# how much would you tip?



## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

how much would you tip your groomer if you had a dog that took about 5-6 hours of continuous work?

we have an Afghan Hound that comes in once a month, and he's not always combed out the best, not to mention the hour or two alone it take to blow dry him.

anyway, the last couple times he's been in, i busted my ass on him and it still took about 5 hours, and the owner gave me $3...i was a little disappointed with that.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Personaly I don't like to tip unless someone goes out of their way to provide a service beyond what I'm already paying for. 

That being said 5-6 hours of work on a dog is way beyond what you are being paid for and what you should be expected to do, and you should deserve some sort of tip for your extra effort, $3 doesn't even begin to cover it. Seeing as how I don't normally tip, I wouldn't even know how much to give.

On a side note you should share some pics of him if it's possible. I absolutely adore Afghans! I'm dead set on an afghan being my next dog. When I got my Cavalier it was between him and an affie, the only thing that prevented me from geting and afghan was that I would be going to college and my parents would have to maintain the coat.


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

next time Jasper (the afghan) comes in i plan on bringing my camera. i'm going to take a before, during his bath, and after shot and post them.  but, i dunno when he's coming in yet. lol


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## nikki10 (Nov 5, 2007)

Wow, three bucks? I always tip at least 15%, if not 20% unless the service is really, really bad which is very rare. That includes my own hair, eating out, etc.


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## nrhareiner (Dec 6, 2006)

Nothing. If it takes you 5 hours to groom the dog then your price should be in line with that time and effort. If not then rais them or not that is up to you but you are being paid for your servise if it is too low then again raise it.

Heidi


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

nrhareiner said:


> Nothing. If it takes you 5 hours to groom the dog then your price should be in line with that time and effort. If not then rais them or not that is up to you but you are being paid for your servise if it is too low then again raise it.
> 
> Heidi


but see, the place where i work...i'm just a bather, i don't cut hair. i get paid hourly. i don't get commissioned. so i basically busted my ass for 5 hours for nothing but $3 so the owner of the business can make however much we charge for his groom (which, due to our pricing guide only comes to $40)


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## nrhareiner (Dec 6, 2006)

I feel your pain in many ways, I too have worked service related jobs in the past that have not paid very well and no one tips those types of jobs. If you want to make more then you need to find another carrier or job that is what I have done.

I find it is tough at times when you do not get paid for what you feel your services are worth but that is the way most jobs are. I have always felt that if you are going to shovel shit be the best shit shovelar there is and this goes for any job.

Heidi


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

nevermind. i love my job. i'm not complaining about the job. i'm upset that she used to tip more, and now...i dunno, i do the same job and get less. i go out of my way for her. it's almost insulting...i'd rather she not tip at all if she's just gonna give me 3 bucks. at least make it a $5 or something.

but nevermind.

ETA: we have a puggle that comes in and she tips $3 each time...the puggle takes _maybe_ and hour and a half, and that's with putting it in a kennel dryer for a while and working on something else in the mean time. i believe that is more than enough of a tip from that dog. some dogs i honestly have a hard time taking a tip for because it took me no time whatsoever, but you should have somewhat of an idea as to how much work is involved with your own dog


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## kongs mama (Oct 14, 2007)

Oh dear I did not even know that we are supposed to tip the groomer!! Thank you for pointing this out I will keep this in mind when I bring my little monster in for his first visit. Personally I would of handed the three dollars back and come back with some sort of smart ass insult


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## nrhareiner (Dec 6, 2006)

Who knows maybe she fell on a bit of hard times or had some other unexpected expense that limited what she could do over what she normally does. I may have nothing to do with your work. 

Heidi


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

nrhareiner said:


> Who knows maybe she fell on a bit of hard times or had some other unexpected expense that limited what she could do over what she normally does. I may have nothing to do with your work.
> 
> Heidi



i really hope it had nothing to do with my work.  i love that dog!


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## ritabooker (Aug 16, 2006)

If it cost her $40 bucks to have the dog groomed, then I think she should tip you 15-20% of that.

I believe you are correct, and the tip is too low. That won't change a thing, but sometimes it is freeing to just know the way it should be, and accept the way it is.

I would never leave a waitress, groomer, hairdresser etc. without a decent tip.


