By Kathy Hosler
March 7, 2016
Almost everyone has a favorite restaurant. A place you love to check out and tell your pals about. Of course, that restaurant has to serve terrific food, but a lot of restaurants out there sell terrific food. To become your favorite, and to win your loyalty as a patron – they have to do more. They have to do something special that makes you choose them over their competition.
The same is true for grooming salons. There are lots of terrific pet stylists. To be one of the ones who are always in demand, you need to turn out outstanding grooms…and more. You have to do things that make you stick out from everyone else. And, typically it is the finishing touches that you put on the family pets you groom, that keeps you head and shoulders above the rest.
Many beauty parlors put bows on all of their finished pets. The bows can be as basic or sophisticated as you like – the sky’s the limit. You can make them yourself or purchase professionally made bows. Some stylists select collar bows or neckties. Bandannas are also a favorite finishing touch for lots of salons.
“I keep a great selection of bows so I can match them to the dog’s collar,” says pet stylist, Joni Frank. “And, if they aren’t wearing a collar, I have a basket of material for bandannas. Oh, and new puppies go home with a squeaky toy!”
Pet safe nail polish or nail caps can be used to coordinate with the bows and bandannas. If you make your own bows and bandannas, you might even buy ribbon and bandanna material that is individualized with your salon
name or logo.
Many stylists and beauty parlors have finishing touches that are a ‘signature item’ for them. “I get bling mesh in a substantial variety of colors and designs. The elastic makes it easy to slide over their heads,” shares Kim Geidel of Barking Beauties. “A lost pet dog was found by animal control, and because it had one of my pearl bling necklets on, someone recognized that it had to be a Barking Beauties client. The pet was swiftly reunited with its owner.”
Some beauty parlors have a signature cologne that they put on every pet. Others let their clients choose from a variety of colognes and they offer special seasonal scents. Colognes could also be made available for purchase in your retail area, if you offer this. That way clients could keep their family pets smelling their best in between grooming appointments.
Finishing touches can go far beyond the bows. “Feather extensions are my a lot of recent finishing touch,” says Krista Creekpaum, of Krista’s Grooming. “I get bags of feathers at the craft store, cut to size and glue two together. They are attached to the pet with a crimp bead. It’s durable, easy and quick, and can be washed with the pet dog at home.”
Many pet parents like to bling up their family pets with jewels and/or color. jewels can add sparkle and a touch of elegance. They are affixed with pet safe adhesive. Body bling in the form of jeweled butterflies, flowers, ladybugs and a lot more are available. Pet safe glitter or ‘fairy dust’ can give a little pizzazz to any pet. To complete the look you want, you can even apply larger than life artificial eyelashes to the pets.
Lots of pet parents are really enthusiastic about having color applied to their pets. momentary color can be applied with pet safe blow pens, chalk, crème chalk pens, hair mascara, or hair crayons. If you are just starting to explore hair colors, you can begin by putting just a touch of color on the tail or ears. You can use stencils to place designs on short or long hair pets. As you become a lot more confident, you can graduate to airbrushing colors on the family pets and using permanent colors.
Another incredibly crucial finishing touch is one that will not cost you a penny. It’s the way that you present the finished pet to the client. When you call or text the owner to let them know that their pet is done, do you sound like this: “Hi, your pet dog is done. The charge for today is $55 and we close at five o’clock. Bye.”
If you are smart, your call or text will sound a lot more like this: “Hi, this is Karen from best Pet Grooming. Your dear, little Suzie is finished with her makeover, and now the cutest pup in the world is ready to be picked up. She can’t wait to show off her stunning new blinged-up hairdo
to everyone!”
When the owners arrive at your salon, make giving them their pet as special as if they were receiving a prestigious award. say something like, “Here he is…the a lot of purr-fect kitty in the world! Doesn’t Mr. Whiskers look spectacular? And, how about those jazzy bows and matching
nail caps?”
This is the time to make your client feel like their pet is the most crucial one that you groom – because, at that moment, it is! finishing touches are a lot more crucial than you think. Pet parents go wild about them and post limitless photos of their family pets on social media. Then, they rave about you and your beauty parlor to their friends.
Make every check out to your beauty parlor unforgettable. add some new finishing touches to the family pets that you groom. give their owners plenty to talk about! ✂
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