.
How have the pot plants and hanging baskets fared in the heat? Has there been a power surge and the fridge stopped working?
The reason we have not replaced our pets – dogs, cats, birds, even a pair of donkeys- was the problem of holidays.
After years of wondering why there was no organisation we could call to take care of everything while we’re away, we have decided to be that organisation – hence 1-Call Holiday Arrangements.
Q. What is on the list of Services provided by 1-Call Holiday Arrangements?
A. Every 1-Call Client has a unique lifestyle, and therefore a unique list of requirements to ensure they maximise the enjoyment of their time away from home. But there are some common denominators, and we have Check Lists as thought-starters, which we discuss at our Getting Acquainted meeting:
Pets
- Feeding arrangements including any special treats
- Maintaining litter trays and the garden “scoop”
- Exercise and companionship
- Vet visit, medication or scheduled grooming
- Dog Walking before your holidays to check our compatibility
Our Clients appreciate the benefits of their pets staying at home where they are their happiest, with their own bed and toys, their same food and treats, still enjoying their daily walk or snoozing on their favourite window sill. No tummy upsets or eating problems due to a change of diet, no fretting, no concerns with diseases from other dogs and cats.
Gardens
- Watering requirements including your pots and hanging baskets
- Adjusting automatic watering systems for weather changes
- Scheduled maintenance
Security
- Maintaining the “someone’s home” look
- Australia Post, junk mail and local papers collected
- Council bins emptied and promptly replaced
- Changes to internal and external appearances
- Most importantly, trustworthy locals to quickly protect your home and best interests if any unforeseen events occur
- Monitoring specified electrical appliances
Indoor Plants
- Watering and feeding
- Home Maintenance – While you’re away why not schedule for us to liaise with:
- Carpet and window cleaning
- Pest control treatment
- Painting
- Swimming pool or tennis court maintenance
Airport Transfers
Rather than the expensive choice of airport parking or unreliable taxis, let us drive you to the airport in your vehicle, then lock it away safely at your home or perhaps take it for repairs or servicing and pick you up on your return.
Little Extras – To welcome your home:
- Your favourite fresh breakfast in the fridge
- Dry clean your “work” clothes or repairs to your “work” or school shoes
So , whatever the Clients need to relax while they are away from home, 1-Call will take care of, either directly, or by liaising with experts or tradespeople where they may be required.
Q. What is the one major reason to select 1-Call to take care of things while away on holidays or business travel?
A. The answer is in our name — 1-Call.
With just one call, or email enquiry, you can arrange everything you require to allow you to relax totally on your next time away from home.
Trusted, mature-age local residents will take care of everything – your home security, garden, indoor plants, all your pets, getting you to and from the airport, your favourite breakfast in the fridge on your return, drop off your vehicle for servicing or repair, liaise with pest treatment people or overseeing the kitchen refurbishment.
And we’ll be there if something unexpected happens – power failure or blown fuses, extreme weather , unplanned deliveries. All that adds up to great reassurance for your planned holidays, and even more so for last minute or emergency time away from home.
That’s why our Clients say “Trust 1-Call to think of it!”
Q. What are the benefits of 1-Call’s professional services versus “free” house sitting by someone I find on the Internet?
A. This question is partly addressed in the section relating to 1-Call’s Complimentary House Sitting:
While we are absolutely committed to the Client benefits that result from the 1-Call method of providing care and security for our Clients’ home, pets and garden, we acknowledge there are circumstances where having 1-Call personnel stay in the Client’s home while they are away, will improve the Client’s outcomes even further.
This is commonly referred to as House Sitting, but with 1-Call’s professional dedication.
Our criticism of the vast majority of House Sitting services offered over the internet is that the house sitters are “on holidays” at your home, while you are “on holidays” elsewhere. The motivation for these house sitters is undeniably free accommodation for their holiday – having fun, travelling around and seeing the sights, doing what holiday makers do – without a care in the world.
We don’t believe your home, your valuable possessions, your furry and feathered family members, should be left in the care of people whose top priority is having an enjoyable and care-free holiday.
With 1-Call, our personnel are at your home to work, to deliver contracted services to the best of their professional ability. With house sitters found on the internet, they are at your home to have a holiday – hopefully they remember to feed the dog or splash some water on your wilting garden.
