How should a dog groomer answer "How much is a groom?"
By the GroomerKit team · Last updated November 2, 2026
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.
Why is this question hard?
Because the honest answer depends on three things the pet parent did not tell you: how big the dog is, what kind of coat it has, and what state the coat is in. A 15 lb shih tzu brushed every week and a 70 lb doodle last groomed in the spring are different afternoons, and your price list already knows that. The person asking does not.
So the reply either hedges until it sounds like a dodge, or it quotes the small-dog price from memory and the pet parent remembers that number at pickup. Both cost you something. A range with the reasons attached costs you nothing.
What should the reply include?
- A price or range from your own list, for the size and coat you can tell from what they said.
- One line on condition: tangles may add time, a matted coat carries your surcharge.
- One line that the final price is confirmed when you see the coat.
- One question that moves toward booking: size, breed, last groom date, or a photo.
Answer in the channel where the question arrived, and keep it under 320 characters if it is a text. The person asked one question. Answer it before you offer anything else.
How do size, coat and condition set the price?
Most groomers price from a grid like this one, with their own numbers. The reply picks the row and column it can, and names the surcharge rule for the part it cannot see.
| Factor | What it changes | How to say it in a text |
|---|---|---|
| Size band (by weight or breed group) | The base price of a full groom or a bath and brush | "A full groom for a dog around [50 lb] starts at [$125]." |
| Coat type (smooth, double, wire, curly or wool, drop or silky) | An add-on for coats that take longer | "Curly coats add [$15] for the extra drying and scissoring." |
| Condition (brushed, some tangles, matted) | Time, and so the matted-coat surcharge | "If the coat is matted, there is a [$20 to $40] surcharge depending on time." |
| Salon or mobile | The travel fee, if any | "The van is [$15] extra beyond [10] miles." |
What does a finished reply look like?
Here is one reply for a fictional shop. The question arrived by text at 9 pm with a photo of a goldendoodle and the words "how much for a groom?"
Thanks for the photo! For a doodle that size, a full groom at Clover & Clip is $125 to $140 depending on the coat. If there is matting, there is a $20 to $40 surcharge by time. I confirm the final price when I see the coat. When was the last groom, and is Fort Collins or the van easier for you?
Notice what the reply does. It gives a real range from the shop's list. It names the one thing that changes it. It keeps the final number for the table. And it asks the question the groomer needs answered next. It says nothing about the dog's skin, and it does not promise a slot.
What should you leave out?
- A number that is not on your list, including a guess from memory and a "probably around."
- A discount offered to end the conversation.
- Any comment on the dog's skin, ears or coat condition beyond the surcharge. If they mention a skin concern, say you are not a vet and point them to theirs.
- A market average or what another shop charges.
- A promise about how the dog will look or feel.
What if they say it is too expensive?
Stay friendly and do not drop the price. "I understand. The range covers the time a coat like that takes. If a bath and brush between full grooms would help, that starts at [$55]." That is an honest alternative, not a discount. If they go quiet, let them. The discount request kit has the longer version.
What if they ask about a skin problem in the same message?
Answer the price question and leave the skin question with the vet. "On the spot you mentioned, I am not a vet, so I would have your vet take a look before the groom. Happy to work around it once they have." Do not describe what it might be, and do not suggest a shampoo for it.
Try this this week
Write your price grid on one page: size bands down the side, full groom and bath and brush across the top, add-ons and the matted-coat surcharge underneath. Save it as a note on your phone. Every price reply this week comes from that note and nowhere else.
What to measure
For a month, count price questions received and how many of those conversations continued after your reply, meaning the person answered your question or booked. This will not prove what caused a booking, but it will show you whether the reply is ending conversations or moving them.