While suds and shears form the backbone of your grooming business, having outstanding customer service can make the difference between a business that is just getting by to one that is thriving. Ultimately, how your client remembers you matters more than ribbons and bows — and is a better predictor of whether or not they’ll become a repeat customer. Developing a killer customer service strategy is the best thing you can do for your business — it differentiates you from your competitors, creates long-term relationships with clients, and sets you up for success.
But we all know that customer service isn’t easy — especially in a business where clients, both furry and not, can be unruly. So here, the experts at PawCare have broken down the seven best things you can do to level up your customer service skills.
1. Engage in Active Listening
While this tip is perhaps our simplest, it is the most important step in setting the tone for a positive customer experience and interaction. Being genuinely interested in what your customer tells you builds a relationship and reduces your chances of making a mistake. Listening well and responding with follow-up questions or simple affirmations that you’re listening go a long way. Making eye contact and showing engagement through your body language also communicates that your customer matters and reassures them that their pet is in responsible hands.
2. Take Responsibility for Mistakes
The rules for small businesses are the same as many basic human relationships — tell the truth and admit when you’re wrong. If you forgot to clip nails or gave them the wrong trim, don’t wait to see if the customer notices. Admit you’re wrong and offer a solution, such as a free or discounted service.
Again, this tip is deceptively simple. Taking responsibility can be challenging in the moment, especially if a customer is upset or angry. The best thing you can do is to prepare for these situations in advance — because they will happen, even to the best groomers! — by having a strategy. Think of a few common ways something could go wrong with a grooming appointment, and do your best to have a course of action for remedying each. For example, if a client calls complaining that you forgot to clip their pet’s nails, know that your bottom line won’t suffer if you offer them a 15% discount on their next service and offer to squeeze them in for a nail clipping.
Having a playbook will help keep you calm and level-headed, allowing you to properly take responsibility for a mistake. It is also crucial to have if you employ multiple groomers or have a salon manager who may be interacting with customers instead of you — empowering your people to own up to their mistakes and giving them the tools they need to make things right will go a long way for both your business and your employees.
3. Make Sure any Liability Papers are Signed Before You Begin
The motto “the customer is always right” works well as a business model (and goes a long way towards point number two on this list), but you should also pay attention to what customers say and keep notes to avoid potential gaslighting and liability.
For example, if you charge an extra fee for bad behavior and the customer argues that it’s an unwarranted charge, you should be able to respectfully provide a signed agreement that the customer signed beforehand giving their permission for the additional fee and evidence that the behavior occurred.
4. Remember You’re in Control of Who You Do Business With
While you should always have animal bailee (a type of business insurance) coverage in case an accident happens with a pet in your care, you also retain the full right to refuse service to dogs who might present a high risk to your business. For example, if a dog is overly terrified of the clippers and repeatedly bites your employees or puts themselves in unreasonable danger, you may politely decline future business out of legal and personal concerns.
The same rule applies to your human clients, too. While it is often more obvious when a pet may be a bad fit for your business, it is equally important to part ways with problem customers. Is your client always late? Are they never happy with your services? Are they rude or disrespectful to your employees? If you’ve employed the tips above and still can’t provide a positive experience for a client, it may be time to draw the line. After all, they’re likely impacting your ability to service your other clients properly! If you decide to part ways, be sure to make a note in your grooming management software to avoid accepting appointments from them in the future.
The bottom line: Don’t let disrespectful customers take advantage of you, but always remain calm and professional while standing firm in your convictions.
5. Keep Written Record of Special Notes
Remembering details specific to the pet such as guard settings and unusual behaviors instills confidence in your clients. However, it can be difficult to recall these things with customers you may only see a few times a year. Grooming software like PawCare keeps customer notes digitally so you can have the information on file without asking the customer every time. It’ll instill confidence in your clients and take a load off your mind since you’re not having to consciously remember notes for every single pet.
6. Maintain Timely Communications
Responding to emails and booking requests may take a backseat when you’re elbow-deep in dog fur. However, prompt communication matters a lot to customers — especially when their dog is looking a little shaggy or smells like dirty socks.
