Bridging the Gap Between Groomers and Business Owners

A dog is on the table, the groomer is thinking about safety, and the owner is thinking about payroll. That split-second difference explains so many of the conflicts inside a pet grooming salon and it’s also the fastest way to fix them once we say it out loud. We’ve both been on both sides of the table, so we’re getting specific about what creates the tension and how to replace it with clear communication that protects pets and keeps the business profitable.

We talk through the big flashpoints: what “quality” really means when groomers are judged by the finished look, why “one dog an hour” can break a team when you account for coat condition and behavior, and how pricing has to match the actual time and skill required. We also dig into what happens when a dog is biting, jumping, or simply not safe to groom. Instead of a black-or-white argument, we explain why grooming is a gray area business and why written safety protocols, referral options, and client education keep everyone calmer and more consistent.

Finally, we get honest about leadership. Great groomers don’t automatically make great managers, and some talented groomers don’t want the extra responsibility of managing people or talking to customers. We share how to build the right structure, train management skills, and create a culture where owners understand the work they ask others to do and teams step in when things get busy. If you want a healthier grooming workplace with happier clients and better outcomes for pets, subscribe, share this with a grooming friend, and leave a review with the biggest communication challenge you’re trying to solve.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Transcript

Welcome And What We Believe

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Health Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas. We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto, humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't fight. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Groomers and business owners ultimately want the same thing: thriving pets, happy clients, and a successful shop. Yep, communication gaps can create real tension. Shannon and Tanya break down how both sides can meet in the middle to build a healthier, more productive grooming environment. Welcome back, everyone.

Why Groomers And Owners Clash

SPEAKER_01 1:00

I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. Hi, ladies, great to be back with you both today. Now, let's keep the momentum going with today's topic. How do we bridge the gap between groomers and business owners?

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Well, I've, you know, I've been both. Obviously, I own a business and I've been a dog groomer uh for many, many years. And I've worked for non-groomers, I've worked for groomers, I've worked for myself. Um, one of the biggest problems in our industry isn't necessarily the grooming. Um, it's a communication that we have, you know, between the people who are grooming the dogs and the the salon owners uh that own the shops where these dogs are getting groomed. And truth is, usually they're saying the same thing. Um they're just have completely different perspectives on the topics. Yeah, every everyone wants success, right? I mean, we we we we just have a a different way of defining it. Um and and that's kind of one of the biggest things. I think it's the one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. Um, you know, grimmers think one way and

Safety Versus Payroll Pressures

SPEAKER_02 2:05

owners think another. You know, if a grimmer's in the shop, what's the first thing on your mind? Safety. And for me, it's gonna be payroll. I'm gonna be like, okay, great. I, you know, I uh you want to be safe, but we have to have dogs that are coming in, right? We still have to take dogs. So I get that you want to be safe, but as the owner, um, you know, I I may not understand what she's saying by she wants to be safe. And she may not understand what I'm saying that well, we still have to make a profit. Yeah. Um second is quality. I'm I'm worried about the quality of the groom. And I'm I'm worried, you know, are we charging enough for the amount of time that she's spending on this one dog? Uh, you know, and so we're saying the same thing. I still want that dog to come back to us. I still want the quality, and I want her to do the dog, and I definitely want her to be safe because if something hasn't happened, you know, I don't have a groomer. But she's she's more worried about the comfort of the dog and how good that dog's gonna look because she's being judged by the appearance.

Quality, Pricing, And Real Schedules

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Um realistic schedules. Um, I mean, you know, we are I'm trying to get five dogs done a day or six dogs or eight dogs. And and I'm preferring, you know, eight dogs doesn't seem like a lot of dogs to me. I I I don't understand why in eight hours a day we can only do eight dogs. That's one dog an hour. Um, so one dog an hour is not going to meet profitability or payroll. So we have to figure out what it is that we're gonna do so that we can grow this business. Um, she obviously you still want to grow, yes, right? Because um so so what do we do to bridge that gap? And there's those are those are just common questions that are asked by both sides. Yeah um reality is that we can do both. You have to charge an appropriate amount, you have to have maybe more than one groomer, you have to have somebody that works together with them, you have to have real life communication. Tanya said something earlier today about groomers who work for um salon owners who primarily are not um dog groomers. Um, and that's just because anybody who's groomed a dog usually understands what it takes to groom a dog. Right. If you're a non-groomer uh who's never groomed a dog before and you own a grooming salon, there is uh an even bigger hurdle to to take on there. Um one of the things Tanya mentioned was groomers are not always heard. Yeah. Right? She she feels like she has worked for some places. Um and I'll let you give it a who didn't hear you. Um, I mean, you have a dog that is trying to bite you, that's trying to jump off the table, and it is simply not safe to groom this dog. And you go to that business owner and you're like, hey, I can't groom this dog safely. Um, we need to send it home and you

