You need to take special care to find a suitable, reliable pet groomer for your treasured companion. You can make sure you're getting only the best for your pet by asking these questions before hiring.
Throughout the UK, many experienced and reliable pet groomers do not hold formal qualifications. That's because pet grooming licences aren't required in the UK. Even so, you might prefer a pet groomer who has formal qualifications.
If that's the case, ask potential pet groomers what formal qualifications they hold. For those who claim to hold any, it's best to ask for proof. Remember that qualifications aren't everything - you need to know about their specific experience, customer service style, and pricing.
Like people, cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs have individual personalities and needs. You're much more likely to give them a good pet grooming experience if you find a groomer who has treated similar pets in the past.
Take some time to ask what pet breeds they've groomed previously, and whether they know how to handle an animal with your pet's temperament. This is especially important if your pet is nervous, anxious or aggressive, as that's more likely to require a specialist.
If your dog, cat, guinea pig, or rabbit is a nervous character, you should ask about how they'll be treated during the grooming session. Try to find out about the specific measures taken to help them feel calm and relaxed during the treatments.
By learning how the pet groomer will handle your pet specifically, you're much better placed to judge whether they're the right person for the job. This isn't just about getting a good grooming result but ensuring the safety and comfort of your pet.
If your pet is nervous around other animals, or a little too sociable, having other pets present during the grooming session could cause problems. Small and mobile pet grooming businesses usually only serve one client at a time, so that's unlikely to be a problem.
But in larger pet grooming salons there's a reasonable chance that other animals could be present. You need to learn whether that's the case. If it is, you need to know that your groomer will be able to handle your pet, and if they can't, you can find another pet groomer instead.
When you're entrusting someone to look after your pet, you need to feel sure they know what they're doing. Yell reviews are an excellent resource for checking a grooming service's quality and value, but you could ask a groomer for references as well.
This would give you direct contact with previous clients who are willing to speak on behalf of the groomer. You can learn about service standards, how they handle pets similar to yours, their communication style, and the value for money you might receive compared with other local pet groomers.
Where pets are concerned, accidents can happen. When those accidents result in injuries and illness, expensive vet bills can follow. This is why you need to make sure your pet groomer has public liability insurance coverage.
This means that if they make a mistake and cause damage to your pet or your property, you'll receive compensation through their insurance provider. Beware, it's a big red flag if a pet groomer does not have public liability insurance, and you're better off hiring other local pet groomers.
If you've chosen to hire a mobile pet groomer, you need to make sure they have everything needed to carry out the pet grooming session at your property without interruption. In general, most modern mobile grooming vans are equipped with everything required to perform treatments, but it's always worth checking.
They might need towels, brushes or some other tools, but the more likely outcome is that they need access to your power or water supplies. Make sure to ask whether they require anything before booking them, as you might prefer a service that comes fully equipped.
There's a chance that during your pet's grooming session, your pet could experience a medical emergency. Since you might not be present when that happens, you need to know how the pet groomer will act.
Take some time to ask what their protocols are for medical emergencies, including what means they would take to look after your animal, and how they would get in contact with you. You'll feel more at ease knowing your animal will be looked after if the worst occurs, and if they give an unsatisfactory answer, it's best to find another pet groomer.