Investing in a pet grooming software like PawCare — which allows customers to book their own appointments online, sends automated reminder emails and texts, and handles phone calls for you — allows you to focus on other matters while still taking care of the booking part of your business.
7. Create Blockout Dates in Advance
A major perk of owning your own business is being able to set your own hours and vacation schedule. However, while time off is healthy and even necessary to relieve stress and increase productivity, it’s a good idea to give your clients a heads up before you go.
Blocking out your vacation days far in advance on a 2-way customer app like PawCare gives repeat customers time to adjust their next appointment. This is a much more professional approach than the small business pitfall of closing unexpectedly or at the last minute at the owner’s convenience.
Final Thoughts
A consistent customer service strategy puts clients at ease, which is especially helpful in the pet care industry when many pet parents feel apprehensive about putting their fur baby in a stranger’s hands. Showing a warm and respectful demeanor builds trust in customers, who will be more likely to return to you for their pet’s next bath or haircut.
Brooke is a freelance writer, and has created articles for companies like Betterpet, Hepper, and PawCare. Her dog, Tuggles, and her cats give her real-life experience as a pet parent and sometimes appear as guest contributors in her posts. She happily makes her home in the Appalachian foothills where she takes note of the local wildflowers and haunts the neighborhood coffee shops.
Your brand logo serves as the first impression of your business. Potential clients probably see your logo before they walk through your door or meet you in person — whether they’ve driven by your grooming salon or seen your business while researching online on platforms like Google, Yelp, and PawCare. Whether consciously or not, customers judge businesses by the message, professionalism, and even the attitude implied in your logo’s style and colors.
While there are many things to do when opening your own grooming business, branding shouldn’t take the back burner. Your logo should be a top priority since it will reflect the spirit of your business and show the world (or at least your part of town) that you take their dogs seriously.
How an Awesome Logo Helps You Win Customers
Having a great logo is key when it comes to standing out from your competitors in online spaces like Yelp, Google, and PawCare. Your average customer doesn’t have time to wade through mediocre business pages. A stellar design encourages them to click on your page and a strong business model hooks them from there.
A professional logo also unifies your business’s style. This gives you the ability to advertise on the street since potential customers can clearly identify your business across flyers, magazine ads, and other media.
Dog Grooming Logo Ideas: What to Look for (and What to Avoid)
Branding may sound simple. However, you’ll need to distill your business model to find your niche before you can create the perfect logo. When sketching or writing your idea, consider things like:
1. Your Ideal Clientele
Your target audience is obviously pet parents. But who are your actual customers? For instance, do you find that most of your clientele tends to come from upscale neighborhoods where there is an abundance of small dogs and designer dog breeds? If so, you can imagine the type of places your potential customers shop—dog boutiques, luxury athleticwear shops, and organic grocery stores. The branding for these types of places may feature fancy typesets for chic shops, or use minimalist designs with earthy tones for the younger upper-middle-class hipster folk. If your average customer tends to belong to the middle class and does their shopping on Chewy, they may like relatable branding with more basic fonts.
2. Your Skillset
Every groomer washes and trims fur, but not everyone dyes tail fur in pretty pastels or paints nails. Look for subtle ways to highlight special skills in your branding, such as using quirky, exciting colors if dying fur is your specialty rather than traditional or neutral tones.
3. The Logo Type
There are three general types of logos: logotypes, logomarks, and hybrids. A logotype only uses text. For example, the logo for eBay consists of a single word but relies on the color scheme and font for identification. A logomark is recognized by a symbol, such as the Apple on the back of a Macbook. Finally, a hybrid consists of both words and symbols, such as the logo for Burger King.
4. The Message
When customers see your logo, do you want them to see an illustration of a happy Golden Retriever that exudes warmth and confidence? A grungy charcoal sketch of a Mastiff with sharp shears? A basic word or phrase in bold text? There may not be a right or wrong decision here, but it will depend on your personal preferences and the type of customer you want to attract.
5. Colors
Choose a couple of hues to use across all of your branding. These colors should feature prominently in your logo, or at least complement it.
