Dog groomers: setting slot lengths by size and coat

Set grooming slots by size and coat, not by a single "full groom". Create separate services for small, medium and large dogs, and for demanding coats such as double coats or full clips, each with a slot long enough for the bath, drying and finish. Ask owners for the breed, weight and coat condition when they book, say clearly what happens with matted coats, and place the longest grooms early in the day. That way each booking arrives in a slot that fits the dog on the table.

A short-coated small dog and a large double-coated breed are both a "full groom", but one can be finished in the time it takes to dry the other. If every full groom gets the same slot, either the small dogs leave you idle or the big ones make you late for the rest of the day. Drying time alone varies a lot from one coat to another.

The fix is to let the owner pick a service that already matches their dog, so the slot length is right from the moment they book.

These lengths are examples; adjust them to how you work and the breeds you see. On Book, each service has its own price and optional description, and you open slots for each at the length it takes. The owner picks the service, sees its price and length, and chooses one of its free slots.

In each description, give examples of breeds that belong in that size, and say how you define it, for example by weight. It helps owners choose correctly.

Owners don't always judge their dog's size or coat the way you would. Ask them to put the breed, approximate weight and date of the last groom in the optional booking note. When a booking looks wrong, for example a large double-coated breed booked as a small dog, contact the owner before the day. Cancel the booking from your bookings list and book the right service yourself from your calendar, then confirm the new time with the owner, since Book doesn't email them when you change a booking.

A matted coat can double the time on the table, and dematting can be uncomfortable for the dog. Say in your descriptions what you do with matted coats: extra charge, a short clip instead of dematting, or a separate longer service. Ask owners whether the coat is matted in the booking note. If you discover heavy matting on arrival, explain the options before you start, and adjust the day if the groom will run long.

Slots of different services can overlap, and a booking on one doesn't block another service's slot at the same time. If you groom one dog at a time, open each size's slots in their own part of the day rather than on top of each other. Repeat that pattern every week on the weekdays you choose, until an end date.

You can ask owners to drop the dog off at the start of the slot and collect it at the end. Say in the description how you work: drop-off time, whether you call when the dog is ready, and how long the dog can wait after the groom. Owners book without an account and receive a confirmation email; you receive an email for each new booking, which gives you the breed and notes in advance.