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## barksalot (Oct 27, 2007)

Or she might just be a tight wad.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

dane&cockermom said:


> but see, the place where i work...i'm just a bather, i don't cut hair. i get paid hourly. i don't get commissioned. so i basically busted my ass for 5 hours for nothing but $3 so the owner of the business can make however much we charge for his groom (which, due to our pricing guide only comes to $40)



 Only $40?!!! Good grief! I have Standard Poodles. I groom them myself, now, but when I took them to a professional groomer, the minimum charge for a no-fuss clip was $65 (with no matts). I would've been charged up the ying yang if she would have had to do any dematting. I always gave a $10 tip (for each dog). Because my Poodles are beautifully behaved on the grooming table, and I kept them brushed and matt free, my groomer was always happy to squeeze them in for special occasions, or for whatever. I tipped her well because there weren't many groomers who would even take a Standard Poodle (much less a groomer who even knew how to properly groom them).

Bottom line, tipping is up to the customer, so the fees charged need to reflect the work required.


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

first off get over it. not everyone is going to tip, and more importantly, you are going to spend countless hours grooming dogs that are hard work, and not see a dime in terms of tips. most people do nto know to tip, or just dont think of grooming as a service that deserves tipping.

but i do know 5 hours is way too long. why is this dog taking you such a long time? even with matting, it should not take that long. maybe you should look into your grooming process and find out what is slowing you down. also, your job sounds like it sucks. do you have any control over what they charge? i would never work for someone who wouldnt let me have at least some say over how much a dog is, especially if i am the one doing the dog and the work.

do you realize that you can go to petco and make 40-50% commission on every dog you do, and still do the same job? and set your own prices? private salons treat bathers like scum. if you do the whole dog start to finish, then why should you make hourly? do the math and figure out how much the salon is making off of yur work, and how much of that you get. bring them those numbers and tell them they can either pay you per dog, commission, or you will go elsewhere


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

Purplex15 said:


> first off get over it. not everyone is going to tip, and more importantly, you are going to spend countless hours grooming dogs that are hard work, and not see a dime in terms of tips. most people do nto know to tip, or just dont think of grooming as a service that deserves tipping.
> 
> but i do know 5 hours is way too long. why is this dog taking you such a long time? even with matting, it should not take that long. maybe you should look into your grooming process and find out what is slowing you down. also, your job sounds like it sucks. do you have any control over what they charge? i would never work for someone who wouldnt let me have at least some say over how much a dog is, especially if i am the one doing the dog and the work.
> 
> do you realize that you can go to petco and make 40-50% commission on every dog you do, and still do the same job? and set your own prices? private salons treat bathers like scum. if you do the whole dog start to finish, then why should you make hourly? do the math and figure out how much the salon is making off of yur work, and how much of that you get. bring them those numbers and tell them they can either pay you per dog, commission, or you will go elsewhere


i got over. waiting for this thread to die. sorry i needed to vent that day. but the dog was a freakin' afghan. when it comes in and isn't too badly matted, it takes at least 30-45 min to brush it before the bath. have you ever tried rinsing out an afghan completely and totally to make sure you don't leave any soap residue on the dog that might effect it? so a bath for a lab might take me 15 min to do, but this thing takes at_ least_ a half an hour. then there's the blow drying....if i let it kennel dry, it mats up again. therefore i have to slowly and carefully completely blowdry the dog. i can't blow dry too fast or put the dryer too close to the dog or i risk twisting all the hair up then i have a bigger mess to deal with. that can take anywhere from an hour and a half to 2 hours. this is not a small afghan. 

how about before you tell me my job sucks, to just get over it, or that i must be doing something wrong or whatever else you have to tell me about how wrong i am for having an opinion, you do my job for a week. 

i know i could be making more, and i'm currently working on learned how to actually cut hair so i can be making more money, but everyone has to start somewhere.

oh yeah, also adding this woman use to tip more for the same quality job. in fact, when i started doing the dog i sucked at it, but i've been doing it for a year now and have gotten much better. so i think i'm now doing a better job and not getting that much.

if she's only going to give me $3, i'd rather have her not tip at all. it's kind of insulting. it's like "well, i feel i _have_ to tip so here's the cheapest tip i can think of for the amount of work my dog takes" instead of tipping because she actually appreciates the job i do.


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## Tiffanylove (Nov 13, 2007)

nrhareiner said:


> Who knows maybe she fell on a bit of hard times or had some other unexpected expense that limited what she could do over what she normally does. I may have nothing to do with your work.
> 
> Heidi


I'd have to agree with this one... who knows what's going on with the lady... maybe you should ask her how things are going... talk to her a bit... it's proven the more interactive you are with people, the better your tip will be..


