Guides

Plain answers to the writing questions independent grooming salons ask most.

• How should a dog groomer write a no-show, late and deposit policy, and how should it be texted?

  Write four plain lines: the deposit and what it comes off, the cancellation notice you need, the grace period and what happens after it, and the no-show fee. Put the same lines on your booking page, your intake form and your confirmation text. Then, when something goes wrong, text the policy once, exactly as written, and offer the next step.

• How do you keep grooming clients on a 4, 6 or 8 week schedule without nagging?

  Set a cadence per coat and say it at every pickup as your recommendation. Offer the next appointment while the dog is still fluffy, with the same weekday and time, and take a no gracefully. For the client who stretched, send three short texts at 8, 10 and 12 weeks, one ask each, the dog's name first, and then stop.

• How should a dog groomer answer "How much is a groom?"

  Reply in the same channel with a price or range from your own list for the size and coat you can tell, one sentence on how condition changes it, one sentence that the final price is confirmed when you see the coat, and one question: size, breed, last groom date or a photo. Never invent a number and never comment on the dog's skin.

• How should a mobile groomer communicate the service area, the arrival window and the driveway handoff?

  State the service area as towns or a radius with the travel fee and where it starts, and put the same paragraph on your booking page, your bio and Nextdoor. Give arrival times as a window, never a clock time, and text 20 minutes before you arrive. At the driveway, the handoff is three lines: what you need ready, how long the groom takes, and when you will text that the dog is done.