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Surviving the Holiday Rush

After working professional in the pet grooming industry over 35 years, the only time I worry about dealing with clients is the Christmas holiday season.

The two weeks preceding the actual day can be a chaotic mess. With Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, family gatherings, holiday socials to attend, and every regular client you have wanting to be booked as close to Christmas as possible . . . phew! December can be an exhausting month!

But, wait – t doesn’t have to be! Christmas organizing all year round will let you create that picture perfect holiday without nearly the stress.

Getting Organized & Ready

The Salon

Is it clean – really clean? Floors, walls, kennels?
Is the lighting up to snuff?
Are your laundry machines working properly?
Are the tubs draining?
What are the conditions of your pet dryers?
Are your blowing fuses on a regular basis in one outlet?
Does your computer need to be de-bugged for a glitch free running machine?
Do you have a stock pile of all the office supplies you’ll need?
Are your blades shears all sharp and ready to go?
Are your clippers operating smoothly?
What is your stock level of all your dispensable products? Shampoos, conditioners, cologne, flea foggers, cotton balls, ear cleaner, etc.
Are there plenty of towels on the shelves?

The Holiday Image

Are your holiday decorations fresh and up-to date for your salon? Keep it simple and easy… pick a simple theme and work with it.
Do you have your client’s gifts ready to go so they can easily be passed out when the client is having their pet groomed? Remember, expense isn’t the key, packaging is. Pay attention to the details.
Have fun with festive accessories. Head gear, costume jewelry – anything that can bring a smile to someone else is a good thing.
Are all your holiday bows special and pre-tied? Are bandanas ready to be attached to the pet?
Do you have red and green nail polish that is actually usable? What about other colors?
Do you have plenty of air freshener to lend a sparkle to the air without being overly powering?
Music is everywhere – is your holiday collection handy or is there an ‘all Christmas’ station you can tune into?
Have you brought extra clothing or makeup to freshen up after work before heading out?
If you’re worried that you’ll be slow after the holiday season, do you have any grooming promotions for January and February that you can be handing out now?

$$ Saving Tip: Buy all your holiday items the day after the holiday to save up to 50% the retail price;
fabric for bandanas, decorations, Christmas cards…

Getting Through the Dogs

What are the pros and cons of working extra hours?
Should you take on new clients?
Make sure all your regular clients have their holiday appointments BEFORE taking on new clients or ‘non- regulars.’
Hiring extra help – is there something you can easily delegate with some basic training that would free you up to deal with clients? Cleaning? Answering the phone? Taking out the trash?
Have you worked out a system to maximize the types of pets you take per stylist?
Work out a drop-off and pick-up schedule that allows you to stay focused on grooming pets.
Stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what happens during the course of the day.
Set realistic time goals that push you, but stay on target. Use an egg timer if necessary or place a clock where you can’t miss it – no matter what.
Use every speed trick in the book from prepping – to bathing – to drying – to trimming.
When clients pick up their pet, are you offering a promotion to assist in re-booking 6 weeks down the road when it can traditionally be really slow?

Organization on a Personal Level

Do you have a master list of all the things you need to do for the holidays? Is it broken down into smaller do-able chunks? What about a master gift list that’s simply updated year to year? Master Christmas card list? Weekly meal planner? Regular shopping tick-sheet list? For great inspiration go to www.organizedchristmas.com
Are you are a store, catalog, or Internet shopper? Are you prepared to have ALL your holiday gift shopping done by December 15? What about the wrapping?
As time gets closer, demands get greater and healthy meals go by the wayside… If you are in a city, do you have a full selection of menus at your fingertips? Who has great take-out that you quickly sweep in and grab on the way home or while you are at the shop? If you are a country dweller, is your freezer packed with great frozen meals that only require reheating whether homemade or store-bought.
Does a messy house stress you out? Before is gets really busy, clean and organize the house or hire someone to help you… (or if you have kids, enlist their help.) Also think about having carpets cleaned, windows washed, or dropping you heaping laundry off at a laundromat, letting them do it for you.
Do you need a masseuse or chiropractor to help you stay loose and limber ? If you do, book your appointment early.

After the Holiday?

Take the week off! Trust me – your clients don’t need you for the week between Christmas and New Year’s! Take that time and spend it on yourself and your loved ones! You’ve earned it.

With a little bit of pre-planning, you’ll be breezing through the holiday. It’s so much more enjoyable for everyone to be in a festive spirit instead of being the Grinch. Put some effort into setting yourself up to enjoy the best of the season – it makes the time fly by. And you might even get a few moments to relish this time of year!

Always remember, to be successful – to thrive – you need to put forth effort today so that your future will be bright.

Happy trimming !

~Melissa

Customer Service Basics

This is the time of year when we think a lot about being grateful. As someone who works with people every day, I often think about customer service and how much of it makes an impact on our business and ourselves.

