PetGroomBossPro Blog — Groomer App

The Note for the Customer: Telling Pet Owners What the Groomer Noticed Today

Mobile groomers often hand the dog back to an owner who is on a work call, or to a teenager who just opened the door, or to nobody at all because the dog came out of a back yard. The quick chat at the door, where the groomer mentions the mats coming back or the nails being long, does not always happen. The note for the customer makes sure the message gets through anyway.

Part of the Checklist

The Per-Pet Grooming Checklist in the Groomer App covered the standard items for each pet. At the bottom of each pet's checklist is a note for the customer: a short line, written for the owner to read.

It sits on the job with the checklist, and the office can print it on a Grooming Report for the customer.

What a Good Customer Note Says

The customer note is for things the owner would want to know, in plain language, without jargon:

• “Matting behind the ears is coming back.”
• “Nails were a bit long this time.”
• “She was much calmer today, great job.”
• “Kept the face a little longer like you asked.”
• “Coat was very full this visit, de-shed treatment would help next time.”

Keep it friendly and short. One or two sentences per pet is plenty.

What Does Not Belong in the Customer Note

Groomers see a lot of the pet up close, and sometimes notice things that worry them. The customer note is not the place for a diagnosis or medical advice. If something looks like it might need a vet, the right move is to tell the owner directly and plainly suggest they have their vet take a look, rather than guess at what it is. Keep the note to what you saw, not what it means.

The other thing that does not belong is internal shorthand. “#7 body, muzzle for nails” is a great note for the next groomer, and it lives on the pet's notes line. The owner does not need to read it. Internal behavior notes are covered in Behavior Notes in the Groomer App: Writing Down the Dryer-Shy Dog Before the Next Visit.

How the Note Reaches the Owner

When the groomer taps Complete, the office sees the appointment with each pet's checklist and customer note. The office can print a Grooming Report for the customer from there. Some businesses leave a printed report with the pet; others send it along with a follow-up.

Meanwhile the customer has the invoice in the customer app, where they can pay, update their card, and leave a tip on the paid invoice. If they have a question about the note, they can text the office through two-way texting, and the office sees the note and the photos on the job.

Notes That Lead to the Next Booking

A good customer note often sets up the next visit. “Matting is coming back, a de-mat add-on next time would help” tells the owner what to expect on the next invoice. “Nails were long, maybe come a week sooner” opens the door to moving them from an eight-week schedule to six.

Repeat appointments in PetGroomBossPro can be changed from the Recurring Clients list, including the frequency, day, time, van and price for upcoming visits. The groomer suggests; the office makes the change.

That is not pushy upselling. It is the groomer telling the owner what they saw, in writing, so the owner can decide.

Reading Last Time's Note

Customer notes become part of the appointment history. At the next visit, the groomer can see what was said last time in the past notes. If the note said matting was coming back, the groomer can check and tell the owner whether it improved. That continuity is what owners notice: the groomer remembers.

Past notes are covered in Past Notes in the Groomer App: How the Last Groom Went, Before This One Starts.

For multi-pet homes, each pet gets its own customer note. That keeps the message clear (the note about matting is about the doodle, not the beagle) and saves the owner from guessing. A short note per pet is better than one long note trying to cover everyone.

The Conversation, in Writing

The note for the customer is a small field that does the job of the conversation at the door, even when nobody is at the door. For the rest of what the groomer app records and how it reaches the office and the customer, visit the PetGroomBossPro dog grooming app page.