Tipping the groomer?

[Sher]

Just wondering if I am supposed to tip the groomer at Petco? I sure hope not, because I haven't been doing it. It costs me $50 every 8 weeks to get Lily groomed and I really think that is plenty! It's the manager that does it. I never even thought about tipping my dog's hair person til I tipped my own the other week.... then I thought...OMG! Should I be tipping Lily's hairdresser, too??!!....

[Babyblue5290]

I don't tip any hair dresser (not that I go to many), but I really don't think it's necessary at all.

Honestly, tipping seems to be getting out of hand IMO. There's tip jars everywhere! :/

[Toller_08]

My dogs don't go to groomers, but if they did, I'd tip them just like I do when I go to the hairdresser.

[Ashelee]

I am a groomer, lol, and I like to be tipped.

[SizzleDog]

As a groomer... YES, tipping is good, but only if the groomer did a good job, really went the extra mile for the dog, etc.

Besides - speaking from experience, clients that tip get preferential treatment. Look at it this way... it's the day before a holiday, and you have room for one more dog in your day. Two people call at the same time - one is a notorious good tipper, the other never tips. Both dogs are similar in temprament... which one do you squeeze in?

Clients that tip are the ones that get those "special" spots - before holidays, etc. They are also more likely to be "squeezed in" if a groomer is fully booked. And from personal experience, clients that tip often get services for free. My notorious tippers got free shampoo upgrades, free toothbrushings, and the extra-special conditioners we usually charged extra for.

And for a groomer, a tip is a welcome thing on some days... nothing makes a rough day at work better than when a client hands you $5 for a job well done. It pushes you do do better, to raise the bar every time the pet comes in to be groomed.

IMO if the groomer earned that tip... give it to 'em! :)

[SmexyPibble]

If you like the job to groomer did on your dog, then I'd say tip them. Especially with you are astounded. And only if they're wonderful with the dog and the dog loves him/her, of course! But basically, don't tip unless the groomer is great with the dog and the grooming!

[SizzleDog]

Honestly, tipping seems to be getting out of hand IMO. There's tip jars everywhere! :/

I totally agree. With groomng however, I think tips are deserved.

Groomers work hard - it's backbreaking work, espcecially when you've got 6-8 dogs to do each day. Heavy lifting, repetitive movement, hot working conditions, loud dryers, hair flying around, standing for hours on end, wrestling unruly dogs... not to mention the things groomers have to go - wash encrusted poo out of fur, clean yeasty smelly ears, comb out gigantic eye boogers, brush out huge smelly mats, express anal glands.... it's a hard, dirty job.

I am hard-of-hearing to certain frequencies, because of those dryers. I have chronic back pain from the lifting and other stress to my back as a direct result from grooming. I've been bitten, scratched, urinated and defecated on... all dogs whose owners never so mch as thanked me.

And the cost of grooming - it often times goes towards expensive shampoos and grooming products, as well as quality equipment to ensure your dog looks and feels as good as possible.. Groomers arne't rich by any means, but their equipment is very expensive.

[Babyblue5290]

I totally agree. With groomng however, I think tips are deserved.

Groomers work hard - it's backbreaking work, espcecially when you've got 6-8 dogs to do each day. Heavy lifting, repetitive movement, hot working conditions, loud dryers, hair flying around, standing for hours on end, wrestling unruly dogs... not to mention the things groomers have to go - wash encrusted poo out of fur, clean yeasty smelly ears, comb out gigantic eye boogers, brush out huge smelly mats, express anal glands.... it's a hard, dirty job.

I am hard-of-hearing to certain frequencies, because of those dryers. I have chronic back pain from the lifting and other stress to my back as a direct result from grooming. I've been bitten, scratched, urinated and defecated on... all dogs whose owners never so mch as thanked me.

And the cost of grooming - it often times goes towards expensive shampoos and grooming products, as well as quality equipment to ensure your dog looks and feels as good as possible.. Groomers arne't rich by any means, but their equipment is very expensive.