It’s easy to take your customers for granted when your shop is booked out several weeks in advance – or if you’re the only game in town. Sooner or later, another business like yours is going to spring up nearby. Are you ready? If all things are equal…

convenience
location
quality
price

…what do you do to set yourself apart? When your clients have coffee with their friends do they say, “They aren’t that great, but they’re so close to my house…” OR “I have to drive out of my way to get there, BUT IT’S WORTH IT.”

I’ve been to many businesses, large and small, corporate and home-grown, where the service has been so great that I was already making plans to come back before I even left the store. And it wasn’t even that they did something over the top for me – you know the stories:

The guy who wanted a lemonade with lunch but the restaurant didn’t have it, so a server ran to the store next door and bought one for him.
The store clerk who gave out the wrong change and walked to the customer’s house to correct the situation. (Yes, that WAS Abraham Lincoln.)

I’m not only a customer service provider, I’m also a customer.

I always think about both sides of each business transaction when I’m eating in a restaurant or picking out new pens at the office supply store. I expect to be noticed when I enter a business establishment, be treated fairly by someone who doesn’t treat me like an interruption, and helped to get what I need in the most efficient manner possible so I can get on with my day.

While the stories above are nice, I would never expect someone to go so out of his way that it makes the next customer in line wait (I’m not the only person in the store, nor am I more important than anyone else.) Or have the rest of the staff have to work extra hard to cover everything because one of their co-workers was being monopolized. I personally believe that when I enter a store as a customer, I am entitled to the services and products they provide. I do not believe I am entitled to receive a custom order every time I walk through the door.

With that being said, I do have standards and expectations for how I treat customers and for how I expect to be treated. When I feel I’ve received great service, it’s because:

I was greeted with enthusiastic and authentic friendliness as soon as I walked through the door. Did they stand up and come to me instead of shouting across the lobby? Which makes you feel more welcome?
They knew about their products and could help me find and choose the right one for my needs. I felt confident about my purchase.
The business was clean, organized, well-lit, and smelled nice. ‘Nuff said.
The employees were well-groomed, easily identifiable as staffers, and seemed to like their jobs. (I don’t expect business suits. I expect clean and neatly kept hair and beards, clean clothes appropriate for the business, and appropriate language being used.)
There were enough employees to handle the workload. I don’t mind waiting, especially if they’ve acknowledged me. A quick smile and a look that says, “I see you – I’ll be with you as quickly as I can,” is enough. Ignore me – I’m gone, no matter how fast my money is burning a hole in my pocket.
The parking lot, sidewalks, and exterior were neat, well-lit, and safe. Nothing fancy – just clean.
My transactions were completed correctly and I was treated like a valued guest even as I walked through the door. Nothing gives you buyer’s remorse faster than staffers high-fiving and congratulating themselves on the sale before the door even closes behind you.

These are the basics, folks. We can go on and on about more possibilities and in greater detail, but the bottom line is this: great service is what brings people back. It should be the reason people come to your business, not the reason they don’t.

Remember, even if you are booked for an entire year in advance, there’s no excuse for taking your client for granted. Be thankful – this is the time of year when we think about this the most! After all, just because they have a recurring appointment in 6 weeks doesn’t mean they’ll keep it if you don’t treat them well.

Being busy does not excuse rudeness with clients – it’s not their fault that you don’t have enough people to handle the workload, even if it’s just for that afternoon. Your problems are not their problems – sharing your burden is not the service they were hoping you’d provide. Believe me when I say I understand about staffing budgets… sometimes you can’t afford to hire anyone – I’ve been there.

Do your best for each client.

Be present.

Be nice.

And above all…

SMILE… and be thankful.

You just might find that you enjoy your day a little more.

~Joelle Asmondy

Learn2GroomDogs.com has hundreds of videos to help you become the groomer and businessperson you’ve always wanted to be. Check out one of our videos here:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/alZtP-F7yDk?list=UU6QEPG7JG7exQRpEr9e_nHA[/youtube]

Surviving the Holiday Rush

After working professional in the pet grooming industry over 35 years, the only time I worry about dealing with clients is the Christmas holiday season.

But, wait – t doesn’t have to be! Christmas organizing all year round will let you create that picture perfect holiday without nearly the stress.

Getting Organized & Ready

The Salon

Is it clean – really clean? Floors, walls, kennels?
Is the lighting up to snuff?
Are your laundry machines working properly?
Are the tubs draining?
What are the conditions of your pet dryers?
Are your blowing fuses on a regular basis in one outlet?
Does your computer need to be de-bugged for a glitch free running machine?
Do you have a stock pile of all the office supplies you’ll need?
Are your blades shears all sharp and ready to go?
Are your clippers operating smoothly?
What is your stock level of all your dispensable products? Shampoos, conditioners, cologne, flea foggers, cotton balls, ear cleaner, etc.
Are there plenty of towels on the shelves?

