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As professionals, we need to take charge of the conversation. You do it at check-in.

We are the educated ones… We know what can or cannot be done for a pet based on its’ current condition. Clients come to us to solve their problems. It does not mean they know what is best for their pet. In most cases, they are clueless to the amount of time and work involved to properly groom their dog.

In order to create a win-win situation for everyone involved – client, dog, business – the client needs to be crystal clear of what can or cannot be done for their pet on that day and the cost involved.

Asking the client an open ended question like, “What do you have in mind for Fluff today?” does not leave you in control. The client is. Whenever possible, limit the answers a client can give you to two one of two options such as:

• Yes or no
• Short or long
• A half an inch or an inch

The list below is a sample of the areas that need to be addressed with all clients as they come into your salon. Remember, you are a problem solver. Be a good observer and an excellent listener to help direct and guide the line of questions to create a win-win situation for everyone.

• What type of procedure is being done for the pet today? Full trim? Bath & Brush?
• Is what the client desires for the pet in the best interest of the pet? Can it be done?
• How much will it cost? Will there be any extra charges due to the condition of the pet?
• How long will it take?
• If a trim is being done, use the concepts from the Theory of Five to ask questions concerning the length of certain areas on the body:

1. body style
2. head style
3. ear length
4. foot style
5. shape and length of the tail

• The breed type will normally help you narrow down a line of questioning to use for the client. Whenever possible, only give the client two options for choices. If you were dealing with a Shih Tzu and were discussing a pet with long, dirty ears it might go like this:

YOU: Boy. Fluff’s ears look really dirty this time. Would you like us to shorten those for her to help keep them cleaner?

CLIENT: Would that help?

YOU: It sure would. They are getting dirty from dragging in her food dish and when she goes outside and investigates all those messages left for her from other critters. Here are two great options. #1) We could either trim them so then just clear her nose, which will solve most of the problem or #2) Many people find short clippered ears really cute on these guys with little round head styles. We call that a ‘teddy ear’… Which would you prefer?

CLIENT: Oh, I think a clippered ear would be too short. Let’s go with the one that’s a little longer.

As you communicate with your clients always remember: whoever is asking the questions is in charge of the conversation. If you want a more enjoyable day, ask simple questions when communicating with your clients. Take charge. Ask the questions that can control your day.

This is the time of year that the fur really seems to fly. For those of us that live in areas where we experienced a climate change — the annual springtime shed represents lots of extra dollars in our pockets. For me, working on a dog that’s in the middle of a big-time shed is one of my favorite jobs to do. I know — I know, you think I’m nuts! It’s super messy.  That’s why I like it so much. You can take a dog that is dirty and nasty looking and in ho time, turn it into something gorgeous. With the right tools, the right products and a little bit of elbow grease, you can make a HUGE difference in the way a pet looks and feels in just a few hours.

A powerful high velocity dryer is my tool of choice for those magical canine makeovers. But how many of you cross over into the equestrian world? I do. Have you ever taken your high velocity dryer down to the barn? No?  Where have you been?? You’ve gotta try it!

Of our 6 horses, there isn’t one that doesn’t enjoy being blown out with a high velocity dryer. Many of our horsey friends have seen us work with this tool around our own crew. They have been amazed at the results. Almost all of them have asked if they could try it on their horses. They’re in awe of how well their horses have accepted the process when introduced correctly. (Just like a young puppy — low and slow)

If you are horse owner like me, I encourage you to check out my YouTube video about de-shedding a horse with a high velocity dryer. The birds will love you for it!

Happy Spring!

Melissa

For the full video, click the following link:

Rebooking clients is one of the easiest ways for groomers and pet stylists to boost their income. Encouraging clients to rebook on the day of their service will help keep a steady stream of pets coming into your salon.

It’s a fact that clients who rebooked before they leave, return on a much more frequent basis than those who do not. Let’s face it. Life gets busy. Personally, if I did not rebook my own hair appointment before I left the beauty salon, I’d be there a lot less frequently than every five or six weeks! Our pet owning clients are no different.

Many groomers don’t push their customers to rebook their pet’s next grooming. They think the client will come back when they are ready. That might be true. But it’s more likely the client will not return as often as they should.

As a professional, it is up to us to educate our clients how often they should return based on;

• hygienic needs of the pet

• coat condition

• trim style

• activity level

• level of home maintenance between appointments

Most pets that are considered a ‘part of the family’ require regular grooming. These owners share their lives, their homes, and sometimes even their bets with their four-legged family member. These pets benefit from weekly or biweekly bathing. Ideally, pets that require haircuts should be trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks. How often you handle handstripped pets will vary greatly. Based on the coat type and the technique used to strip out the dead coat, they will need to be groomed anywhere from weekly appointments to a couple times a year.

Pet professionals who understand the impact of rebooking realized that is not just a courtesy, but more importantly, a business building strategy. Educate your clients about the rebooking process. Encourage them to setting aside time to keep their pet’s coat in peak condition.

