Dog Groomer: What Should I Ask From My Referrals?

This is the second part of Where Can I Find Good Professional Dog Groomers? If you haven’t read it yet, please do as I’d added another tip. I can not believe I missed this obvious resource (Dog Shows) which should come natural for me!

So now you have all those places to nail down some potential groomers, you next task is to interrogate your source! =D

Knowing what to ask from your referrals is crucial as it will dramatically reduce your time investigating those short listed groomers. Remember to spare a thought to those acquaintances you asked as you don’t want to rob their time. Select those questions that seem most essential to you.

Questions To Ask From Your Referrals

• Where is that groomer located at?
• How long have you been using that groomer?
• Is the groomer certified?
• How often do your bring your dog to the groomer?
• Do you have to make advance booking? If so, what is the length of notice?
• What are the charges like? Or how much did you pay for your recent visit?
• What other services does the groomer offer?
• Does the grooming salon offer transportation service?
• Is the groomer an independent operator? If not, how many staff does she have?
• Is the facility area clean and organized?
• Was the groomer helpful when you asked for advice on basic grooming tips?
• Does she take the time to share grooming tips without much prompting or percussion?
• Do you think the groomer is knowledgeable? Does she keep up with the latest trend and equipment?
• Does your dog get the same clip every visit? Does the groomer suggest a different or more appropriate clip to suit your dog’s current lifestyle?
• Does your dog enjoy going to that groomer? Does he look forward to his visit?
• What is it that keeps you going back to that groomer? Is it the reasonable price? Or is it the pampering your dog adores? Or is it his calm and collect behavior after the grooming session? Or is it the friendly staff or service?
• Which day of the week do you bring your dog to the groomer? What time do you usually schedule your dog for grooming? Is it because it has fewer crowds?

Sometimes dogs get undivided attention or extra pampering if go during off-peak hours. Avoid going during holiday seasons and weekends.

La’vin, a good friend of mine who is an excellent professional groomer, would throw some grooming treats (aromatherapy messages or pedicure or extra topknot bow) free of charge if she doesn’t have a line of canine customers waiting to be groomed. It is not often she does that because she usually has quite busy schedule, but it never stops her from pampering the dogs in other little ways. Dogs love her to pieces!

If you get two or more same recommendations from different referrals, take special note on that particular groomer. Ask the same questions, if their answers are similar and cohesive, you pretty much have a winner.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Meeting The Groomers

Before you head down to those selected dog grooming salons, you might want to see if they meet your objectives and financial budget. There is no point evaluating the groomers, facilities, and services when you don’t have the means to carry through the plan. All professional groomers run a very busy schedule; they might not want to entertain you much if they sensed your indecisiveness.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you think you could commit to a long-term relationship with the groomer.

• Are the charges within my budget and I feel comfortable paying for at least 6 grooming sessions? It is not advisable to keep switching groomers especially for young pups. In anyway you shouldn’t be switching at all or so soon after all the hard work you’ve done—scouting and interrogations.
• Is the distance too far to justify the action? If you have to drive a total of 20 miles (4 trips) for one grooming session, it might turn into a tedious chore assuming you bring your dog for grooming every 4-6 weeks.
• Is the grooming salon located somewhere near my office or places where I usually run my errands? Strategic location is vital if you are a working person or busy mom.
• Can I afford the transportation service from home to grooming salon to doggie daycare? Assuming you don’t own a car because you live and work in a highly populated city, so you have to factor in the transportation cost with the grooming fee.

It would be great if you could narrow down to 3 to 5 potential professional dog groomers. Of course you are not going to use all five of them because you still have one more task to complete before you decided on the top 2 groomers of your choice. It is the same approach when finding good veterinarians. Should the groomer go on a long break without giving ample notice due to personal or business reasons, your dog’s grooming needs will not be disrupted if you have a backup groomer.

The next installment will be on How Do I Evaluate the Groomer and the Facility? You don’t want to miss this as I will share some real life stories of those ‘cruel’ groomers.

The complete series on professional dog groomers are

Should I Hire a Professional Groomer?

Where Can I Find Good Professional Dog Groomers?

What Should I Ask From My Referrals?

How Do I Evaluate the Groomer and the Facility?

How Do I Prepare my Puppy for his First Grooming Visit?