When a Client "Cheats"

When a Client 'Cheats': Handling Pet Grooming Loyalty with Grace

In an ideal world, our customers would bring us sweet, wriggling puppies and allow us to groom their pets until they die at an advanced age. The dog would be used to us and how we handle it for grooming, and we would be used to the dog and its behavior. Customers would appreciate how we make their pet look and smell and never forget to tip. But it's not an ideal world, and the above scenario is not the norm. 

Sometimes, customers take their dogs somewhere else to be groomed. There are many reasons why this might happen. 

  • Maybe your schedules don't line up.
  • Maybe they can't wait for an appointment, and your calendar is full.
  • Perhaps your pricing isn't in their budget.
  • Sometimes, people have their pet groomed at a boarding kennel where the pet stays while the family travels.
  • Sometimes, people have their pets groomed while traveling for vacation with them.
  • It is possible that they just wanted to check out how another groomer would make their pet look. 
     

I recently read about a groomer who has a clause in her business policy that states if the customer takes the dog to another groomer, they will be terminated as clients in the future. While it is every business owner's right to operate with any rules they see fit, this does not seem user-friendly. We do not own our customers; they have free will and the ability to choose to have their pets groomed wherever they want. It is the groomer's job to create a working relationship with their customers that makes it so they don't choose to take their pets elsewhere. 

Of course, there are exceptions. I had a woman bring me a Shih Tzu that several other groomers had fired because of extreme aggression. It was a young dog, and I believed that with regular grooming and some training from me, the dog and I could develop an understanding, and he could be safely groomed. In this case, I told her I would take the risk if she brought him every six weeks and didn't take him elsewhere. We were making real progress after a few months, then she skipped a few grooms entirely and tried another groomer once the dog was matted. He bit the groomer, and they called to get him back in with me. I wasn't willing to start rebuilding trust and retraining this dangerous dog, so I refused to try again. 

Often, the experience of trying a new groomer sends our customers back to us with a renewed appreciation for our services. Some of my most loyal customers live on another coast in the winter. They can't wait to return to their summer home and my seasonal styling. The "moral" of this post is that we should not take it personally if a customer takes their pet elsewhere for grooming. We should be glad to see them when we do, enjoy their pet and the income they bring when they choose us. 

 

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Daryl Conner, MPS Meritus, CMCG has been devoted to making dogs and cats more comfortable and beautiful for 40 years.  You can find her happily working at FairWinds Grooming Studio with her daughter or typing away at her latest grooming-related article. Daryl was awarded both a Cardinal Crystal Award and Barkleigh Honors Award for journalism.  She shares her meadow-hugged antique Maine farmhouse with her practically perfect husband and a lot of animals.