Client retention is equally important to the salon owner and pet groomer or stylist. It is significantly less costly to keep a current client than find a new one. So if you’re going to invest time, money and effort to attract new clients, follow through with excellent customer service that will pay off in client retention.

Rebooking Benefits

Benefits to the Pet Professional

• substantially increase your revenue stream

• minimize natural peaks and valleys in your schedule

• develop a positive bond with the pet and its owner

• gain control over your schedule

• reduce advertising costs

Benefits to the Pet Owner

•  keep the pet consistently looking, smelling and feeling great

• maintain a healthy skin and coat for the pet

• reduce shedding

• schedule at their convenience

•  offer premier appointment slots around major holidays and events

•  plan around social and business events

Here are 4 Tips to Ensure Your Clients are Rebooking with Every Visit

1.    Stress Maintaining a Schedule — As a professional pet stylist, it’s your job to educate your client. You know what it takes to keep their pet’s coat in peak condition. Find out how the client would ideally like their dog to look and their budget. Talk to them about how much at-home care they are willing to do between grooming appointments. Discuss the lifestyle of the pet. Once you know the answers to those questions, you can suggest the ideal number of weeks the pet should go between professional grooming’s.

2.       Suggest Dates — Don’t just ask the client if they would like to ‘rebook their next   appointment.’ Tell them.  Suggest an ideal appointment date when you should see their pet next.  Have your calendar ready to book that appointment, including a time. If the client is on the edge about rebooking, politely letting the client know your schedule is already getting booked can help tip them over the edge of booking their next grooming appointment.

3.       Offer an Incentive to Rebook – Small incentives can be a great way to keep clients coming back. Offer a small monetary discount if they book their next visit within six weeks or less. Or offer them a free service with their pre-booked appointment. If they rebook on a weekly, biweekly or every third week — offer them a special discounted rate to maintain their frequency levels of their visits. (Do the math — you’ll probably be shocked at how steeply you can discount a weekly or biweekly client off their regular grooming price and still make more money on an annual basis.)

4.       Train Your Staff — Rebooking clients is a courtesy to them – and a benefit to you. Make sure your entire team understands the importance. The key to success is to ask EVERY client to rebook their next appointment before they leave.

Having an appointment book that is 50% to 70% pre-booked is like money in the bank. It’s a security system that allows you to breathe easily. It insures you will not lose clients or revenue from light client bookings. It is one of the easiest ways to guarantee your income week-after-week, month-after-month and year-after-year.

Happy Trimming!

~Melissa

A lot of people were asking me about this topic this weekend at the Atlanta Pet Fair. I’ve posted this before but it’s such an important topic, I’m posting it again in my blog this week. If you are a business owner, this is an important topic when it comes to finding people to help you build your company.
I’m just like most of you. My first business was a mobile van. I was extremely successful. Within less than a year I needed a second van. I needed someone to run that unit. I didn’t want it complicated. I just needed help. I figured the easiest route to go was to find the person that could groom and send them out in a second rig. I didn’t need to file all that mumbo-jumbo with the government. Heck, this person was going to run solo — it was theperfect situation for an independent contractor. After all, everybody else was doing it!
Fast forward three years. I now had four rigs. I had hired an accountant. My accountant suggested I hire a CPA to do my taxes. Throughout the years I knew in my heart I was running close to the wire with my independent contractors. My father had been harping on me. My accountant was concerned. My new CPA really set me straight using a very effective tactic — fear.
If you work with independent contractors within your grooming organization, do you really know the current tax laws? The IRS is very strict with its rulings concerning employees vs. independent contractors. Being naïve is no excuse. If you are ever caught, it will be the IRS that makes the ruling on whether you actually have an employee or an independent contractor.
There are a number of different ways to get caught. It might be an audit of your business or one of your workers files an unemployment claim, a disgruntled worker simply turns you in are a few of the common ways but there are many more.
I know — I know. You can’t afford to hire employees. All those taxes you have to take out of the employee’s paycheck and all the taxes that you need to pay into the government both state and federal plus Social Security and Medicare for each employee. Whew – it’s a paperwork and budget nightmare.
But trust me, if you have your workers misclassified, you can’t afford not to have them as employees if that’s what they truly are. The IRS has no qualms about coming in, slapping you with heavy fines and penalties equal to the amount of all the back taxes owed plus all the interest on those back taxes. Plus, the IRS may turn you in to your state government as well. In one single sweep, your business and your livelihood can be destroyed.

