


If you do a little research about providing excellent customer service, you will find that most advice focuses on delighting the customer and going the extra mile to earn their devotion. In our industry, some groomers provide extra things like bows and bandanas, offer discounts or free upgrades like facials or toothbrushing, take photos of pets, or send them home with a cute report card or goodie bag. These add-ons are nice, but are they enough to ensure customer loyalty?

When working with pets and people, sometimes mistakes happen. How you handle these situations goes a long way toward earning your customers’ loyalty.
- How does it work for a pet owner to make an appointment with you for grooming?
If they call during business hours, do you answer immediately, or do they have to leave a message and wait for a return call? Do you offer multiple avenues of contact? Some people prefer talking to their service provider on the phone; others think texting or making an appointment online is the most straightforward. Offering several points of contact makes things easier for your customers from the start.
- When a customer checks their pet in for their appointment, what is the process?
Is it complex and time-consuming, or is it easy-breezy? Imagine bringing your beloved pet to be groomed and going through your check-in protocol. How do you think you would feel about it? Are there ways you can change things to streamline the process for customers?
- The same goes for checking out and picking up their pet.
Do customers regularly have to wait or undergo complicated steps to retrieve their pet, or is the process swift and straightforward? Do you accept multiple forms of payment, making it simple for them to pay and go?
When working with pets and people, sometimes mistakes happen. How you handle these situations goes a long way toward earning your customers’ loyalty. Here is an example: Mr. Green arrives on Wednesday morning with his Shih Tzu tucked under his arm for his scheduled appointment. You realize you made a mistake when you see him walking up to the door. You remember talking to him on the phone but accidentally wrote the appointment down for the following week. Your schedule for the day is already full, what do you do?
The first option will likely make his day a lot more complicated, as he is probably on his way to work and will have to return the dog home. It will not be simple for him. Since you know the error was yours, taking the second option is the best choice, though it will complicate your day.
Choosing the first option intensified bad feelings and earned you a poor review, while selecting the second one quickly made the best of an unfortunate situation. The customer was still displeased, but you proposed a solution to her problem and followed through.
Focusing on how to make interactions with your business simple and streamlined will significantly increase customer satisfaction. And that will give you more time and energy to do what you enjoy most—grooming pets.