Holiday Booking Policy Template for Groomers

Every groomer knows the call. It's December 21st, the voice on the phone is cheerful, and the request is for "a full groom before Christmas, he's a little fluffy right now." The little fluffy dog is a Doodle who hasn't seen a brush since August.

A written holiday grooming policy won't make that call stop. What it does is give you a calm, fair answer you can repeat fifty times without sounding grumpy, and it protects your busiest, most profitable weeks from no-shows and surprise mat jobs.

Below is a template you can copy, edit and post today, plus the reasoning behind each section so you can adjust it to your shop. It's built for the November 15 to January 2 stretch, but it works for any peak period.

Why the holidays need their own rules

Your normal policies were written for normal weeks. The holidays break them in three ways.

Demand outruns your hours. Most salons see requests jump sharply from mid-November. If you fill slots first come, first served, your loyal 4-week regulars can get squeezed out by once-a-year clients.

No-shows hurt more. A no-show in March is annoying. A no-show on December 20th is a slot you could have sold three times over.

Coat condition gets worse. Clients who skip fall grooms show up matted, which turns a 2-hour appointment into 3.5 hours and wrecks the rest of your day.

A holiday policy addresses each of these ahead of time, so you're not making it up at the front desk.

The holiday grooming policy template

Copy this into your website, booking confirmation and intake paperwork. Edit the bracketed parts.

How much deposit to ask for

Most groomers settle between $20 and $40 flat, or 20% to 30% of the expected ticket. A flat amount is simpler to explain. A percentage is fairer when you're booking a Shih Tzu bath next to a Newfoundland full groom. Whatever you pick, make it big enough that a client feels it if they forget.

If you take deposits by card on file, the conversation becomes much easier because nobody has to remember to pay ahead. More on that in our no-show and cancellation policy template.

Protecting your regulars first

Your regulars carry you through February and March. Reward them first.

A simple rule works well: anyone groomed in the last 8 weeks gets a two-week head start on holiday booking. Send them a personal text before you announce publicly. Something like:

Hi Dana, holiday spots open to our regulars first this year. Want me to hold Bella's usual Thursday on Dec 18? Reply YES and it's yours.

That single message usually fills a third of a salon's December book in a day. If you send it through a system with unlimited texting, you're not watching a message counter while you do it.

Cap the once-a-year bookings

Some groomers limit new-client holiday slots to a fixed number per day, say two. New clients take longer (intake, vaccines, behavior unknown), and they're the most likely to no-show. Capping them protects your schedule without turning anyone away entirely.

Handling the matted holiday dog

This is where most holiday stress comes from. Put it in writing early, and repeat it at booking.

Your policy should cover three things:

1. What counts as matted. Pelted coat close to the skin, or tangles you can't comb through without hurting the dog.
2. What happens. Shave-down with a short blade for the dog's comfort, not a dematting session that takes an hour and hurts.
3. What it costs. A clear fee or time-based charge.

If you don't have a separate matting consent form, borrow ours: matted dog policy and shave-down consent template. Have clients sign it at intake, not at pick-up when the dog looks different than they pictured.

Communicating the policy without sounding cold

A policy only works if clients see it before they book. Put it in four places:

• Your booking confirmation text or email
• Your website's booking page
• A pinned post on Facebook and Instagram
• Your phone greeting or after-hours message

Keep the tone warm. "We love holiday grooms, and to keep things fair for everyone, here's how December works" lands better than "Policy changes effective immediately."

A booking confirmation text you can copy

You're booked! Max's holiday groom is Dec 17 at 9:00am. Your $25 deposit holds the spot and comes off the final bill. Need to change it? Let us know by Dec 14 and we'll move it. See you soon!

If you want more ready-to-send messages, our grooming appointment reminder templates cover confirmations, day-before reminders and "your pup is ready" texts.

Setting up the policy in your software

You'll get more out of the policy if your system enforces it for you. Look for:

• Deposits or card on file at booking
• Automated reminders 72 hours and 24 hours out, so cancellations come early enough to refill
• A waiting list for those last-minute openings
• Intake forms that include your matting and holiday terms

Teddy handles deposits and card on file through Square, and the waiting list makes it easy to text the next client when a December slot opens. DaySmart Pet and MoeGo offer similar deposit tools, so check what your current system can already do before you change anything.

After the holidays: review and adjust

On January 3rd, look at your numbers while they're fresh:

• How many no-shows did you have compared with last year?
• How many deposits were forfeited?
• How many new clients rebooked a regular slot?

That last one matters most. The holiday rush is your best chance all year to turn a once-a-year client into a 6-week regular. Pre-book their next appointment at check-out, before they leave with their bow-wearing dog.

For a wider view on raising rates around busy seasons, see how to raise grooming prices without losing clients. The Daily Groomer also has a good episode on what to do when your salon hits a slow season, which is the other half of the holiday story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I charge a deposit for holiday grooming appointments?

Yes, for most shops. A deposit of $20 to $40 sharply reduces no-shows during your busiest weeks and gives you something to apply toward a replacement booking if someone cancels late.

When should I open holiday grooming bookings?

Many groomers open to regulars in mid-October and to new clients around November 1. That gives regulars first pick and still leaves room for new business.

Is it okay to charge more during the holidays?

Some groomers add a small holiday surcharge, but most prefer to keep prices steady and tighten policies instead. If you do add a surcharge, announce it with your holiday policy so nobody is surprised at pick-up.

What should my holiday grooming policy say about matted dogs?

Spell out that matted pets may need a shave-down, list the dematting fee, and say you'll call before changing the plan. Have clients sign a matting consent at intake.

How do I handle a client who no-shows during the holidays?

Keep the deposit, send a friendly note, and require full prepayment for their next holiday booking. Most clients accept this when the policy was clearly shared at booking.

Holiday rules are easier to stick to when your software does the reminding for you. If you're tired of chasing confirmations by hand, Teddy includes unlimited texting and automated reminders, and you can try it free for 14 days before the rush peaks.