[Janelle]

Originally Posted by PoodleKisses

Not all groomers set their prices, especially those poor groomers who are working for a corperation such as Petsmart or Petco. They set the price not us. As for me I work for someone I do not own my own shop, I do charge for de-matting and anything that is above and beyond what is included for the "normal" groom. I'm lucky in the way for the most part I charge what I want, but it's all about competition, if I set my prices higher then the guy down the street b/c I feel the work I have to do on your pet is more then normal then where do you think youre going to go? To me who has it $5 higher or to joe schmo down the street who is $5 cheaper?? I would invite anyone who has never set foot into a grooming salon to watch what really goes on and what we have to deal with on a daily basis to come and see what we do. Is cleaning up your dogs crap b/c you didnt take him out potty part of my job?? no I cut hair. So there is a lot of extra's no one knows about that goes along with having your dog there fo a few hours. At least waiters dont have people trying to bite them, or are getting pee'd all over by the diners.

APPLAUSE

[luvntzus]

Originally Posted by Durbkat

I wouldn't tip a groomer nor do I tip when asked. Like the time I ordered domino's and I gave the guy the exact amount the pizza was, no tip, and when I handed him the money and he counted it real quick and he said "no tip?". Then I said "nope" and then I slammed the door in his face. Then I called the manager and told him what just happened and he said he would handle it. That person has never asked for a tip again. Or like the time I went to florida and when me and my family were heading out to the car the waiter ran out and asked if something was wrong and my mom said "no, why?" and then he said "well you didn't tip so I figured I did something wrong". Then I said "nothing was wrong except for the fact you ran out here like a moron asking for a tip". So no I will never tip unless I feel its necessary like if they did something above and beyond what was expected of them.

Wow. That is beyond stingy and definitely not something to be proud of.

[the-tenth]

Originally Posted by Durbkat

I wouldn't tip a groomer nor do I tip when asked. Like the time I ordered domino's and I gave the guy the exact amount the pizza was, no tip, and when I handed him the money and he counted it real quick and he said "no tip?". Then I said "nope" and then I slammed the door in his face. Then I called the manager and told him what just happened and he said he would handle it. That person has never asked for a tip again. Or like the time I went to florida and when me and my family were heading out to the car the waiter ran out and asked if something was wrong and my mom said "no, why?" and then he said "well you didn't tip so I figured I did something wrong". Then I said "nothing was wrong except for the fact you ran out here like a moron asking for a tip". So no I will never tip unless I feel its necessary like if they did something above and beyond what was expected of them.

Wow that whole story is sad.

Originally Posted by PoodleKisses

So there is a lot of extra's no one knows about that goes along with having your dog there fo a few hours. At least waiters dont have people trying to bite them, or are getting pee'd all over by the diners.

Yes but they do have the government taxing them on 15% of their wages because it's considered common courtesy to tip wait-staff. The only time I don't tip at least 15% is if the service is bad. And by bad I mean not coming to check on drinks, or how the food was because they're too busy screwing around at a table 10 feet away from me with the rest of the waitresses.

[Dieselsmama]

Originally Posted by PoodleKisses

Not all groomers set their prices, especially those poor groomers who are working for a corperation such as Petsmart or Petco. They set the price not us. As for me I work for someone I do not own my own shop, I do charge for de-matting and anything that is above and beyond what is included for the "normal" groom. I'm lucky in the way for the most part I charge what I want, but it's all about competition, if I set my prices higher then the guy down the street b/c I feel the work I have to do on your pet is more then normal then where do you think youre going to go? To me who has it $5 higher or to joe schmo down the street who is $5 cheaper?? I would invite anyone who has never set foot into a grooming salon to watch what really goes on and what we have to deal with on a daily basis to come and see what we do. Is cleaning up your dogs crap b/c you didnt take him out potty part of my job?? no I cut hair. So there is a lot of extra's no one knows about that goes along with having your dog there fo a few hours. At least waiters dont have people trying to bite them, or are getting pee'd all over by the diners.

