News » Professionalism

As pet care ambassadors, it’s our job to keep things looking professional. There are plenty of salons and pet businesses that fall far below the realm of professionalism in my opinion.  I know the saying can be cheesy, but seriously, dress for success. Would you want to get have your personal pet groomed by someone who doesn’t take pride in their own personal presentation?

I know it can get tiring to dress up a little every day. However, our clients are entrusting us with the care of their pets. Like it or hate it, you can easily influence their trust factor simply by the way you look when you greet your clients. Think of yourself like your own brand. Don’t you want your product to be consistent and look great? Of course! And your clients are looking for that too.

A fashionable, well groomed appearance is essential when it comes to professionalism in this industry. When you are in a salon, kennel, pet resort, veterinarian clinic, or mobile grooming unit, you have to look the part. Come to work each day looking crisp, clean, and pulled together. Blue jeans and sweat pants ARE NOT professional attire! Black, white or khaki slacks work well. Longer skirts are great for women and so are skorts in warmer climates. Conservative shorts or capris may work for your environment as well. I’ve even seen leggings work when paired with an oversized, long top or smock. Look for clothing that is not prone to wrinkling or learn to iron!

Today, there are many options for hair repelling garments. There are all types of tops and bottoms in a wide variety of styles.  If you work in a salon with a dress code, this may be easier. If not, have some fun with the pet styling fashions that are available. It may even be a good idea to keep an extra outfit or smock around the shop as a back-up. If you get drenched or messy, a quick change will instantly boost your comfort level and mood.

And gals, remember, low cut tops and short- shorts are never professional!  If you have shorts that are too short or a top that is too revealing (especially when you are squatting down to pick up a dog), then you’re not displaying professionalism.

Don’t forget your footwear.  Most pet groomers are on their feet for hours. You are standing, lifting, bending, squatting, and twisting – all day long. Although clients may not be looking at your feet, having solid, supportive footwear will promote comfort for to you. Being comfortable allows you easily be warm and friendly to all your clients. Supportive footwear will also enhance the longevity of your career.  Over the long haul, your feet will take a beating.  Don’t skimp on your footwear. Invest in the best.

Scent is a very powerful sense. When it comes to your perfume (or fragrance you put on pets) be light-handed with the spray. Many people have allergies and are sensitive to fragrance. Plus, if you have multiple staff members wearing all different scents, it can be unpleasant for all. The same can be said for your makeup and hair color.  You want to appeal to a wide range of clients, so conservative is best in most cases. When in doubt, be a minimalist. Remember, you can always ‘be yourself’ once you leave the shop.

While we are on scent – what about your breath? If you are communicating to others – clients or coworkers – bad breath is down-right offensive. Brush, floss, and use a mouth wash regularly. Not only will it save your teeth, your clients won’t be offended as you discuss what trim will work best on Fluffy today.  Breath mints and gum can be helpful too in-between brushings. Lose the gum quickly once it has done its job. Chewing gum in front of clients is distracting and it is unprofessional in front of clients. The same can be said for eating and drinking on the floor. Keep snack and coffee breaks limited to behind closed doors.

Proper hygiene is crucial. It should go unsaid, but being clean and odor-free is a must. There is nothing more offensive – and embarrassing – than personal body odor. A famous quote from Zig Ziglar, who was a very success motivational speaker, said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Nothing could be truer!

Your own hair needs to be clean and simply styled. If your hair is long, get it tied back and away from your face. As your work with clippers or shears, you don’t want to be trimming a lock of your own hair as you scissor that leg. I hate to think of how many people with long hair have caught their tresses in the spinning grinder as they worked. Ouch! Or worse yet, drag it through anal gland expressions, defecation or urine.

Having a touch of jewelry is a nice finishing touch.  Done well, it always reflects positively. However, just like with fragrance – go light. A few simple rings. A durable watch. (and you always need to know the time!!) If your ears are pierced – stick with super simple earrings, something a dog can’t accidently catch in their paw, ripping your ear lobe. If you opt for a necklace, keep it tasteful. Don’t be in love with it. Dogs will catch it in their paws and break it eventually. The same thing with is true with bracelets.

Having well groomed fingernails is what I consider a bonus. Working with dirty dogs and trimming toenails lends itself to dirty fingernails – even if you do a lot of bathing. Trimming poodle feet has a tendency chip fingernails. Personally I liked to keep my nails painted. Painted fingernails will hind all sorts of flaws. Unfortunately when you do a lot of bathing, standard nail polish has a tendency to peel off quickly – sometimes in as little as one day.  My solution was to have my fingernails professionally done every 2 weeks. Both acrylic and shellac nail applications seem hold up well to the abuse groomers put their hands through.   Plus it gives you a little time to pamper your most valuable asset – YOUR HANDS!

Pay attention to the details. Judy Hudson is one our popular Learn2Groom Training Partners. In her video, What I Know For Sure she shares this tip: It doesn’t cost a lot to be clean. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to be neat and tidy. All it takes is a little elbow grease. 

As pet care ambassadors, not only is it our job to groom pets – but it’s also our job to present a professional image for our industry. I don’t know any successful person that doesn’t sweat the details. Being impeccable, both personally and in your workspace, shows the client that you care about yourself. The message you are sending out is; You are confident with your skills. You are successful. You respect yourself enough to do the same for them – and their pet.

