Many pet groomers are experiencing busier than usual schedules these days. It may be because so many people got new pets during the Covid lockdown, or it may be that there are just not as many groomers as the population needs, but whatever the cause, scheduling can be a tremendous challenge.
Convincing customers to pre-book for their next appointment, or, ideally, the entire year ahead, is a tremendous time saver for groomers. Not only does it allow us to thoughtfully plan our calendar so that we are not overbooked trying to fit favorite people in, but it dramatically cuts down on the time we spend answering the phone or returning messages.
Late summer and fall is an excellent time to ease customers into pre-planning their grooming. Because most of them understand that our holiday calendar will be jam-packed, we can encourage people to look ahead and see what their preferred times for grooming around Thanksgiving and Christmas are. By offering them select bookings now, they get their desires happily met, and we get a good idea of what those hectic months will look like. Once they have committed to pre-planning for the subsequent few upcoming appointments, it is easier to go ahead and plan future grooming dates as well. Some people are resistant to planning ahead for grooming, but letting them see how smoothly it can go for the holiday season often makes them more open to the idea of pre-planning in general.
At our grooming studio, we begin handing customers a calendar with all their appointments for the coming year in December or early January. Before that, we note general preferences, such as how often the client likes to groom their pet (we encourage every four, five, or six weeks) and what day of the week and time slot works best for them. Once they have their appointments in hand, they can take time to check their planner and see if there are any conflicts, which we can quickly work around.
One fantastic bonus of pre-planning all your regular customers is that you can see if you are still open to accepting new customers or if it is time to close your grooming list for a while. Having all your regular pets planned ensures that your bread-and-butter customers can always have their preferred schedule and not have to wait when you are experiencing a heavier-than-usual volume of pets.
This is also an excellent time to look ahead at next year's planner and take time off for vacations, special events, and maybe even the occasional bonus long weekend off. Having your work schedule pre-set saves time and helps you manage your grooming business more efficiently.
By Daryl Conner, MPS, MCG
Daryl Conner has been devoted to making dogs and cats more comfortable and beautiful for almost 40 years. You can find her happily working at FairWinds Grooming Studio with her daughter and infant granddaughter, or typing away at her latest grooming-related article. Daryl was awarded both a Cardinal Crystal Award and Barkleigh Honors Award for journalism. She shares her meadow-hugged antique Maine farmhouse with her practically perfect husband and too many animals.
