Groomers, in fact people that interact with the public in many facets of the pet industry, are divided on the question of whether to apologize to a customer when they have a complaint. Some think an apology is due for every complaint, some that it’s warranted only if the groomer or salon is at fault, others think saying you are sorry admits culpability and so should never be said.
Here’s my firm opinion on the matter – it depends.
Here in Maine it’s nearly time for flea and tick season again, and in many parts of the country it’s in full swing already. How do you handle pets with fleas in your salon?
There are means other than pesticides that some groomers prefer to use and recommend to get rid of fleas, rather than using pesticides. While these more natural remedies often take a bit longer and do not have as high a kill rate they are preferred by a lot of clients, so it’s well worth offering them as a retail option as well as using them in the salon. While the word natural does not necessarily equate with safe, most customers believe that more natural products will work and will do so with less risk than more traditional chemical remedies.
There are a plethora of ear cleaners on the market. Which one should you use? We all have our favorites but here’s a few thoughts to keep in mind.
It’s always been important to know how much consumable supplies cost a business. Not only does it keep a good record of expenses, but to be sure the profit margin is where it should be. These days with price increases on shampoo and other goods it’s time to look at a different aspect of consumable costs – in exactly what way should we be passing this cost on to customers?
As an apprentice groomer in the 1980s, I was taught to pluck every last strand out of the ears of any pet that had hair sprouting from that orifice. Back then, groomers went through ear powder like crazy, and many of us sported calluses on our thumbs from the hemostats we used to pluck all that ear hair. Fast forward 40 years, and times have, thankfully, changed.
Long-time pet stylists know this unspoken rule: a full appointment book offers job security. So if your appointment book is lighter than what you would like, how are you going to fix it? Here are a few ideas to help you boost your number of daily grooming appointments.
Everyone’s got a favorite comb and which type and brand is probably based on what breeds and coat types frequent that salon. But there are a few that I consider absolute necessities that I could not do without. Or, if you took all my combs away but these– I could still groom every dog that walked into the shop.
Most business owners keep careful records of items and products used in the course of the business, simply because it’s a business expense that can be written off on taxes. There are reasons to take that record keeping much further.
The best way to keep your blades sharp and ready for use is to clean and oil them regularly and often. They will stay sharp longer if maintained properly and less likely to cause clipper irritation (commonly called clipper burn but it’s caused by dull or dirty blades or poor clipping technique more often than hot blades – or just by supremely sensitive skin on a dog).
