Customer Demand

SURVEY DISCUSSIONS Customer Demand

The grooming industry clearly showed elsewhere, and hopefully return when how amazingly adaptive it was to get their businesses could or would re-open. back to work and serve pets and owners. The biggest insult, in our viewpoint, was how the issue of “essential” was applied early on, and much later for some. To be clear we are not stating it was all one way or another. Indeed there were Did their clientele come back? In a side survey conducted shortly after we closed the main survey we asked 100 groomers what has been their experience. states that minimized the issue and the Fortunately, 81% said the large majority lockdowns, and did they really fare of their clientele had returned and 44% worse as a result? Nope. of their clientele had gone to another Was it ineptness, political or simply a serious folly that many groomers experienced quite extensive closures with questionable backup reasoning. We will groomer while they were not in operation. That’s good new for customer relations and something perhaps to be proud of, obviously well-earned. let everyone figure that out for them- By the way, 77% of these business ownselves and allow their opinions. ers said they did not charge extra for The lockdowns and essential issues deeply impacted customer relations for many groomers. In a side survey over 60% of grooming business owners said that their clientele contacting them dematting their regular clientele upon their return. It was an expression of gratitude. Some had to be stripped or shaved because it wouldn’t have been humane to demat coats too far gone. were not in agreement with pet groom- Customers have faced inconveniences ing assigned non-essential status. Fur- too. Some groomers went out business. ther 72% reported client confusion from Estimates range from 2,000 to 4,000 of grooming being allowed in some stores businesses. At GroomerTALK℠ membut not to grooming only vendors. bers report businesses that closed or In areas where this confusion was especially active over 78% of grooming business owners said they faced having to didn’t reopen and yet seeing new businesses opening, most often new mobile operations. realize that their regular clientele were eGroomer Journal Copyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reservedgoing to have to use grooming services 85