6. Consistency
Your logo is a snapshot that should portray your overall branding. You’ll want to make sure to use the same or complimenting colors and themes across the board on your social media and beyond. You might even think of your lobby area as an extended canvas reflecting your company’s logo and branding.
7. Create Logo Variants
Whether you hire a graphic designer or create your own logo (which we’ll explore a bit more in the next section), the job doesn’t stop after you’ve created your primary logo. To the point above about consistency, you’ll want a couple of variations of your main graphic to serve different purposes. For example, the small bubble profile picture on your Instagram page may not allow space for your full logo, so you might borrow just the symbol from your primary graphic.
You’ll also need to create a few variants with different pixels and sizes to fit in different spaces—both online and on print media. Thankfully, graphic design software like Canva typically offers templates so you don’t have to guess what dimensions you need.
DIY vs Hiring a Professional: What to Know
Now that you have an idea of what you want, you might feel challenged to create your own logo. Software like Canva allows you to design logos either from scratch or by starting with a pre-existing template. While it may seem like a tempting shortcut to take, don’t cheat your business out of a professional logo. If you decide to design one yourself, be prepared to invest considerable time to make it look awesome.
How Much Should You Pay for a Logo?
One of the biggest factors that may play into your decision to create your own logo vs. hiring a professional to create it for you is cost. The average cost of a professionally designed logo ranges between $300 and $800, but know that the actual cost may be significantly more or less. For example, if someone charges $50 an hour and only takes a couple of hours to complete the project, you may pay $100 for the logo. On the other hand, it’s common to pay more than $1,000 depending on the artist.
If you don’t feel confident using Canva or other software, you might want to hire a graphic designer. You also may decide to invest your money instead of your time if you’re extra busy handling other business matters. The decision is up to you and it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re satisfied with the final product.
Final Thoughts
Taking the time to strategize your logo sets your pet grooming business up for long-term success. Once you’ve created your primary logo or received the finished product from a graphic designer, it’s time to make variant logos and share them on your social media, website, and business platform pages, such as PawCare.
Need help taking your grooming business to the next level? PawCare is more than an online marketplace for groomers. We help our trusted pet care partners with everything from managing customer service to building a stand-out website (you can check out our work for [GROOMER NAME] here). Request a quote today to see what PawCare can do for your business!
Brooke is a freelance writer, and has created articles for companies like Betterpet, Hepper, and PawCare. Her dog, Tuggles, and her cats give her real-life experience as a pet parent and sometimes appear as guest contributors in her posts. She happily makes her home in the Appalachian foothills where she takes note of the local wildflowers and haunts the neighborhood coffee shops.
Are you thinking about scaling your dog grooming business? If you’re steadily booked with customers and looking for ways to accommodate the growing demand for your services, it may feel like time to bring on an additional groomer.
Not so fast!
Scaling your business isn’t quite as simple as adding more service providers. To scale effectively, you must establish protocols for everything from customer service and marketing to workplace conduct and appointment management. This way, your business can continue to run smoothly throughout every stage of its growth.
Below, we’ll go over each stage of a growing pet business, identify some key challenges to look out for, and offer pointers on how to overcome them. Let’s dig in!
Stage 1: Owner/operator
As a pet grooming business owner/operator, you must fill the roles of service provider and CEO. That means you’re responsible for the marketing, financial planning, and customer service aspects of running your business. At the same time, you must also provide the grooming services!
For groomers who are passionate about their craft, this model can be ideal. It allows for a personalized touch and direct client interaction, fostering strong relationships and trust. However, it also comes with its set of challenges, including long hours, limited scalability, and the risk of burnout.
It may be time to consider expansion when you begin experiencing the following:
Consistently high demand for services
Difficulty managing your workload
Potential opportunities for growth in the market
Introducing automation tools — like a pet grooming software that can manage your appointments, client follow-ups, online presence, and even customer service — at this stage can streamline operations, freeing up your time to focus on core business activities and laying the foundation for future growth and success. Many business owners wait too long to automate processes or define workflows, but doing this early on will make it easier to move into the next phase of business growth!
