The Time is NOW! Holiday Prep for The Pet Salon ( PART 2)

Last week I posted about it being time to plan for the coming busy months in our pet businesses. Having your schedule blocked off as you see fit and if you are doing any holiday packages, making the necessary plans for those.

Another very important part of the holiday prep is making sure all your equipment is in tip-top shape. Are all your dryers/ clippers in working order? Do you need your blades and scissors sharpened? 

No one wants to be knee-deep in the holiday rush and have a dryer die or have the one blade you need to be dull. Acting on this now gives you plenty of time to send out the repairs you need and get that sharpening done.

A review of your inventory may be in order to see what supplies you may need. Do you have enough shampoo and conditioner? Are your favorite products stocked and ready when you may need them? Do you need to order extra towels or holiday-specific accessories? Really try not to wait till the last minute to order these things. No one wants to have to run out and face the holiday traffic to get more bandana material. Get it now, get them cut and have them ready to go.

Another important aspect of holiday prep is to look at your salon. Maybe it is in need of a deep clean. Take a weekend and get in the nooks and crannies and get it looking spiffy. Sometimes when we step outside ourselves and look at the salon with a customers eye, details we might normally miss will be very obvious. Get the floors done and cobwebs/dog hair out of the corners. Wash the windows. Take a weekend and scrub everything down. Do a Marie Kondo and throw out whatever you no longer need or want. Everyone will feel better and the energy will flow better in a clean environment. If your mobile, do the same with your vans and trailers. You will be happy you did. Then when the decorations need to go up everything is ready.

Now let's talk about client appreciation. There are lots of opinions on this. Some say they have no time and their barbers and mechanics do not gift their clients, so why should we? Others go all out! Many do holiday photos with adorable backgrounds. Goodie bags with treats and toys is another popular idea. Go on Pinterest and see lots of ideas for cute pet-themed ornaments. Another idea is to add a coupon to the gift to get them to return during January/February, typically slow months. I am not a fan of discounts, but many choose this as a way of client appreciation.  You can choose to offer a free upgrade instead of money off. I personally like that idea better. I just read that few groomers pick a charity and make a significant donation in their clients’ name. They then give a card with the details listed and thanking them for their business during the year. I really like that idea. If you decide to do a gift, budget it in and don’t get too crazy and have it cost you more than necessary.

One idea I heard from another groomer is to do a gratitude card at Thanksgiving. She had postcards printed up and either handed them to clients or mailed them towards the end of November. She thanked them for their business during the past year and offered a small gift or discount when she saw them next. I am always looking for new and unique ideas and this one resonated with me. I plan on doing this myself.

One final thought is to also think about those who refer you. Other groomers, vet offices, other pet-related businesses. Thank them for those referrals. A food gift thoughtfully packaged and hand-delivered is very thoughtful and appreciated. Another thought is to make a basket of items that everyone could benefit from. One suggestion was to buy small hand lotions, candles, scented sprays and make a gift basket. The small act of appreciation could very well bring good things in the future. It leaves an impression that they will most likely not forget when a client is asking for a referral to a new groomer.

As I close out I have a groomer friend who has a heart of gold. Every holiday she picks a family in need. She gets details about the family and a wish list of gifts for the kids. She buys a tree, decorates it and publishes the wish list to her clients. Clients bring in a wrapped gift and place it under the tree in her salon. Just before the holiday, she and her family deliver the decorated tree and gifts to the family. That is what the holiday is about.