The Holiday Image

Are your holiday decorations fresh and up-to date for your salon? Keep it simple and easy… pick a simple theme and work with it.
Do you have your client’s gifts ready to go so they can easily be passed out when the client is having their pet groomed? Remember, expense isn’t the key, packaging is. Pay attention to the details.
Have fun with festive accessories. Head gear, costume jewelry – anything that can bring a smile to someone else is a good thing.
Are all your holiday bows special and pre-tied? Are bandanas ready to be attached to the pet?
Do you have red and green nail polish that is actually usable? What about other colors?
Do you have plenty of air freshener to lend a sparkle to the air without being overly powering?
Music is everywhere – is your holiday collection handy or is there an ‘all Christmas’ station you can tune into?
Have you brought extra clothing or makeup to freshen up after work before heading out?
If you’re worried that you’ll be slow after the holiday season, do you have any grooming promotions for January and February that you can be handing out now?

$$ Saving Tip: Buy all your holiday items the day after the holiday to save up to 50% the retail price; fabric for bandanas, decorations, Christmas cards…

Getting Through the Dogs

What are the pros and cons of working extra hours?
Should you take on new clients?
Make sure all your regular clients have their holiday appointments BEFORE taking on new clients or ‘non- regulars.’
Hiring extra help – is there something you can easily delegate with some basic training that would free you up to deal with clients? Cleaning? Answering the phone? Taking out the trash?
Have you worked out a system to maximize the types of pets you take per stylist?
Work out a drop-off and pick-up schedule that allows you to stay focused on grooming pets.
Stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what happens during the course of the day.
Set realistic time goals that push you, but stay on target. Use an egg timer if necessary or place a clock where you can’t miss it – no matter what.
Use every speed trick in the book from prepping – to bathing – to drying – to trimming.
When clients pick up their pet, are you offering a promotion to assist in re-booking 6 weeks down the road when it can traditionally be really slow?

Organization on a Personal Level

Do you have a master list of all the things you need to do for the holidays? Is it broken down into smaller do-able chunks? What about a master gift list that’s simply updated year to year? Master Christmas card list? Weekly meal planner? Regular shopping tick-sheet list? For great inspiration go to www.organizedchristmas.com
Are you are a store, catalog, or Internet shopper? Are you prepared to have ALL your holiday gift shopping done by December 15? What about the wrapping?
As time gets closer, demands get greater and healthy meals go by the wayside… If you are in a city, do you have a full selection of menus at your fingertips? Who has great take-out that you quickly sweep in and grab on the way home or while you are at the shop? If you are a country dweller, is your freezer packed with great frozen meals that only require reheating whether homemade or store-bought.
Does a messy house stress you out? Before is gets really busy, clean and organize the house or hire someone to help you… (or if you have kids, enlist their help.) Also think about having carpets cleaned, windows washed, or dropping you heaping laundry off at a laundromat, letting them do it for you.
Do you need a masseuse or chiropractor to help you stay loose and limber ? If you do, book your appointment early.

After the Holiday?

Take the week off! Trust me – your clients don’t need you for the week between Christmas and New Year’s! Take that time and spend it on yourself and your loved ones! You’ve earned it.

Happy trimming!

~Melissa

Nine Seconds to Make a First Impression

You meet someone for the first time – it could be a new client walking through your doors, someone at a grooming trade show or a new team member.

The moment that stranger sees you, their brain makes a thousand assumptions. It might be a new client or someone you meet anywhere else. You are giving off clues about yourself before you ever begin to speak. They are gathering a wealth of nonverbal clues about you.

What are nonverbal clues?

Nonverbal clues include all the ways you present and express yourself, apart from the actual words you speak. Things like eye contact, gestures, posture, body movements, and tone of voice. All of these signals can convey important information that isn’t put into words. They are extremely important at work and in business. Perception is reality.

If you are dealing with a prospective customer – the following items will instantly fly through their head upon your first meeting:

Are you trustworthy?
Will you be kind to their pet?
Do you have the skills required to groom their dog or cat?
Are you likable?
Are you confident?
Will you charge a fair price for your services?

These impressions form at lightning speed. Making major decisions about another person happens within seconds of meeting them.

In business, first impressions are crucial. You can’t stop people from making snap decisions – the human brain is hardwired this way as prehistoric survival mechanism. However, you can understand how to make those decisions work in your favor.

First impressions are more heavily influenced by nonverbal clues than verbal clues. In fact, studies have found that nonverbal clues have over four times the impact on the impression you make than anything you say.

Here are nine nonverbal ways to make a positive first impression with a grooming client, a new team member or a new business associate.

Present yourself professionally. Blue jeans, sweatshirts, T-shirts and a baseball cap are not professional. If you are in your shop or van, wear fresh garments that repel dirt, grime and hair. At a trade show? Dress in ‘professional casual.’

