Pricing… it’s time.

If you go to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s inflation calculator, it will tell you that $45 in January of 2020 has the same buying power of $51 today. It’s not as simple as “it’s just $6”. It’s thirteen percent- and that doesn’t mean companies aren’t gouging on top of it, because they absolutely are. Corporations are using supply chain issues as an excuse to bleed us dry- CEOs have been caught admitting their price-gouging on earnings calls- but it’s the data that says it all: corporate profit margins are the highest they've been in 70 years.

The same shampoo I bought for $43 in March of 2021 is now $56. (30% increase)

Maybe if I called them up and told them that I love my dogs and take great care of them, that I’ll always buy THEIR shampoo, and that I’m on a tight budget… maybe they’d give me a discount.

Odd that it sounds ridiculous in that context, but every day across the globe, groomers are forced to justify their right to earn a living.

Groomers, along with other comrades in the pet-industry; whether it be boarding, veterinary care, training, pet sitting, etc, all have something in common.
The Compassion Curse.
The Humane Hex.
Since we work with companion animals, it’s somehow seen as unseemly that we charge appropriately (or at all). The veterinary field has an incredibly high suicide rate (NOMV.org) in part from the trauma of the job, but also the constant demonizing and harassment for pricing. How dare the ‘greedy’ vets- who have staff, rent, utilities, and their own bills to pay- charge money for operating a business.

Somehow, we in the Companion Animal field ultimately bear the onus for the owner’s irresponsibility- whether it be poor budgeting for services needed or physical neglect of care. The pet is suffering, so we must do what is right by the pet or we’re greedy, we’re heartless, cruel, etc. and whatever the Unbrushables like to put in Yelp reviews.

Our next transgression is the sin of doing something we love for a living. I don’t know where in the American Dream it says we must suffer for our pay. Many times- from friends, family & customer alike, I’ve been told how ‘lucky’ I am to ‘play with puppies’ all day, how since I love dogs (and have an army myself) that I must be in heaven all day.

So many little things to whittle away at the validity of our livelihood. To make our hard earned skills small and soft, to reduce our knowledge and experience to putting bows on puppies. To the causal observer, what we do is more hobby than job- and therein lies one of the biggest problems:

The root of our pricing issue is the way customers perceive the industry as a whole, and in turn, how we view ourselves.

Remind yourself that you are a SKILLED laborer, and you deserve to be paid accordingly for the services you worked hard to learn. As a shop owner, you are running a PET BUSINESS. Yes, grooming dogs can be fun * gasp * but you’re allowed to have a profitable shop working with pets! Ultimately, pets are a privilege to own, and it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure they are cared for properly.

Going into a pricing change with a firm sense of your skills, the services you offer, and what you need to succeed (ie, not drown in inflation) will help the process go more smoothly. Some penny-pinchers are like sharks- if they can sense that little bit of unease, they’ll get their money clip in there and try to break a few dollars off your price hike.

The only bright side about the current state of things is that with literally everything getting more expensive, pet owners should be a little more understanding… hopefully…one would think…

Every shop has different overhead, unique clientele, different services provided, etc. There is no one-fits-all for this situation, but I do want to provide some tips & tricks that I’ve personally used or seen work before.
——————————————-
1. Social Media post: If you don’t have social media, pin your price change at the top of your website with the date posted and the date the change will start. Your client base will affect how matter of fact or how fluffy n friendly you make it.

-“Hey there Flufftown family! We sat down and looked at the books, and in order to keep the quality of services you know and love, we will have to adjust our current pricing. As of Month/Day, our prices will be as follows: (list price changes)”. Short and sweet is usually the best, but you can add on a brief explanation-

-“ Everything is on the rise, and unfortunately grooming supplies are not immune to these changes.” Please don’t get too wordy with explanations. It can get awkward and give reasons for people to nitpick you down. (ie, well don’t use a LUXURY shampoo! What about REGULAR shampoo? What if I DON’T get the nails done? etc) Also, the longer your explanation, the more it looks like you’re trying to justify your changes, which makes people suspicious.

-Add on a thank you to make them feel appreciated- even the customers about to go shop hopping. “We thank you in advance for understanding- and if you cannot continue to use our services, we want to thank you for your past patronage and letting us be a part of your pets lives.”

Posting it online in advance can help make customers aware, and remove the leverage of “I didn’t know!” Which brings me to….

