07/03/2026
Why Groomers Get Frustrated When Clients Arrive Late or Don’t Show
As a commission-based groomer, I thought I’d offer a little perspective.
Imagine arriving at work at 8:00 a.m. ready for a full day. You’re booked solid, and two of your first four appointments arrive on time. The other two don’t.
You wait.
Ten minutes pass, so you call. Sometimes they answer. The reasons are often things like:
● “I overslept.”
● “I thought my appointment was later.” (Even though we call the day before with a reminder.)
● “Someone else was supposed to bring my pet.”
● “I couldn’t catch my cat.”
● “I couldn’t find my rabies paperwork.”
By that point, I’m already behind schedule and have lost income that I can’t get back. Then, when I explain that I can’t simply fit the appointment in later, I’m sometimes met with frustration or an attitude.
It’s not that I don’t want to help. It’s that I already have other pets scheduled throughout the day. Taking one late appointment means every client after that waits longer, and every pet stays here longer than necessary.
For those who work hourly or salaried jobs, here’s a comparison.
Imagine arriving at your office, turning on your computer, and it doesn’t work. You wait two hours for IT to fix it. Then your boss tells you, “Sorry, but you won’t be paid for those two hours. Or, if you’d like, you can just stay two hours later to make up the work.”
Most people would think that’s unfair.
That’s the reality for commission-based workers. When an appointment is missed or arrives too late to be accommodated, we don’t get paid for that time, and we usually can’t replace that lost income. At the same time, we’re expected to keep the rest of the day’s appointments running on schedule.
We truly appreciate clients who arrive on time or let us know as early as possible if they can’t make it. It helps us stay on schedule, provide the best care for every pet, and continue earning a living doing what we love.
