PetGroomBossPro Blog — Pet Grooming Software

Running a Two-Van Mobile Pet Grooming Company: Groomers, Bathers and Shared Vans

Adding a second van is a big step for a mobile groomer. The book is full, the waiting calls are piling up, and one van cannot do any more. The second van brings more grooms and more revenue, and it also brings a new problem: everything that used to live in the owner's head now has to be shared with someone else.

Cats, Dogs and Now More Than One Van

Everything covered so far, including the pet records described in Cats in Mobile Pet Grooming Software: Cat Grooms, Lion Cuts and the Notes That Matter, works the same with one van or several. What changes with two vans is who sees what, and how the days are split.

Employees, PINs and Vans

In PetGroomBossPro, each employee gets their own PIN. They sign in to the groomer app with the company login plus that PIN, so every appointment, photo, checklist and clock-in is tied to the right person.

Employees are assigned to vans (the software calls them teams). Van 1 might be you and a bather. Van 2 might be a new groomer working solo. When the office books an appointment to a van, it shows up on the phones of whoever is assigned to that van.

A Groomer and a Bather in One Van

Many mobile grooming companies run two people in a van: a groomer who handles the cuts and a bather who handles baths, drying and the simpler services. PetGroomBossPro lets a groomer and a bather share a van. Both see the same day's appointments, both see the pets and cut notes on each card, and both can work the checklist.

Each person clocks in and out on their own phone with the time clock, so their hours are recorded separately even though they work the same route.

Splitting the Days

With two vans, the Scheduled list filters by van so each day is clear. Some companies split by geography: Van 1 on the north side, Van 2 on the south. Some split by type of work: one van on doodles and large dogs, another on small dogs and cats. Some put the monthly accounts on one van so the households on the other van keep a steady pace.

Whatever split you choose, repeat clients are booked on a set van as well as a set day and time. When you add the second van, the Recurring Clients list lets you move a group of clients to it, changing the van for all their upcoming visits at once. Repeat scheduling is covered in Set-Time Repeat Appointments Every 4, 6 or 8 Weeks in Mobile Pet Grooming Software.

Routes for Each Van

Each van's day can be auto-routed Closest First or Furthest First from the shop, or set in order by hand around the appointment times. Route sheets print per van. The groomer's phone shows only their van's appointments, in the order the office set.

Knowing Where Everyone Is

With one van, the owner knows where the van is because the owner is in it. With two, the office map shows each van's GPS location while they work. When a customer calls to ask when the groomer will arrive, the office can look at the map and give a real answer. Customers can also see their own place in line on the live map in the customer app.

The Office Side

Two vans usually means someone is spending more time in the office, even if it is the owner in the evenings. Office users can be given roles, so a part-time scheduler can work Pending Jobs and texting without having access to everything. Roles are covered in Office Roles and Employee PINs in Pet Grooming Software.

Keeping Quality Consistent

The biggest worry about a second van is consistency. Will the new groomer cut the doodle the way the client is used to? Pet records and carried-forward visits help a lot here. The cut notes, handling notes and past notes are on the card no matter who opens it, and the grooming checklist and before-and-after photos give the owner a way to see what is happening on the other van.

Plans for More Than One Van

PetGroomBossPro has three plans: Start at $59 a month, Pro at $89 and Crew at $199. Companies running several vans with several employees may want to look at Pro or Crew, along with the bigger text allowance that comes with them. For details, see the pricing guide. For every guide in this series, go back to the pet grooming software page.