“Empawering” Customer Service from the Inside Out typography
by Amy Addington
Ahe pet industry is set to experience tremendous growth as the demand for services remains high. So, in a competitive industry where new brands are constantly emerging to get a piece of the estimated $247-billion pet-industry pie, how can a brand keep a paw ahead of the pack? The key might lie in differentiating yourself from others by creating a customer service model that starts from the inside out and translates to an overall positive experience for everyone involved.
by Amy Addington
Ahe pet industry is set to experience tremendous growth as the demand for services remains high. So, in a competitive industry where new brands are constantly emerging to get a piece of the estimated $247-billion pet-industry pie, how can a brand keep a paw ahead of the pack? The key might lie in differentiating yourself from others by creating a customer service model that starts from the inside out and translates to an overall positive experience for everyone involved.
To empower growth and secure customer retention, it helps if pet service brands are built on the idea that the customer—both human and pet—come first, as does the internal team. By putting emphasis on employee development and wellbeing, companies are building teams whose values align with that of the business’s owner. Together as one, the company will do the ultimate job, from start to finish, to meet the needs of consumers and foster healthier client relationships. Following are some examples of how this “from the inside out” approach works.

Personalized Services & Leveraging Strengths

As the industry becomes increasingly crowded, many pet care brands are looking for the most efficient ways to schedule customers. While important, creating positive, personalized customer and team experiences can be the most powerful tool to optimizing growth and driving brand success. Customers are looking for pet service providers that embrace a personal approach to their pet’s care and specific needs. Whether it’s salon, mobile or in-home grooming, pets have different needs, and going above and beyond to create a tailored experience for each will increase the likelihood of repeat customers. However, that personal touch shouldn’t stop, or even start, with just the customer experience.
Customer service is an inside job, and often a well-cared-for team member will reciprocate compassionate, attentive services if they too receive that from the business owner and colleagues. Forging personal relationships can help managers when dealing with task delegation and tailoring training programs so that employees’ needs are most acutely met. Learning about the members of your team also provides the opportunity to enhance each employee’s strengths and identify potential areas for growth. Maybe you have a groomer who is also passionate about design. They might be able to create graphics or thank-you notes for clients, helping to add a personal touch to the pet care experience. Each employee is a person first with a unique skillset that can further set your business apart from the competition.

Team Compassion & Communication

Creating a team environment built on compassion and communication plays a pivotal role in overall customer service and employee retention. Since so many jobs in the pet service industry are physically taxing—long hours spent bending or standing while grooming—taking care of employees is critical. For example, scheduling with employees’ wellbeing in mind can help them feel cared for and create a happier, more productive team who establishes positive relationships with customers without feeling burnt out. Having an open managerial ear for employee feedback can also help enhance the employee experience and create a healthier workplace overall.

Additionally, building a sense of trust within the team can help business owners circumvent potential issues with customers. Employees who feel a mutual sense of trust are more likely to alert senior team members of any service issue before they escalate, and teams can then collaborate on solutions to avoid it spiraling out of control.

Enhanced Education & Innovation
Pet care services require that those performing the tasks are well educated and up to date on the most recent developments in the industry. It’s not a cookie-cutter business—especially when you’re grooming a pet which requires using tools and products that must be handled carefully. That’s why education is key in our business, and it starts with your team members. Companies that provide the tools and resources for employees to train on the services they’ll be providing set themselves up for success early in the game, giving themselves a competitive edge in being able to provide the proper recommendations to pet owners.
As the pet industry grows and changes, brand loyalty can make or break a business.
Technology innovation also plays a big role in educating teams and providing the best service to customers. With the wellbeing of every pet at the forefront of what groomers do, you can take advantages of services such as veterinary tele-health should you or your team identify anything that’s cause for concern. While this isn’t required in our industry, it’s one way of going above and beyond to educate team members and provide customers with an added benefit.

As the pet industry grows and changes, brand loyalty can make or break a business. And the way to build brand loyalty is by creating personal relationships with your staff and treating them well so they will reciprocate that with customers. The more personalized an experience you can provide to pets and their owners, the more likely you are to have repeat business as well. By focusing on team members as people first, having compassion and emphasizing industry education, you are sure to see a high return on team investment through customer retention and positive word-of-mouth.

Amy Addington has been President of Woofie’s since January 2022, and was a Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer from Woofie’s inception until then. She has been the Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Woofie’s, LLC, which merged into Woofie’s Ashburn, LLC in January 2022, since its inception in March 2004. She was also the Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Woofie’s Mobile Pet Spa Services, LLC, a position held from its inception in January 2017.

Back to Issue