If, during our Getting Acquainted Meeting, we jointly agree the best outcome for the Client and their pets, is for the 1-Call personnel to stay in the Client’s home for all or some of the time the Client is away, there will be no additional charge for these house sitting services. Naturally our agreed hourly rate will be payable for the professional services we have contracted to provide, but not for the house sitting component.
Understandably we are able to “house sit” only one Client’s home on any night, and therefore we strongly recommend, if you wish to take advantage of this Complimentary House Sitting service, that you lock in your booking as early as possible.
The other major consideration is the continuity of the personnel assigned to service your needs. Once you, your pets and the 1-Call personnel get acquainted, there is no need each holiday time to explain your pets’ likes and dislikes, or the security arrangements at home, or how to adjust the automatic watering system.Internet-sourced house sitters are typically holiday-makers from a far away part of the world, attracted by accommodation that is more comfortable and less expensive than their alternatives, who will not be available, either at short notice, or for your next planned time away from home.
There is also the concern about “strangers” staying in your home, the potential for damage and breakages, and the possibility of coming home to an untidy house and a pile of washing.
Q. Why not ask family members, friends or neighbours to take care of everything while we are away?
A. The first consideration in this answer is how are you going to “pay” for the help provided by the family members, friends or neighbours?
The options are usually (1) by agreeing to take care of their problems next time they are away, or (2) by cash payment or similarly priced gift.
What happens if you are away far more often than they are, or vice versa?
Do you really want the commitment, responsibility and hassle of taking care of your neighbours’, family’s or friends’ pets and gardens when they are away?
Do you really want family, friends or neighbours having unrestricted access to your home while you’re away?If you are going to pay your family, friend or neighbour, wouldn’t you prefer an arms-length professional arrangement with well qualified and experienced locals, with well organised back-up in case of emergencies.
Q. What are the advantages of the 1-Call services at home, versus taking our pets to a dog boarding kennel and a cattery
A. Firstly, let’s quickly dismiss the alternative of the minority of poorly run boarding kennels and catteries, with cages and cramped accommodation, poor food and hygiene. The advantages of having your pets stay at home and be cared for by 1-Call are obvious, and require no further comment.
However the majority of dog boarding kennels and catteries are well run by genuine pet lovers, and should not have their reputation tarnished by the minority of shoddy operators. But even compared with the best run kennels and catteries, there are many benefits of the 1-Call “at home” services, for you and your pets :
- The time before you leave on holidays, and immediately after your return, is hectic enough without having to find time to take your pets to and from the dog boarding kennel and the cattery. What about the bird and fish?
- This is even more of a problem with last minute, unplanned trips away – and then the question of whether the vaccinations and flea control programs are up to date becomes an issue.
- Despite the individual care and attention your pets receive from 1-Call, the costs for 1-Call’s services are significantly less than the daily charge for a reputable kennel or cattery.
- Your pets get to stay where they are their happiest – familiar surroundings, sights and smells, same food, same exercise and play-time routines.
With even the best-run dog boarding kennels and catteries there are problems with so many animals in close proximity—infections, tummy upsets from a change of diet, transportation stress.
Q. Will we have the same people take care of things every time we are away?
A. Yes, with one proviso relating to very busy times of the year.
Our Area Partners are allocated responsibility for all assignments within their Post Code(s), which will be close to their home. So, as long as you, or they, don’t move too far, Yes, you will have the same people take care of your needs each time, which can be particularly helpful with last-minute unplanned time away from home.
At very busy times of the year, it is possible our local Area Partners may be so fully booked that they cannot responsibly squeeze any more into their schedule. In these circumstances we will offer an alternative solution via another Area Partner or one of our industry Associates.
As always, the best way to guarantee your local Area Partner will be available for you, is to lock in your booking early.
Q. Will 1-Call take care of any tasks for our family even when we are not on holidays?
A. Definitely. 1-Call is establishing a Concierge service for just that eventuality.
Once we have become acquainted, and we have established a level of trust in our capacity to perform the tasks you are looking to off-load, it makes sense to hand them over to us, even when you are home.
Whether that’s walking the dog two or three days a week for a time you are temporarily incapacitated, or just working long hours, or regular ongoing tasks you want someone else to take care of – dropping off the dry cleaning, running the car through the car wash on the way to do the weekly supermarket shop, picking up the kids from school.