2. Prepare the customer ASAP, preferably BEFORE they get in the door! We don’t know other people’s finances, and sometimes a $20 increase is something a card can’t handle. When people are used to paying X for Y, they can get upset and come in unprepared to pay Z. On top of giving a bit of a heads up on social media, have your receptionist or groomers quote an estimate at the end of every appointment booking, and when doing appointment confirmation calls or reminders.
“Okay, I’ve booked Beefy for a bath & haircut on 03/15 at 11am, and her estimated total for that visit is going to be $65.”

“Calling to confirm Rocco’s de-shed bath for this Thursday at 9am, and his total will be $85 dollars.”
-“Last time it was $65! Are you sure he’s down for the right services?”
“He is- however we posted about our price increase May 15th, and it took effect June 1st. Did you want me to keep that appointment time or move it to another day?” Offering to move it can help with the embarrassment of maybe not being able to afford a surprise increase.

A sign at check-in/drop-off is also a good way to make customers aware without necessarily having to talk about it. If Betty McGurdle is mad about the upcoming $5 raise, she can huff about the sign in the car instead of getting rude with your receptionist over it. If Chadwick the Cheap decides to act out, you can gently tap the sign stating it was posted 6 weeks ago. A lot of time & emotional labor is saved from trying to retain a customer that’s not interested in the relationship you’ve built with them or their pet. (more on that later)


3. Perception is key: Doing a big jump? Consider just posting the NEW pricing and deleting old prices.
Instead of “Doodles are going up $40, from $80 to $120”, try “Doodles now start at $120.”
Only need a small jump? “Prices for grooms will be raised anywhere from $5-10 dollars based on coat type and size.” People see the smaller numbers rather than thinking “WOW now I’m paying $65 for my little dog?!”

Or consider a percentage- this way it looks the same across the board, but bigger dogs will get bigger raises. “To keep our price raise fair, we are raising bath & groom services by 10%.” And when someone asks “How is it fair, my Bella Rae is getting a $12 increase when my yorkie Sam is only going up $6?” you can tell them it’s directly affected by the amount of product/time/water etc each dog uses.

(This link is aimed at hair-stylists, but there is a strong crossover with points for our industry as well regarding base pricing and adjustments.)

4. Regarding perception… DO NOT SAY SORRY. “Sorry” is the single most dangerous, devastating word in our entire industry. I loathe the word “sorry”. It has its place, but 99% of the time it’s used incorrectly, with the groomer or salon owner apologizing for things that are NOT their fault. Sorry is literally defined as “feeling regret or penitence” and that is the exact tone it carries when talking to a pet’s owner.

The much-reviled “sorry” implies to the customer that they should have the feeling that you have done something wrong. That you should shoulder a burden of blame. It cracks open the door of entitlement for their distress with the situation to pour forth and wring more sorries out of your smock, before they stomp off to Google reviews to share their perceived wrongness.

Perceived. Ultimately it is our responsibility to pay our own bills-both personal and business- and if prices must be raised, that is simply the way it is.

My preferred substitute for the s-word is “Unfortunate”- it allows you to share the unhappiness with whatever is going on without taking responsibility for it.
Example: “Unfortunately, we have to shave Champ today.” as opposed to “I’m sorry, we have to shave Champ today.”
”Unfortunately, we do have to raise prices 10% to maintain our preferred level of care.” or “We’re very sorry for the price increase, but we have to raise prices 10% to stay open.”

Loaded language has always fascinated me, and learning about it is a definite game changer in interacting with clients.

6. Continuing the theme of perception… YOU MUST BE FIRM AND CONFIDENT. Easier said than done, I know. I have to stop myself from waffling on my own prices. Part of what keeps me sticking to them is that I shout high and low about charging appropriately- so I better practice what I preach! You have to have faith in your skills, the quality of products you use, and the services you provide. You need to believe that you ARE worth what you want to charge. Join some uplifting groomers groups on social media for support, talk to family members who know how hard you work. Shop owners, have a meeting of all your employees and discuss upcoming price changes. Have their passion for what they do back your decision & help you remain firm when standing up for your groomers new pricing.

If you have to, imagine you’re a gas pump telling them the price. It is what it is. If you want the service, you’ll pay the price.


And finally…
7. You don’t have to save every customer. Price increases have driven off some clients I worked very hard for, clients I thought appreciated me and loved my work. (My worst betrayal was to pinch $3.00) At the end of the day, as much as we may take it personally and get hurt feelings, we need to remember that this is still a business transaction. Getting their dog groomed is an expense to be factored into their household budget, and that difference may mean lot more to them than we know. We live in tumultuous times, and money is a touchier subject than it’s ever been.

The best we can do is cherish the customers that do stay, and feel good knowing that they value you the quality of your work and the care you provide to their pet.

Now go out there and make the money you deserve.