Pay attention to details. Hair style, light make-up (for women) and your nails all give strong visual cues. Having fun with personal style is fine – as long as it stays a little more on the conservative side. Over-the-top piercings, tattoos and gauges will not instantly form a positive impression on most people you meet – especially prospective clients.

Attitude – attitude – attitude. People pick up on your attitude instantly. Before you turn to greet someone, or address a team member, or walk into a trade show, think about the situation. Make a conscious choice about the attitude you want to project.

Fine-tune your posture. Position and authority are non-verbally conveyed by height and space. Standing tall, pulling your shoulders back, and holding your head high are all signs of confidence and competence.

Facial expression. Human faces are incredibly expressive including the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and any other movement. Open your eyes slightly more than normal to simulate the ‘eyebrow flash’. This is the universal signal of recognition and acknowledgment. Emotions such as anger, happiness, hurt, and boredom are all easily expressed with facial movements.

Smile more. A smile is an invitation, a sign of welcome. It says you are friendly and approachable. Smile at the pooch too. Owners love that!

Make eye contact. To transmit energy look at someone’s eyes. Looking into someone’s eyes indicate interest and openness. And if that person has a pet in tow, make sure you look into the pets eyes as well.

The handshake. This is the quickest way to establish a connection. It’s also the most effective. Here’s an interesting fact. On average it takes about three hours of continuous interaction to develop the same level a rapport that you get with a single handshake. A firm handshake indicates a strong personality. But don’t crush someone else’s hand – as groomers, our hands are typically really strong! A weak handshake is taken as a lack of strength.

Lean forward slightly. Leaning forward shows you’re engaged and attentive. But be respectful of the other person space. That normally means staying about two feet away.

Every encounter from chatting with new clients, going to trade shows or attending training sessions presents an opportunity to meet people. It’s a great way to network, expanding your professional contacts. Making a positive first impression counts. You’ve got nine seconds – but if you handle it well, those nine seconds are all you need.

~Happy trimming,

Melissa

PS.

You should check out our videos on Learn2GroomDogs.com. Here is a featured video clip from our channel on YouTube:

Closet Organizer

I talk to people in and outside of our industry every day and I am always looking to learn something from every conversation, not matter how short or long the conversation happens to be. Sometimes the conversation is very short, a simple phone call to check in with staff at the office or colleagues in the field, and sometimes the conversation are much more lengthy, which could include planning meetings or networking opportunities. All in all, everyone has something to say and there is always something to learn.

Recently, I was speaking to someone on a plane about their business. We engaged in the standard reciprocal greeting when we found ourselves sitting next to one another and then proceeded to go to work on our laptops. After clicking away for about 30 minutes, I happened to pick up a vibe that the man I had said hello to just a little while ago is in some form of law enforcement or military, I wasn’t sure yet. So, being the social butterfly I am, I asked. Boy am I glad I did!

The man was a retired Marine who is now working as a management consultant. I was instantly intrigued. I asked him what lessons he learned from the military that he felt were the most valuable to him in his new line of work. He answered very quickly. His top pick was “systems” and “standards”.

Wow! I couldn’t agree more and I let him know this. I told him he was going to be the inspiration behind my next blog post. You see, we often times catch ourselves in situations that take up a huge amount of energy addressing the same problem over and over again in our business. Sound familiar? Why does this happen? How can we prevent this? What do we need to do or become to help ourselves? We need better systems and standards in our business. Here are some ways you can help yourself. Please understand, however, there will be an investment of your time and energy creating and documenting these things, but like any other investment, do it correctly and you should yield positive results.

No matter the size of your business, (yep, even if it is only you) all businesses deserve a systematic way of creating accountability. The best way to do this is to “declare” to everyone in your business, staff and clients, that you have standards you wish to operate by and expectations you intend on being held accountable to. Here’s a quick tip. If you want your staff to understand and accept the notion of accountability, the business must adopt this mentality first.

The easiest way to make promises to staff and clients is to define a clear picture for everyone what “correct” looks and feels like. While some may feel this is subjective, and I agree to a point, your business is your business and you get to make the rules. This culture of “correct” starts with the hiring and training of staff. From the first minute you meet a potential employee in an interview, be sure they have a clear understanding of your standards. From the first minute you meet a potential customer, be sure they too have a clear understanding of your standards. The employee is accountable to you and you are accountable to your customers.