Life is like high school. Those things that made you popular start to matter again. Like it, hate it, fight it, but it is true. The competent and likable pet groomer will attract far more business than the extremely talented but socially deficient expert.

I learned this fact early on in my first business; my fleet of mobile dog grooming vans.

That business grew quickly. In less than a year I was already adding vans and hiring staff. I had a couple phenomenal pet stylists over the years. I’ve also had a lot of average groomers over the years.

They were two individuals that stood out in all my years of running that company.

The first one, let’s call her Annie, was a compassionate social butterfly. But Annie was only a so-so groomer. Not only did she adore pets – she loved people. Love them. Annie was a chatterbox. She was especially fond of the senior citizens. She’d make clients special little gifts for their dogs. She had tea with clients. Have lunch with clients. Bring in the mail. Shovel sidewalks. Heck, she’d even stop at the store and pick them up milk! Clients adored her.

Annie routinely started her day late — and worked late. Many times her days would be 10 to 12 hours. She’d casually arrived at base (which was my home) between 9:30 and 10 in the morning — after every other driver was gone. She was almost always the very last groomer back at base, many times after 8:00 in the evening.

Annie drove me nuts. Rarely did she make the six dog quota we required daily.

The second stylist, let’s call her Ruth, was an amazing stylist. Amazing. Not only was she extremely talented, she was lightning fast. At the time, she could groom me under the table. She always made quota, plus, took a few extra appointments almost every day. She loved to make money. Wasting time was not her thing.

Ruth was always at base early. Most days she finished before 3 o’clock. I loved Ruth. She made us a ton of money. She was fast. She was efficient.

But then I started to look beyond the revenue. I started noticing which mobile groomer had a fuller appointment book weeks down the road.

Hands down — it was Annie. Her appointment book was almost all waste booked solid for weeks in advance. Clients simply would not take any other groomer than Annie.

Ruth on the other hand — she was always booked but her dispatchers had to scramble to make it happen. Even though she was talented and efficient, she lacked the ability to communicate. Even though she was passionate for a job, it did not show in her personality. Clients weren’t knocking down the doors to book appointments with her.

I learned to embrace Annie’s compassion for the job and the people. To Annie, it wasn’t about the money — it was about the relationships that she formed. The friendships she made. The people and pets that she could help brighten their day. Annie was one of our most popular mobile groomers — probably just like she was in high school.

Ruth? Not so much. Ultimately, I had to let Ruth go due to her lack of compassion for people and pets. Her personality just did not reflect well on my company.

Professional pet grooming is about building relationships — friendships. It’s about building trust with your clients and their pets. It’s about being personable. It’s about being able to smile while letting your love of the job shine through.

If you’re one of those folks that were extremely popular in high school, you’ll have no problem building your clientele. However, if you or someone on your team is socially inept, minimize the amount of contact they have with your customers. Let an educated social butterfly be your front person. That might be you, the owner, or it could be a well-trained receptionist who has an extremely bubbly personality.

Whoever is initially meeting your clients on a regular basis, make sure they are instantly likable. Their compassion shows strongly in all their actions. These are the same skills all the popular kids in high school possessed. Even as adults, life continues to be very much like high school. If you are in the service industry, a full book means you are winning the popularity contest.

If you want to be treated as a true professional, you need to walk-the-walk and talked-the-talk.

Years ago when I was still at my grooming table every day, I was out to upgrade the image of a pet groomer. My clients were amazed when I greeted them in a skirt. My hair was done. My make-up was in place. (OK – by the end of the day it wasn’t quite as fresh as when I started out) My nails were always done professionally. (…and it hid the problems that come along with trimming toenails a tad too short!)  I found lipstick that was a stain, giving my lips a hint of color instead of magnet that attracted dog hair. When I met a client for the first time – my introduction was a warm greeting, a big smile and a handshake.

I constantly looked at ways to be a more knowledgeable groomer. With a bit of effort, it didn’t take long before I honestly turned the corner from a basic groomer to a pet stylist.  I made a very positive impression on my clients. I sweated the details – and it paid off ten-fold.

Sweating the details translates into all areas of your salon or mobile unit too. It will be influenced by; what your client sees, what your client hears and what your client smells.

In most professional services, you are not really selling expertise, your expertise is assumed. Generally, your prospect cannot intelligently evaluate your expertise anyway. Instead you are selling a relationship – a professional relationship. Your perspective may not know at first if you are competent at your craft.

But they do know if their phone calls are answered promptly and politely. They can sense instantly how a salon looks. Does it look crisp and clean? Does it smell bright and fresh? They know if their pet is treated with compassion. And they certainly know if they are being treated respectfully.

Your clients have four options;

1. use your service
2. use a competitor service
3. do it themselves
4. not do it at all

Give yourself the edge. Sweat the details. Take the time, and effort, to present yourself as a true professional. Make sure your personal presentation is well pulled together.  Gain the skills you need to communicate effectively with your clients. Enhance your grooming techniques so you can give them the best job possible in the least amount of time. Always remember to keep the safety of both you and the pet foremost in your mind.

Happy Trimming