Having
owned Transformation Pet Center in Tucson for 32 years, I have many clients
that have been bringing various dogs/cats for grooming for twenty years or
longer. Lately I’ve been talking
with them about what has factored into their loyalty. Here are ten things that
my customers tell me have made a difference for them.
1. Relationship. Relationship.
Relationship. You may think
your strength is all about your grooming, but for many pet owners, the thing
that brings them back is their sense of having a relationship with you or your
staff. We could call this the
“Cheers Factor” (where everyone knows your name). With many of my customers we have established a relationship
where we are partnering in the pet’s care. For some, I have been involved in many decisions beyond the
simple matter of grooming style, from choosing a breed for a new puppy to
deciding when it’s time to let a dear old one go.
Trust in your care. People return to places where they feel
their pets are well cared for, safe and relatively happy. How do you show that
you care? I think this has more to
do with what you do than what you say.
There is one thing that I do with first-time customers that is so
effective that I can visually see them relax. I step through the gate at the counter to their side and sit
down in one of two chairs I have for the customers, and greet their dog and pet
it while talking about the grooming plan.
I ask them if I can offer the dog a treat. This simple action takes 2-5 minutes, and not only speaks
volumes to the owner; it gives me a chance to assess the new dog and the
condition. I can anticipate
problems and even turn away dogs that I don’t think I can work with. Another important factor in my
workplace, is that people can see all the way into the back. There is no closed off “back
room”. Transparency builds
trust. I have no qualms about
showing people the facility, or even letting them watch me groom.
Grooming Skills.
Styling ability is important, but only when it serves the client. Other places lose customers because
they take the coats too short, I lose some because I don’t take it short
enough. But when I nail it, and
give them exactly what they want, and hear those words “She’s never looked this
good, ever”, then I know I have them for the long haul. And, of course, I always give the
client permission to discover that the look they love does not work for the
level of home maintenance they are willing to do. I’ve worked for years in developing my knowledge and ability
to groom to breed standards, and I market my service to those pet owners who
want those skills. I have
customers who have been to several other groomers before finding me, especially
Bichon and terrier people or folks who don’t want a “puppy cut”. Once they get what they want, they
stick like gum to your shoe. Trust
me, it pays to be a Certified Master Groomer. It’s not so much the certificate that pays off, as it is all
the work leading to certification.
Showing your love of animals
and demonstrating patience. Another thing my customers tell me that reflects my
caring is how I am with my own dogs that are at the workplace. The love shows through. Likewise, your patience and tolerance
with your customers is a reflection of how you are with the pets. Let me say this again: people will make assumptions about how you
treat animals from how they feel treated by you. If you are impatient and unsympathetic with them, they will
worry about how you treat their pets.
They might even make stuff up, “I think she was rough with my Bowser, “
said one customer of a previous groomer.
“Why do you think that,” I asked.
“Because she seemed angry at me when I asked her to comb out the ears.”
Reserving judgment, being non-judgmental. People are not inclined to return to a service where they feel judged or made to feel bad, wrong or insufficient. They don’t want to be lectured. An explanation becomes a “lecture” when there is a judgmental tone to it. If you stay focused on what “works” or “doesn’t work” for you, your service, or the pet, and not so much as what is right/wrong or good/bad, you can explain things without sounding judgmental.
Caring for the people as well as the pets. Helping clients get dogs in and out of the car, offering them a drink of water, holding the leash while they write the check, having a place for them to sit a minute. all of these things show you care for the welfare of the people as well as their animals. Pet grooming is a service, so help make your service valuable to them. Ask them if an out time works for them to pick up their dog, rather than simply assign a time. When you ask, “Does this work for you?” it means you care whether or not it works.
It’s the little things. For
you, it may be homemade bows and bandanas. For me, it’s putting chocolates out in a dish for the
customers. It’s fine that we have
dog treats in every pocket, but some of our folks are very impressed that we
have Bliss chocolates on the front counter. Holiday decorations, a printed out pet joke, these are all
things that suggest that you love your work. People return to where there is a positive exchange of
energy.
The power of acknowledgment. Don’t get me started. I could write a whole column on the
power of acknowledgment.
Acknowledgment is one of the most effective tools we have in
relationship building. How does it
work? You simply give it up. You look your client in the eyes and
you say, “I just want to acknowledge your commitment to maintaining a regular
grooming schedule.” Or, “I wish to
acknowledge how much I appreciate your business.” Or, “I want to acknowledge
that I am honored that you place your trust in me to care for your pet.” Or, “I want to thank you for being such
a great customer.” Or, “You take such good care of this dog!” The human condition is such that we all
yearn for acknowledgment, we want to be good pet owners, good customers, good
employees, and good bosses. The
more acknowledgment you give away to those around you, the more loyal people
become to you. People like to do business
where they feel good about themselves. P.S. Acknowledgment works wonders with
employees, bosses, co-workers, friends and family.
Having integrity and being
honest. One customer said, “I like
this place because you do what you say and you say what you do.” That means you establish a realistic
grooming “agreement”, you do what you agreed, and if anything else happens you
tell the client and explain. You
don’t agree to do something you can’t.
If an accident happens, you confess. If you can’t do what you agreed to do, you call the people
and at least leave a voicemail that you are changing the plan. You don’t just say you are going to do
one thing and then do something else.
Being crystal clear with your communications is part of your
integrity.
Managing odor. Odor is one of those things that can
turn people off. Bad odors are
unacceptable to many people. Studies have shown that people get de-sensitized to constant
bad odors. While grooming staff
can get accustomed to dirty dog smell, sour towels and such, the customer
walking in the front door will notice.
Odor management takes constant vigilance and good cleaning
protocol. Aromatherapy can be very
helpful in avoiding the stereotypical kennel odor that is often associated with
grooming establishments. We get
many compliments on how good it smells in our place.
I’m sure there are many more points to be made on subject of creating
customer loyalty. Please feel free
to add to this list and share what has worked for you, whether you are a pet
groomer or a pet owner. For every
customer that we keep, it’s one less new client that we have to find. These loyal customers that have been
with me for years are the backbone of my business; knowing that they are there
are what helps me relax on the weekend, even if it’s been a slow week.
Comments