There are some mechanisms or tools you can put in place to help you with this definition of “correct” and the organizing of your thoughts, direction, standards and accountability. Setting standards is a way of organizing your business, your time, and your efforts so that everyone is pointed in the same direction. I compare a loosely run business to the chaotic nature of an unorganized closet. It takes effort to continually mind the clothes, hangers, shoes, boxes, hats, and various other things found in your closet, but there are few things more frustrating than not being able to quickly identify what you have, what you need, and what you want to wear. If everything in your closet were always perfectly hung, in order, and in good condition, wouldn’t your day be much brighter? Wouldn’t your attitude be more positive? Wouldn’t this save you a lot of time? Be a closet organizer for your business. Keep things organized and take control of your situation.

Here are just some of the tools of organization that you might find handy. If you have some of these in place, congratulations. If you don’t, consider starting today! If you need help, reach out to me. I have developed templates that can help you get started. I have done the hardest part for you. I have identified the skeleton outline of the content needed; you just need to customize them for your business!

Safety Manuals
Employee Manuals
Operations Manuals
First Aid and Veterinary Protocol
Employee Agreements
Take care and I wish you and your business the very best!

This guest blog by Joe Zuccarello is used by permission from the author. To see more from Joe, check out his blog at: High Performance Tips for Pet Industry Professionals

Nail Mending Kits

As a professional pet groomer, you know it’s going to happen. Sooner or later you’re going to accidentally trim a nail too close to the quick – and it’s going to bleed.

You know that while the pet is in your salon, you have the resources to correct the problem: a pinch of styptic powder, firm pressure for at least 30 seconds. Done. Fixed nail.

But in the back of your mind, you have those nagging questions…

What if the nail breaks open again?
What if the nail breaks open in the car?
What if the nail breaks open in their home and gets blood all over the carpet?
How was the client going to feel?
How are they going to stop the bleeding?
How are they going to clean up the mess?

None of these scenarios will leave a positive impression with the client. So, how do you head off this problem? How can you turn a negative into a positive?

Simple.

Being honest with your client is a proactive way to deal with this common occurrence. I have a standing policy that our salon will pick up the tab for any professional upholstery cleaning that is needed if the toenail breaks open at home. Because we hand out these nail mending kits, our emergency upholstery cleaning budget has been reduced dramatically.

We automatically send the client home with a nail mending kit whenever we have to use styptic powder to stop the bleeding from a quicked nail. We’ve been making these packets for over 20 years. They work like a charm, they’re easy to make with the right equipment, and are super inexpensive.

Start by telling your client which toenail had been trimmed too closely. Some clients don’t know what this means and it can be a little scary to them. Remember, this might have happened a few times in your salon and you know what to do, but it might be the first time they’ve experienced this with their pet. Be patient. Empathize with them – you want them to know that you care. You want them to know that you take even minor injuries seriously. While you want to validate their concerns, you also want them to know that quicking a nail is fairly common and can occasionally happen on any pet. The good news is that it can be easily fixed and that there shouldn’t be any more issues with the foot. Encourage them to take steps to prevent the nail from re-opening, such as avoiding walks on pavement or abrasive surfaces for a few hours. That should do it – but just in case the nail starts to bleed again it home, we give them the solution to fix a bleeding nail at home.

So what is in a nail mending kit? Just three items:

a small plastic bag,
a mini instruction sheet,
one gelatin capsule of styptic powder.

It sounds like a lot, but guess what? They’re super easy to make!

First, you need a capsule making machine. You can them at most health food stores or online along with the gelatin caplets. These handy little machines allow your make up 25 to 30 capsules at a time.

Next, you want a large container of your favorite styptic powder. Follow the directions on the machine to create the capsules. I recommend putting a piece of paper underneath the machine to catch any spillage so it can be returned to the container. You may wish to use a mask during this process, as the powder can be irritating. Don’t forget to completely seal your container of styptic powder when you’re done. This stuff can quickly harden if not kept in an air-tight container.

Once you’ve made up a couple batches of the nail mending capsules, pop them into small plastic bags. We use small Ziploc-type bags that we purchase in bulk from a packaging company, like U-Line. Because we prepare them in advance, having a bag/pouch that zips to seal ensures that the powder won’t dry out.

Lastly, you’ll also include very clear, simple instructions on how to utilize the powder (see our example). It is VERY important that the client understands that this IS NOT an oral treatment. The client will need to break the caplet apart, pouring the powder onto a piece of paper towel or a small paper plate. Next, they need to take a small pinch between their fingers and apply it to the end of the toenail that is bleeding. It is important that they hold it for on the end of the nail for at least 30 seconds.

If they have any questions or concerns if the nail breaks open at home, we always encourage them to call us first.

Here’s another bonus trade secret to give your clients: hydrogen peroxide removes blood. It usually does a nice job of removing blood from carpet, fabric, or the dog’s fur. We also encourage them to test a small spot first before they use hydrogen peroxide in on a larger area. Just in case.

As a pet groomer, I always want to get the nails as short as possible without causing them to bleed. The last thing I want to do is make a dog uncomfortable. Trimming nails too close is unpleasant for you, the dog, and the owner. Unfortunately, accidents do happen. Nails get trimmed too short – and they will bleed. It is going to happen – period. By being honest with our customers and supplying them with a nail mending kit, we have reduced the negative consequences and let them know we care.

