Why was it more this time?
A labradoodle comes in every eight weeks. Last time the owner paid one price. This time, with a different groomer and a different receptionist, it is noticeably more. The groomer added a charge for de-matting. The receptionist also moved the dog up a size band because it looked big.
The owner asks why. The receptionist is not sure what was charged last time or why, and ends up knocking some off to keep the peace. The groomer feels undermined, because the de-matting was real work.
Across the salon, the same thing happens in small ways every day. Some groomers always charge for nail grinding, some never do. Some receptionists round down for regulars. Nobody knows what the salon's actual pricing is in practice.
Meanwhile the price list on the wall says small, medium, large, and leaves everything else to judgement.
The price list stops where the judgement starts
Your price list covers the basic bands. Everything that makes grooming prices vary, such as coat condition, temperament, extra time and add-ons, is left to whoever is on shift.
- Size bands are judged by eye rather than set on the dog's record.
- Extras are charged by some staff and forgotten by others.
- Coat condition charges are not explained to the owner before collection.
- Regular discounts are informal and inconsistent.
- Nobody can see last visit's breakdown when pricing this visit.
Awkward conversations and money left on the table
Inconsistent pricing leads to arguments at collection, which is exactly when you want the owner leaving happy. Staff give discounts to avoid conflict, and real extra work goes unpaid. Owners compare notes in local groups and wonder why their neighbour paid less. And without a clear breakdown, you cannot review whether your prices reflect the time grooms actually take.
How we build a consistent grooming price guide
- We sit down with you and capture your pricing rules: base price by service, size band and coat type, and each extra with its price or time-based rule.
- Each dog's record stores its size band and coat type, set once by a groomer and changed deliberately, not guessed at each visit.
- At booking, the expected price is shown from the dog's record and the service, and can be included in the confirmation to the owner.
- During the groom, the groomer taps any extras (de-matting, hand stripping, nail grinding, extra time for handling) on the table tablet, with a short reason.
- Where an extra goes beyond a threshold you set, the owner gets a message before collection explaining it, so there is no surprise.
- At checkout, the bill shows the breakdown and last visit's breakdown side by side. Discounts need a reason and are logged.
| Price element | Today | With the price guide |
|---|---|---|
| Size band | Judged by eye each visit | Set on the dog's record |
| De-matting | Charged sometimes | Added by the groomer with a reason |
| Owner told | At the till | Before collection if above your threshold |
| Regular's discount | Informal | Logged with a reason |
Your prices are entirely your decision. We capture your rules and make sure they are applied the same way whoever is working.
Collections without the price argument
The labradoodle's owner is told at booking roughly what to expect, and gets a message mid-groom if the coat needs extra work. At collection the bill matches what they were told, with a clear line for the extra. Groomers' extra work is recognised. The manager can see how often extras are charged and whether prices need updating.
Is pricing inconsistent in your salon?
- The same dog is charged differently from visit to visit.
- Extras depend on which groomer did the dog.
- Owners are surprised by the price at collection.
- Staff give discounts to avoid arguments.
- You cannot see last visit's breakdown when pricing this one.