Stage 2: Building a Team
In this phase of running a dog grooming business, you will transition from sole proprietorship to managing a small team of groomers. This shift allows for increased capacity to handle more clients and appointments while also providing opportunities for growth and expansion.
However, balancing grooming responsibilities with business management can be challenging, requiring effective time management and delegation skills.
Common hurdles in this growth phase include:
Finding and training reliable staff
Maintaining consistent quality of service
Managing interpersonal dynamics within the team
Automation tools, such as PawCare, can help you optimize scheduling and enhance your marketing efforts while providing seamless customer service for your clients. This supports the overall efficiency and consistency of your front-facing business operations, giving you more time to focus on building and managing your team and delivering top-notch services to clients.
Stage 3: Owner as Business Manager
As your dog grooming business grows, you may eventually choose to step away from grooming to focus solely on business operations. This transition marks a significant shift towards strategic decision-making, financial management, and growth planning.
Signs you might be ready to expand include:
Strong financial performance
High customer satisfaction ratings
A well-established brand reputation
Customers are routinely asking for additional services
A personal desire to move away from being a service provider and a manager
Thanks to the clearly defined processes you established at the beginning of your business growth, you now have a replicable business process that makes expansion and scaling significantly easier! At this point, you could explore opportunities to franchise, expand your existing location, or add new services.
Of course, challenges may arise when managing multiple locations or expanding your suite of services. You may find it difficult to maintain consistent quality across all branches and ensure effective communication between teams.
Investopedia mentions that one of the top four reasons that small businesses fail is because of inadequate management. If you feel your management skills aren’t strong, consider taking classes or hiring a business coach to help you embrace this role effectively.
Leveraging automation becomes crucial at this stage to enhance efficiency and scalability. Tools like automated scheduling systems, CRM software, and digital marketing platforms enable streamlined operations and improved customer experiences as you expand your dog grooming business to multiple locations.
Evaluating Readiness for Growth
No matter what stage you’re in, it is essential to evaluate a few key factors before scaling up to ensure your business is ready to grow.
Firstly, assessing financial stability and market demand is crucial. This ensures you have sufficient capital to invest in expansion and a strong demand for your services in target markets.
Additionally, reflecting on personal goals and aligning them with the business vision is essential to ensure that growth aligns with your aspirations and values. If you have no interest in expanding or franchising your business, that’s just fine! Staying small and providing a high-quality service to a core group of clients is a strong business model.
Leveraging automation tools like PawCare can serve as catalysts for growth at any stage of business, streamlining operations, enhancing customer experiences, and enabling efficient scalability.
By carefully considering these factors, you can make informed decisions about whether your business is primed for growth and take the necessary steps to move it forward successfully.
Janine DeVault is a celebrity dog walker turned content marketer. She is passionate about helping pet brands find their perfect people online through actionable, insightful content. She’s a dedicated animal rescue advocate and has a strong affinity for herding dogs.
Pet grooming software alleviates common headaches of running a small pet care business, such as managing schedules and recurring appointments. Depending on the platform, some pet grooming software might offer additional features that can help out with the marketing or financial aspects of your business.
Here’s a breakdown of features from the most popular grooming software platforms on the market to help you choose which product is the best fit for your grooming salon.
How The Top Dog Grooming Software Stack Up
Marketing
Recurring clientele is crucial for your success, but getting customers to find your business can be one of the trickiest parts of running a successful grooming salon. Deciding how you want to drive clients to your salon can help you make an informed decision about which grooming software suits your needs best.
For example, PawCare exclusively offers an online marketplace that displays your company name along with other grooming salons in your area on their website (think Yelp or OpenTable, but designed with pet care businesses in mind). Potential clients can find you when they search for a groomer based on their dog’s breed and their scheduling availability. This system connects you with customers who are already tailored to your areas of grooming expertise, making it easy for you to provide a positive grooming experience for their pup — and encourages them to become repeat customers who are happy to leave you favorable reviews.
Branding & Website Integration
If you plan to market primarily through building a brand through outside marketing and your business’s website, PawCare and Gingr would be the best fit since their software can integrate with your existing webpage. All of the other software solutions that we’re comparing in this article function exclusively through the customer app and the payment processing system at your salon.