Here’s a video on the topics that you can see on Learn2GroomDogs.com

Happy Trimming,

~Melissa

P.S.

If you like this blog, you might want to read last week’s issue.

Tips for Booking a Smooth Holiday Season

Don’t blink. The holidays are going to be here before you know it. Are you ready?

If you have a reasonably busy salon – and have been at this for a few years – you know the holiday season is crunch time. In a very narrow window of opportunity, you will be busy grooming the regular clients in your database.

Every

one

them.

Are you going to let your clients run rampant over you or are you going to take charge of the situation before it runs out of control?

The holidays are a special time of year. Yes, it’s one of the busiest times for a professional grooming salon. However, it’s also the time of year to enjoy time with those closest to your heart. If you are chained to your grooming table throughout the entire holiday season – how can you possibly enjoy your family and friends?

Sure, keeping your customers happy is important, but so is your family. So are your close personal friends. Don’t let the insanity of the holiday season put a damper on your festive mood.

Believe me, I learned the hard way, too. Grooming super long hours up to 14 days straight before Christmas left me totally spent and exhausted. I was definitely a Scrooge throughout the entire holiday season. I knew I had to make a change when one Christmas I literally slept through the entire day.

Here’s a trick I implemented a number of years ago. It’s worked like a gem for me and my teams.

We start looking at our holiday season in September. We start booking our top priority clients months out. How do we figure out which clients those are? Simple.

We start pre-booking all our premiere clients based on the number of weeks between grooming appointments. It’s a service we offer to our best clients for free.

We work in the following order:

Weekly clients get top billing. They get their choice of premier times and days. Once those clients are booked, we move to our biweekly clients. Next, our two-week clients are booked, then we move on to our three-weekers and so on until we reach the end of our 6-week clients. Always go in that order.

By the time we complete pre-booking all of our holiday appointments, there are very few holes left to fill with other regular customers. Those are the only other customers that we would take. Any customer that walks through our doors for grooming appointment during the holiday season MUST have a history with our grooming salon. During the peak holiday season, we never take a new customer.

Once we started utilizing this type of scheduling, the three days prior to a major holiday were a breeze. Almost every dog on the schedule is at least a three week client. How hard is it to groom dogs like that? You know the answer to that – they are EASY!

To me, that’s this best way to deal with the holiday season. Take care your best customers. Set limitations on how many dogs you going to do per day. You will be busy but you won’t (and shouldn’t) be chained to your grooming table during the entire holiday season.

Never forget the true meaning of the holidays. They are meant to be spent with family and close friends.

Have you already pre-booked all of your holiday appointments? Excellent . You’re well and your way to having a joyful and well organized holiday season. If you haven’t already started booking those clients – don’t waste any more time. Start now.

You can see more on this topic – and so much more – on Learn2GroomDogs.com.

-Happy trimming,

Melissa

What Does the Client Want?

The #1 Role of Service Based Businesses: Solution Experts

A product is a physical thing. You can see it and touch it. You can box up the parts or the assembled item and know how it will look, how big it is, and where you’ll put it when you get home. A service, by contrast, is intangible. You can’t mail a service to your house or carry it from a store.

In most cases, services are purchased – touch, taste, smell, and sight unseen. It’s a leap of faith based on the client’s ability to say what they want and the expert’s ability to interpret them correctly. When you go to a salon or barbershop, you can’t try out a haircut before you buy it. You tell your stylist what you want, then – hopefully – you get it. The better you describe what you want, the better the outcome. Dogs can’t tell you to take a little off the top, so how can you unlock the secret of what your (human) client wants?

By understanding that the person asking the questions controls the conversation!

When you are asking a question, it forces the other person to pay attention to you. It involves them in the conversation. If you’re doing all the talking, the listener’s mind can (and will) wander to other matters – and the end result may not be satisfactory to either of you. But the minute you say, “Let me ask you this: what if we…” the listener must pay attention because they’ll need to answer. It is an automatic reflex. The power of the words “what” and “how” is almost magical – they command a response.

You’ve now included them in the process. It’s become a team effort. You want to get the client on your team – that’s why this conversation is so important. When you ask questions, you show compassion and concern for the needs of the client and their pet. It helps build rapport. It also allows you to get valuable information from the client.

On average, a person can speak at about 250 words a minute while a person who is listening can think at about 1200 words a minute. So, if you are doing all the talking, the client has a great deal of time to figure out what they may not like about what you are saying, thus giving them an opportunity to complicate the situation! Not only are they manipulating the conversation out of your control, they haven’t heard a thing you’ve said!

How do you develop an effective line of communication with your clients?

