OT: Tipping dog groomers

[flyhi]

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I know this is really random, but I'm just so unsure about what to do with dog groomers.

Is it like hair dressers where you tip unless they own the salon? I dropped my boys off this AM and *think* the gal owns her shop but don't really know (and how do you find this out tactfully?) and don't know if I need to tip her when I pick them up. If so, how much?

And, while we're at it, what's the rule for hairdressers? I think I tend to over tip and it gets expensive when you go get 'the works' done.

Thanks for the help!

 

[kaydubs]

Random but....in short, my mother is a dog groomer & a hairdresser. Monetary tips are kind of nice. She always just gets her minimal fee and grumbles and then I ask, "Why don't you charge [more]?" and she mutters incoherently.

Being her assistant? As a result of the sans-tips....I am a volunteer. Free labor? Since it's my mom......indentured servitude....

The best is when our house turns into a boarding business. My mom gets really cranky about that. And yells at me for muttering complaints as I walk the puppies at the crack of dawn....

 

[flyhi]

Random but....in short, my mother is a dog groomer & a hairdresser. Monetary tips are kind of nice. She always just gets her minimal fee and grumbles and then I ask, "Why don't you charge [more]?" and she mutters incoherently.

Being her assistant? As a result of the sans-tips....I am a volunteer. Free labor? Since it's my mom......indentured servitude....

The best is when our house turns into a boarding business. My mom gets really cranky about that. And yells at me for muttering complaints as I walk the puppies at the crack of dawn....

Interesting. So, it is expected then? What is the going rate? I've heard everything from 10%-20%.

In a shop, does the shampooer/bather get some of the tips? I'd be more inclined to give a good one for this reason.

 

[macita183]

I take my lab mix to the groomer and I typically tip 20%. My dog, despite being part lab hates water and is a handful to bathe, hence why I pay someone to do it for me🙂
It's a small place so the groomer does all the work herself. She always does a great job.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Interesting. So, it is expected then? What is the going rate? I've heard everything from 10%-20%.

In a shop, does the shampooer/bather get some of the tips? I'd be more inclined to give a good one for this reason.

I just asked my bf, whose step mom is a groomer (and therefore he's also been the shampooer/bather on many occasions), and he says that yes it is expected. I asked him how much, and he says that it really depends on the type of dog, the type of cut, and how much the base charge is... so sorry, no real good answer there. As for whether the shampooer/bather gets some of the tips, he says he's not sure if this is the case at all places but he thinks the tip usually goes to the "groomer." So he never got a share of the tip, but he's not sure if that's because he got paid more than the average bather with his hourly wage.

 

[david594]

Why not just pay them what they charge? If they own the place, they set the prices. By charging less and expecting tips, all they are trying to do is allow themselves to advertise a lower fee, and then avoid taxes on the extra money.

It would be absurd for a vet to expect a tip for services rendered, but somehow its acceptable for a groomer?

 

[flyhi]

ok, so I picked them up and asked the groomer about it. A tad awkward, but I'm glad I did.

She said that yes, it is customary to tip. I asked her how much (both dogs came to 130 😱) and she said some owners do a flat fee per dog, like maybe $5, and some do a percentage.

@Minn - My pooches are 6 pounds each and kept in a puppy cut. They are both great on the groomer's table. In addition to shampoo, cut and blowdry , she cuts and dremel's their nails, anal sacs if needed, ears and brushes their teeth. I tipped her $6 per dog, which I realize is less than 10%, but they have way less surface area than a big dog 🙄 I now feel like I undertipped, but she is the owner and I'm a poor student

@David - I wish it were that way, but it's complicated with different business arrangements and who owns what. I think with humans, some stylists rent their booth and maybe even owe a percentage of their sales to the owner, so tipping makes sense, otherwise you would just be paying more to the owner. She said with groomers, it varys quite a bit even regionally.

That's the answer, folks, but I'm curious to hear what others think...especially any groomers out there.

 

[StormWater]

We had a vicious, male Yorkie that was red-tagged at the local Pet(smart/co) when we were told not to bother making any future appointments. I would tip the private groomer we ended up using an extra $10, just for taking Terry the Terror! He must have had a magic touch cuz he never reported any problems.

He was such a great dog. We got him when he followed our daughters home from school. He was about 3 yrs old, unfixed with some tattoo markings on his stomach. He didn't seem to recognize any neighborhood in a 2 mile radius, so we suspected he was dumped. Wonderful companion for the next 13 years.

