pricing report

[JJk]

I raised my price right after I read the thread " pricing " and it has been one week now. I raised 7%-10% and I also make sure I charge enough for dematting. It has been better/easier than I expectd, most owners didn't complain ( I told them when they droped off the dogs ), I am glad most of my clients are willing to give me a raise and I regret why I didn't ask for a raise eariler. No, I don't give extra service for my new price, like the gas station don't wash my car windows for the higher gas price. And Yes, my regular tippers still tips me. One Bichon's mom didn't look happy, but I figured if I had to groom the dog for the old price, I rather spent my time on something else.
Thanks again for the pricing posts, special thank you to Stephen for having this website.
ps. my price was in the middle, and my place is clean but not fancy

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[rapuzzled]

Good for you! We didn't have many people protesting either thankfully. A few raised an eyebrow, but most were fine with it. Well, I did have a few older customers on fixed incomes question it, but even they understood when I explained about cost of living and all.

[scrubapup]

I have a few pricing questions

I know there was another thread about pricing, but I can't find it. It's been a long day.

Some days I just feel like I'm really ripping myself off. Actually, I feel like that most days lately. I am a rookie shop owner - just opened my shop in June, although I groomed out of my home for 5 years prior. Anyway, seems like at least once a week somebody will call and say they have a new puppy and would like to have the pup bathed. I have a set price for say.... a Shitzu. Whether it's just a bath, or a full clip, the price is the same and bath includes cleaning ears, trimming nails and cleaning up the feet (because I have a "thing" about a well groomed foot) and #10 privates. Face touch-up if needed, always followed with bows and bandanas and a squirt of something pretty. But then somebody shows up with a little 4 lb. Shitzu pup with 6 hairs on his little body and I feel guilty charging them my regular set price. So I charge less and then explain that the price will be X amount next time. Afterwards, usually when I'm doing the end of day bookkeeping, I think to myself, "Whaddya go and do that for?" Today I had a 10 week old Husky - cute little booger but I'm dreading doing THAT dogs toenails 6 months from now, but that's another story - and I honestly had no idea what to charge the woman for that bath. I certainly didn't feel right charging her a full price Husky bath, considering the dog weighed "maybe" 7 lbs. at the most.

Also - while I'm at it - what about a 40 lb. Lab versus a 95 lb. Lab that refuses to walk up the ramp? (Why is it that the 40 lb. dog will run up that sucker, but the 80+ lb. dog refuses?) Although the work is the same, is wanting a few extra bucks more for lifting a dog that weighs 20 lbs. less then me up into a grooming tub a bad thing?


I've been struggling with my prices since I opened shop. I wish I would have done just a little bit more homework (and secret investigating) before I opened, but I didn't. It doesn't help much when a client comes in and says, "I've been telling EVERYONE about you.... you do such a good job and you're SO cheap"" I really, really hate hearing that. And the ones who say that are usually the non tippers. Imagine that.

One more question. Does anyone else give a little bit of a price break if somebody brings in multiple dogs, or am I just stupid?

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

You're not stupid, it is a lot more difficult to price a dog than one might think. Not all golden retrievers, labradors, cockers and shih tzus are created equal. For example, my Golden Retriever price starts at a lower $xx, while a big fat hair lazy golden will be $10-$20 more.

So I price according to how much I want to make an hour.

Hypothetical situation using a labrador retriever that is 95 lbs. and a labrador retriever that is 40 lbs. And let's say I want to make $20/hour after overhead (as a shop owner). If it takes me longer to groom the larger dog, and it's also more difficult because the dog is so large and has to be handled a little more firmly, or whatever the case may be, he's going to be a few more dollars. So let's say the larger lab took me 40 minutes from beginning to end, including hand-drying, and FURminating, I'd charge whatever amount it takes to get my the equivalent of $20/hour, as long as it is within a certain range. Most of my labs will be either $xx or $XX dollars, so it doesn't look like some little labs are $31, some are $32, and some are $34...neighbors would complain, lol.