Find a Solution in 5 Simple Steps

1) Make observations. Let your senses guide you when your client walks in. How does the pet look? How does it smell? Do you hear the ticking of nails on your floor? Don’t stop there – observe the human client, as well. Is the dog owner elderly or did s/he come in with small children? This might indicate that a nail filing service might be beneficial to protect sensitive skin. Let common sense, experience, and intuition guide your line of questions. Remember – you’re a problem solver. The more observant you are, the easier it is to find solutions.

2) Be a detective. This step involves your observations in Step 1 and takes them to another level. Gather clues from what the client tells you and what they don’t. Use your experience and expertise to find solutions that go deeper than the cosmetic.

3) Filter your data. Ask basic questions like, “Were you thinking of a thorough bath and brush for ‘Fluffy’ today or more of a full haircut?” Let the client talk. Then listen. This will help form an overall rough picture in your mind of the outcome*. Think of this as a sketch to your finished masterpiece.

4) Pinpoint focus to 5 areas of the pet⁺. Ask more specific questions about these key aspects of the pet so you can make a better decision about how they should be styled. This will provide details that fill out the sketch. The areas of the body pet are:

Overall body
Head
Ears
Legs/feet
Tail

5) Offer limited choices. Now that you know what you can (and maybe should) do for the pet, I personally suggest limiting options to two possibilities. Paint your picture back to the client to show you understand what they want and how it should look. This also demonstrates that you have listened to them and care about what they have to say. After all, isn’t that what you expect when you’re the customer? Make these options your best two – offering more just means spending more time narrowing the field from those that will have less favorable outcomes, anyway.

Always remember, the person asking the questions controls the conversation!

Successful groomers and stylists are master problem solvers. While solving the problem, they also demonstrate concern, compassion, and respect for the pet and the owner. That’s what creates happy customers who keep coming back!

Happy trimming!

~Melissa

*Remember to start from the desired end result. My blog Begin with the End in Mind has more on this topic.

⁺I recommend using Theory of 5 as a guide to guiding the conversation. Understanding how to break each dog into its essential parts helps simplify the process.

Don’t Let Your Salon Become a Doggie Day Care (for Free, Anyway)

A salon owner recently asked me how I would handle a situation we all face.

What do you do when pet owners drop their dogs off for grooming that should only take 2 to 3 hours and expect you to keep them all day – at no additional cost?

Here’s what you do…

CHARGE FOR IT!!

Let’s face it – you’re never going to get away from this problem, so flip it into a positive.

Add a policy on pet pickup to your service menu: “We pride ourselves in getting your pet back to you as quickly as possible.“ Then briefly explain what your typical timeframe is for most grooming services. It might be something like, “Most grooming services take 1-3 hours depending on the size, condition, and the type of service.” Add something pleasant along the lines that you appreciate prompt pickup upon completion of the groom.

Next, add half-day daycare for select clients. Be bold! Proudly display this in your service menu. Place tasteful signs around your reception area announcing this new service – for “their convenience.” Set a price that establishes the excellent value of this service. Be strong. Be positive. If you’re feeling hesitant about this tactic, remember that this is something you’re doing to help them – you’re giving them the gift of time! They can now be pet free for a little while so they can get their shopping done, clean the house, or just take a little quiet time to themselves (because after all, don’t they deserve it?). You just also happen to earn back some cash for the time and effort you used to spend caring for their pet – for free. If you’re going to end up doing this for them anyway, why not charge fairly for it -because after all, don’t you deserve it?

If you don’t mind acting as canine daycare service – make it a reasonable rate. If you don’t want to do it or basically want to discourage it, set the price at a point that very much makes it WORTH your effort.

Maybe you charge $10 for it… or $25… or MORE. Whatever you choose, make sure people understand it’s by the half-day. If people have been abusing you in this area, you have to be strong. Be pleasant but do not let the clients walk all over you. Remember that this is a mutually beneficial thing you’re doing – you have the upper hand. Be consistent and follow through.

To enhance that positive spin, I would make it sound appealing on the service menu. Make it fun. Tell the client that their pet will be offered water, a mid-day snack, a potty break, and a cozy place to stay.

Then there’s another area we definitely need to talk about: the fine print on your service menu. This is where you state “your rules.” You don’t have to go overboard but you certainly need to set some boundaries for your clients.

One of the rules I would certainly encourage would be a late pickup policy. For example, if the pet is not picked up within an hour of its completed groom, you reserve the right to charge $XX per 15 minutes the pet is left in your care. You get the idea. You need to have something written and posted along those lines to help them remember. And you must follow through. The guests that take advantage of you will need consistent enforcement if you are to make any headway with them.

A late fee is different from a daycare expense. The Paragon School of Pet Grooming doesn’t charge for “daycare.” As a school, Paragon has the space to keep the pets – a luxury you may not have. Because we need high pet volume for our students, we don’t charge clients extra if they need to leave their pet all day due to work situations – we need the dogs more than we need the space!!