With the exception of DaySmart and MoeGo, all of the top pet grooming software providers allow groomers at least some ability to brand their business’s profile on the platform so that customers can clearly associate your business’s image with the service they’ve received. For most, branding is reflected on the customer’s app and through payment processing, which displays your company logo.
Tiered Plans
If you’re not sure that a pet grooming software is the right move, ask if the software company has a promotional period or a free demo so you can try it risk-free.
With the exception of Goose, which is only available in one pricing model, all of the platforms on this list have tiered plans with customizable features and prices so you can pick the one that’s best for your business.
For example, if you want to focus on managing appointments, a basic plan might be adequate since all of the companies offer online scheduling and most have customer apps. The upper-tier plans usually offer more branding options and website integrations, which are great alternative resources for a marketing team or website designer. Some systems, like Gingr and PawCare, even make payroll easier by linking with Quickbooks or providing an internal payroll processing system.
Customer Relations
Thankfully, your customers don’t have to keep up with printed business cards anymore in order to book their next appointment. With the exception of MoeGo, all of the pet grooming software options come equipped with a customer app that clients can download on their phone to schedule their next appointment online. Most allow automatic scheduling as well, so the customer can set up recurring appointments every few weeks or as their dog needs.
A pet grooming software can also tackle secretarial roles by sending out automatic texts and emails. These reminders are a great way to reduce no-shows and look professional, without the time and cost of hiring a receptionist or the annoyance of handling these things on your own. These communications also have the ability to carry on a marketing role since you can automatically send out customer promotions.
Commerce
The best grooming software should allow you to manage bookings and get your money all in one place. While most of the providers on this list have integrated commerce features that allow for cashless payments, the key point of comparison to pay attention to is how those providers then pay you. PawCare even offers free payment processing and allows you to set up direct deposit so you don’t have to run to the bank to get your payment. Usually, this convenience fee hovers around 2.5% of the total cost, which is something to keep in mind when setting your prices.
Does your salon sell custom-made dog bandanas or crunchy homemade treats alongside your services? Finding vendors to fill your lobby with wares can be a great stream of additional revenue and pet grooming software makes it even easier to get some extra cash. As of right now, Gingr and PetExec are the only options with commerce functionality, but stay tuned because PawCare announced that it will roll out a point-of-sale (POS) system shortly.
How to Choose The Best Dog Grooming Software for You
Making your own pros and cons list based on the software features can help guide you in the right direction for your business’s needs. While any of the top pet grooming software may be useful, you’ll likely find there is a best option depending on your marketing goals and budgetary factors. If you still have questions, reaching out to a pet software representative or asking for a free trial can give you some more ideas before you commit for the long haul.
It’s difficult to answer the phone or respond to emails when your hands are deep in sudsy water. Grooming software like PawCare gives you an extra hand by allowing clients to set up their appointments online, making the check in, check out, and payment process seamless for both you and your customers—and reduces the risk of losing potential clients due to an unruly dog in the bath.
Pet grooming software replaces pen-and-paper methods of handling business and streamlines operations, which allows you to book more appointments in the same amount of time and makes managing your grooming business a breeze.
That said, to make the most out of upgrading your scheduling and business management system, you want to make sure you’re bringing the right software for your business on board. In this article, we’ll explore the key features to look for in a grooming software, and dig deep into how they can help your small business expand.
Key Grooming Software Features to Look For
Imagine hiring a digital assistant who handles all of your appointment booking, grooming notes, and your personal vacation schedule. The best part? They don’t take lunch breaks and they even work weekends and evenings when you’re not there.
The best pet grooming software easily tackles both the front end (what your clients see) and the back end (what you see) of running your grooming business, allowing you to spend more of your time doing what you’re actually passionate about. Here are just a few key things to look for:
1. Online Booking
Pet parents sometimes realize their dog needs a haircut or a bath after you’re closed or when you’re out to lunch. Instead of making them wait to book the appointment and risk them booking somewhere else, a pet grooming software like PawCare lets them book an appointment online after searching for a groomer in their geographical area. But don’t worry—there’s no chance for a scheduling conflict since you can set your own times and block out days to ensure availability (we’ll explore scheduling in a little bit more detail in the next section).
