BUILDING A COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS TOOLBOX

Groomers love to have the right tool for the job.  We make an effort to keep our shears sharp and toss out old brushes that are no longer working.  How about our communications skills?  Communication is the foundation of customer service, yet we rarely make an assessment of our communication style and habits or take the time to hone our skills.  Here are a few key concepts from customer service experts as might apply to groomers. 

Cartoon by Gorman ©

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Taking for granted or making assumptions about meanings. Words or expressions can mean different things to different people. A person’s use of words or language depends on their own individual experience. Your customer’s use of words about their grooming might depend on how the last groomer used them. Most famous is the term, “Puppy Cut”, which can mean many things to many people. "Brushed out" is another phrase that can mean anything from once over the top to a thorough combing. 

Although communication with a regular customer over time usually smoothes out, it is easy to start taking your communication for granted. When you take a customer for granted, you stop caring about how you treat them. Treat the communication with your customer of five years with as much attention as you would for the new client.

Being overly authoritative.  Sometimes when we assume the role of pet care expert, we can come across in a way that shuts down communication rather than facilitates it.  Be careful that you do not invalidate the customer or make them feel judged by you.  Making pet owners feel guilty rarely results in better pet care.  When people feel judged, they are more likely to lie to you or simply stay away from you.  People are more likely to tell the truth and make changes when they feel understood and supported.  Likewise, using somewhat obscure technical terms such as “carding the coat” can often lead to misunderstandings. Many customers are embarrassed to admit when they don’t know what you are talking about. 

Not engaging the cooperation of the other party.  Are you guilty of telling customers what to do and hoping they will comply?  Providing a service involves an unwritten agreement or contract.  Failure to obtain customer agreement with the pick up plan, for example, is more likely to result in a late pick up.  Changing the grooming agreement without consulting the customer is another sure path to customer dissatisfaction, such as in a matted dog shave down instead of a longer style that the customer expects.

Being unaware of nonverbal communication.  Sometimes we do not recognize that miscommunication is occurring.  A significant part of what is conveyed to the other person happens through nonverbal cues.  This can conflict with what we are actually saying, and can contribute to misunderstanding. An individual’s facial expression and body language can be a powerful message that is delivered involuntarily. This is especially true for groomers in the middle of a difficult day.  It’s easy to accidentally convey the impression that you are rushed, impatient, overwhelmed, or frustrated. Recognize that your message may be perceived different than you intend.  REMEMBER: How a customer is treated at your counter is a reflection of how their pet is treated in the grooming room.  Try not to let your stress or fatigue affect how you come across to the customer. 

HELPFUL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS:

EYE CONTACT – Making and maintaining eye contact is one of the most important basic communications skills.  It implies that you are interested and take the other person seriously. 

NOD YOUR HEAD – A slight nodding of your head while listening to the other conveys that you are paying attention and understanding what they are saying.

SUMMARIZE AND REPEAT BACK WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD – This lets them know they have been understood and gives the other person a chance to clarify if necessary. This is especially helpful when discussing the grooming style, pick up times, or dealing with complaints. 

ASK QUESTIONS to obtain clarification, especially about the grooming style you are agreeing to. 

PROJECT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE – Using phrases such as, We can do that! Got it! That works for me!  and words such as absolutely and definitely sends a message that you are enthusiastic and interested.

MATCH YOUR TONE TO YOUR MESSAGE – How you say something is just as important as what you say.  Listen to yourself.  Use a serious tone when speaking to a customer who is upset.  An energetic and helpful tone matches your questions about how an owner wants the dog groomed.  Keep sarcasm and derision out of your professional speaking.

PUT YOUR MIND ON A LEASH – When you are listening to a customer, try to control the urge to finish their thoughts for them, or conclude that you know what they are talking about before they finish.  It’s also important not to judge your customer as you listen.  If you are thinking, this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, you are likely to show your feelings with your body, and you might miss an important part of their message.  Because the listening mind works faster than the speaking mind, it is natural to jump ahead.  Controlling your thoughts while listening takes practice. Changing negative self-talk and judgments into positive thoughts about others can work to transform your communication ability.  Instead of thinking, Gosh, this woman is a real pain, I’ll never be able to please her, change your inner thought into, Here’s a chance to utilize all my communication skills.  I’m going to do my best to please her.

VALIDATION.  This is a tricky one for many groomers, as it is often confused with allowing the customer to be right even when we know they are wrong about something.  There is an important distinction between being right and being alright.  Let’s say a client wants us to brush out their Goldendoodle and we know it is matted beyond humanely combing.  They seem to be placing a value on appearance over the importance of the pet’s experience of the grooming.  Without validation of their preference for a fuller coat, the customer is likely to feel insulted or scolded.  We can communicate that we appreciate and understand where they are coming from before we gently explain that the fuller coat is unrealistic at this time. 

