"How can I get customers to pre-book?" a groomer recently wrote on a networking page. "I recently bought a business, and the customers are accustomed to making appointments online. It's nerve-wracking for me because the schedule will look wide open, but then there is a sudden flurry, and it gets full."
Every pet we brush exposes us to dirt, dust, and dander in animals' coats. When we clip hair, fragments of it are in the air we breathe. When we buff the claws, the residue floats around us. And then there is drying, when we aim high volumes of air directly into the fur, causing skin cells, tiny particles, and even chemical residue from the products we use to become airborne.
It happens pretty often—pet owners who are confused about what breed of dog they have at the end of the leash. It can be humorous, or it can cause problems. Here is an example. A customer calls and schedules an appointment for a Pomeranian. You set a date, planning how long it usually takes you to groom this breed. The customer shows up with a 48-pound dog that looks a whole lot more like a Chow mix than the Pomeranian you were expecting. Your schedule for the day takes a painful hit. This dog is much bigger and fluffier than you had planned on.
Your professional image is how you present yourself at work as well as in social or social media outlets that might spill over into your work. A pet groomer's professional image may differ from that of a CEO of, for instance, a tech company. Because of the nature of our work (think water and fur) and because our industry allows a certain amount of artistic and creative leeway. I know many successful groomers who pull off extreme professionalism while rocking primary-colored hair and lots of visible tattoos.
When I hear groomers expressing frustration about their work, it is more frequently about the humans on the other end of the leash than the dogs. For example, "I was traveling on vacation, and my flight got canceled. I had to reschedule two days of customers. Everyone understood except one man, who insisted I fit them in on a certain day. I offered many alternative solutions, but he wouldn't budge. That means on my first day back, I will be grooming until 9:00 PM just because they wouldn't be flexible.
True confession. I read a lot of online grooming forums. I enjoy seeing what other groomers are doing, thinking, and trying. I often learn new tips and tricks and sometimes get good ideas for my blog posts.
Sometimes, pet groomers get some unusual styling requests. I bet you will recognize some of these: "Shave the poodle feet, but do it all the way up to the wrist joint.", "Trim the legs and feet much closer than the body."....
Pet groomers are not required to hold any official certification in most states, and grooming is largely an unregulated industry. This means anyone can buy a set of clippers and scissors and call themselves a professional groomer.
If you want to stir up some arguments among a group of groomers, bring up the topic of offering “shedless treatments” as an add-on service. The three most significant points that groomers argue about when it comes to this discussion are:
I do a lot of thinking when I am blow-drying dogs. Last week, as I was (endlessly) drying a Cocker Spaniel, I began to ponder some "do's and don'ts" that apply to our industry. Here arethree of each that I came up with.
