New Client Check-In: A Process for Success

Elevate Your Grooming

by Blake Hernandez

Blake Hernandez sits on a tile floor beside a large full book shelf while sticking his hand into a partially open black mesh container holding a new cat client

hecking in a pet is a crucial part of the grooming process—especially for first-time clients. The following will cover a first-time check-in for both a cat and a dog, including what questions should be asked and how to interpret client answers, as well as the physical check-in process for a cat.

New Dog Client

How often do you get your dog professionally groomed?

I always use the term “professionally groomed” because I don’t want them to include the times their 11-year-old child bathes the dog with a hose. I want to know when the dog was last legitimately dried to the skin.

This also lets me know how short I need to go in order for the coat to not be too long and matting by their next appointment.

Remember, clients will usually exaggerate. If they tell me “once every couple months,” that usually means every four months.

What is your dog’s lifestyle like?

The answer to this question will allow you to gage what condition the dog’s coat will be in and what adjustments you may need to make to the groom based on your local climate and environment, combined with the dog’s regular activities.

For example, a dog that hikes in California during the summer needs to have really tight feet and checked between the toes for foxtails as opposed to a dog that goes to the beach in California that comes in matted, which you wouldn’t want to pre-shave because the coat would instantly dull your blades.

When a client says that their dog doesn’t do anything that means they’ll be seeing a lot of the bottom of their paw pads while they’re being a couch potato.

What is the one thing you don’t want to see me do today?

Your clients are not groomers and most have not spent a great amount of time considering every inch of their dog’s style. Do not overwhelm them! Cut straight to the point and find out what they would leave a bad review about. Everything else is forgivable.

For example, they may say to never trim their ears or tail; or maybe their cocker keeps the toupee up top. Trust me, this is the easiest way to keep your bases covered in the customer satisfaction game.

New Cat Client

For cats, my questions are generally the same; however, the physical check-in process is usually more telling than the client’s answers to my verbal questions.

How long has it been since your cat was professionally groomed?

I expect cats to be on schedules shorter than dogs but I still want the client to potentially open up about previous appointments and their degree of success, and maybe some things to watch out for.

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How long has it been since your cat was professionally groomed?

I expect cats to be on schedules shorter than dogs but I still want the client to potentially open up about previous appointments and their degree of success, and maybe some things to watch out for.

What is your cat’s lifestyle like?

Basically find out if it’s indoor, outdoor or both. Cats that spend time outside are more prone to having fleas or even scratches and bites from other cats underneath the coat that the owner doesn’t know about. It is best to be conscious of these things and inform the customer accordingly.

What is the one thing that you don’t want to see me do today?

For the same reason as dogs, I believe this is key to preventing customers from leaving bad reviews and instead singing your praises because they feel heard.

The Physical Check-In

Cats have way more flight than they have fight; in fact, they usually just fight long enough to figure out a way to flee. That is why, when checking in a cat, I get on the floor with my legs straddled in order to create a visual block and give the cat less chance of flying past you (Fig 1). I will reach in and pull the cat out, even with the top-opening style carrier, so there are less escape routes. The cats usually recognize this and stay put.

The next series of pictures (Figs 2-9) were taken within two to three seconds total. The goal is to sweep across the cat’s body in a fluid motion, touching each area that might cause the cat to become aggressive when touched. Any negative reaction to an area may be an indicator that the cat is too much for your level of cat-handling skills, or simply alert you to areas of concern when handling the cat later in the groom.

the rear and base of the tail are checked

By following these steps for checking in new clients, you’ll be better prepared for the groom, and it also puts you and the pet owner on the same page so there are no surprises.

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