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

dane&cockermom said:


> but see, the place where i work...i'm just a bather, i don't cut hair. i get paid hourly. i don't get commissioned. so i basically busted my ass for 5 hours for nothing but $3 so the owner of the business can make however much we charge for his groom (which, due to our pricing guide only comes to $40)


40$ for an AFGHAN HOUND??????????? Is your grooming shop out of their minds? Or do they just not realize it is the 21st century???? That dog, at my shop would START at 80$... Geesh...no wonder why you would be upset...

I have a 'base' price, and I am also not afraid to charge 20$ for dematting...especially if the owners are insistant on brushing out a dog that should be clipped down shorter.

And if you are the bather, too, she's not really tipping 'you' persay...she is tipping the groomer, which you are not. Just thought I would point that out too. You are only doing part of the job, and the groomer is finishing the work; so even if you are doing a great job of bathing, and combing him out, the groomers may not be doing such a great job at finishing him up; evening up his untidy hairs, cleaning out his pads, etc...



Purplex15 said:


> private salons treat bathers like scum.


 I have to take serious offence to this statement. When I first started out in the dog grooming business, I was a bather in two different private grooming salons; both paid me by the dog, not by the hour; I got a 1\3 of what the dog brought in. As I started learning more to be able to do more on dogs, I got more of that percentage as well. 

I too do the same; if someone baths for me, they get atleast a third of what the dog they have bathed brings in for the shop. As they learn more they get more...if they are content being bathers, that is fine too, but I make sure to tell them that they will get more pay off if they learn more about grooming so they can eventually do some dogs from start to finish, so they can get the full pay off; which is usually 60-70% of each dog. As they get better at the job, so will the pay.


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## NeedleNoseLuvR (Sep 19, 2007)

Years ago I had a beautiful Afghan hound, Malika, that I kept in full coat. So I can say from experience that it does take 4 to 5 hours from start to finish to do a proper job. And yes that's without having to dematt. So I don't see anything wrong with Dane&Cockermom's time frame. $40.00 sounds like bargain to me!


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## Canadian Dog (Nov 3, 2007)

"i get paid hourly."

If you're paid hourly it really doesn't matter how long you spend on any given dog - as long as it's done correctly right?


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

Love's_Sophie said:


> And if you are the bather, too, she's not really tipping 'you' persay...she is tipping the groomer, which you are not.


um, actually, every other time the dog comes in for only a bath. and if it is an "only bath dog" it is completely and totally _my_ job to brush, bath, dry, and finish the dog. i just dont' cut any hair. yes, sometimes he comes in and has his saddle done and his feet rounded, but other times she just wants him to have a bath and not be covered in pee and mats. so...she would be tipping me and not the groomer. if even one hair was cut by a groomer, the price would definitly go up. but the base price, for only a bath on an afghan at the place i work is $40. i do add more if the matting is outrageous. and she gets charged more if she has a haircut done. 

just wanted to point out that, on ocassion, i do all the work on that dog, and no one is getting tipped but me.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Wow what a deal! a full bath dry and comb out for only $40 on an afghan. That's like the steal of a century considering finishing isn't that hard. The only difficult part in finishing an afghan would be striping out the puppy coat on the face or saddle, unless of course the dog is unrully and wont stand for the grooming but that's a whole different issue.


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

your right, finishing on just a bath isn't too hard, but the rest of the process is no walk in the park.


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

I think 40$ is CHEAP for an afghan. My 16 lb. terrier costs me 32.00 for a basic groom- just the usual bath and nails and stuff. Add in the 5.00 tip and it's almost 40.00. It seems a little steep to me considering he is tiny, doesn't shed, doesn't even hardly need to be brushed. I mean I guess for the anal glands alone it's worth it, but ya know...wow. Question on this subject....is this a standard price? If it seems to high to anyone else, would you tip? Somehow 40.00 just seems like a lot. Although my vet charges 20.00 for the anal glands at 14.00 for a nail trim. Why is my town so pricey?