Shortly after I switched from independent contractors to employees I started hearing real life horror stories from within our own industry. One of my personal idols virtually lost everything due to incorrectly filing with the IRS. They lost their business, their home, their personal relationship — everything. They confirmed the fear that placed into me by my CPA years before. The IRS will – and can – destroy your life if you do not play by their rules. The stories that were shared much later only reaffirmed I had made the right decision years before.
So here’s the scoop. The laws are complex, subjective, and inconsistently applied, but knowing the rules can keep you and your workers safe. So here they are, in a nutshell: Under United States common law, a worker is an employee if the person for whom he or she works has the right to direct and control the way he or she works, both as to the final result and as to the details of when, where, how, and in which sequence the work is to be done. It is the IRS’ view that the employer need not actually exercise control. It is sufficient that it has the right to do so.
Here’s a list of 20 questions the IRS uses to determine if a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. A ‘yes’ answer to any of the questions except #16 may indicate your worker is truly an employee. Take a look. Be honest with yourself — you can’t afford not to. (and yes did raise my grooming prices!)
IRS 20 Questions: Independent Contractor OR Employee

1. Is the worker required to comply with instructions about when, where and how the work is done?
2. Is the worker provided training that would enable him/her to perform a job in a particular method or manner?
3. Are the services provided by the worker an integral part of the business’ operations?
4. Must the services be rendered personally?
5. Does the business hire, supervise, or pay assistants to help the worker on the job?
6. Is there a continuing relationship between the worker and the person for whom the services are performed?
7. Does the recipient of the services set the work schedule?
8. Is the worker required to devote his/her full time to the person he/she performs services for?
9. Is the work performed at the place of business of the company or at specific places set by the company?
10. Does the recipient of the services direct the sequence in which the work must be done?
11. Are regular oral or written reports required to be submitted by the worker?
12. Is the method of payment hourly, weekly, monthly (as opposed to commission or by the job?)
13. Are business and/or traveling expenses reimbursed?
14. Does the company furnish tools and materials used by the worker?
15. Has the worker failed to invest in equipment or facilities used to provide the services?
16. Does the arrangement put the person in a position or realizing either a profit or loss on the work?
17. Does the worker perform services exclusively for the company rather than working for a number of companies at the same time?
18. Does the worker in fact make his/her services regularly available to the general public?
19. Is the worker subject to dismissal for reasons other than non-performance of the contract specifications?
20. Can the worker terminate his/her relationship without incurring a liability for failure to complete the job?

Happy Trimming!

~Melissa

Caption: Workshop participants learning how to clip the belly of a cat with celebrity pet stylist, Danelle German at The Paragon School of Pet Grooming.

One cruise through the TV channels and you’ll find all kinds of celebrity chefs sharing their skills. Pick your cuisine or cooking style and you can find someone to inspire you – whether it is via TV or by attending a class hosted by a local celebrity chef.

In the pet grooming industry, we have the same thing! There are many stylists that have proven their skill level on a national and on an international scale. This is the crazy part. Most celebrity pet stylists can still be found at their grooming tables every day, just like you, grooming regular clients. However, many enjoy teaching seminars, clinics and workshops around the world.

Have you ever had the opportunity to train with a celebrity pet stylist? It’s a great way to improve your skills and get super energized!

Many of the top professional pet stylists love to help up and coming pet groomers and stylist. Sometimes those teaching opportunities are just demonstrations or lectures. Other times, they are workshops –which are really fun! You supply the dog or cat plus the grooming tools. As you groom, you’ll have the opportunity to be personally coached by a celebrity pet stylist.

So how do you get the most out of one of these coaching sessions?

#1. Make sure your core skills are strong. Core skills are also known as foundation skills. The two terms are interchangeable.

 Core or foundation skills would include;

• proper coat preparation
• 1. bathing
• 2. drying
• 3. nails trimmed
• 4. ears cleaned
• 5. 100% tangle free coat
• knowledge of basic anatomy
• basic (and correct) usage of tools; brushes, combs, clippers, scissors and carding tools and stripping knives

#2. Supply the best pet to learn with.

If you do not come to the session with an adequate pet to work on, you only hurt yourself.

• select a dog or cat with enough coat to demonstrate your skills
• they have a temperament that is easy to work with
• they are a good representative of the breed

Like celebrity cooking chefs, there are a wide variety of very accomplished pet stylists. Many specialize in a certain breed, grooming technique or topic.  The better prepared you are to participate in the hands-on workshop; the more you’re going to get out of it. Step into the session with a very open mind.

If you are young and fresh to the industry, sometimes these clinics can be almost overwhelming with the amount of information shared. Be the driest sponge that you can be — soak up every bit of knowledge that you can.

As your knowledge and skills advance, the clinics won’t be intimidating. They become a great tweaking session for your skills. They will keep you abreast of advance grooming skills and trends. Plus, these types of functions are a great way to invigorate your career.

These principles remain valid for many forms of advanced learning in the pet grooming industry. Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to do a hands-on training session. There is a wealth of information to learn from these all-star pet stylists. You might be in the audience at a trade show, pet grooming competition or watching a grooming video lesson featuring one of these top stylists. The better you can execute the core skills with your everyday grooming, the easier it will be to successfully transfer their lessons to your own grooming table.

If you are not as accomplished as these award-winning and highly successful pet groomers are — take note. You can learn a lot from their well-developed skills. Learning new skills, tips and tricks make grooming pets all that more fun!

Happy Trimming!

~ Melissa