Exactly, If my child expressed anal glands all over the hairdressers shop, or decided to whip his head around and bite the hand that was combing his hair, I'd for sure be giving them a nice fat tip!!

[Ginny01OT]

I tip the groomer even tho she is the owner. I know she works all day on Riley and he looks great and feels great when he is done--he actually doesn't want to go home because she has four standard poodles he socializes with. I usually tip about 10.00 and bring a bag of treats for her dogs.

[DivaDog]

Ginny thats so nice to read - and you know what I bet she appreciates the fact that you ppreciate her and you acknolege what a good job she does good on you!!

[bluesbarby]

My DD is the head server for a high end bar/lounge in LA. As another poster stated they have to tip out a percentage of their tips to the bartender, bus boys and hostess. The computer keeps track of their sales and decides how much by percentage they are tipped and this is what they are taxed on. Working full time a server will not receive any paychecks. Everything has been taxed. So they literally live on their tips. Yes some nights she makes great money but other nights she barely has enough to pay for the cab ride home. She has never asked anyone why they didn't tip. That would be rude and she instructs her girls to never ask. Some people just don't tip. But they are remembered the next time they come in and usually will have a hard time getting thru the door.

[Sookie's mom]

My groomer was thrilled the day I gave her a $25 gift card to the coffee shop (like Starbucks) that is next door to her salon. I saw her dragging herself in one early morning holding a large cup of coffee and thought that she might appreciate it. Sometimes I see her and the other groomers snacking on goodies that clients bring in. I once tipped a carpet repairman a filled buy-one-get-one-free Subway sandwich card.....it happened to be his lunch time and he really appreciated it. Sometimes I don't have extra cash on hand to tip. I don't always know the total charges of some things so I try to watch for other ways to give an extra "gift" to my groomer, etc.
When I picked up my dog today I gave her (no, not the dog) a little cheesecake sampler that I got from the corner deli. That was a big hit.

[gone2thedogs]

I follow the same rules for dog groomers that I use for human "groomers" - I tip staff, but not proprietors. I do, however, make up for that discrepancy by giving proprietors a gift basket as a general end-of-year thank you, or whenever they've gone above and beyond. It's nice to show appreciation.

[Rowdy]

I always tip the groomer that does Toby (our rough collie).

The groomer that we use works at Petco. At that particular store (I don't know about any others) you can watch them work through a glass window in the store without the groomers or the dog seeing you. I've seen how gentle she is with him and how she loves on him when she's working. To me that is priceless.

Also, when we ask for a special cut, like cutting his belly and his feathers close, she does exactly what we ask even if it's not a "standard collie cut".

Of course, we try to make it easier on her, too. We exercise him for at least an hour before we bring him in. We make sure he's peed and pooped before, too. And I always brush him as well as I can the night before (like cleaning for the cleaning person).

I usually give $7-8 on a $50 grooming bill. I give more if he's extra dirty. It's worth it to me to have my dog groomed properly and with love.

[Ella'sMom]

Originally Posted by Durbkat

I wouldn't tip a groomer nor do I tip when asked. Like the time I ordered domino's and I gave the guy the exact amount the pizza was, no tip, and when I handed him the money and he counted it real quick and he said "no tip?". Then I said "nope" and then I slammed the door in his face. Then I called the manager and told him what just happened and he said he would handle it. That person has never asked for a tip again. Or like the time I went to florida and when me and my family were heading out to the car the waiter ran out and asked if something was wrong and my mom said "no, why?" and then he said "well you didn't tip so I figured I did something wrong". Then I said "nothing was wrong except for the fact you ran out here like a moron asking for a tip". So no I will never tip unless I feel its necessary like if they did something above and beyond what was expected of them.

Wow I just read this and am in shock. Obviously you haven't worked in the service industry before.
I will tip whoever grooms my Ella when I take her. If I tip my own hairdresser, why wouldn't I tip hers?

[abbiestar@hotmail.com]

Have you ever asked your cleints if they want the extras, such as ribbons or neck collar? To me they are just something to throw away when we get home. They always forget that i tell them i dont want them.

