Some people choose to groom their dogs on their own, but a growing number have been using dog grooming services to take care of this challenging task.
People often wonder how much should you tip dog groomers, and the answer is that you should (the how much is relative).
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How Much Should You Tip Dog Groomers?
Not An Easy Job
Dog grooming is a lot more than about taking care of a cute puppy’s appearance.
Dog groomers go through training and need to perform their taxing job, which not everyone can handle, sometimes under especially difficult circumstances.
They are often trying to avoid scratches and bites, along with other behavioral issues associated with canines.
You need to also consider that not all dogs enjoying being groomed and can be difficult for the groomer to deal with.
It may be one of the reasons that you opted to use their service rather than do it yourself. Tipping a dog groomer for having to do the hard work seems only reasonable.
A groomer’s job requires a lot of patience and is filled with tough physical activity. Their efforts should be recognized as you are doing a lot of things for your precious pet that you have decided was too hard to do.
They Perform A Service So You Don’t Have To
When you are at a restaurant, and a waiter brings over your meal and caters to your needs during your visit, you typically tip them at the end of the meal, right?
It might be an ingrained practice but keep in mind you do this because the waiter is serving you the food, and you do not have to do it yourself.
The same idea applier to dog groomers as well. As part of their routine, they not only wash your dog, they check their skin for dryness, sores, and pests, clip, pull, and grind nails, and squeeze anal glands.
All things that you would need to do if you were not enlisting their help.
They Don’t Get Paid All The Money You Pay
The money that you pay for your dog’s grooming does not all go to the groomer, in fact, they get only a fraction of it.
Depending on the company, they often get paid a steady salary, which might be a minor percentage of the money taken in for their efforts, no matter how good of a job they do.
The tips help increase their own personal earning and it is good to appreciate their hard work.
How Much Should You Tip Dog Groomers?
As with any other service that involves tips, they should be scaled based on the performance of the groomer.
The typical rule of thumb is a tip of 15% – 20% of the cost of the service.
But if a groomer did an exceptionally great job on your loving pet, and especially if your dog was a challenging task to groom, you should up that tip a bit to reward the groomer’s efforts.
If a dog needs more extensive grooming, and of course if you are satisfied with the service you should show your appreciation to the groomer with a more generous tip.
Of course, if the opposite is true and you find your dog smelling bad, or not having received the treatment paid for, you should be under no obligation to leave a tip.
How To Go About Tipping Your Groomer
It depends on the groomer you are at, some groomers prohibit their employees from taking tips.
A simple way to know is offering your tip to them when the groomer brings out your dog and leaving it up to their decision.
If they refuse it, it is probably best to follow the rules and avoid making any uncomfortable situation where you persist.
Do I Have To Tip My Dog Groomer?
Technically speaking, tipping any service you are provided is optional, but always appreciated. Personally, I try to tip often especially when someone does a great job!
If they do an outstanding job you should probably even tip them a bit extra.
When it comes to dog groomers, they are providing such a difficult, but necessary service that you should try to always tip them.
Where To Find Dog Groomers?
There are a good amount of dog groomers out there, even popular dog stores like Petco or PetSmart can provide dog grooming.
If you don’t want to go to one of those stores there are several establishments in your area you can find on sites like Yelp with ratings.
Good Questions To Ask A Groomer Before You Choose Them
It will take time to vet out a good groomer for your dog. The best way of finding the right groomer for you is by asking them questions and comparing.
Here are some questions you can ask your potential groomer:
What breeds do you have experience with? This can usually help you see if the groomer knows how to deal with your dog’s breed.
Or you’ll be able to gauge the lengths of coat that they are most familiar with.
Do you have certification? Some groomers belong to an official organization that can always put an owner’s mind to ease.
Some groomers can be fantastic without that though and have a long reputation in grooming to prove they are good.
Of course it is up to you to decide how much is sufficient to you!
Which service do I need and what is included in that? Typically, there are many different services available as well as other add-ons.
If you ask, you may be able to get a bit more guidance on what service is right for you. If your dog just needs a trim and a brush then try to find a package with that.
Once you find a package that looks like what you need, it doesn’t hurt to ask the groomer what is included in that to make sure you aren’t buying services you don’t need.
How long will this service take? When you are looking to schedule a service you should find out how long it will take.
This can help you find out if you need to take them to the bathroom beforehand or do anything else.
Also, some packages may take a while and you want to make sure you can fit it into your schedule.
Can you groom dogs that are afraid of being groomed? This may not apply to every dog, but it is very important for those that have a dog like this.
Groomers may have techniques and it can be reassuring to know how they will treat your scared pooch to keep them calm.
How much does this service cost? The last thing you want is to be surprised by a high price when it comes time to pay for your dog’s grooming.
Once you decide on what services you need, see how much it costs. Don’t be afraid of paying for a premium service, but make sure you aren’t being over-charged.
Final Thought
In short, yes you should tip your groomer and around 15 to 20% is a good amount. Especially when you consider how much work they are doing and how unique and difficult it is to do.
Also, when they do a great job you get to have a beautiful dog that looks fantastic and is smelling good! So make sure you give them that tip to show how much you appreciate their service.
Resources:
http://www.akc.org/content/dog-care/articles/things-to-ask-potential-groomers-before/
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/dog-groomer-career-profile-125618