BE A PROBLEM SOLVER -  Recently, I had a new customer miss a Saturday appointment for 9:00 am.  I rebooked her for the following Saturday at 9:00, and she was a half-hour late.  I was a bit put out.  But, instead of following my gut instinct to make her feel bad for messing up my schedule, I said, “This 9:00 am time does not seem to be working for you.  Would a later appointment work better?”  We agreed on an hour later, and she has been reliable ever since. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT – One of the most powerful tools you have available to use in any relationship is the power of acknowledgment.  Making people feel good about themselves by praising their pet care, their reliability as a customer, their promptness, any quality that you value, will strengthen your relationship.  Don’t be stingy with your praise; it’s the fertilizer for great customer relationships. If a client is always on time, let them know: “Thanks for being on time, as always.  I can set my clock by you!” Chances are they take pains to be on time, and your acknowledgment makes them feel worthy.   And don’t limit your practice of acknowledgment to your customers, spread it around to your co-workers, friends, children and spouses. 

ASK FOR FEEDBACK - As a person who grew up being sensitive to criticism, this was a very difficult tool for me to cultivate.  You cannot assume that “no news is good news.”  You need to give people very explicit permission to be critical.  Often, your customers don’t want to hurt your feelings, especially if you seem to be the type to take things personally.  Grievances that are not expressed may be stockpiled, and a stockpile of past petty grievances can lead to an explosion over just about anything.  Let your customers know that you want to know if your grooming or service falls short of their expectations. 

“WHAT WORKS FOR YOU?” We want to convey to our clients that we have the intention of providing a service that works for them and their lives.  The concept of “what works” applies to the styling, too.  When we ask the pet owner, “How is this grooming style working for you?”, we empower them to give us feedback that will help us accommodate their needs.  It tells them that their needs are important in the relationship. 

The Pick-up Time, a common communications challenge.

One “trip up point” in groomer-client communication is about the matter of picking up the dog.  The groomer needs to be extra alert to what is really being said or not said.  Just recently, I got tripped on this.  Here’s what happened: The customer dropped the dog off at 9:00 am.  Usually the husband picks the dog up around 12:30.  On this day, the wife dropped the dog off and asked, “May I leave him until 2:30?”  “No problem,” said I, “We can do that.” I assumed (You know what they say about ASSumptions!)  she intended to pick the dog up at 2:30. That time gave me some leeway, since it was a hugely busy day.  In my mind, I saw myself finishing this dog in the 2:00-2:30 time slot.  I had several others to get out by 1:00 & 2:00.  To my dismay, she came at 2:00, just as I barely had the dog on the table to finish.  YIKES!  It was then that I realized that “until 2:30” did not mean “AT 2:30”.  I had not taken the time to clarify and turn her question into the actual pick up plan or agreement.  I had not asked her if that was the time she expected to be back, or the latest time she expected to be back.  I should have asked, “What is the soonest you would be back?”  Or I could have said, “Thanks for asking, actually I need a little more time today.  Can we agree that 2:30 is your pick up time?” 

Earlier in week, I had another near-miss communication about picking up the dog.  This was with a customer of many years.  Slip-ups can happen when we take our customers for granted, or take communications for granted. When I took in the dog, I said, “Mitsy will be ready by Noon” as I walked away with the dog in arms.  Again, I failed to communicate in terms of the agreement. The time when the grooming will be done is not a pick up plan. The customer said, “Great”. Over her shoulder as she walked away, she added, “Call me.”   As I put the dog up, I realized that I had announced the time that was okay for picking up, and she had given me the option to call.  If I had not suddenly “heard” what she had said, we might have been baby-sitting Mitsy all afternoon.  

When I am at my best, I incorporate the concept of “what works” and I translate the conversation about when the grooming will be done into an agreement about picking up the dog.  I may suggest a time, but I don’t assume my suggestion is the established time.  I ask, “Does 1:00 pm work for you to pick up today?”  That way, they can negotiate an earlier or later time, and will tell me what is realistic for them.  Simply assigning a time that is desirable for you and not bothering to get an agreement from the pet owner can be a recipe for frustration.  With new customers, I always verbalize the term Pick-up Plan.  “Let’s see what we can agree on for a Pick-up Plan.” 

Sometimes you need to be able to read the non-verbal communication in order to determine that something you are suggesting is not sitting too well with the customer.  Have you ever suggested an out time to a pet owner and watched them look like they just bit into a sour lemon?  They may even say, “Well, alright…” When the customer gives you the sour lemon face or looks like you just took all the fun out of their day, you need to acknowledge that, “Perhaps that does not work for you.” 

Conclusion.

In real life, some miscommunications are bound to occur. What is said is often not what is heard.   It is human nature to blame the other party.  Growth cannot occur in our ability to communicate, however, until we become introspective and look at how we might improve our side of the two-way street. Mastering communications skills and using these tools takes practice. With a little work, however, you can develop a toolbox of communications skills that you can draw from in your effort to provide extraordinary customer service. 

Reference: Renée Evenson, Customer Service Training 101, AMACOM, 2005.

Barbara Bird, ICMG (International Certified Master Groomer), MSW (Master’s of Social Work degree) is the author of It’s Not JUST the Grooming: Communication Skills for Pet Professionals, available through www.shop.bbird.biz.  She has operated Transformation Pet Center, in Tucson, AZ since 1977.  In a previous life, she obtained a Masters of Social Work degree from Arizona State University and worked in the field of mental health for twelve years before finding her passion in pet grooming.  Yes, there is life after social work!

For more of BBird on communication and customer service, see: 

Putting Your Mind on a Leash