[007Dogs]

As someone who grooms part time out of her home, I do usually get tips. But I save most of these locals a 40 mile drive into the nearest town and I charge them less than the groomer's in the bigger town. And since I only do this part time for now, there dog gets more indiviual attention and not rushed like in bigger shops that have a quote to meet.

[Felix]

Do people not tip because they believe this job is easy? I don't even receive commission as a bather at Petsmart and wouldn't hesitate to take on 10-12 dogs a day. Three people tip at the most.

[Janelle]

i don;t understand why the proprietor of a shop does not deserve a tip
they groom and work just as hard maybe even harder than their employees
they put in more hours they have to do the PR with clients and field all complaints they deserve a tip just as much as their employees do

[poodleholic]

A good groomer is worth his/her weight in gold. I groom my Poodles myself, now, and know well the work involved. When I took my Poodles to a groomer, I tipped, and tipped well. I brought them in every 4 weeks, and made sure that the steel comb ran easily through their coat from head to tail.

Wait staff depend on tips, because the base pay isn't even minimum wage, at least here in FL.

Originally Posted by Durbkat

I wouldn't tip a groomer nor do I tip when asked. Like the time I ordered domino's and I gave the guy the exact amount the pizza was, no tip, and when I handed him the money and he counted it real quick and he said "no tip?". Then I said "nope" and then I slammed the door in his face. Then I called the manager and told him what just happened and he said he would handle it. That person has never asked for a tip again. Or like the time I went to florida and when me and my family were heading out to the car the waiter ran out and asked if something was wrong and my mom said "no, why?" and then he said "well you didn't tip so I figured I did something wrong". Then I said "nothing was wrong except for the fact you ran out here like a moron asking for a tip". So no I will never tip unless I feel its necessary like if they did something above and beyond what was expected of them.

Gee, do you feel that way all over, or just in spots?! With that kind of attitude, I'm sure you'll go far and be a huge success in all your endeavors.

[PAWSDOG]

Ok you say $23 isnt' cheap... Lets do some math here.. she brings your dog in, clips it's nails, cleans it's ears, brushes it's teeth, gives it a bath etc.. which takes about 2 hours.. In the process she risks getting bit, and dogs don't exactly sit still and relax while getting groomed.. So it probably takes 2 hours of straight work and she has netted out $20 bucks after material and utilities etc...

Yet people will gladly tip a hair stylist,

or better yet a waiter or waitress that brings food, and probably does no more than 10 minutes of actual work serving you...

OF COURSE YOU TIP THE GROOMER!!!!

[Chi_Girl]

I have never understood why it is expected to pay people extra just for doing their job that they are already getting paid for. I don't understand having to pay the pizza delivery guy not to spit on your pizza. That just isn't right. Every waitress/waiter I have ever met has always made more money than me(me making min. wage and them making a heck of a lot more) yet I'm still expected to pay them extra just for doing their job. I've worked a lot of thankless, hetcic, fast paced jobs, dealt with unruly customers, screaming kids, etc, etc, and I wasn't tipped. I just don't get it. I know people who have quit their jobs to be a waitress because waitresses make so darn much money, and thats before the tips.

[starry15]

I lost respect in groomers when we 1st got star. We are in such a small town theres only 2 groomers. The one we went to wanted to charge us 200 dollars for star and all he needed done was his nails and his tail needed cleaned out. My mom was like no way am I paying that much. So we go to the other groomer. It was awful. All the doggies were in cages litterly SHAKING. She made the dogs stay over night and her eyes were bobbing up and down. She was on drugs and she was feeding the dogs drugs. My mom and I walked out of there. They lady offered us a dog treat to give our dog, I said no thanks. After that experance, I lost respect in them. I now bathe and groom star myself. The vet clips stars nails FREE of charge.

[Dakota Spirit]

Starry it looks like you might have encountered some bad groomers, but it really isn't fair to lose respect for all of them based on the conditions at two shops. That would be like never eating out again based on a few bad waiters.

And you are lucky to have a vet that clips nails for free; the only way mine does that is if the dog is already under their care (i.e. surgery).