Professional Dog Groomer

The Dog Stop•Cumming, GA

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Dog Groomer provides safe, professional, high-quality grooming services and an excellent experience for dogs and their owners. The role serves dogs of varied breeds, sizes, coat conditions, ages, and temperaments, requiring technical grooming skill, careful judgment, attention to detail, and strong customer service. The groomer performs services such as haircuts, clipping, scissoring, brushing, bathing, drying, de-shedding, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and sanitary trims, while adapting or stopping services when needed to protect a dog's health and safety. This commission-based position is intended for a professional groomer who can build and maintain a productive customer base. Groomers develop customer relationships, encourage repeat appointments, keep accurate grooming records, and work with management and the front desk to maintain an effective schedule. The Dog Stop® provides a grooming facility, scheduling and customer-service support, marketing, existing customer traffic, and cross-service opportunities from daycare and boarding. The role also includes safe animal handling, sanitation and maintenance of the grooming area and equipment, clear customer communication, teamwork with other facility staff, and appropriate recommendations for grooming and related services. Benefits and perks may be available to eligible team members under applicable company policies and benefit-plan terms.

Requirements

Strong professional grooming and animal-handling skills.
Ability to safely operate professional grooming equipment.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to grooming quality.
Excellent customer-service and communication skills.
Ability to effectively manage appointments and workflow.
Ability to recognize behavioral and physical warning signs in dogs.
Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a team.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Dependability, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Professional dog grooming experience is preferred.
An established local grooming clientele or customer following is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated history of developing repeat grooming customers is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to perform breed-standard and customer-requested grooming styles is preferred.
Experience with dogs of different breeds, sizes, coat types, ages, and temperaments is preferred.
Knowledge of professional grooming tools, equipment, products, and safe handling practices is preferred.
Professional grooming education, certification, apprenticeship, or equivalent practical experience is preferred.
Ability to stand for extended periods; bend, kneel, reach, twist, and perform repetitive hand and arm movements.
Ability to safely handle dogs of varying sizes and temperaments and lift or assist with lifting dogs and grooming equipment as necessary.
Ability to work around water, pet hair, cleaning products, shampoos, dryers, grooming equipment, barking, animal odors, wet floors, and physically active dogs.

Nice To Haves

Professional dog grooming experience.
Established local grooming clientele or customer following.
Demonstrated history of developing repeat grooming customers.
Demonstrated ability to perform breed-standard and customer-requested grooming styles.
Experience working with dogs of different breeds, sizes, coat types, ages, and temperaments.
Knowledge of professional grooming tools, equipment, products, and safe handling practices.
Professional grooming education, certification, apprenticeship, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

Perform professional grooming services according to customer requests, breed standards, coat condition, and each dog's needs.
Review grooming instructions, customer preferences, and previous grooming notes before each service.
Assess a dog's coat, skin, physical condition, and temperament, and communicate concerns that may affect the requested service.
Modify, delay, or discontinue grooming when necessary to protect a dog's health, safety, or welfare.
Use safe handling and restraint methods, monitor dogs during grooming, and report injuries, illness concerns, unusual behavior, or safety incidents to management.
Build professional relationships with new and existing customers and encourage appropriate repeat bookings.
Maintain accurate grooming notes, customer preferences, service history, and behavioral information.
Participate in reasonable company promotions, events, social-media content, and marketing initiatives.
Help introduce appropriate daycare and boarding customers to grooming services and identify suitable service recommendations.
Consult with customers about desired services, set realistic expectations, communicate concerns, and help resolve customer issues professionally.
Maintain a clean, sanitary, organized grooming station and clean, disinfect, inspect, maintain, and store equipment according to company procedures.
Arrive prepared and on time, manage appointments efficiently, and promptly communicate schedule delays or adjustments to management and the front desk.
Work cooperatively with bathers, groomers, reception, management, and other team members; provide clear instructions when others assist with a grooming dog.
Make appropriate, needs-based recommendations for grooming frequency, add-on services, treatments, products, and creative grooming where available.
Follow company policies, operating procedures, safety rules, and professional standards; protect confidential customer and company information.
Assist with reasonable grooming-department and facility responsibilities as business needs require.

Benefits

Paid Time Off (PTO), subject to company policy and eligibility.
Paid holidays, subject to company policy and eligibility.
401(k) retirement plan, subject to plan eligibility requirements.
Bring your dog to work at no charge, subject to company policies and operational conditions.
50% off boarding and daycare when the team member is not working, subject to availability and company policy.
20% off grooming and spa services performed by another team member.
20% off eligible retail purchases.
Company-supported marketing and promotional opportunities.
Professional grooming environment and operational support.
Opportunities for professional growth, specialty services, creative grooming, and potential leadership responsibilities.
Groomers retain customer tips in accordance with company policy.
Competitive commission-based compensation and opportunities to increase earnings through repeat clientele and approved specialty or add-on services.