As true as that is, MANY other jobs are the same way. I can name so many jobs like that, that DON"T get tips ever. That most people take for granted anyways.

If they did an above average job or something far beyond their job, then I'd even give them a tip, but otherwise.....it's their job they get paid like the rest of us do.

And of course, as a groomer, you prefer a tip ;) :rofl1:

[chanda]

i seldom go to groomers. I only give tips whenever i think that they handled my dog very well and did a good job.

[Gerald]

I am not a groomer. However, I think one should ALWAYS tip for good service. After all, many people rely on their tips as part of their income. It is not like all the money you pay goes to THEM.

[corgipower]

If you do tip - especially at a place like petco - find out too if someone else did the bathing and make sure they get a tip. The bather is often overlooked by the owner and some groomers will share the tips with the bather but others won't...kinda like tipping the woman that washes your hair separately from tipping the stylist. Generally the amount of the total tip is divided between them.

At some places I've been at, the bather does everything if it's a short haired dog while the groomer still is the one who gets the tip.

[SizzleDog]

As true as that is, MANY other jobs are the same way. I can name so many jobs like that, that DON"T get tips ever. That most people take for granted anyways.

I agree to a point - but I can name jobs where tipping is expected - like delivery drivers. Why should I tip the Jimmy John's guy who walks my sandwich two blocks to my workplace (I do tip him, BTW), and not tip someone who has worked very hard to make a member of my family clean, comfortable and happy?

Bellhops, delivery drivers, valet attendants... I don't understand how tipping them is expected, but someone who has to groom a dog (which requires much more skill and endurance than driving a pizza to someone, or driving a fancy car to a parking lot) isn't counted in the "common courtesy" tipping bracket. (And yes, I do still tip valets, bellhops when I have the occasion t use them - and I always tip delivery drivers)

IMO if someone is performing a service directly to me, a service that takes a significant amount of time - they get a tip, however small it is. My mechanic gets tipped when he changes the oil in my car, the tow truck driver got a tip when he had to wrestle with my car - on a Sunday - when the transmission broke, and if I took my dogs to groomers... they'd get tipped, every time.

I've worked enough service fields to know that people like that are overworked and underappreciated (and often severely underpaid)... so anything I can to to let that person know that I'm thinking of them, and appreciate what they've done for me, I'll do it. This isn't always money - often times it's me being lenient about a service, or not freaking out on them when they make a mistake... and it's gotten me a lot of things I didn't used to get.

I don't get charged for extra cheese at Jimmy John's anymore. I don't get charged for queso on my Flying Burrito anymore. I get an upgraded oil change for no additional cost. I get employees that are genuinely happy when I walk in the door. And to me, it's worth it. :)

[Southpaw]

Lucy gets groomed every 6 weeks, and my mom always throws in an extra $20 (however, the price the groomer asks is heavily discounted, just because she's my sister's mother-in-law).

She does a GREAT job though. It's very evident she puts a lot of time and effort into every dog she grooms; she wants them to go home looking the best they can. It's a lot of work, and I think even if your dog doesn't look as good as you want, the groomer should still be given some sort of tip just for the time they put in for you.

My sister is a hairdresser and she hates when she doesn't get tipped... it is a major part of her income that she relies on.

[Babyblue5290]

I agree to a point - but I can name jobs where tipping is expected - like delivery drivers. Why should I tip the Jimmy John's guy who walks my sandwich two blocks to my workplace (I do tip him, BTW), and not tip someone who has worked very hard to make a member of my family clean, comfortable and happy?

