Grooming Matters
What Makes a Good Groomer typography with a central image of a paw imposed on a pair of precision scissors

by Daryl Conner
Photos by Animal Photography

What is it that makes a groomer good at what they do? I pondered this question recently when I was referring a customer whom we could not help to another stylist in our area—someone I considered good at what they do. My curiosity led me to ask other groomers what they thought made for a successful pet styling business, and here is what we came up with!
"Caring"; minimalist illustration of a figure wearing a t-shirt and shorts and bending to hug a large breed dog standing on its hind legs
Probably the most essential aspect of succeeding in the pet industry is having a high level of concern for the wellbeing of the animals in our care. As groomers, we deal not only with the physical body of pets, but also with their emotional wellbeing. From young dogs unfamiliar with the sights, sounds and sensations of the grooming process to elderly dogs with unique limitations, as well as a wide range of situations in between, we need to care for and support the pets in many ways.

Furthermore, letting human customers see how much we genuinely care for their pets is paramount. It can be easy to assume that people know we feel deeply for their animals, but showing it is vital to make customers understand why they should choose you as their pet stylist.

"Understanding Canine Behavior"; minimalist illustration of a figure wearing a sweater and jeans and reaching their hand out to a large breed dog that sits with its mouth open

Grooming educator Barb Hoover said, “Empathy, compassion, understanding dog behavior, and having basic training skills are important. How a dog behaves on the table is probably 80% related to the groomer’s handling skills. Not every dog can or will stand like a statue. A good groomer knows how to do cooperative grooming, which often means allowing the dog some freedom of movement to allow the process to be as comfortable as possible for them. Cross-tying every dog to a pole and expecting them all to stand like statues and have the same range of motion just sets the groomer up for failure.”

Dawn Omboy, “The Queen of Color,” added, “The ability to read each dog, work around their quirks and fears, and instill confidence. The dog’s mental state is more important than a perfect haircut.”

"Reliability"; minimalist illustration of a figure wearing a sweatshirt and pants and holding the leashes of three dogs in both hands

In a world where it is increasingly difficult to find people in any industry who will return phone calls and be available when they promise they will be, being reliable is more important and refreshing than ever. If you arrange an appointment and service, or even promise to return calls at a specific time, it is crucial to do as you promise. Customers are increasingly impatient because reliability is at an all-time low in many areas. Being habitually reliable is a great way to win customer loyalty.

"Excellent Customer Service"; minimalist illustration of a two figures, the man holds a dog that stands on a table and the woman observes the dogs face
Here is something else that has been in short supply in many industries over the past few years. Good customer service means consistently meeting (or exceeding!) your customers’ expectations. In the grooming industry, it can be as simple as remembering your customers’ desires, such as, “No cologne on Bo Bo ever; it makes him sneeze!” Or that Mrs. S is very disappointed if her dog does not have a vast, colorful bow on her collar after every groom.

It also means that if a customer voices dissatisfaction, we take time to listen to their complaint without becoming defensive. After listening, we should repeat back what we heard so the customer knows we listened, and then offer some solutions to solve the problem in the future. For example, if a customer says their dog came home and acted very itchy after the last visit, you might say, “I’m so sorry that Chloe was uncomfortable. Let me suggest we try using a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner this time and see what happens. I’ll keep careful notes so we can determine the problem and prevent it from happening again.” This lets the customer know you understand the situation and are willing to try to help. To go a step further and call to check in on how Chloe feels the next day shows your commitment to the wellbeing of the pets.

Additionally, you must always tell a customer about a problem or incident during the grooming visit. Even something as minor as a claw clipped too short should be reported, so if the dog scrapes the nail on the way out to the car and begins to bleed, it won’t be a surprise. Total honesty is the best way to build customer confidence.

Groomer Sandy Heath says, “I admit, whenever I’ve nicked an ear or whatever, my first thought is if it’s something I might not have to mention. But I always do. To say that I abhor confrontation is putting it mildly, but I always disclose everything.”

"Continue to Learn"; minimalist illustration of a two figures, the man holds an open bag of dog food while standing beside a woman holding a clipboard
There is always something new to learn to improve your skills. The current grooming world offers multiple ways to invest in continuing education; from the magazine you are currently reading to a myriad of online courses and forums and lots of excellent books, not to mention the fabulous educational opportunities to be had at grooming seminars throughout the year across the country. The moment you think you know it all is the time to find something new to discover.
"Patience and Flexibility"; minimalist illustration of a woman figures bent on a knee with both hands stretched toward a dog that looks at her hands

Any job that involves working with animals and people requires endless patience. Being flexible in how you approach a variety of pets and their behaviors is an essential aspect of being a successful groomer. For example, we groom a dog that has very low bite inhibition. I usually prefer to groom a dog’s head and face last to balance it nicely to the body trim. However, this particular dog becomes more apt to bite the longer we work on him, so we have adapted to grooming his face and head first while he still has a sense of humor about the process, and then we groom his body. Making this small change in the pattern we normally work makes the difference in being able to finish the groom without anyone getting bitten.

So, what makes a good groomer? Knowledge of proper styling is essential, of course, but there is more to it than that. The best groomers blend a wide variety of skills, mixing them with an abiding love of animals and a true passion for their work to create an image that is admired by both customers and others in the pet industry.

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