This has been a crazy time for all of us. We have been working hard to accommodate as many pet owners as possible, working some 60 hours a week in the salon. We have worked through various Covid guidelines and getting use to new routines.
We know things have been crazy for you as well. Many of you are dealing with new normals for work, some are dealing with loss of work. Some are dealing with children who are not use to being on quarantine and semi quarantine and loss of their favorite summer activities.
We are also dealing with high tensions on other issues. I would like to remind everyone including myself to be a little extra patient with others. You never really know what is going on with someone. Also remember, your dogs pick up on your emotions. If you are upset, stressed etc your dog doesn’t understand why. Since I speak dog, I hear how this is all very upsetting to them too, they are telling me. A little extra playtime, teaching them a new command or brushing up on old ones is great, but lay off the treats unless you plan on going for a run with them 😉
With these changes have been some problems with appointments. I know there are some extra unusual circumstances but lately we have had a lot of people rescheduling appointments. We understand, but do give us at least 24 hours notice if you can. I understand some of you are on call. Unfortunately we have had quite a few people just not show up for their appointments. That hurts our business. We work by appointment and schedule our day to cover our costs of business and payroll. It also takes away from someone else who would have taken your spot and gotten their pets in sooner. When an appointment is not given adequate time to replace, that is a loss for us. If we get one or two a week that is manageable. We have been getting 1-2 a day. So as of today our no show policy will be implemented as follows.
If you are not able to make your appointment and do not notify us, you will be required to provide a non refundable deposit for your next appointment and will be applied to your grooming bill. This is an extremely fair policy. When I consulted other businesses on how they handle these situations they had automatic fees for the first missed appointment no matter what. I felt that was too harsh. While you are not able to cancel appointments online if it’s less than 24 hours from your appointment, you can leave a voicemail or text at anytime. So please just do that.
After working 10+ hour days 6 days a week, I have decided to go back to our regular 5 day work week starting in August. If you had a Monday appointment in August we will contact you about possibly rescheduling another day. If that’s not possible we will still accommodate that appointment. I am not burnt out yet, and I don’t want to be. I love my job but it’s labor intensive. We are booking up fast so please plan a week or two or three ahead.
We have also changed our staffing schedule. Some of you may have noticed my oldest daughter Abigail more. She has worked behind the scenes for the last 5 years. She’s an amazing grooming assistant and does great with the animals. Last fall she started helping with reception on Saturday’s so she can learn that part of the job. She has also been fine tuning her grooming skills. Last month Abigail was promoted to assistant groomer! She will be grooming 4 days a week. I am so proud of her!
With Abigail grooming this allows me to do more of the bathing that I enjoy, and didn’t get to do a lot of. So if you don’t see me when you come in, I am in the back probably getting soaking wet and full of dog hair. 😉
Isaac has no ambition to be a groomer but he does great with the bathing end of the process. He works 1-2 days a week and fills in when needed. He is studying how to make video games and is currently writing a fictional book.
Olivia is working 3 days, she is still doing reception and helping me with bathing. She wants to learn to be a grooming assistant. She’s also interested in business management. She wants to run the salon one day.
You may also see my little helpers here on occasion. We are a family run business and everyone has a job. If you need assistance just ask. There is always someone here who can help you.
We are also adjusting our prices. I don’t normally announce price increases and just modify them along the way. This isn’t a price increase it’s more of a price adjustment. Some of our older clients are on prices from 5 years ago, some of our larger breeds haven’t been charged appropriately. I know things are hard for a lot of people so we are just walking that fine line of keeping grooming affordable and paying the bills. We have also been getting quite a few price inquiries from other salons. I can tell by the questions, (experience and intuition). Just a note, do not base your salons prices by my prices. Your prices should be based on your business overhead, skill set etc. The internet has a plethora of information on how to set business prices and there are often free or low cost businesses management classes being offered online. Also, I highly recommend the From Problems to Profits book, I bought it in 2003 after attending a grooming business owners seminar and it was extremely helpful and still relevant today.
Grooming prices are based on many factors including size, temperament, coat condition and grooming style. It’s difficult for us to know ahead of time how much your grooming fees will be, but we can give an estimate once we know more about your pet. Price quotes given over the phone are estimates based on breed standard size/coat and regular grooming. If your dog is larger than breed standard, not on a regular 4-12 week grooming schedule or otherwise has conditions that extend the expected grooming time, your grooming fee may be higher than the estimated quote.
We have updated our website and online booking. I hope this makes things easier for everyone to book online. Of course you can still call or text to book an appointment.
We guarantee our work. If you get home and notice we forgot to trim a toenail or the ears are uneven or whatever please bring to our attention immediately. I will fix what I can free of charge within 72 hours of grooming. I understand we can’t make everyone happy, but I sure will try. We appreciate everyone who has chosen us for their pets grooming needs.
Our August Customer Appreciation Day has not been determined yet due to COVID restrictions. If we are not able to resume our normal CAD promotions in August\September we may offer alternatives for September. The following CAD will be Small Business Saturday November 28.
~Have a Blessed Day
? Nicole
