The product of every
service business is not only characterized by its root service,
but by the quality of the management delivering the service. There
are thousands of hard-working, talented and caring pet grooming
business owners who are not yet skilled managers, nor do they hire
one. Is that important? You bet it is. There are many legal duties
and responsibilities mandatory for every pet grooming business
owner that are the same for all other service and retail business
owners, and those duties and responsibilities are not pet care
skills. They are owner and management skills.
Without management, a
pet grooming business can deliver great pet care, but not be there
in the years ahead or provide little financial gain for the owner.
Without financial, personnel, and legal management the gain is
speculative at best. Even today, the typical pet grooming business
owner both manages and grooms. That means they must frequently set
down the scissors and clippers to manage, and thereby potentially
lose income. Highly-motivated business owners will groom a full
day and then manage a few more hours, but that can lead to burn
out. Yes, it's probably worth it if it means being able to stay in
business, but there has got to be a better way. Again, why do so
many other service trades have hired management, or partners where
one provides the services and the other manages?
Without the benefits
of effective management you often struggle just to maintain, and
seem to never get ahead. From our extended experience in the
industry, we know this sounds all to familiar to too many pet
grooming business owners today. It's very easy to get caught up in
the busy and pressing work of pet grooming, and forget your
business goals. At the end of the regular work day they are
naturally quite tired from the physical work of pet grooming. But
the grooming makes the immediate and noticeable income that pays
the bills so it's easy to overlook management. But, what could
have been accomplished with a part-time or full-time hired
manager? Can the hired manager truly pay for themselves, and more?
We have worked 40 years in the industry and we have some
solutions for today's pet grooming business owner.
If you are just
starting a career in the pet grooming industry, you have a great
advantage of proven pet grooming management information that was
not common knowledge for decades before. You may have saved
yourself of trial and error learning effective pet grooming
management.
Where
is the Grooming Manager?
Let's take an even look
at the state of management in a typical pet grooming business, or
at a grooming department within a multiple department pet business
(for example, a veterinarian clinic or pet store with a grooming
department). None of the following is a criticism of anyone's
operation. Instead, it is an attempt to show the drawbacks of a
pet grooming industry lacking hired managers in over 90% of its
member businesses. Solutions are also coming forthwith.
Imagine you are a pet
owner entering a business offering pet grooming service for your
first time. At the front counter with your pet in hand, you ask,
"This is my first visit to your business. Could I speak with
the manager please?"
Business A: "I'll
be right there," said the trimmer putting down her scissors.
You may think, "I asked for the manager." Arriving at
the counter, the trimmer says, "May I help you."
"Yes, I would like to speak with the manager." The
trimmer replies, "I am the owner, manager, groomer and
receptionist."
Business B: From
behind a wall I hear the sound of running water; it sounds as if a
pet is being bathed. A faceless voice calls out, "I'll be
right there." Moments later a person appears from behind the
wall. As they reach the counter, the phone rings. He says,
"Excuse me. I have to answer the phone." Another line
rings, and it is answered by another pet groomer. The phone is
hung up, and "Now. Can I help you?" I say, "I would
like to speak to the manager please." "We don't have a
manager. The owner's is running an errand and will be back later.
You can wait if you like." The phone rings again, and I
think, "What happened to the pet in the tub?"
Business C: The
trimmer looks at me and says, "I run the grooming department
in this store. Can I help you?" I respond, "So there is
no manager on duty?" "I do everything in this
department, but there is also a store manager."
Business D: "Hello,
my name is Barbara and I am the receptionist. I will call the
manager for you, and while you are waiting, here is our pet care
services brochure describing our company, policies, services and
prices. Please have a seat. Who may I say is asking?" The
trimmer never stopped trimming, the bather never stopped bathing.
Soft music was playing, and the receptionist had kept the front
area spotless, even hygienic. I noticed the air was cool and
fresh, and then the manager arrived. Her hand reached out for
mine, "Hello, my name is Susan Jones, and I am the manager of
this business. Welcome. How may I help you and your lovely
pet?" I respond, "This is my first visit, and my pet
Sammy needs some special attention and I am concerned." Susan
answers, "Barbara, special care is our specialty. I'm sure we
can be of service to you with our wide variety of special pet care
and convenient client services.
Now, tell me what your
concerns, and what is the special care Sammy needs." Susan
spent a quarter of an hour with me, and didn't rush. Susan
invested here time to give me the peace of mind that come from
knowing my pet was in the best hands possible. Susan and the
business only had to live up to the services promised, and I would
come back here forever. This is a well run business and it looks
profitable, and that makes me feel great. Not only do they provide
pet care services, but skilled client services. No wonder they are
prosperous and well-staffed, and not hurried.
There
really are businesses like those in "D" and their
numbers are growing. Not all of them are in urban areas either.
They are so far ahead of stereotypical pet grooming businesses
their owners do not think about "competitors." It really
is stressful to be concerned with competitors. Be the best,
provide the best and you will enjoy your business. Don't wait for
the industry to become more formally organized with professional
standards, become it now and help the industry toward that goal.
Be a role model and as you grow invest back into your business
developing the ideal business. Invest is management.
Dedicated
management is noticeable to every client. Groomers do not
substitute for managers even though there are stages in early
business development where it may be necessary. Groomers excel in
pet care when they can focus. A focused pet groomer ensures the
art, safety, quality, cost-efficiency and productivity of a
business. An important goal of management is to allow pet groomers
to focus on that which they do best as part of an overall pet care
team.
Management
and staff, perhaps as little as three persons, work best when
organized as a team supervised by management. Each member fulfills
their assigned duties and responsibilities noted by job
descriptions and taught through organized training programs. Each
team member must understand their contribution to the whole. Teams
are more readily managed, and that allows the management to spend
more time with clients too. Like the gears of fine-tuned
machinery, management and grooming staff interactively balance the
work of client relations, pet care and internal administration.
Yes, even in pet grooming businesses. In fact, this is the way
that large pet grooming businesses, even those doing 40 to 80 pets
a day, ensure that every pet receives full-time attention to its
particular needs, expert pet care and safety, and comfort.
Profitability increases dramatically in a teamwork environment
too. In fact, several large pet grooming salons we know of provide
equal or better services to small, limited clientele pet grooming
businesses that often charge $5 to $10 more yet their owner nets
far less income.
More grooming management
information continues on the next page.