I do have one question though: I've never heard of charging the same for a Bath n' brush as you charge for a full groom. I charge 2/3 of the groom price for a B&B, give or take a couple of dollars if there are some mats or other issues. Why is it you charge the same?

Hope this helps.

Tammy in Utah

I know there was another thread about pricing, but I can't find it. It's been a long day.

Some days I just feel like I'm really ripping myself off. Actually, I feel like that most days lately. I am a rookie shop owner - just opened my shop in June, although I groomed out of my home for 5 years prior. Anyway, seems like at least once a week somebody will call and say they have a new puppy and would like to have the pup bathed. I have a set price for say.... a Shitzu. Whether it's just a bath, or a full clip, the price is the same and bath includes cleaning ears, trimming nails and cleaning up the feet (because I have a "thing" about a well groomed foot) and #10 privates. Face touch-up if needed, always followed with bows and bandanas and a squirt of something pretty. But then somebody shows up with a little 4 lb. Shitzu pup with 6 hairs on his little body and I feel guilty charging them my regular set price. So I charge less and then explain that the price will be X amount next time. Afterwards, usually when I'm doing the end of day bookkeeping, I think to myself, "Whaddya go and do that for?" Today I had a 10 week old Husky - cute little booger but I'm dreading doing THAT dogs toenails 6 months from now, but that's another story - and I honestly had no idea what to charge the woman for that bath. I certainly didn't feel right charging her a full price Husky bath, considering the dog weighed "maybe" 7 lbs. at the most.

Also - while I'm at it - what about a 40 lb. Lab versus a 95 lb. Lab that refuses to walk up the ramp? (Why is it that the 40 lb. dog will run up that sucker, but the 80+ lb. dog refuses?) Although the work is the same, is wanting a few extra bucks more for lifting a dog that weighs 20 lbs. less then me up into a grooming tub a bad thing?


I've been struggling with my prices since I opened shop. I wish I would have done just a little bit more homework (and secret investigating) before I opened, but I didn't. It doesn't help much when a client comes in and says, "I've been telling EVERYONE about you.... you do such a good job and you're SO cheap"" I really, really hate hearing that. And the ones who say that are usually the non tippers. Imagine that.

One more question. Does anyone else give a little bit of a price break if somebody brings in multiple dogs, or am I just stupid?

[toomuchfunbnme]

That's great!

That's great! Very inspiring!

[diamienono]

I only give a break on 3 or more dogs. Check the old board for average price list in your area 2005 survey. I too sometimes feel like I am getting ripped. I have only been mobile since oct and have some shih-tzus that take me hour and a half cauz they are bad and I get $25 less than the golden that I just did that took me an hour and a half.

[diemonster]

Scrub-a-pup.. if your pricing is making you cringe, it's time to change the structure.

Instead of having a simple "breed" chart, maybe a bit more complicated one would serve you better.

This is how I plan on handling it:

Weight Coat length Full groom/Bath and Brush Price
0-15lbs short BB x
16-30lbs Med Full groom x+y

Then you have "add on" charges for toothbrushing, painted toenails, etc.

If the owner only wants a toenail trim, then I plan on having a flat fee (doesn't matter if it's a pup or a great dane).

Another tip in how to figure out how much to charge, is look at how long it takes you to groom a typical dog in one of these weight/coat classes. Say it's gonna take an hour..

Then look at how much your rent/utilities/supplies cost.. broken down to the hour.

example:
Rent/utilities/supplies/insurance/etc cost: $800/month ( There are 160 working hours in a month..$800/160=$5)

Your overhead expenses cost $5 per hour groom. You want this figure to be no more than 10%-15%. So you should bring in $33-$50/hour that you groom.

So, if you pick a # in the middle.. say $40.. then look at how long you expect it to take to groom a certain type of dog (say it takes an hour and a half to groom a long-haired cocker).. then you should charge $60 for that cocker.