Bellhops, delivery drivers, valet attendants... I don't understand how tipping them is expected, but someone who has to groom a dog (which requires much more skill and endurance than driving a pizza to someone, or driving a fancy car to a parking lot) isn't counted in the "common courtesy" tipping bracket. (And yes, I do still tip valets, bellhops when I have the occasion t use them - and I always tip delivery drivers)

IMO if someone is performing a service directly to me, a service that takes a significant amount of time - they get a tip, however small it is. My mechanic gets tipped when he changes the oil in my car, the tow truck driver got a tip when he had to wrestle with my car - on a Sunday - when the transmission broke, and if I took my dogs to groomers... they'd get tipped, every time.

I've worked enough service fields to know that people like that are overworked and underappreciated (and often severely underpaid)... so anything I can to to let that person know that I'm thinking of them, and appreciate what they've done for me, I'll do it. This isn't always money - often times it's me being lenient about a service, or not freaking out on them when they make a mistake... and it's gotten me a lot of things I didn't used to get.

I don't get charged for extra cheese at Jimmy John's anymore. I don't get charged for queso on my Flying Burrito anymore. I get an upgraded oil change for no additional cost. I get employees that are genuinely happy when I walk in the door. And to me, it's worth it. :)

WOW! You tip a LOT of people!!! I'd be broke (er.......brokER) if I tipped all of those people!!! :yikes: lol

You tip the pizza delivery person? There's one delivery guy I tip, he's the guy that usually comes to drop off the pizzas and he is just so kinda and always very friendly. He also loved Lucas to death, so I had to. What does get on my nerves is those who deliver your pizza, you give them cash maybe about $3 more than what's due (like giving them a $20 for a $17 pizza) and they start walking off without even attempting change? :confused:

I've never had a valet or bellhops or anything, so I don't know about those.

Now being friendly and not freaking out over issues that may come up, that is COMPLETELY different. That's just common courtesy.

[SizzleDog]

LOL! I'm not rich by any means, but I can afford to give a few bucks to those people. Granted, I don't get delivery very often, and I get an oil change every 3 months, and I've only had to use a bellhop or a valet guy a few times in my life, but I always find ways to show my appreciation with a small monetary gift. :)

And in certain cases, the money I save by getting stuff for free is more than what I tip. :)

[SizzleDog]

Oh - there is ONE place I won't tip... and that is Coldstone Creamery. I love the ice cream, but can't stand being sung to. If I could tip them without them breaking into song, I'd *totally* tip. But alas... the singing drives me nuts.

[Suzzie]

i sometimes tip at coldstone with the stipulation that they do NOT sing to me - and they will comply. Just ask ;) "if you want this tip, you shall be silent."

I'm not into the whole tipping thing anyway, except for waiters as they get paid $2.15 an hour or something ridiculous. People who get paid BELOW min wage (which isn't a whole lot of people, mostly waiters) should get tips. I worked in many jobs where I would lug peoples' dog food out to their car, etc and I never got a tip. It was part of the job. I would have gotten in trouble if someone had actually offered one and I accepted.

The newest thing on cruises is to add the tip for their staff into your bill at the end - which can be $400+ for all the little things, including many people you never see and may never have actually done anything for you (like the matre 'd (sp?), whom I have never met on ANY cruise). And they do it per person, too, so if you've got a little baby, that baby has to pay something like $15 per day to the waiter, $8 to the busboy, maid, etc.

So your $800 per person cruise turns into a financial nightmare.

[noludoru]

The newest thing on cruises is to add the tip for their staff into your bill at the end - which can be $400+ for all the little things, including many people you never see and may never have actually done anything for you (like the matre 'd (sp?), whom I have never met on ANY cruise). And they do it per person, too, so if you've got a little baby, that baby has to pay something like $15 per day to the waiter, $8 to the busboy, maid, etc.

So your $800 per person cruise turns into a financial nightmare.

They MAKE you pay a tip? WTF!?!?

[Southpaw]

They MAKE you pay a tip? WTF!?!?
They do that other places, too.
I know that if you go to a restaurant, and you have a large party, they add gratuity to your bill.
I don't know, my family usually prefers that lol.. "oh, we don't have to argue back and forth calculating the tip!" :p

But that cruise thing does sound bad.

