Does anyone have evening hours?

[Reader]

I am interviewing for a position with a shop that wants to add evening hours. I would work 12-8 or 2-8 and they would take dogs in later and have them go home later. This shop has a four hour turn around time and they do a lot of hand drying. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation? I think if there is a lot of demand, it would work out well, but I don't want to sit around and be in the shop with no dogs to groom, unless I am making some kind of hourly wage for that time.
Thanks.

[Lucy in the Sky]

Like anything, once you train your clients to it, business will boom. I used to have tons of clients come in at 6:30- I would have those appts booked 3 weeks in advance.

[gemdach]

We have 2 late nites per week and they are booked for over 2 months in advance. They book up before our Saturdays do now.....and this helps free up our weekends for dog shows <grin>

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Reader, if you dont' mind the evening hours, GO FOR IT! YOU can be the one marketing the clients back to your door! As you walk them out you say, "Oh, would you like to book your next appointment?"

If you are friendly and courteous and they trust you with their dog/s you will have a good chance at them pre-booking. I am not one to pre-book anything unless I have to.

Aren't you the one who posted a long time ago that you're not a real smiley happy girl all the time? Kind of serious, maybe? In that case, this will put you to the test. You don't have to be all bubbles blowing out your nose, lol, but be kind and smile once in a while. I think this is a great chance for you. Also, working those hours might be the more quiet time a person like you might need. I've been reading your posts for a long time and I think you'd do better with less scrutiny and less hurry. You've worked very hard to improve yourself and your skills from what I have read from you, and I think that it might be a good situation for you.

Tammy in Utah

[Doggystyles]

I work 2 evenings a week so I only have to work every other saturday. Those appointments are always in high demand and those people usually pre-book so they don't miss out. It's very convenient for a lot of people who work and don't want to tie up their weekends. I don't really like working 2 eves a week but I guess it's worth it to have the Saturdays off.

[Woof_x_2]

My girlfriend's shop is open 2 nights a week. She pretty much is booked 2 months in advance for those nights.

[Boxerfan]

We have lots of clients that would like us to work late or on weekends but we just won't do it. Yes we lose lots of people that way but you can only work so many hours per week and right now we're working about 45 hours a week as it is M-F and we're booked over 8 weeks in advance. I wish more people were interested in grooming but we can't find any good groomers to hire around here. Like someone said before you CAN train your clients, they WILL find a way to get to you M-F if they want to badly enough. Of course in areas with high competition I understand why you may see the need to work off hours. Sat and Sun are the only times I get to spend time with my kids and I'm not giving that up.

[Reader]

Thanks for the encouragement. I am glad that there is a lot of demand for the evenings. This boss seemed like a thoughful, positive person, who would teach me as well. She seemed impressed that I am going to seminars and trying to learn the right way to groom. Also it would free up my mornings to try a new direction in another part time job.

[Helly]

When I worked in a corporate shop we had evening hours M-F. Never had a problem filling them, either. Once people become aware that you offer evening hours, you shouldn't have any problems.

One thing I'd suggest, though. Make your pick-up time one hour before you actually close. If you close at 8, tell clients they have to pick up by 7. That way you're less likely to be sitting there at 9, waiting for someone to show up. Use that last hour to clean, do laundry, paper work, etc. You'll probably still have people who are "late", but not that late.

[Bow wow style]

Thinking about late hours

I have been thinking about late hours myself so that I can free up my everyother Saterday, which I am now open. 10 to 12 on Saterday. if I stay open late 2 nights 4 more hours, I could do about 4 more dogs those nights,( I get slower as the day gets longer.) I'm just not sure if it would pay and no I don't want to work Saterdays plus late nights. Unless I could get "GOOD" help.

[mustluvdogs1]

I think what spikey said was very nice......

If you don't have a hubby to have dinner ready for, and you can certainly drive in the dark, why not? You may like it a lot.Always be escorted to your car after dark....that is my suggestion.

[Doggystyles]

10-12 is your hours on saturday, or how many dogs you do? Do one night a week to free up your saturday. I made the mistake of doing 2 and now they are used to it. 4 dogs one night a week is 8 dogs you wouldn't have to do on Saturday. If you do 2 days a week, you would be getting in 16 dogs.

[resident_hector]

I work store hours, which is 10-8 Monday to Saturday.
People LOVE that I have evening appointments available.
It's just an added bonus to have more options for people.

[resident_hector]

I have been thinking about late hours myself so that I can free up my everyother Saterday, which I am now open. 10 to 12 on Saterday. if I stay open late 2 nights 4 more hours, I could do about 4 more dogs those nights,( I get slower as the day gets longer.) I'm just not sure if it would pay and no I don't want to work Saterdays plus late nights. Unless I could get "GOOD" help.

Hey, so you can do four dogs in four hours?
Do you have a bather/brusher?
What kind of dogs can you do with four in four hours?
Darndy... well that's good !
My turn around time is 2 1/2 hours per groom dog,
1 hour per bath dog.
That's with no help.
Fillm me in !

[scrubapup]

I stay open late on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. (7:30 at the latest although I've been known to stay later) but I no longer offer it to "new" clients, and there are a few clients I've banned from evening appointments. Some were habitual no-shows and some had no respect when it came to picking their dogs up on time. Same reason I'm not open on Saturdays - except I have a few clients I make an exception for so occasionally I do groom on Saturdays, but it's maybe one Saturday every 2 or 3 months.

I supose I could solve the problem by telling people I charge a no-show, or late pickup fee. I guess I havn't become that annoyed yet. But I'm getting close