Questions, questions!

[kellic]

Here are my latest set of questions for y'all (how would I do this without you?)...

For those of you that use a PDA... what program are you using to save your files? (as in client grooming information)

When you park-- do you generally park in the street? If you have to park in the driveway, is slant a big problem?? how so??

Did anyone "grandfather" in old shop clients with a discount? My gut is telling me I would regret it, but I am having a hard time with telling my extremely loyal clients (that have followed me shop to shop) the price difference!

I'm also thinking about having like a 10% discount for standing appointment holders... which would basically just mean I charge 10% more when you don't in an attempt to get all of my clients with standing appointments. Anyone do this?

[WashaWasha]

The only question I can really answer is the parking one...I park wherever I can! LOL I prefer the driveway, but will park on the street if need be. I prefer a slight slant uphill...helps the water to drain out of the tub.

[diamienono]

Don't mess with your prices. They are what they are. You will regret it later. I park where ever I can. The slant can be a problem that is why I ordered a tub grate that has a 2 inch lift so the dogs are not standing in water.

[happy trails]

I prefer to park in front of the houses.A lot of the drive ways are sloped with the super sudser the van needs to be fairly level.I charged my old clients 10.00 over salon prices everyone else pays 15.00 to 20.00 over.I lost some who couldn't pay anymore than they were already paying.Most of the dogs I'm doing are prebooking and most are once a month.I've been in business only 4 months and I'm booked 2 weeks out and no Saturdays are available there standing appointments. My first appointments are at 8:30 and I'm home by 5:00.

[azoci]

I like to park in the street, that way my table and window face the house, and the dogs like it , as they know they are still home. Only a couple of time has that been a problem with mom or dad in the yard...then I just ask if they can stay out of the line of sight. No one has had a problem...but then I do have a window right where my table is...most commercial vans would not have that as a problem.

Yes, I need to be level, too much of a hill, and my rig just can't function..just ain't gonna work, the dog will be at a slant on my table, and I'll be rolling away (my rodeo chair has wheels...wheeeee).

[RevWind]

Don't mess with your prices. They are what they are. You will regret it later. I park where ever I can. The slant can be a problem that is why I ordered a tub grate that has a 2 inch lift so the dogs are not standing in water.

Where'd you get your grate and what does it look like? Would there be room for a recirc. in the tub?

[diamienono]

Where'd you get your grate and what does it look like? Would there be room for a recirc. in the tub?

I got it from the ad in the classified here and they custom make it so you just tell him you have the same tub as me, but you need a hole for a recirc.

[Meesh]

I have a Palm Treo and I use Outlook for the scheduling and my client files. I even can take pix of the dogs so when the owner calls me their dog comes up on the screen! And it's easy to switch units if you want to upgrade or if your Palm breaks (we do work in an environment that electronics don't love!) it's easy to just sync it with your PC and you have everything, no data loss. Sync every day as soon as you get in.

Parking depends. I like cul de sacs best!! You do want to be as level as you can be so grooming isn't awkward, but in reality you can be at a bit of a slope without too much trouble. In a WagnTails, for the Super Sudser to work well you want a slight left or forward lean if you're gonna be leaning. Parking on the right side of the street usually does it well if the street is crested for drainage like they are where I am. And yeah, the dogs seem to like being able to see their house and yard.

WagnTails comes with the grate to keep the dogs at waist level if they're small and to keep them up out of the water if you're using it low for the big guys.

Meesh