See, I tip at Cold Stone because I WANT to be sung to. :D

We tip the pizza delivery guy, too. But that's one of the reasons why my parents prefer picking it up ourselves, then we don't have to tip or pay the delivery charge (although, maybe that price gets canceled out by the cost of gas for us to drive to the pizza place, haha).

But yeah. I think if somebody is doing a service for you, they should be tipped.

[Sher]

Hmmmm.... Thanks for all the replies. Sounds nice to tip the groomer, but I am not sure I want to get in the habit of doing it. What am I paying my $50 for? And who is getting it? I think that is a decent amount of money to pay for grooming. I never have and never would ask for an 'emergency' grooming. It's not that important to me...and Lily is very good for the groomer, doesn't give her any problems at all. I guess I expect her to be nice to my dog and do a good job whether she gets a tip or not... it IS her job, after all. I just started having this manager do Lily and I guess if she continues to do her and keeps doing a great job, it wouldn't kill me give her a tip..LOL.... is $5 enough for a $50 job? I sure hope so, because it MIGHT kill me to give her more than that.... :lol-sign:

[Saje]

I`m not a fan of the tipping culture. But this is where I live! I liked it better in Japan where there was NO tipping and people took pride in their jobs simply because it was their job and that was their culture. You won`t find that over here very much!

I`d tip a groomer. prob in the $5 range :eek:

I can say that when i worked as a bag girl (hard work, especially in the winter) I got TWO tips in 12 months. The same as a flower delivery person.

[SizzleDog]

I liked it better in Japan where there was NO tipping and people took pride in their jobs simply because it was their job and that was their culture. You won`t find that over here very much!

I'd totally take pride in my job if my customers and managers actually respected me. I take pride in my work, but not my job... if that makes sense.

[Saje]

I'd totally take pride in my job if my customers and managers actually respected me. I take pride in my work, but not my job... if that makes sense.

Oh yeah totally. It has to go both ways! People can be evil to customer service slaves. lol No, I wasn't taking a jab at anyone! It's just a different culture. I don't think very many take pride in their jobs here at all. I didn't. Not like that.

[lizzybeth727]

I make just barely enough money in my job to make my rent payment, with never even the chance for tips.... But you better believe I still take huge pride in my job. If I didn't, I'd find another job.

[lizzybeth727]

Oh, BTW, Petsmart groomers make 50% commission. Bathers, though, only work on hourly. I'd guess it's the same at Petco.

[Dekka]

I tip if a good job is done (except waiters.. who it has been pointed out make less than minimum wage)

I didn't know people tipped coffee shop workers till I worked in one. More than 1/2 the people tipped. And not just the truckers who would flirt and tip. I had a lady tip 1$ on a 1$ tea.

People tip gas attendants. I was once tipped for a riding lesson. In some areas riding instructors get tipped often... I liked the tip, but I would never expect it. I think its a personal decision, if you like the job someone does, and want to tip-go for it.

[MafiaPrincess]

I've gotten tips, cookies, chocolate, pics drawn by my kids as a ski instructor. None of us expect it, but we are thrilled if it happens.

[planet molosser]

I know work for a Pvt shop, and I get tips ranging from 2 - 10.00
One big tip was 40.00 for a rescue I helped shave with no appt.

I am from NYC so we are used to tipping all service jobs.

Tips really help offset the costs of gas and If I get a good day of Tips I head to a pet store to buy treats for the dogs, which is the only reason I work these days.

Pvt groomers make much more tips then retails groomers.
But it took me 2 years to get good enough to do the PVT grooming jobs

[lizzybeth727]

Do they tip the dog trainers in NYC, too?