The best grooming software will allow you to integrate their online booking features directly onto your website, as well as allow new clients to discover you via a customer-facing app or marketplace (similar to how a restaurant reservation app like OpenTable works, for example). Leveraging a dog grooming app allows you to connect with your ideal clients (and gives your ideal clients a chance to connect with you!), as it gives them a chance to personalize their search. For example, clients can search for a groomer who’s suited for their dog’s breed, age, size, and who has availability at the times that work best for them, cutting out back-and-forth communication about your services and availability.
2. Scheduling
Having the ability to set your own hours is one of the main perks of owning a small business. With pet grooming software, you can block out times when you’re not available or even days when your business will be closed, allowing clients to select times that you know will work for both you and them.
This feature helps reduce potentially wasted time and income from missed appointments. If you have a no-show or an early cancellation, you can easily change your availability for the day in the dog grooming app, which allows other pet parents to fill the spot. Furthermore, grooming software providers like PawCare will even set up a cancellation fee for missed appointments or last-minute cancellations if you have a show rate of 98% or higher.
3. Recurring Reservations
Online scheduling with the potential for automatic appointments makes booking the next appointment and retaining a new client a breeze. For example, if your client’s dog needs a routine trim every 6-8 weeks, you can set up recurring reservations to make the next appointment automatically. Of course, you and the client can override the automatic scheduling if the day conflicts with other interests, but it’s a helpful resource in most instances.
4. Customer Notes
Whether you need to remember which guard to set the hair clippers or you want to remember that feisty Harriet fights the hair dryer, having a digital platform to upload your grooming notes helps you keep track of your client’s individual needs. This gives your customers peace of mind since they always know they’re going to get what they want, no questions asked.
5. Easy Payment Methods and Commerce Functionality
In addition to making it easy for your customers to find and book an appointment with you, the best grooming software is an all-in-one solution. Many providers only focus on scheduling rather than the financial aspects of running a business, so when deciding on the best software for your needs, be sure to think about how it will integrate with (or better yet, streamline) the rest of your system.
Platforms like PawCare allow your clients to book appointments and pay all in one place, and then they will deposit income directly into your bank account. PawCare even covers the credit card processing fee for you. If you have multiple groomers working for you, PawCare can even track their work and help you understand how much you should pay each of your groomers.
Mutt Cutts’s PawCare Profile Page
6. Built-In Marketing
Every business owner knows that it is easy to spend as much time on marketing as you spend on actually doing your job. Choosing a grooming software that is built with marketing in mind is a great way to cut down on the time it takes to find new clientele, saving you both time and money.
Like we mentioned earlier in this article, PawCare is far more than an online booking solution. Our app and digital marketplace allow new customers to discover you as they’re looking to book an appointment for their pet. To help you put your best foot (or paw) forward, PawCare works with groomers to create a dedicated brand profile for your business on the PawCare platform, allowing you to showcase your services, pricing, and contact information all in one place. And, because we only thrive when you thrive, we also dedicate a portion of our marketing budget to promoting our groomers directly, expanding your business’s reach without you having to lift a finger.
Most dog grooming software solutions usually start between $50-$100 a month. Considering the average price of a full groom varies between $30 and $90 depending on the dog and location, the software pays for itself within a day’s work.
Choosing the best type of dog grooming software for your company depends on the size of your business and your personal goals. For example, if you’re looking to simplify booking and you already pay for an accountant, you might prefer a basic scheduling software over an integrated all-in-one solution. The number of employees you have also changes the name of the game. Many pet grooming softwares can replace the need for a receptionist, or at least ease their workload. If you’re still not sure what grooming software is right for you, contact the company to see if they offer a free trial or a promotional period so you can test it out risk-free.
What Sets PawCare Apart From Other Pet Grooming Software
PawCare is the only grooming software to straddle the line between online booking and managing the backend of your business. Our marketplace and scheduling tools make it as easy as possible for new clients to find you, and our commerce and recurring appointment tools make it easy for you to maximize their business once they do.