If it takes 30 minutes to groom a Jack Russel Terrier.. then you'd charge $20, see?

If the dog comes in matted, you'll want to charge by the hour unless you know pretty close to how long it'll take (assuming the owners want it dematted instead of shaved).

Just to compare..say your overhead is $2000/month your salon needs to bring in $83-$125/hour (obviously if your overhead is that expensive you need additional groomers! And to pay the additional groomers, you'd need to stay closer the the $125 figure).

Disclaimer:
The #s I've used are for illustration purposes only, and are not recommendations for any individual to actually charge the amount I stated.

[JJk]

I don't give discount for muti dogs, and I don't make contract with owners. Owners asked, but I don't think they will always keep on their schedual, they could only bring one dog in at once, or they could be 'out of town' for a while and still ask for the same cheaper price. Neither did I check others' prices when I sat mine, I went by hours, it was that simple and made sense. Anyway, it is just like the others said, I needed a raise.

[diemonster]

Oh, and in the formula.. I forgot to mention that sometimes it doesn't work (in that if you have SUPER cheap rent, your pricing may be so low that you're not able to earn a living wage).. so double check that you're staying in the 10-15% range OR LESS for your overhead expenses. (So if you need/want to earn $30k/year, and your expenses are $5/hour..you need to bring home $14/hour which means charging $19/hour..but that's not accurate either). You need to also figure in for cancellations (up to 20%...) and sick days..incliment weather..etc. So to REALLY make $30k, you need to charge maybe 30% more than $19/hour which would be about $25/hour.

Clear as mud eh?

[scrubapup]

I do have one question though: I've never heard of charging the same for a Bath n' brush as you charge for a full groom. I charge 2/3 of the groom price for a B&B, give or take a couple of dollars if there are some mats or other issues. Why is it you charge the same?

I started doing that because I would get new people who just wanted the bath, brush, N/T, ears cleaned and feet trimmed up and I would give them a cheaper price then what I charge for a full groom. I would explain to them that a full groom price would be higher, but the next time they showed and wanted a full groom, they acted disgusted because the price was higher. I got tired of trying to explain my reasoning. I do have regular clients who have been coming to me for years that I charge less for just a bath - but if they are new, it's full price regardless. I really don't feel bad doing that since my grooming prices are pathetically lower then other groomers in the area. Chances are, they will get charged more for a bath and brush elsewhere then they are getting charged for a full groom at my shop.

[ejmj30]

You can base overweight charges on dogs by checking their breed standards, most give a weight range that the dogs should be in. Obviously some won't fit into that range, and aren't overweight, but if they are, that's justification for you. That's how I do it, though I only charge the owners if the dogs are difficult AND overweight. If they really complained and pressed about extra charges, I'd say how difficult it was to do nails, etc. and the extra 20 lbs made it near impossible.

[ejmj30]

Not sure if my post got erased, but anyway...

I said you can base overweight charges by checking breed standards, and if dogs are not in their given range you can justify that way. Though some dogs may be over or under and not overweight, so adjust accordingly. I usually don't charge just for overweight, but difficult and overweight I do...then when owners really press for reasons of extra charges I can say nails were hard, but the extra 20 lbs made it almost impossible.

I also do a first puppy groom, for $20. They're supposed to be 4 mo or younger, but I'm sometimes lenient to 5 mo, or if they're a small breed. Anyway, I charge my cheapest BB price no matter what the breed. Unless it's that breed that I use, then I take $5 off.

[pugnacious]

I'm thinking about raising prices just for FAT dogs. Gosh, am I the only one who has a major problem with this!!?? They won't/can't stand up, roll around like a slinky, their feet hurt, and I get tired of hoisting their butts up over and over! If I use another lead to hold them up it is aggrevating because it is so much in my way! I have always felt prices should be based on breed + weight + temperment. Fat is harder! How many shops have scales?