Pet Headquarters, a local independent pet store, offers exceptional, personalized customer service
By Hilary Dartt
In Prescott Valley, Pet Headquarters is a place where staff members know customers—and their pets—by name. It’s a place where new customers come in and immediately feel like long-time friends, and where people are greeted by wagging tails and puppy kisses … or, smiles and hugs (these days, it’s elbow bumps).
Yes, customers can buy a variety of pet foods and supplies, have their dogs groomed, or use the DIY dog wash facilities. But more importantly, according to Tori Simpson, who co-owns the store with Robyn Hazlewood, customers get to enjoy the caring attitude that comes from the fact that the store is an independent business.
“The great feedback we receive tells us that we must be doing the right thing for all,” she said.
In fact, this summer, the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce awarded Tori and Robyn the 2020 Business Leaders of the Year. The award is dedicated to business owners who “demonstrated leadership in the advancement of the business community and economy.”
“This award is a real achievement,” Tori said, “and validation of the efforts that [we] have put into the store and the contributions we have made to the community.”
Robyn said her mother and two aunts—known by all as “The Three Graces”—raised her to always be kind to others and to give back to the community.
One example of putting this into action, Robyn said, is when Pet Headquarters gave free bags of dog and cat food to those who may have been financially affected by the pandemic and may be struggling to feed their pets.
Robyn and Tori bought the store together in 2016.
Robyn had worked there for five years after a 29-year career at Kroger (where she retired as Director of Operations), so she had lots of retail experience. The store’s previous owner hadn’t yet found an interested buyer, and Robyn knew Tori was ready for something new.
Tori had recently been laid off from a 19-year career in Technologies at American Express, and when Robyn approached her about buying Pet Headquarters, she was excited about the opportunity, especially since Robyn had so much retail management experience in addition to her employment at the store. To bring herself up to speed on entrepreneurship, she obtained a post-graduate Academic Certificate in Small Business Management from UCLA.
Each woman’s role in the business plays to her strengths: Robyn runs the front end and daily operations, and Tori handles the back-end administration, including the website and social media posts.
Tori said the store’s team of professional groomers have a combined 60 years of experience—and their own fan club.
“That’s a lot of bows, ribbons, and bandanas,” Tori said, adding that happy pet owners love to show off their freshly-cut Fidos, displaying their new ‘dos on the way out (with encouragement and treats from the Pet Headquarters Team).
“We hope all of our customers leave our store feeling that they were heard, that they enjoyed our exceptional customer service, that we found the right products for their pets, and that their pets will thrive based on what they purchased from us,” Robyn said.
To deepen the experience, Pet Headquarters maintains a fun, entertaining presence on Facebook.
“It’s like a virtual Pet Headquarters experience!” Tori said. “We often post funny pet-related items that we hope everyone will find a little uplifting. We can all use a few more smiles and laughs these days.”
Also, customers can submit pictures of their pets for Pet Headquarters to share online.
Learn more online at www.facebook.com/petheadquartersaz, www.petheadquartersaz.com, or visit the store at 2710 N. Glassford Hill Rd. in Prescott Valley. Call 928.775.5558.