Customer is trying to Manipulate the pricing.

[TAILSRWAGON]

Today I got a call from a customer that I groomed her pug about 3 months ago. Told her that the cost of the grooming included: Nails, Ears, Bath, Anal Glands and blow dry. Now she has two dogs and she wanted to know if I could groom one dog at the same costs as the previous groom, but don't do her nails to the other dogs nails.
My husband says "No Way" It's two separate dogs so it's two separate charges.
What would you do?

[azoci]

Yes ma'am. 2 dogs, 2 prices. OK, if it's just a nail trim on the second dog, it's still a second dog. $xx for a full groom, and whatever you charge for just nails for the second.

[Fur Elite]

Well, you can do whatever you want to do. If it were me, I would consider the client first...do I like this person, is she nice...did she tip last time....is the dog nice...is she regular (3 months ago....not regular in my book)...what do we know about the other dog and how it will act? If it just stands there while you clip the nails, that is one thing...if it is a bucking beast...that is another. Here are the options as I see it

1) For clients I don't know or don't like or aren't regular - I would be happy to do the other dog's nails for you for $20 additional in price. The price of the first dog's groom is all inclusive and is the same whether or not you want the nails done.

2) For client's I like OK but aren't sure of - I don't normally do this sort of thing, and not knowing how the second dog will act I cannot promise anything. If the dog is difficult I will have to charge a fee that could be up to $20.

3) For clients I really like, I would say "Sure, no problem...and just this once I will do both dog's nails for you for no additional fee". But if the dog turned out to be a major pain, next time she asked me I would implement option 1 and explain that the dog was too difficult for you not to charge.

[RoosMom]

Yeesh......

After 3 months, I'm pretty sure her other pug, the one you did last time, needs it's nails done! I would tell her no, but I might discount the price of the nail clip on the second dog, if you give multiple dog discounts. I'm planning to give a multiple pet discount when I switch to mobile in afew months. I have a TON of multiple dog clients, and want to hang onto them!lol

It's your call- IF you give her a little price break, I would make sure that she knows that it's not normally something you do, and that you DO NOT give a break if someone wants something left out of your service, like a nail clip.

[baddog]

I always tell customers " nail trimming is included with a bath or grooming as a courtesy" That way they can't ask you to deduct anything. Sometimes I think these people are reading a Chinese take-out menu!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

It's not al-a-carte, a groom is a groom, and the nails are part of that, whether the dog needs a trim or not, the price is the same. And you charge X amount per dog for nail trimming. So she sees that the better deal is to bath BOTH dogs, because your nail trim price is pretty high, lol.

Tammy in Utah

[eli]

no

Dogs need their nails done monthly.
If you don't want to pay me to do it, buy some trimmers & I'll show you how to do it yourself.

She's already on the list for "Replace when I get another client who wants their dog done regularly."

When I had my commercial location, I had a beautiful dog who I wanted to groom so badly I'd go to their house & do his nails monthly for no extra $.
Then I required them to bring him to me monthly, not just when ever.
Well that lasted a couple of times. The last straw was they booked the beginning of one moth then booked the end of the next month- 7+ weeks. No. Good bye.
I think of what I probably lost while I was trying so hard to please clients who didn't respect me. Lesson learned.

Erica

[HoundLover]

where i last worked nail trims where only 5 dollars. that included filing them down with the dremel. (if the dog allowed it.) does this lady want just nails on the other dog while the pug gets the bath? btw what KIND of dog is it anyways? also we had another lady who didnt know that the nails were included with the groom..when she brought her Parson Russel in she would go remember...i still have 3 free nail trims. and my boss would go okay...and mark it down instead of being decent and telling this lady that the nails where included in the price! she also allowed walk in nail trims...but told people to CALL FIRST to make sure she was there...yeah we only had one guy do that out of the 3 or 4 that come in for nail trims. one lady just walks in with her boston, another is a friend of the boss's and walks in with her lab, and the only guy who actually called had a husky/shep mix. then we got the one guy who always walked in asking got time for another one today? he had a shih tzu for a h/c. she always told him yes...did he think we werent busy because we didnt have many or no dogs in the shop when he arrived? ah well...
i would just charge seperate for the nail trim for the other dog...whatever your price is for a nail trim. pugs bath is say...20 dollars and the other dogs nail trim is an extra 5 or 10 dollars. so in total they pay 25 to 30 dollars for both dogs.
JMO
Hound

[TAILSRWAGON]

Well, I called the lady tonight and told her 2 dogs, 2 separate prices.
She was very unhappy about it, and said than I just won't do it.
I told her fine, you know Mobile isn't for everyone.
She hung up on me.
This was a client I probably am glad to be rid of. I had only done her dog once and she whinned about the price then.
Thanks for all the input.

[TAILSRWAGON]

Can you believe it!!!

Today, 3 weeks later this client calls me and wants an appointment to do only one of her pugs.
Lucky for me I am about 2 weeks booked up so won't be able to get to her right away.
I'm not even sure if I want her as a client.

[ncpetspa]

Amazing!

Glad to hear you stuck to your guns! It is not an easy conversation to have, but you definitely did the right thing. As Mobile Groomers, we usually get the old "multi dog discount". It was best explained to me by a groomer with many years under her belt....more dogs does not equal less work for me.

[sim groomer]

Spike
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It's not al-a-carte, a groom is a groom, and the nails are part of that, whether the dog needs a trim or not, the price is the same. And you charge X amount per dog for nail trimming. So she sees that the better deal is to bath BOTH dogs, because your nail trim price is pretty high, lol.



I get this every once in a while, "But the vet just clipped the nails" how much with out such and such. I tell them certain things are included in basic grooming. I check everything, vets are people to. I did a dog that had just been to the vet. The vet missed a 5mm open sore, when I squezzed the opening a parasite came out. Yes that dog went back to the vet.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Spike
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It's not al-a-carte, a groom is a groom, and the nails are part of that, whether the dog needs a trim or not, the price is the same. And you charge X amount per dog for nail trimming. So she sees that the better deal is to bath BOTH dogs, because your nail trim price is pretty high, lol.



I get this every once in a while, "But the vet just clipped the nails" how much with out such and such. I tell them certain things are included in basic grooming. I check everything, vets are people to. I did a dog that had just been to the vet. The vet missed a 5mm open sore, when I squezzed the opening a parasite came out. Yes that dog went back to the vet.

Bleck!!! A parasite came out? Oh my I would have lost it. Our vet techs are not good at getting the nails short enough, even when the dog is under!! Drives me NUTS and they know it, lol.

Tammy in Utah