How to Track and Measure the Success
digital illustration of female groomer blow drying poodle with a calendar, coins, products, and clipboard behind her
of Holiday Add-On Services
by Amanda McGrath
December normally has the greatest number of clients coming through the doors of a grooming salon, so it is a smart business move to make the most of this time financially. And holiday add-ons—whether they are spa packages, festive bows or even retail bundles—can be a great way to increase revenue while offering something special to clients.

What some grooming salons don’t consider, though, is the importance of tracking these additional services to see if the time, money and effort going into them is actually worth it. Many times, holiday add-ons can be a “shiny thing” to offer to your clients, but they may not always be profitable.

By simply taking time to track and reflect on how the workflow and revenue of these add-on services performed during your holiday rush, you will gain valuable insights to make next year even better. This simple step will not only give you a better understanding of your clients’ behavior for next year, but it will also start a subtle shift in your business mindset: You can’t manage what you don’t track.

(Time + Product + Service) - Profit = Worth
(Time)

How long did the service take?
+
(Product)

What products had to be purchased?
+
(Service)

How much did it cost to perform the service?
–
Profit

What was the sell value of the service?
=
Worth

Is the remaining profit worth continuing the service?
Sales Data
The first and easiest way to see if your add-on services are worth your time is to take a look at your sales data and compile the following figures:
  • Number of add-on services sold
  • Percentage of clients who purchased them
  • Average sale price per client
You will need to do this for each new add-on service. Most salon software systems can run reports to give you these numbers in a matter of minutes. If your salon does not use a software system, you can still manually track the services. A simple checkout log, where staff note the add-on purchased and by whom, is enough to get accurate data.

This is where perception and reality can differ. During the busy holiday season, it can feel like add-ons are flying off the shelf because the salon is buzzing with energy. But unless you look at the hard data, you won’t know if 70% of clients purchased that holiday spa upgrade or if it was only 10%.

Profitability
Once you have the basic numbers, the next step is profitability. How much did the service cost for you to perform? What products did the salon have to purchase? How much staff time did it take? For this to be accurate, you must account for every cost. Doing this gives you a baseline to see if taking some of your precious time during the holidays has been worth it.

Many groomers assume add-ons are profitable because clients are buying them; however, sometimes the reality is that the same loyal regulars are purchasing them repeatedly while the overall sales are low or supply costs eat into the margin. Profitability ensures you’re not just “working harder,” but actually making the add-ons work for you.

The All-Inclusive Model
Some salons operate on an all-inclusive pricing model, where everything is bundled into one flat rate, so it might seem like add-ons don’t make sense in this setup. But that isn’t always the case.

The holidays give you a chance to offer something extra—not because clients need it, but because they’re often eager to splurge. A special holiday photo, a retail package with a toy or treat, or even a limited-edition seasonal shampoo upgrade can create excitement. Clients may love the chance to treat their pet to something festive and unique, even if they’re used to an “all-included” experience.

These types of add-ons aren’t about nickel-and-diming, they’re about creating a sense of celebration and pampering for the pets. Done correctly, they add additional value without undermining your pricing model.

Soft Metrics
Measuring the success of a holiday add-on service is more than just looking at revenue. Consider the “soft metrics” as well, which include:
  • Word-of-mouth referrals
  • Social media reach and tags
  • Customer satisfaction and loyalty
  • Team morale
For example, if festive holiday photos didn’t bring in much direct revenue but filled your salon’s social media feed with client tags that led to new bookings, that add-on still delivered strong value. These softer metrics might not show up on a financial statement, but they contribute to the overall health and growth of your business.
Client Feedback
If you are offering something completely new, consider sending clients a short survey after their visit. Many salon software systems can automate this, but if yours doesn’t, free tools like SurveyMonkey, Jotform or Google Forms can handle it. Keep questions simple and to the point, such as:
  • Did you enjoy the holiday service?
  • Would you purchase it again?
  • What would you like to see next year?
Feedback is a valuable form of data that helps you understand whether the add-on should be a part of your regular holiday routine, even if it doesn’t have the highest financial return on investment.
Staff Involvement
Your staff’s experience is another critical factor to track. Holiday add-ons that seem small can actually disrupt workflow if they aren’t managed properly. Ask your staff for honest feedback, such as:
  • Did the add-ons slow down your schedule?
  • Were you able to upsell comfortably?
  • Did you enjoy performing the service?
  • What suggestions do you have for next year?

If you have a larger team, an anonymous staff survey may yield the most honest responses. Staff buy-in is essential—if they feel overburdened or frustrated, even the most profitable add-on may not be worth it in the long run.

Using the Data
Tracking all of this data is important, but interpreting it is where the magic happens. Once you have everything compiled, take an objective look at the results: If a service is profitable, either in hard data (revenue) or soft metrics (exposure, loyalty, etc.), expand it next year. If a service underperformed, tweak it or eliminate it entirely.

By testing out new services each year, then tracking and refining them, you’ll build an annual holiday add-on playbook based on real results.

The holiday season brings excitement, chaos and opportunity, and add-on services can be a fantastic way to increase revenue and delight clients—but only if you know which ones actually work for your business. When you measure what matters, you take the guesswork out of the holiday rush and turn it into a repeatable, profitable strategy year after year.

Amanda McGrath is a Certified Feline Master Groomer and the owner of a successful home-based grooming salon. Amanda has a unique talent for time management and organization, and hosts “The Groomer’s Game Plan,” a two-day strategic planning event specifically for grooming businesses. She is the co-owner of Hause of Bones, a small business that creates humorous stickers for the witty side of grooming, and she serves on the board of the Pet Stylist Relief Fund. Currently, Amanda is developing a podcast focused on the unique aspects and advantages of home-based grooming salons.

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