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Batteries & Inverters
Article by Wag'n Tails Mobile Conversions

© 2006 Wag'n Tails Mobile Conversions All Rights Reserved
Published here with the permission of the author.

Here is an informative article on a topic that garners a lot of attention from mobile groomers. Read this article and you will learn a great deal more. This article is published in Adobe PDF format and you will need the free Adobe Reader available at http://www.adobe.com/reader to view it.

Click here to view Batteries & Inverters.

How to Pick a Mobile Pet Groomer

by Jodi Hicks
© 2001 Jodi Hicks All Rights Reserved
Published here with the permission of the author.

Mobile dog grooming is gaining popularity as pet owners long for convenience and personalized care for their loved ones. A mobile pet groomer comes to you, bringing a vehicle equipped to give your dog the same professional grooming offered in a shop. It offers convenience for you and less stress for your dog.

Mobile grooming appeals to all sorts of owners. Hard working pet owners, who don't have the time to take the dog to the groomer, enjoy the convenience of having the dog groomed while they are still at work! Stay-at-home moms love getting the pet cleaned while the children nap, instead of loading everyone into the car for several trips to the shop. Some people are homebound for medical reasons, and other times it's the pets that don't like the car ride. Whatever the reason, having your pet groomed right in your driveway is a convenience well worth the extra money.

There is a high demand for good mobile groomers, so call for an appointment 2 - 3 weeks in advance. Look under Pet Grooming or Pet Services in your local phone book, and the mobile groomers will either have "mobile" in the name of the business or will specify that they come to you. You could also call your state's association for groomers to ask for a recommendation.

When you call for your first appointment, ask how much they will charge for your particular breed of dog. Remember that you will pay more for the convenience, usually $10 - $15 more than if you were to take your dog into a shop. For that price you should expect your dog to be the only one being worked on and he should be hand dried, not put into a cage for any reason.

Trust your instincts. Do you get the feeling on the phone that this groomer is in the profession because he loves animals? If you're going to pay a premium, expect to get professional, loving care for your dog. If the groomer is rude to you, chances are he won't have patience with your dog either.

When the groomer arrives for the first time, he should take some time to get to know you and your dog. He should ask what type of a cut you would like and offer advice on caring for your dog's coat. Be sure to tell him if your dog has any temperament or medical problems.

Make it a point to escort your dog into the vehicle, and take a good look around. Of course there will be some hair, but it should be clean and animal friendly.

While your dog is being groomed it will be disruptive for him to see you, but try to peek in a window from time to time where he can't see you, just to make sure your loved one is being handled with care.

Overall, mobile grooming is a great way to reduce the stress of grooming for both you and your dog. It offers a much more personalized touch and you have the advantage of seeing where your dog will be groomed and knowing that he is being treated kindly.

Routing Your Mobile Vehicle

by Dennis Gnetz, Wag'n Tails Mobile Conversions
© 2001 Dennis Gnetz Wag'n Tails Mobile Conversions All Rights Reserved
Published here with the permission of the author.

What is the best way to route your van? The most important thing to consider is why would you change your existing system. The goal is to organize your routes so you can minimize your fuel cost and maximize your profits without inconveniencing your customers.

First of all you must find a logical way to organize your customers. It can be by area, phone prefix, zip code, etc. If you have a computer program like Microsoft Outlook it would allow you to group your customers according to any of these variables. This program can also provide a way to print labels and send information to your customers.

After you have categorized your customers into a specific area the next step is setting up your appointment times. Here is an example of a typical schedule:

If you have a faster schedule where customers are close or you have multiple pet households:

The whole premise behind this is to not to set a time in stone that will disappoint your customer. As we all know there are so many things that can take more time on any given day. You should not have to limit yourself to a specific amount of time per pet.

To avoid miscommunication with your customers it is a good idea to send a written reminder of their appointment a week ahead.  In addition, it is a good idea to call the customer the night before. Remember, your average customer leads a very busy lifestyle and it is easy to forget your appointment.

When you started your mobile business you probably worked on Saturdays or maybe even Sundays. Now that you have a customer base built it may be difficult to change the expectations of your customers. Setting your customers expectations in the beginning is very important.  Yet, if you have to change do it in small steps.

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