24/10/2025
A Conversation About Perceived Value:
A client recently asked how much it would cost to have their dog groomed.
The dog in question weighed around 18kg and had some matting. I quoted £95.00.
The client replied, “That seems rather expensive.”
I asked, “What do you feel would be a fair price for this work?”
They answered, “No more than £50.”
So I said, “Alright then, in that case I invite you to do it yourself.”
The client replied, “But I don’t know how to.”
I responded, “No problem—how about for £50, I’ll teach you? That way you’ll save £45.00 and gain skills you can use again and again.”
They agreed, “That sounds good!”
“Excellent,” I said. “To begin with, you’ll need the right equipment: a slicker brush, comb, nail clippers, dremel, ear cleaning solution, cotton wool, hemostats, professional clippers with blades, a dematting tool, shampoo and conditioner, a selection of scissors, and so on.”
The client looked surprised and said, “But I don’t own any of that—and it doesn’t make sense to buy all those tools for a single groom.”
“Fair enough,” I replied. “For an additional £15.00 you can hire my kit.”
“Alright, that’s fair,” they agreed.
“Brilliant—we’ll begin on Monday morning.”
The client hesitated, “I work Monday to Friday. I’d only be free at weekends.”
I explained, “If you want to learn from me, you’ll need to fit in with my working hours. This will take at least two hours, so you’d need to book a half-day off.”
The client protested, “But that means using annual leave—or losing half a day’s wages!”
“That’s right,” I said. “When you attempt to do a job yourself, you have to factor in the hidden costs: the planning, set-up, washing and drying of towels, cleaning and disinfecting equipment, travel, waste disposal, and everything else that surrounds the hands-on grooming itself. To start grooming by 8am, we need to begin the prep an hour beforehand.”
At this point the client paused, thought carefully, and said:
“You know what? I see now that far more goes into grooming than I ever realised. Your price of £95.00 is completely fair. I’d rather you handled it.”
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The Lesson
When you pay for a professional service—whether grooming, building, or design—you’re not simply paying for the visible task. You are investing in:
✔️ Knowledge
✔️ Experience
✔️ Skillset
✔️ Professional equipment
✔️ Planning and preparation time
✔️ Professionalism and work ethic
✔️ Standards of excellence
✔️ Discipline and commitment
✔️ Business licences, insurance, and liabilities
✔️ The unseen sacrifices that allow the service to exist in the first place
If a professional gives you a price, it’s not just numbers—it reflects everything required to deliver quality and reliability.
💡 If the quote doesn’t fit your budget, that’s fine—seek another provider.
But don’t belittle or undervalue someone’s expertise by trying to knock them down.
Because at the end of the day: you get what you pay for.
👉 To my fellow service providers: know your worth and stand by it.
👉 To clients and consumers: respect the worth of the professionals you hire.
Sharing this in support of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and skilled trades across the UK.
