PET PEEVE - MISSED APPOINTMENTS

What is the groomers greatest gripe? No contest, it is missed appointments. This is one of the most visited subjects on internet groomers' boards and discussion groups. Missed appointments impact our bottom line more than any other factor. Income lost cannot be retrieved when the time that has been set aside for a grooming appointment is lost. It's gone.

TAKING IT PERSONALLY
The psychology on the groomer's side is that we very often take missed appointments personally and get personally offended. We feel treated rudely, disrespectfully, or even robbed. We wonder, "How can they treat me like that?" This can lead to our attributing negative characteristics to our customers, they are disrespectful, they don't really care about their dogs, they make appointments they don't intend to keep, and so on. It can get ugly. This personalization only widens the unfortunate gap between groomers and pet owners.

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS?
These same groomers who take the missed appointments most personally are often the ones to balk at the idea of making reminder calls a day or two ahead of appointments. "They made the appointment, they should keep it." "I shouldn't have to hold their hand to get them here." But being personally put off by the need to make reminder calls is just another form of taking it personally. The truth is people forget and reminders help reduce missed appointments.

Reminder calls or emails serve the situation in two ways. First of all they jog the memory of the pet owner. It is always possible that something in the life of the client has emerged to dominate their consciousness and Fido's appointment has slipped off the screen, so to speak. It could be a family crisis, a health problem, vacation plans, out of town guests, any number of things can distract even the most determined client. Reminder calls (or email reminders) are a courtesy service, and should not be viewed as demeaning to either client nor groomer. The other side of reminder calls is that serve to underscore the value YOU have on the appointment. They are your way of saying, "Hey! I'm counting on you being here!" It doesn't hurt to include the name of the pet and that you are "looking forward" to the grooming. The more value you can create for the appointment, the less likely it will be overlooked.

If you don't want to take the time to make calls or write emails, there are appointment software or web programs that will do it for you. One of the features I like the most about the Appointment-Plus web-based appointment program is that it sends out automatic reminders three days ahead of scheduled appointments. Click here to check it out.

NEW CLIENTS - THE GREATEST RISK OF FAILED APPOINTMENTS
This is especially true of new clients with whom you have little or no relationship. They have no bond holding them to you. They don't know you personally and they have no experience of your service. It's very easy for new customers to just blow you off. One thing that you can do to make that connection stronger is to get their mailing address when they make the first appointment and send them a card. This card should include the basic information about the appointment, and a statement that a cancellation notice of at least 24 hours is appreciated "so that we don't lose the time we have set aside to care for your pet." Put this statement at the end. This is all you really need, but you can take it further.

This card is also an opportunity for you to get creative and market your service. You want to make the owner really glad they made the appointment with you. (and make them want to keep it). This can be a commitment statement, such as "Our commitment is to have your dog look his/her best ever with patient handling and top line products." Or, "Our promise is to treat your special pet with utmost patience and caring, and to be aware of his or her individual needs while in our care." What pet owner doesn't want to hear that! Or it could include something to highlight an aspect(s) of your service, such as "Your pet's grooming will include a hydromassage bath with shampoo and conditioner selected for the specific skin and coat type, and a styling based on breed, type, and lifestyle considerations by our master groomer." If you booked quite ahead and the new client has to wait two or three weeks for the scheduled appointment, it might be helpful to say something about that on your thank you/reminder card. "We appreciate that you may have a significant delay before your appointment. We appreciate your patience, and assure you that our service will be worth the wait."

Marketing. Marketing. Marketing. Successful marketing doesn't stop at designing a yellow pages ad or a great website. You want to project an image that you are special and that your service is worth the price and any wait. If you have a brochure about your salon with information about your services and prices, policies, etc., this can be part of a more extensive mailing to the new client. A good website can also work to strengthen that new customer bond. Click here to check out my site. I get customers from this website that feel like they know me.

MISSED APPOINTMENT FEES
Assessing a fee of anywhere from $20 to the cost of the whole grooming is not out of line, as long as the client has been made fully aware of the terms and conditions of the fee. Although these fees can help make up for lost income, they can also create ill will and lost customers, especially if there is no reminder system in place. Simply having a sign on the wall may not be enough, as some customers fail to see signage, especially if you have a visually cluttered space.

In the UK, where they estimated that for 2003 there were 9 million missed appointments to doctors and over 4 million missed appointments to nurse practitioners, they instituted a "Keep It Or Cancel It" campaign to educate health care users of the need to cancel appointments. That slogan would make a good heading for a sign:

KEEP IT OR CANCEL IT!
Missed appointments are a serious loss of income to a small service.
Advanced notice of cancellation allows us to fill your grooming slot.
Without notice the time is lost to us and to other pet owners waiting for appointments.
Please let us know if you wish a reminder call or email.

In addition to having a nice sign, you want to put the cancellation request on the card you give them with the date and time of their next appointment. You ARE giving them a card, aren't you? You can simply say, "Thank you for notifying us at least 24 hours in advance if you can not make your appointment. " You can get tough and add, "We reserve the right to charge a fee of (your fee) for failure to cancel appointments at least 24 hours prior. "

My suggestion is to implement a reminder system and a new customer welcome card or brochure, as well as a "Keep It Or Cancel It" campaign before instituting a punitive fee for missed appointments. People are more accepting of a punitive fee if you have clearly made an effort to support them in keeping the appointment.

WHAT ABOUT REQUIRING PRE-PAYMENT?
The legality of requiring pre-payment by credit card might be worth looking into, especially when booking new customers with huge jobs or multiple pets where the single appointment might be as much as 1/3 of the income of the day. Certainly hotels are allowed to do this. Although I don't as yet have the courage to try this, I am continuing to entertain the possibility and keeping a look out for legal issues and precedents in other services.

Barbara Bird is a professional pet groomer of 34 years. In a previous life she obtained degrees in psychology and social work. She has written and published a book on customer relations, "It's Not JUST The Grooming - Communication Skills for Pet Groomers" that can be purchased at the Birdie Shopping Cart, www.bbird.biz.


Appointment Plus online appointment system is offered through Contemporary Web Plus. This web-based appointment and client data base system can be viewed at: http://www.appointment-plus.com/demo.php