Questions for dog groomers. project.

[ecapps14]

Hello,
Im in 8th grade and doing a career project and i chose dog grooming.
I have some questions that I don't have answered yet.

How are vacations awarded? How long are they?

Are promotions possible in your job and if so, what must you do for a promotion?

Do you ever get transferred and can you be transferred if you don’t want to be?

Do you need any special physical characteristics to do your job?

Do you get overtime pay?

Are you paid by the hour, by a fee that you charge, by sales commission, or salary?

Will you receive a pension when you retire?

How is your job affected by the economy?

Thanks so much!

[ecapps14]

I need to get this info by tomorow. The project is friday.
thanks

[mylady]

OK, lots f questions and I will try to answer them as best I can.
A lot of your questions really depend on who you work for. There are corporate grooming salons and private grooming salons.
In corporate grooming salons most offer paid vacation (I believe) after a year of employment. I worked for a wonderful corp that awarded an extra week for each additional year working there up to three weeks of paid vacation. Some private salons offer paid vacation but I would guess that there are more who don't than do. and there are many singel groomer salons, so as the owner you really just take time off as you need it, though it's not paid.
If you own your own business there really won't be a "promotion" per say but you can always expand your business and grow. In a corporate grooming salon I started as a bather, moved to groomer, then grooming manager and had my eyes set on the corporate grooming department general manager, but moved before I could try for that position. In a private salon some will train you as a bather and then help you become a groomer, maybe even a grooming manager.
Don't know if you can be transferred if you don't want to be in coorporate, but i know you can transfer by request. At least at the one I worked at.
For this job you need LOTS of patience and to take care of your body. This is a very physically exhasuting job and many groomers end up with back problems, wrist problems, etc.
I have always worked on commission so have never gotten overtime.
Everyone will pay differently. Most groomers I know are paid commission based on the fee charged for the grooming. Some get paid salary, some hourly, and some hourly plus commission. It depends on where you work.
If you work for a corp I do believe they all offer 401K plan. Again, every employer is different in private salons. I worked for a vet that offered a pension plan but I would guess to say, again, that many of the private salons do not offer pension or 401K plans or any type of retirement savings. Of course there is Social Security from the government that we all pay into.
We are in what is considered a "recession resistant" field and thankfully, it seems, many of us have not been hit nearly as hard as those in other fields. My business started in March of 2008 and has grown in leaps and bounds. How it affects each of us really depends on the area we are in. If there is a high percentage of unemployment there will be more people struggling to pay for things such as grooming.

[alina1686]

Grooming

Hello,
Im in 8th grade and doing a career project and i chose dog grooming.
I have some questions that I don't have answered yet.

How are vacations awarded? How long are they?
It depends on who you work for. Small companies may not give paid vacations. With a larger corporation groom shop, they usually give vacations based on time on the job or hours worked.

Are promotions possible in your job and if so, what must you do for a promotion?
This also depends on who you are working for. Usually a promotion is from being a brusher/bather to becoming a groomer, and then again to possibly becoming a grooming salon manager. Hard work, dedication, knowledge of your job can lead to being promoted.

Do you ever get transferred and can you be transferred if you don’t want to be?
Small groom shops usually don't have other locations. Bigger companies may transfer you to a different store, if you don't want to be transferred you can let them know, some may be understanding, others may want to transfer you any way. I think it would also depend on the reason you are being transferred. If you don't like it, you can always look for a new shop.

Do you need any special physical characteristics to do your job?
Well you must be able to do heavy lifting.

Do you get overtime pay?
Usually pay is commission based, some shops offer an hourly rate. Overtime pay may be available, and it may not be, it depends on where you work.

Are you paid by the hour, by a fee that you charge, by sales commission, or salary?
All shops are different. The shop manager or owner will determine that.

Will you receive a pension when you retire?
Usually with smaller shops, you may not. Larger corporations may offer that.

How is your job affected by the economy?
My shop has actually stayed pretty busy, but there are slow times. I usually get VERY busy around holidays & springtime. It slows down in September, January & February (at least for me)

[Dolly]

There are several different ways to earn a living when you choose to be a pet groomer. There are mobile pet groomers, salon owners, salon employees and salon independent groomers.

I can speak for some of the mobile groomers. Most of the mobilers are independent, are self owners of their business and can award themselves as much vacation as they want. You can’t be promoted, since you are already the “boss”, unless you purchase another mobile van and have people working for you, then you become a “bigger boss”. You can, since you own your own business, transfer to any part of the country that you like, but you will need to start all over again with starting your business. Most groomers are gals, and many put a weight limit on the dogs that they groom since there is lifting involved. You will need to stand for long periods of time, have a good back, since you are constantly bending over the dog and lifting, and love dogs/cats. It would also be best if you aren’t allergic to pet dandruff !! If you work for yourself, then it is unlikely that you get overtime pay if it takes longer to groom, however a lot of groomers will charge an extra fee for difficult dogs or severely matted dogs that take up more time to finish. Most mobilers are paid per a fee that is based on the breed, size, and pattern cut on the dog. Unless you purchase medical and/or pension insurance, you will not be covered when you are sick or retire. Our job is effected by the economy since the pet is pretty high on the list of “let’s put this off for a while”. So in tough times, clients will either cancel or push back their appointment.

I’m hoping that this answers a couple of questions. I’m sure that the salon owners and employees will fill in the gaps. I think we all would love to read your finished project.

Happy Choosing a pet grooming career

Dolly’s Barking Bubbles, LLC

www.dollysbarkingbubbles.com