 

[Wubbles]

I tip my dog's groomer very generously, 20% or more near the holidays, but that's just because I'm a big softy. I worked a couple years in a dog daycare that offered baths and minimal grooming and I know how thankless and difficult it can be to work in that environment all day. A good groomer who treats a dog kindly, works quickly, and gives great cuts is worth paying a little extra to, for me! 😀

 

[Packen]

I have never had my dogs groomed - I didn't realize it was customary to tip them. But I guess it makes sense.

As for hair dressers (I think you asked about that in the beginning Flyhi?) - I usually tip my stylist ~15% and I usually give the hair washer $5.

 

[CohenMeow]

I have a Cocker Spaniel and he has been getting groomed by the same lady for 10 years. I normally tip about 20%, which is 10 dollars for a 50 dollar hair cut. Now that I have used her for so long I raised the tip to 15 dollars just cause she is so good with him🙂. I think 15-20% is appropriate.

 

[Wubbles]

I should have mentioned my dog is a poodle mix so it's more than just a bath and brush-out.....she gets her hair 'styled' so that obviously takes a little more effort/skill than a dog with shorter hair.

 

[kakurubird]

I would imagine it also depends on the specific arrangement of the groomer. The clinic where I work has an attached boarding, daycare, and grooming facilities, all run through the same reception as the vets. We don't take tips, but sometimes, owners may not directly interact with the groomer as much as in some places (especially over holidays where many dogs get groomed before they go home from boarding--in this case, kennel staff generally accept the dog from owners and return the dog go the owner).

 

[squirrelsrule]

Reading this thread makes me happy with my choice to have a Boston Terrier 😍. I don't think I'd tip if it cost me $150 to get two tiny yorkies a bath and clipping. That is expensive!

 

[flyhi]

I would imagine it also depends on the specific arrangement of the groomer. The clinic where I work has an attached boarding, daycare, and grooming facilities, all run through the same reception as the vets. We don't take tips, but sometimes, owners may not directly interact with the groomer as much as in some places (especially over holidays where many dogs get groomed before they go home from boarding--in this case, kennel staff generally accept the dog from owners and return the dog go the owner).

I was wondering about this, too, because my doggie daycare place has a grooming facility, but i've never seen it. It must be in back and i feel like I'd just pay the bill at the front and probably wouldn't tip, since it would seem more like a service that the doggie daycare provided and not a self-employed groomer in the back (which may or may not be the case). Also because you'd drop your dog off for boarding/daycare, get them groomed, and just pay the bill without a tip.

Wow, 15-20%....that would break me with both of them!

Recession proof profession - dog grooming!!! They all seem to be busy and not too much overhead!!

 

[Megascops Asio]

She said that yes, it is customary to tip. I asked her how much (both dogs came to 130 😱) and she said some owners do a flat fee per dog, like maybe $5, and some do a percentage.

@Minn - My pooches are 6 pounds each and kept in a puppy cut. They are both great on the groomer's table. In addition to shampoo, cut and blowdry , she cuts and dremel's their nails, anal sacs if needed, ears and brushes their teeth. I tipped her $6 per dog, which I realize is less than 10%, but they have way less surface area than a big dog 🙄 I now feel like I undertipped, but she is the owner and I'm a poor student :meanie

Ho-lee crap, that's expensive! Before I started working at the vet hospitals I worked at a doggy daycare/grooming place. And there is no chance in heck that my boss would have charged that much for two 6lb dogs (whether they were good on the table or not). You *might* have to pay half that. And she did everything (cut, nails, anal glands, etc).

Also, after working for my boss (who was amazing, I still keep in touch with her), I don't know if I'd trust a groomer who says that tips are expected (especially after charging that much). If she's charging that much, seems to me she's just looking for the money - but, I don't know her or her business so this is obviously just a pessimistic-ish speculation. I can only compare what you've said to how my boss ran her business. Money was not the bottom line for her. She definitely did her best to make a profit, but her philosophy was that, because its a recession and everyone's hurting, she was going to make her services as affordable as possible because at the end of the day its not the dog's fault that an owner can't/won't pay. She always appreciated those who tipped her, but she never expected it - and she would NEVER tell a customer that it was expected.

Recession proof profession - dog grooming!!! They all seem to be busy and not too much overhead!!

My old boss would definitely beg to differ with this! A ton of her clients dropped off because of the recession.