Conversely, you may wish to check us out by allocating us some tasks while you are home to see how we perform – before appointing us to take care of things while you’re away.
Q. What happens if there is a dispute over the effectiveness or cost of a service 1-Call performs. Do you have a guarantee of some sort?
A. Because of our No Risk Guarantee, we don’t have disputes.
Our Guarantee is simply stated and risk free to our Clients – there is no small print, no proviso or exclusions :-
“If in your opinion you have reasonable cause to be unhappy with any aspect of the Services we have performed while you are away, pay us what you think our work is worth.”
Q. What happens if the Client needs to cancel our booking at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances?
A. We understand the disappointment and stress that comes from having to cancel a planned holiday or business trip, and we won’t add to your concerns by demanding a Cancellation Fee for your booking with 1Call.
This is covered in our Terms and Conditions:
Cancellation Fees. If the Client needs to cancel a booking with 1-Call, there is no Cancellation Fee payable. If the cancellation occurs within 7 days of the scheduled start of services being provided, and therefore the Client has paid 50% of the Estimate, a full credit for the amount paid will be available for the Client to use for future 1Call services, for a period of 12 months from notice of cancellation.
Q. What are 1-Call’s policies for Dog Walking?
A. For starters, we are happy to take care of just the dog walking duties, particularly as a means of getting to know each other.
1-Call does not provide dog walking for groups, but we will take responsibility for more than one dog from the same family. We will not accept dogs that are aggressive to people or other dogs, and we keep the dog(s) on the leash for the duration of the walk.
We will make an exception to the “on leash” policy if the dog owner has access to a facility that achieves a safe “off leash” environment.If a Client’s dog walking requirements necessitate the involvement of someone with a higher level of expertise than the 1-Call personnel have, we are happy to arrange, and liaise with, that expert, in much the same way that we would call in an expert with other than a simple electrical or plumbing requirement.
Q. How do 1-Call calculate the cost of the Services nominated by the Client?
A. Our charges are based on a very affordable hourly rate, plus any extra costs incurred on our Clients’ behalf – for example if we pay for an emergency vet visit while they’re away.
Because we and our Area Partners are local residents, there is no charge or allowance for our travel time to the Clients’ home.
At our Getting Acquainted meeting, once the Services are agreed upon, we provide an Estimate of the hours required for the time the Clients are away.
We ask for 50% of the Estimate to be paid 7 days before the commencement of the Clients’ time away, with the balance payable at our End of Assignment meeting.
No Cancellation Fee. If our Clients have the misfortune to need to cancel their holiday, and therefore do not require the booked 1Call services, we don’t add to their worries by charging a Cancellation Fee.
Q. Are Corporate employers and business-people able to access 1-Call’s services for their staff?
A. Definitely, via 1-Call Corporate Vouchers. The conflicting priorities of responsibilities at home versus work are of increasing concern to today’s business executives.
It is particularly difficult for the travelling executive to focus on vital work issues, when the arrangements for taking care of things at home are not in trusted, professional hands.This concern is more relevant for frequent business travellers and those who are confronted with an unplanned need to “ hop on a plane” quickly.
1-Call has the solution – in fact the choice of several.
For the frequent business traveller the opportunity to access the services of 1-Call, perhaps via salary sacrifice, will achieve a very comforting “tick in the box” for home security, transport to and from the airport, pets, garden, someone at home for that important delivery.
Next time the discussion on what to provide for staff incentives comes up, how about 1-Call Corporate Vouchers – which can be exchanged for Holiday Arrangements, Business Travel or Concierge services. Everyone takes holidays. Everyone has commitments at home.
Q. Do 1-Call have Gift Certificates for family or friends?
A. Yes, If you are looking for a Gift for someone who “already has everything they want”, here’s how to give them the feeling of extra relaxation for their next holiday away.
What about your own “significant other”? Might a 1-Call Gift Certificate provide the nudge needed to lock in your next holiday away?
You nominate whether the Gift Certificate is for a number of hours, with no $ amount nominated, or for any $value you wish.
The one thing you will never see on a 1-Call Gift Certificate is an Expiry Date.
Simply email us, nominating the Postcode of your intended recipient and the amount you wish to spend, and we’ll take care of everything from there.