lmost everyone has heard the saying “to clean house.” It’s a phrase that can have multiple meanings. One is, to get rid of unwanted baggage in one’s life and eliminate inefficiency. Another is, to eliminate or discard what is undesirable, or to rid a group or organization of people or policies that are deemed to be troublesome or lacking.
In this article, professional pet stylists Brenda, Connie, Joan and Sharon share what prompted them to “clean house.”
Brenda has been grooming for 12 years. One morning she walked into her salon, took a look around and said, “That’s it. I’m sick of all this clutter. Today’s the day it all goes!”
As she went through her cupboards and drawers, Brenda took out every broken and unused tool, brush, and blade she came to and got rid of them. “Why do I keep things that don’t work and that I never use?” she muttered to herself.
Then she went to the bathing room. She looked at the many sample sizes of shampoo, conditioner and all the other grooming products that were sitting there unused. “These have got to go,” said Brenda. “I’ve used some of them once or twice, then not again. If I’m not using them, why should I keep them? They are taking up valuable space.”
Like Brenda, you should get rid of anything that is not useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways. Having only the tools, equipment, and products you regularly use in your work area increases your speed and efficiency.
While you are in cleaning mode, you should also take an in-depth look at your entire business structure and see what else needs to go.
Do you have clients or pets that fill you with dread when you see their name on your schedule? If they cause you stress before they even arrive, that’s a real problem and you need to do something about it. Stress like that can affect your entire day, your staff and every other pet in the salon.
Connie says, “Petey is a dog that barks from the time he arrives until he is picked up after his groom. His constant barking is an aggravation to everyone in the salon and it encourages the other dogs to bark.”
She has tried isolating him, putting him in a crate beside her grooming table and countless other things to quiet his barking. So far, nothing has worked for more than a few minutes.
“That’s it,” Connie says. “I’ve had it. I won’t put up with this any more. This is Petey’s last appointment with us!”
When Joan saw Mrs. Whiner’s name on her schedule, she was anything but happy. She always tries to monopolize Joan’s time and constantly finds something to complain about.
Mrs. Whiner arrived ten minutes late for Bella’s appointment. She didn’t apologize, or even acknowledge that she was tardy. She just began complaining at length about her husband, her kids, her job and her life. As she was leaving she said, “Joan. You need to make Bella’s nails shorter and the last time her ears were uneven. I didn’t like the blue bandanna you put on her. You know she doesn’t look good in blue.”
The stress and aggravation that clints like Mrs. Whiner and pets like Petey bring is never worth the income you get from them. Weed out the undesirables so you can concentrate on the loyal clients you have on your schedule.
Loyal, great clients…Now those are the gems that you want to keep. They are the ones who pre-book and show up on time for every appointment, no matter what. They also maintain their pets at home. Their pets come back in good condition, and can be groomed with less wear and tear on you and your equipment. They help your day and business run smoothly.
Even when your business is blessed with wonderful clients, there could be one more area where you need to clean house—and this one can make or break a business. It’s your employees.
Sharon has an employee who comes in late, wants to leave early, often calls off, and doesn’t help others or work as a team member. She is a terrible gossiper and is always on her phone. An employee like this brings constant turmoil to the workplace.
“She is a self-centered drama queen,” says Sharon. “I’ve given her chance after chance, but she has no interest in changing. This is going to end, and it’s going to end today!”
Problem employees are a real detriment to your business. They do not make money for you; they actually cost you, in time, money and stress. And, their behaviors have a negative effect on all the other employees. In fact, they affect the entire atmosphere of the workplace.
Since Sharon fired the problem employee, the other groomers have been more productive and their morale has never been better.
Brenda, Connie, Joan and Sharon have experienced the satisfaction of “cleaning house,” and now their businesses are flourishing.
Is it time for you to clean house?