[ACampbell0304]

I think I'd tip a groomer if they did a great job. I tip the lady who cuts my boys hair (both of them) because my youngest is fidgety and she deserves it because his hair comes out nice anyway. I don't tip my groomer, but all she has to do is clip nails and my dog is good for it - if she had to bathe him she'd get a tip...normally I get a bath when he does and I don't generally want one at that time.
Our grocery baggers and such get tips (on the base) because they work for tips only and I feel bad for them, they have to go and help you load groceries and such no matter what the weather, etc...if I have a LOT of groceries (in the $300 range worth)I give them about a $5 tip or sometimes more if the weather sucks and I'm dragging them out into the cold to help me load them. Granted, if they hated it that much they don't have to work there, but all the same.
Waitresses/waiters is a different story all together. If the service is OK, I give the 15% that's customary...if it sucks, they don't get a tip, but if they are attentive and not too annoying (you know the one that comes by every 5 minutes and interrupts your conversation) then they get a good tip in the range of 50%. Or, if my kids make a mess that's bad I give them a better tip for putting up with my kids garbage (sometimes we just have those days where there is no stopping some of the crap they do, but we try to have them behave in public)

[Renee750il]

Okay . . . . . gotta say it.

Every time I see the title of this thread my mind translates it to something weirdly akin to cow tipping . . . :o

[copperdogsmom]

I only took my last dog Copper a cocker x to the groomer once and I tipped her. Then I started to do her myself. Same with my Pom Teddy took him the first time last year and tipped now do it myself.

[planet molosser]

Petco pays groomers the lowest in the industry.
They get paid min wage untill they commision. So they need to sell add ons packages
If they write more than their salary they than commision.
I was a manager and I got a set rate higher plus commision.
So point is tips do help groomers especially with the price of gas.

Trainers get paid 10-14.00 per hour so they are making double the rate the groomers.
Pvt trainers are high priced so I dont think tipping per session is required . But if I was happy with the result I would give them a thank you gift.

[puppylove12]

Most people don't know but Petco groomers get paid by commission or minimum wage which ever is greater. So if you are spending $50 the groomer only gets $25 providing she has had enough dogs all week to commision out otherwise she makes only minimum wage. Groomers get 50% bathers get 40% and grooming managers get 60%. The groomers at my shop bathe their own dogs. It is a good gesture to tip your groomer if you think she did a nice job. I try to do my best with every dog that comes in but if the person is a frequent customer and tips then it gives you incentive to want to go the extra mile. My biggest pet peeve is people that make an appointment and then don't show up. You have already filled that slot for their time and sometimes extra slots depending on how agreeable the dog is....so if they don't call a day or so ahead to let you know they aren't coming, you have lost a lot of customers and money for that day. Also try to schedule your dog on a day where you don't have time limitations.....there is nothing worse than an owner coming to the shop standing there waiting for their dog early because they have somewhere to go. Grooming should be a pleasant experience for your dog and not be rushed causing anxiety for everyone, after all you don't put time limitations on your hairdresser or doctor do you? Sometimes your groomer is the only one in the shop ie: the phone rings 5 times and you have to get a heavy dog off and on the table 5 times , that equals about 20 minutes lost on grooming time, someone comes in and wants to make an appointment, ask a question etc. Then you have to clean up after Fido's haircut. We don't have a receptionist like a hairdresser, and we don't have a janitor, sometimes we can't eat lunch or take breaks like any other job, we do back breaking work in order to make your best friend look good so remember that when wondering whether to tip or not tip.

[drmom777]

Okay . . . . . gotta say it.

Every time I see the title of this thread my mind translates it to something weirdly akin to cow tipping . . . :o

Oy, now i can't get the picture out of my head. I need to meet you sometime, Renee. Want to go to NYC, see a Broadway show. Bring the dogs.

[gallopingaround]

i don't tip, my mom says that we give them enough lol

[SizzleDog]

Even without the tips... I miss grooming... :)

[MoonStr80]

This reminds me of another topic took place on the schnauzer yahoo group I'm a member of.... Some says it's depends or it comes with the check etc

I miss grooming as well!

[doglover83]

I tip my dog's groomer all the time coz she's doing a great job pampering my puppy.