15/07/2026
To my wonderful clients,
I need to be honest about something that's really been affecting me.
I don't like to moan or complain, and I'm probably too soft for my own good. I always try to be understanding and accommodating because I know life happens. But lately I can't help feeling that my kindness is sometimes being taken advantage of, and it's reached the point where I feel like I need to address it.
In the last two weeks alone, I've had 10 no shows or very last minute cancellations. I've lost around £500 in earnings that I simply can't recover at such short notice.
When an appointment is missed, it's not just an empty slot in my diary. It's money that pays my bills, keeps a roof over mine and my son's heads, and allows me to continue doing the job I genuinely love.
I'm a single mum raising my son. He has additional needs, so I'm already spread very thin. I don't have a partner to fall back on or anyone else helping financially or with the day to day tasks.
I have to pay for breakfast club, after school club, and all of the day to day costs of raising him on my own. I also have an elderly dog, who is receiving end of life care. I have to pay for someone to come and let her out during the day so she isn't left struggling while I'm at work. I'd much rather spend my time making the most of the time she has left, but instead I'm stood around at work and not earning any money for it.
I still have to pay to rent the table, so day to day I'm working at a huge loss. I'm earning much less than minimum wage for a profession that requires training and skill.
I'm also managing my own health challenges, and the constant uncertainty of not knowing whether I'll earn enough each week is becoming incredibly stressful.
I know emergencies happen, and I will always try to be understanding when genuine circumstances arise. But frequent no shows and last minute cancellations have reached a point where they're making me question whether I can continue running my business.
Please remember that when you book an appointment, that time is reserved exclusively for your dog. I often can't fill that space with less than 48 hours notice, meaning I lose that income entirely.
If you value me as your dog's groomer, please value my time too. A quick message as soon as you know you can't make it, or giving as much notice as possible, makes such a huge difference.
If things continue as they are, I will need to implement a rolling deposit for all appointments going forward. This will just cover the losses from all the costs incurred for me just to turn up for work. Otherwise I just can't see my business lasting much longer.
To those of you who turn up, support my small business, recommend me to others, and respect my cancellation policy, thank you. Your loyalty genuinely means the world to me, and you're the reason I've kept going. I hate to moan as the good usually outweighs the bad, but at the moment my income isn't sustainable with how things are going.
I love what I do, and I love caring for your dogs. I just need the same care and consideration in return. 💚🐾
