4 Things No Dog Grooming School Can Prepare You For
When you buy or receive a dog, your life changes completely. Apart from the immense warmth and happiness that a dog brings into its owner’s life, this position comes with many responsibilities, as well. A dog needs proper care and food to be happy and healthy. Any dog owner wants his dog to look beautiful and have shiny skin. Thus, he will shift his attention to dog groomers and trust their skills to make his pet look good. Even though it seems like a pleasant job, dog groomers have a lot of responsibility. Apart from going to the dog grooming school, there are many things that any groomer will discover once he starts working. Keep reading this article and find out what the things you should know when you begin grooming dogs that no trainer will tell you about are.
4 Things No Dog Grooming School Can Prepare You For
- The grooming equipment is expensive
When you decide to go to dog grooming school, you imagine that your days will be full of pleasant moments. A dog groomer is, by definition, a person who loves dogs and has the necessary skills to deal with any breed. The job satisfaction is immense when you see that once you finish the grooming session, you have a happy dog who looks and smells good. However, apart from going to the grooming school, you will also need to invest money in buying the necessary equipment and organize everything in a grooming salon.
Many of the necessary grooming tools are expensive. If you think of the job specifics, you will need to invest in high-quality tools that don’t harm the dog and help you offer professional service. Unlike humans, a dog cannot stand still while you wash and style its hair. Therefore, you will need to invest in various equipment kits to ensure that you satisfy your clients.
- Be honest, even though it’s hard
The saying mentioning that the client is our master is true in this context, but not entirely. When you decide to become a dog groomer, you also take into consideration that you will get in contact with different people. Therefore, apart from having excellent grooming skills, you should also be a people’s person. Dog owners are very sensitive. So, when they enter in your salon, they expect you to be an expert and will ask you to do the impossible to make his dog look fabulous.
However, it is easier to say, but it is tough to do it. So, here comes your ability to be a great people person. When you realize that you cannot deliver the grooming style that your client requested, you should find a way to tell him that it is not possible and the reason why. While you will learn in school that there are various types of client personalities, no trainer will tell you how to deliver bad news.
- Perfectionism is good, but you shouldn’t exaggerate
When you are very passionate about your job, you would think that any pup should be groomed perfectly. While paying attention to details is highly appreciated by clients, it might come to a point when it affects your efficiency. You should keep in mind that your clients don’t know what perfect grooming means. They want their pooch to look good and be happy once the grooming session is over.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should rush during every groom and not put any effort into meeting your clients’ expectations. Any dog owner wants their dogs to be correctly taken care of and expect you to use professional products and equipment. If their pup is banging their tail once you finish the grooming, then you succeeded in making your client happy. So, once you complete the training, you should take the time to analyze how much time you need for each session and how much attention you need to pay to satisfy your clients’ requirements.
- Your clients will always expect you to offer a discount
Another thing that you don’t learn in school is that dog grooming means more than having the right skills and passion for this job. A dog groomer is also a businessman. Apart from loving this job, you should also learn how to create your prices and analyze your performance. When you are just starting out, your focus will be to expand your portfolio of clients. Thus, you will get in contact with various types of clients and try to please them as much as possible.
On the other hand, when dog owners decide that they need a dog groomer, they first do market research. They will compare the services offered by various professionals. Once they find a comparable portfolio of services, dog owners will start looking for the most convenient offer. Thus, you should expect that the dog owners that get in contact with you will ask you for a discount if you want to have them as clients.
Wrap-up
Being a dog groomer is not a very easy job. Apart from the necessary skills you need to deal with various dog breeds, you will also need to develop abilities to talk and negotiate with their owners. You should be prepared for unusual requests. Hence, your communication skills will help you a lot to expand your portfolio of clients and make them loyal.
About the Author: Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. Now she works as a freelance writer at TopWritersReview. Kristin runs her own FlyWriting blog.
This blog was contributed by Kristin Savage. If you would like to submit a blog please email cynthia@newyorkdognanny.com
