- How To Choose Dog Groomers Software for Multiple Locations
Easy Busy Pets
By now, you've probably tried a lot of ways of managing your business. From starting out with a paper calendar to book appointments (some still do!) to attempting to cobble together a half dozen apps to run your dog grooming business, there's a lot to manage.
For example, some groomers use six or more tools to handle:
Each with its own login and probably a monthly fee so it can add up quick. Then, there's no guarantee they'll "talk" to one another when you add software on which can bring up even more technical challenges.
It's frustrating!
You might wonder if there's a dog grooming app to rule them all. If you could ditch the piecemeal processes and streamline your operations. This gets even more important with multiple locations.
The business side of dog grooming requires bringing in customers, keeping them happy with great customer service, scheduling the pups, dealing with cancellations/reschedules, bookkeeping and much more. Then there's staff management, keeping physical locations in good order, and so much more.
As a groomer with multiple locations, you may not even groom dogs yourself because you know the money is in thinking of ways you can improve your business operations. This gets even more important when you're expanding.
You want to know things such as your employee's revenue per hour, which are your most profitable services, and what new opportunities are under your nose?
Imagine your employees logging in from any device. At a glance, they can see their appointments for the day and any notes or client preferences. You can automate reminders which reduce no-shows and even follow up with thank you's, receipts, and requests for new reviews and testimonials.
Maintaining a Customer Relationship Management program can be tedious. And with paper, it's an expensive way to run a dog grooming business -- especially if you have more than one location.
But with software, your staff can log in from anywhere for the information they need. When your your client records are electronic, all preferences and communications can be in one place. From hairstyle preferences to favorite color bandana, it's all there.
Plus, you can communicate with your (human) clients via social media messages, SMS (texts) or good old email. What does your customer prefer? You can communicate with them that way. Clear and efficient communication is a competitive advantage in this business. It's efficient and offers excellent customer service. Bonus, it adds to the bottom line!
Manage Your Website
It can be complicated to set up a dog grooming website and then try to manage payments and scheduling as separate tools. Not only does it require technology skills, but sometimes those tools need regular upgrades and can stop working on a dime.
You don't need that kind of hassle.
When your website is managed within your entire dog grooming business software ecosystem, your life is a lot easier.
Smart Scheduling
Ever double-book a dog grooming appointment? It's not a good feeling is it? Or, have a dog show up without their paperwork filled out costing your groomer ten minutes or more.
With smart scheduling capability, this won't happen. The dog grooming software takes into account client and staff schedules and preferences. Your cat groomer won't find herself facing a Rottweiler and all your clients will arrive with complete paperwork.
Easy Onboarding
Streamline your new customer onboarding all in one place. When you keep all your intake forms, pet vaccination records, client communications, and client notes in one easy-to-access place, your dog grooming business runs smoother.
Manage Online Reviews
Online reviews are the lifeblood of any local business. Research shows 79% of people or more trust them.
Yet, it's a pain to get them sometimes. Your staff either forget to ask people to leave them or they simply don't ask. You need a system for asking for those reviews. Then, you need a system for approving them and getting them published.
Johanna Cheves is the Manager at Wow Pets Mobile Grooming. She says, "We're good groomers. That's what we do. We don't have experience with dog grooming software, Facebook, websites, and getting our customer's attention. We needed help to show that we know what we are doing."
It paid off! They tripled their customer base in the first two months of using this all-in-one dog groomers software.
Simplify Payment
Business Insights
Besides, when you attempt to cobble together multiple apps, you end up with a lot of crossover or duplication and it's not easy to see your business at a glance.
With dog groomers software, you have easy access to graphics that show you in an instant the health of your business. When's your busiest time of day? Who is your busiest groomer? Which portion of the salon produces the most profit per square foot?
This is the type of business data you need to make the right decisions for your business.
How to Choose the Best Dog Grooming Software for Your Salons
There's no shortage of dog grooming apps and business management software. So how do you choose the best for your business? It comes down to your preferences and workflow.
Ask your staff where they see the bottlenecks or problem areas. Make a list and keep it in front of you when you assess software products.
Ask yourself how easy the dog grooming software will integrate into your current business. How intuitive is it? What type of training and support can you receive?
Try out a few demos. See how the software works and ask questions. In many cases, you'll get to talk with the founder or someone else familiar with the ins and outs. These are knowledgeable people who can answer your questions and maybe even answer the questions you didn't know to ask.
Dog grooming apps and software products can save you hours of time every week and help you grow your business.
Choosing the Right Dog Grooming Software for Your Business
When you think about your dog grooming software, you want to evaluate your workflow. What takes the most time now? If you're on the computer a lot, you can use an app like Rescue Time to assess your computer time. It'll categorize your time by things like communications, social networking, and business.
You can also keep track of it by hand with pen and paper. The goal is to get a sense of how long you spend on operational tasks like invoicing, client communication, or marketing. You can maximize your profits when you know where your time goes and how to make it more efficient.
Bonus, you can also make your customer's happier.