22/06/2024
Most dog groomers are paid a percentage of the total cost for every dog that they groom each day with the no additional hourly rate or salary to compliment that commissioned pay. Grooming salon owners (who double as dog groomers themselves) are no different regardless of how they are often viewed by some members of society. Salon owners may not have to share their percentage with a formal “boss” like a W2 employee would but instead they simply pay that percentage to rent/mortgage, utilities, the latest and greatest grooming equipment on the market, the highest quality shampoos & conditioners (that can and do run upwards of $100 per gallon), pet friendly fragrances, cotton balls to clean the ears & the proper ear cleaner to do it safely, tooth brushes & toothpastes, etc, etc, etc… this list could go on for ages but you get the idea.
As a one on one grooming salon owner who also grooms myself, I wear many different hats. On any given day I am the groomer, the receptionist, the bather, the cleaner, the accountant, the customer service representative, the therapist, the advocate, and the veterinarian’s under qualified but still knowledgeable replacement in your dog’s time of need. Now remember that I’m paid for wearing just ONE of those hats.
With all of that being said… let me list off just a few more things for you.
The average dog groomer/salon owner spends 2-3 hours each day performing “unpaid” tasks such as (but not limited to):
* Responding to text & phone inquiries in a timely manner by sharing information regarding pricing, services offered, availability and standard business practices with potential new clients.
* Booking appointments, rescheduling (often last minute) existing appointments upon request, and sending reminder messages to current clientele regarding their upcoming visits.
* Educating pet parents on their individual dog’s coat type, skin condition, and lifelong grooming needs.
* Recommending specific brushes and tools best suited to each dog’s individual needs for pet parents to utilize at home. (Often going as far as to include texting links to aforementioned products on Amazon for the client’s convenience.)
* Demonstrating to pet parents how to use recommended tools in an effective manner. By doing this, we are teaching pet parents that matting can and should be avoidable and thus we are able to achieve desired fluffy styles for the duration of their pets life.
* Documenting health concerns we uncover during the grooming process and sending photos or videos to pet parents of things such as ear infections, hot spots, pre-existing injuries, irritated skin related to potential allergies, embedded or broken toe nails, the presence & removal of ticks, fleas/flea dirt, new lumps and bumps of unknown origins, etc. Often times your groomer may be the one to catch a serious condition your pet may have unbeknownst to you and we may do so early enough for your vet to have the opportunity to effectively intervene.
* Explaining to pet parents how frequently their dogs should be groomed in order to maintain their desired length, re-booking their next appointment prior to the client leaving the salon, and texting the client the next date and time for their convenience.
* Cleaning and sanitizing all of our equipment between clients to ensure the lack of transmission of anything contagious from one pet to the next.
* Wiping up and disinfecting surfaces from urine and f***s (sometimes repeatedly from habitual offenders and often times this occurs immediately after the pet parent drops off, leading us to believe the dogs were not walked or given the opportunity to potty prior to leaving them for hours in the salon)
* Vacuuming up floors and washing down tubs in between clients to ensure a professional appearance and a pleasant environment for customers to walk into.
* Cleaning the salon at the end of each night to restore it to like new conditions for the following work day.
* Doing laundry, washing towels, restocking shelves, taking inventory, and posting photos to social media.
If you’ve made it this far in reading this, you’re likely realizing that there are many more aspects to dog grooming that you have never considered before. Unfortunately, the majority of those things fall into the category of “unpaid labor” for us. Many of them we do not “have to do” but rather we do them voluntarily because we value our relationships with you, we take pride in our work, and your dogs health and happiness often supersedes our own. This is why tipping is important. It’s not because we are greedy, entitled, money hungry monsters. I promise you we’re not. However, I can assure you we are tired. Of course I can’t speak for all groomers out there, but for me personally, tipping has far less to do with the monetary value and everything to do with my extraordinary efforts feeling seen and appreciated.