Protocols For Unsafe Dogs

SPEAKER_02 4:55

know, refer it to a different salon that can groom it. And your owner's sitting there going, Well, why? I mean, yeah, nobody wants to to send you know money out the door either. Nobody's wanting to send that dog home, and nobody's wanting wanting that dog to take their business elsewhere. Um, so we need to have a way around that, right? We need to have protocols, we need to have systems. What happens if this happens? You know, how can we dance around it? How can we educate the owner about their dog? These are all things that are just usually left on the table, and you have a black or white situation, and this is not at all that kind of business. It is 100% operated and run in the gray. Complete gray area. Um, there are there groomers don't always make great managers, and there there's a lot that has to be done for that. And a lot of managers are not great groomers. So learning how to, you know, to to make that the differentiate. Maybe you need a person that's kind of a, you know, a a middle person that can talk to management and understands grooming that's not a groomer, that's not management. Um there's a lot of ways around it. Um, you can train any good groomer into being a good manager, but you they need to be trained on on all of the things. Talent doesn't automatically mean that you know how to lead. Uh being good at what you're doing doesn't mean you know how to describe it, explain it, or put it across to somebody else. Um it managing people is a learned skill. And it's something that if you're a business owner, you need to teach that towards a groomer. And those groomers need to be willing to learn. So that said, you have somebody that has a ton of skill, and I've worked with many groomers that have said, I don't want to do that. I don't want to add the responsibility. I I don't, I don't want to manage, I don't want to talk to customers. I want to come in, I want to do my job. And I want to go home. And that's great. Those kinds of groomers are great

Management Skills And Shop Culture

SPEAKER_02 6:45

for certain shops. Um, they're not great for shops who are looking for somebody who wants to lead. So that means you may need a second groomer to come in. Um, and then you've got talent versus talent on top of who's managing this this talent. Yeah. Uh so like I said, we're back down to the gray. These are all things that that we asked, you know, ourselves, what we do, and questions that are asked to me at least weekly by other business owners uh and other groomers that come in here. Like, what do I do if this happens? And I don't want to, you know, I like my job, I don't want to do this, but I'm I feel like I'm expected to do more than what I'm getting paid to do. And then you have a whole different pace, a 50% versus an hourly. Are you employee? Are you, you know, 1099? I have to have all of my own equipment, but I don't, there's so many questions. Just, I mean, I could go on for out for hours. Um, we don't have hours, so I'm gonna wrap it up. Uh, good systems are have good employees that give them more freedom. A good a good business should be able to run without you, but you should understand that business. In other words, you need to be able to bathe the dog and dry a dog if you're the owner. That doesn't mean you have to do it for a living. It just needs to be understood that you're willing to do the work that you're asking somebody else to do. That's my my And kind of understand when your groomers are coming to you and saying something and like, hey, this is not safe. And if you do know tidbits of you know what they're going through on the daily basis, you may be unable to understand that just a tiny bit more. I think that anytime I've asked anybody to do anything, that I I 100% can do their job. I I and I will. If we are in the weeds, if I'm scared of it, if I am a good waitress and my manager isn't willing to jump in and wit help me wait tables when we get really busy, I'm not gonna continue to work there. I am not gonna take orders or direction from somebody who doesn't understand what I do or isn't willing to help me to do it when it when it's needed. And I would, I would give that back tenfold as well. So that is the type of business that we're running and teaching in here. We want other, you know, grooming salons to follow suit with that versus this is your job, this is my job. You're just a bather, you're just a groomer, you're just a receptionist. We all work together to make a paycheck, to make the business successful. If the business is successful, we're successful. And our clients are happy, we are happy. If our clients are happy, they refer us. Then we get more business. And it's this is how we work talent versus business. It's a different kind of understanding. Uh, it's not, it's basic business, but it's basic business operated in a gray because what justifies a good groom? What kind of what is a good groom to you is not necessarily a good groom to somebody else. What are your standards in uh an overall look or comparison or what you offer or what's included in your packages, what type of products that you use, versus, you know, this is we're focused on selling this dog food. If your dog isn't eating that dog food, I don't know how you're gonna sell it and talk about it. So if you're not getting your dogs groomed there, or you don't know how to groom your, at least your dog, or if you don't own a dog, then you need to jump in before you're gonna be able to tell a groomer on how to do their job. I mean, that's just common sense to me. And apparently it's not common sense to everybody. So we thought we would share that little bit today.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Well, ladies, this is such an important conversation. Thank you both for breaking this down so clearly. We'll see everyone next time.

Wrap-Up And How To Book

SPEAKER_00 10:35

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009. To schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails whacked.