Open December when you have counted your real slots, and before clients start asking. For most owners that means a set date in November, picked on purpose. Say it in three messages, in order: a text to regulars who agreed to texts, a public post with your last booking date, and a short line for when December is full. No discount, no countdown.

It is November 12 and the book is still closed

Picture it. It is November 12. Your December book is still closed because last year was a mess. You opened it late, the week before Christmas filled in three days, and then you spent two weeks typing "sorry, we're full" to people you like.

Here is the thing to notice. That was not a demand problem. People wanted grooms, and they will again. It was a capacity problem: a fixed number of slots, released all at once, to whoever happened to see the post first. Often that was not the dog you have groomed every six weeks for three years.

So the plan is not about getting more people to want December. It is about deciding, calmly and early, who gets the slots you actually have.

Step 1: Count your December slots

Before you write a word, count. Open your booking app or paper book and work out:

  • Your working days in December, with closure days crossed out.
  • How many dogs you can take on a normal day, not a heroic one.
  • Any days you already know are short: a vet visit for your own dog, a van service, a school event.

Multiply working days by dogs per day. That number is your December. It does not stretch because the week before Christmas is busy. Write it down.

Then look at your regulars. How many dogs in your book would normally be due in December? If that count is close to your slot count, regulars alone could fill most of the month. That is useful to know before you post anything public.

Step 2: Pick the opening date

Pick one date when the December book opens, and keep it. Early enough that regulars can plan before their own holidays fill up. Late enough that you have finished the count and know your closure days.

Avoid opening "whenever someone asks." That is how December ends up handed out in the order texts arrive. A set date is fairer and easier to explain.

Step 3: Text regulars who agreed to texts first

Your regulars hear first, and only those who have agreed to get texts from you. Give them a short head start before anything goes public, a few days or a week, whatever fits your book.

The text says three things: December is open, here is how to book, and here is the last date you take December bookings. Nothing more. If you want the text, the public post, an email and a full line drafted from your own dates and counts, the Holiday rush booking campaign kit is built for this, with a send order to follow.

Step 4: Post the last booking date

After the head start, post publicly. The post gives your real last booking date and your closure days. That date is the only urgency in the whole campaign, and it is true.

When the month is full, swap in one plain "December is full" line everywhere: your pinned post, your voicemail, your saved reply. If you keep a cancellation list, a separate message for when a slot opens up helps, like the one in the waitlist cancellation kit.

What to leave out

A holiday campaign tempts you to add things. Leave these out:

  • No discount. You are already short on slots. A discount brings more asks for the same number of grooms.
  • No scarcity line. Skip "only a few spots left!" The last booking date already says what matters.
  • No countdown. Daily "3 days left" posts add noise. One clear date, posted once and pinned, does the job.

A full December also leaves less room for a missed appointment. If you already have a no-show or late policy, now is a good moment to put it in plain words before the rush. The free No-Show & Late Policy Text Pack helps you write how you share your existing policy, kindly and in advance.

Questions

When should a dog groomer open December bookings?

Open on a date you pick after counting your December slots, not when the first person asks. A date in November often gives regulars time to plan, but the right date is the one your own book supports.

Should I offer a holiday discount to fill December?

In December you are short on slots, not on people asking. A discount adds asks without adding grooms, so it makes sense to leave it out and keep your normal prices.

What do I say when December is full?

Use one short line on every channel: December is full, thank you, and when January bookings open. Add a cancellation list if you keep one.

Should every client get the first text?

Only regulars who have agreed to get texts from you. Everyone else hears through your public post a few days later.