For Dog Groomers: Special Touches That Will Drive Repeat Customers

We here at Les Poochs understand that you are running a business, and in addition to caring for dogs, you are also providing for yourself or your family.  A cornerstone of every thriving dog grooming business is repeat clients, so it’s always a good practice to groom the dog the best you can to guarantee a return appointment will be booked before the client leaves with their dog.

The following tips will help you in providing a phenomenal grooming experience by adding a few important finishing touches, for a really thriving dog grooming business.

First impressions

Providing a clean, safe, and inviting space is important.  Your client’s experience starts the minute they call to book the appointment or walk into your grooming salon. Keep your floor swept, and your counters and windows sparkling clean.

Even with a tidy salon, it is the end result many clients care most about, and that begins with the first impression they get after their best friend visits with you.  The cut of the dog is going to be the biggest factor when they come to get their dog.  For higher-end clients, this can require artistic talent and precision based on each breed of dog.  The next step is to take care of issues that your client will notice when they arrive home and resume spending time with their pet.

It’s not just about the cut – details matter

A dog must be clean; both the skin and hair, and muzzle and paws, and your cleaning process must address each of these areas.  Developing standardized procedures for you and your staff will help to make sure each area is cleaned on every dog.  The right procedures will make sure that the dogs are shampooed and rinsed to avoid tangles and leave the coat as shiny as possible.  You don’t want clients to find residue on their dog once they return home, or notice that their dog is starting to itch because of dry skin.  Using a high-quality dog shampoo will help.

De-shed and de-mat

A big reason many clients enjoy having their pets groomed by professionals like you is to take care of shedding and matting issues.  They usually do not want to be the ones who have to thoroughly brush their dogs on a regular basis.  Deshedding a dog can be hard with certain breeds, since the bathing process often produces a significant amount of shedding. However, with a set of high-quality dog brushes designed specifically for addressing shedding and matting, your job will be made much easier.

Top-notch customer service

Good customer service is on ongoing process that can make or break your success with running a thriving dog grooming business. As mentioned above, good customer service starts when a client makes a first call, and then it continues through every interaction between them and you and/or your staff.

Go above and beyond

Exceeding your clients’ expectations at every turn will ensure repeat business and referrals.  Spend time getting to know your clients, and teach them techniques they can use at home to take care of their dogs between visits to your salon.  As you get to know your clientele, you will learn whether they need reminders for appointments, or would appreciate a rewards program.

Final words for running a thriving dog grooming business

Of course, you can offer all kinds of bells and whistles in your business, but if you don’t continually produce a high-quality grooming experience, your bottom line will suffer. Keep these tips in mind and repeat your new standardized process with each client. Your expertise in taking care of each dog and using high quality products and good procedures will ensure you high standards are maintained (even exceeded), and that you’ll soon be enjoying success.