However, there are a few clients who just can’t seem to get there by closing time. We found that charging the late pick-up fee to clients that don’t respect our closing time works well to help re-train their thinking about lateness.

Basically, the client is charged $15 for each 15 minutes that they are late. Remember, it’s not just a late pick up – while this might seem a minor inconvenience from the client’s perspective, the staff member has likely made repeated phone calls, has delayed all closing activities (counting the register, closing out credit cards, etc.), and has sacrificed personal time. If you pay your staff by the hour, this may also result in paying out overtime, which adds to YOUR bottom line.

The staff member will wait up to half an hour. After that, the dog is taken out to go potty and is bedded down for the night. A note is left on the door and a message is left on their phone that lets the client know their pet is safe, it’s been made as comfortable as possible, and that it can be picked it up at opening time the following morning. Luckily we’ve never had anyone leave their pet on a Friday night! We let whoever waited for the client collect every penny of the late pickup fee. I just feel that is fair.

All of our front desk team is salaried. If they need to stay late, they don’t get paid extra for it. It’s totally their call whether they charge the fee or waive it, depending on the situation.

Needless to say, people don’t forget their dogs very often. And if somebody has had a true emergency – we’ve totally waived the fee.

Every shop is a little bit different. Find a solution that works for you. You don’t have to be ugly about it. You don’t even have to get frustrated about it. Put a positive spin on it and turn it into a newfound revenue generator! And make sure you smile when you’re talking to your customers about your new service!

Happy Trimming,

~Melissa

The Importance of Systems

My husband and I were just at the hospital for a scheduled surgery. Luckily, it was a non-emergency situation – just to get his nose repaired so he could actually breathe out of BOTH nostrils. Still, it was surgery and as much as he wanted to have it done, the anticipation levels were running high. We were a bit nervous.

The medical team was great. Their thorough procedures helped squelch our anticipation jitters. Everything, from the pre-screening call days before… check in… pre-surgery… waiting room… recovery… home… and follow-up, was explained to us. At every step along the way there were systems in place to ensure that the surgery went off without a hitch, which put our minds at ease. There weren’t any hiccups in the communication process or the surgery itself.

Checks and balances were firmly in place. Everyone in the medical team clearly knew their job. They understood how important their roles were, no matter how large or small. If even one of them made a mistake, it could have a devastating effect on the outcome of the surgery. We’ve all heard the horror stories.

If you stop and think about it, a grooming salon client has the same kinds of anticipation levels. They are entrusting you with one of their most precious possessions – their pet. Most clients are not that familiar with the grooming process and have no idea what truly goes on behind closed doors.

Is you grooming salon set up like a well-oiled medical team? We may not be doctors but our “pet clients” are extremely important to their owners. There are many steps within the grooming service procedure that could turn into shining moments – or go horribly wrong:

They get the wrong haircut.
The pet isn’t done when promised.
They’re charged the wrong amount.
They get the wrong collar or lead – maybe even the wrong pet!
A pet is injured – or worse.

This list could go on and on. The larger the team that works together, the more processes you need in place for a smooth running operation.

Every grooming salon needs:

a customer service team (even if that team is YOU)
a bathing department
a drying department
a grooming/styling department
someone in charge of client records/data entry
client education
marketing
proper cleaning and sanitation

To be successful in the long-term, you need to spend time in the short-term setting up processes. Systems are your routines – the way you do things every time. Here is a short list of items that need to be in place for systems to work:

Every procedure needs to be broken down, step by step.
Each process needs to be written down and reviewed regularly.
Every person participating in the activity needs to know and understand how to correctly perform the procedure.
Every person then needs training and follow-up supervision until the task is perfected.

Accountability is the key to success. Positive and negative consequences need to be in place and consistently enforced.

If you don’t have any systems in place at the moment, don’t fret. Take one procedure at a time and break it down into smaller chunks. Figure out what needs to be done or happen for each piece. Then move to the next one – and the next one.

Remember the story book fable about the tortoise and the hare? You don’t need to be a jack rabbit straight out of the gate. Slow and steady will win this race. It all starts with the first step. It might take you a month to get your systems in place – it might take a year. If you are in a state of growth, creating systems for your business might be an ongoing process. The trick is not to be overwhelmed by looking at the big picture. Keep it small so you don’t give up – and keep going.

At the end of the day, you always need to focus on your overall goal: to offer outstanding, consistent customer service – just like my husband and I received with his recent operation.

… As for those horror stories? Don’t be one of them. The salons that have the right systems in place will be prepared. Their staff will offer better service and the guests (furry and human) will feel better knowing that they are in good hands. it’s never too late to start. Do it now! Take that first step.

Happy Trimming,

-Melissa