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## rubyjewel (Nov 15, 2007)

nrhareiner said:


> Who knows maybe she fell on a bit of hard times or had some other unexpected expense that limited what she could do over what she normally does. I may have nothing to do with your work.
> 
> Heidi


Before I started school, I had no idea how much time it took to groom a dog, I was under the impression that it was a pretty simple thing and the reason why is because I took my pom in to a groomer for the first time and she said she would call me when she was finished. it took her 45 min to supposedly bathe my very hairy dog, dry and shave him down... she did not bathe him! He looked okay and me knowing nothing about grooming I could tell it was jut a quick buzz... I tipped her $3.00! Now if she had given him a bath, trimmed his slipper feet and spent a little more time on his buzz cut, I would have given her prob $8.00 for taking the time and doing a great job! The groom itself cost $28.00... Im still in school so I have not had the chance to get into the customer relations, I have been putting some thought into this and wonder if it wouldhelp to let the owners know how long it took and the whole process...


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## dane&cockermom (Oct 16, 2007)

Max'sHuman said:


> I think 40$ is CHEAP for an afghan. My 16 lb. terrier costs me 32.00 for a basic groom- just the usual bath and nails and stuff. Add in the 5.00 tip and it's almost 40.00. It seems a little steep to me considering he is tiny, doesn't shed, doesn't even hardly need to be brushed. I mean I guess for the anal glands alone it's worth it, but ya know...wow. Question on this subject....is this a standard price? If it seems to high to anyone else, would you tip? Somehow 40.00 just seems like a lot. Although my vet charges 20.00 for the anal glands at 14.00 for a nail trim. Why is my town so pricey?


i think that's an outrageous price for your dog. does he get a hair cut, or just like a bath package? 

yes, the $40 is the standard BATH package for an afghan. if she had had the hair cut at all it would have cost her more. and yes, more often than not we charge her for grooming. 

and whoever last posted about not knowing what it too to groom...well...i can see how you'd think that. what with your dog being a pom and the groomer got it done so fast cause i guess it wasn't bathed...but you would think the owner of an afghan would know what it took to bathe their dog right? i mean, i could care less if a beagle, or a lab, or a even an golden's owner tipped me. hell, i have a great pyrenees (sp?) coming in for just a bath on saturday and i could care less if she tipped me, but something that involves that much work...who we go out of our way for to get in the day after she calls for an appointment...i dunno...a little appreciation would be nice.

but, i guess i'll just make due. i love seeing the dog. he's a beautiful dog. guess i'll just use that as my tip!  knowing i made the dog look that damn good!


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

That's just the bath package, I mean it includes the glands, nails and "sanitary" but that's it. Hee hee, my dog's fur has swirls kind of like a human scalp on each of his back legs and it looks like he has three butts. Sorry, random, but it's funny. Anyway, she said she trimmed his face and she did trim his feet, but honestly I didn't ask for it and she had already quoted me 32.00 anyway. I mean she was super nice, but he's small, easy and there was no real haircut involved. I dunno. Maybe I'm a cheapskate. I'll probably go back there though since they are by my vet office and they are nice people. The truth is I always go back to places where the people are nice to me. She didn't make me feel too silly for asking all kinds of questions and giving my dog a pre-grooming pep talk.


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## SMoore (Nov 9, 2007)

I'm not sure where you are a groomer at but I take mine to petsmart because I work there, I also know for a fact they make 50% commission already. So, with that being said I don't usually tip. I used to tip little mom&pop type places that would groom my collie/pyrenese because I know how much work she is but other than that I usually don't.


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## Sookie's mom (Jan 31, 2007)

Whoa! Boy, that big photo just above my post made me jump! What a great shot.

Anyway, is it appropriate to tip with things instead of money? I go to Petco which is in a mall. I've often seen the groomer with a cup of coffee (Starbucks like) so I brought a $20 coffee gift card. I thought it would cover all of the staff that worked on my dog. Is cash better? I'm never sure what to tip and I feel like I'm covering everyone. Last time I brought a bag of Mother's cookies...you know, the kind with those fudgy ones, choc chip and animal cookies. That was a hit and I heard about it the last time I was shopping at the store. When I bring my dog in in the morning, I sometimes offer to get them a cup of coffee from the mall. If I do this, should that be part of a tip?

I've got a couple more questions...

Why does it take so long to groom a dog if it's just being shaved? Does it have to be combed out first? I have an aust shep/chow that can get tangled a bit with redwood needles so we keep her short and comfortable. She comes in with pretty short hair and comes out beautifully shaved, great shaped ears (like Yoda) and a fluffy tail. I can understand the talent it takes to get her looking so good, but if I've dropped her off at 9:00, then why is she not ready until 3:30-4ish? I know there are other dogs in the shop. How are dogs timed? If she was just in for bathing, how long would that take? I'm not complaining, just curious. I feel uncomfortable asking the groomer.......I'm afraid she'll think I'm complaining.

I feel a bit stupid asking this question...  
How and why do you clean anal glands? I don't even know where (well, I _know_) but I don't know exactly what is done and why.


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## Felix (Sep 8, 2007)

Sookie's mom said:


> Anyway, is it appropriate to tip with things instead of money? I go to Petco which is in a mall. I've often seen the groomer with a cup of coffee (Starbucks like) so I brought a $20 coffee gift card. I thought it would cover all of the staff that worked on my dog. Is cash better? I'm never sure what to tip and I feel like I'm covering everyone. Last time I brought a bag of Mother's cookies...you know, the kind with those fudgy ones, choc chip and animal cookies. That was a hit and I heard about it the last time I was shopping at the store. When I bring my dog in in the morning, I sometimes offer to get them a cup of coffee from the mall. If I do this, should that be part of a tip?
> 
> *The problem with things other than money is having to share with other groomers. I don't want to be nice to my gossipy, drama queen co-workers because I hate them. I don't have to share money with them. But it's very nice of you to think about people who work on your dog. You're very sweet. Tips don't have to be big. If every one tipped me $3 today, for example, I would have gotten $27. Tips add up quickly. *
> 
> ...


Place your fingers outside of the anus and gently squeeze. Vets can empty them internally, but we can't. Anal glands reek and must be emptied. There may be health reasons, but I don't know.


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## Mom2four (Nov 17, 2007)

I'm glad I saw this thread. I didn't know you were supposed to tip either. I guess it makes since seeings how I tip my hairdresser. I've never had a dog that needed grooming so when we adopted our little pekingese in September, she needed grooming. I took her to Petsmart and they did a great job, but I didn't tip. It cost $48.00. I just never thought about tipping for grooming a dog. I feel terrible because I'm in there all the time and they're probably saying "there's that lady that didn't tip".

I get my dogs nails trimmed at the vet and sometimes at Petsmart. Am I supposed to tip for that too?


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## Felix (Sep 8, 2007)

Mom2four said:


> I feel terrible because I'm in there all the time and they're probably saying "there's that lady that didn't tip".
> 
> *They don't.*
> 
> I get my dogs nails trimmed at the vet and sometimes at Petsmart. Am I supposed to tip for that too?


No, but it's nice to get tipped for any service.


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## barksalot (Oct 27, 2007)

SMoore said:


> I'm not sure where you are a groomer at but I take mine to petsmart because I work there, I also know for a fact they make 50% commission already. So, with that being said I don't usually tip. I used to tip little mom&pop type places that would groom my collie/pyrenese because I know how much work she is but other than that I usually don't.


You have a Collie/Pyrenese but don't tip because the groomer makes a 50% commission? That is truly sad.


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

done straight through, an afghan should take no more than 2 hours. no dog should take 4-5 hours, excpet in certain situations (the dog must be cage dried, the dog needs frequent breaks). because i groom, i would never tip if my dog took 4-5 hours b/c i know it can be done faster than that. 

someone mentioned they took offense to me saying private salons treat bathers like scum, but they need to accept it is true. you may not, but you are in the minority. why is it ok for a groomer to make 50% commission on a dog if someone else is bathing and drying it? yes the actual haircut is difficult, but so is every aspect of grooming. if a bather is doing the whole dog, then to me it is only fair they recieve commission on that dog. i used to work for a salon that had me bathing, drying and finishing bath dogs, and bathing and drying haircuts. lets average those dogs out to 45$ a dog. they did at least 15-20 dogs a day. thats 675-900 a day. do you know how much i made a day? not more than 50 bucks b/c i was hourly and they never wanted me to work more than 6 hours. so i had 6 hours to finish 15 dogs, and got 50 bucks for it. that is shitty. and private salons would be better off paying bathers more. you tell someone they make money off the dog, but if they get a complaint or have to give a refund, the money is taken away. bathers will work much harder if they are being reimbursed for their time. plus, if you pay per dog or commission, the bather will bath more dogs. if you pay hourly, the bather will work more slowly, bc what is the incentive? oh yeah there is none.


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