Grooming Price Increase Letter: 4 Templates That Work

Raising prices is easy on a spreadsheet and hard at the counter, face to face with Mrs. Alvarez, who's been bringing her schnauzer to you since 2019. A good grooming price increase letter does the awkward part for you. It gives notice, states the number and doesn't apologize.

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Below are four templates for different channels, with the timing and judgment calls around them.

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Before you write anything: three decisions

How much?

Go back to your costs. Add up what's risen since your last increase: rent, insurance, shampoo, blades, wages, card fees. Then check your hourly target. If a full groom takes 90 minutes and brings in less than you need for an hour and a half, the price is wrong whatever the shop down the road charges.

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Many groomers raise by $5 to $10 per service, or roughly 5 to 10 percent, once a year. Smaller regular increases land better than one big jump every four years. The Daily Groomer's Profit Calculator shows what each dollar does to your take-home.

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When?

Avoid announcing in the same week as a service problem or the week before a major holiday.

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How much notice?

Four to six weeks. That's one full grooming cycle for most clients, so everyone has a visit at the old price knowing the change is coming.

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Template 1: Text message

Short. For clients who mostly hear from you by text.

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Hi [Name], a quick note from [Salon]. Starting [date], our grooming prices are going up by [$X / X%]. [Pet]'s [service] will be [$new price]. This helps us keep up with rising costs and keep giving [Pet] the same care. Thank you for being such a great client. Any questions, just reply here.

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Template 2: Email or letter

For your full client list.

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Subject: Updated pricing from [date]

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Hi [Name],

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Thank you for trusting us with [Pet]. We love seeing [him/her/them].

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From [date], our prices will increase by [$X / X%]. Our costs for supplies, insurance and equipment have gone up, and this change lets us keep the same standard of care, keep our team well paid and keep appointment times unhurried.

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Here's what it means for [Pet]:

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[Service]: [$old] → [$new]

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Appointments before [date] stay at the current price. If you'd like to get on the calendar before then, reply to this email or text us at [number].

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Thank you for your support. It means a lot to a small business like ours.

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[Your name][Salon]

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Template 3: Counter or van sign

New prices from [date]

To keep giving your pets the best care, our prices will be changing on [date]. Ask us for your pet's new rate. Thank you for supporting our small business!

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Template 4: Personal note for long-time clients

Send this to your top twenty or so, a day before the general announcement. It takes ten minutes and prevents a lot of hurt feelings.

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Hi [Name], I wanted to tell you personally before I announce it. I'm raising prices on [date]. [Pet]'s groom will go from [$old] to [$new]. You've been with me for [X] years and I'm so grateful. I wanted you to hear it from me first.

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What makes these work

The word "sorry" doesn't belong in a price increase. You're running a business that needs to be here in five years. Clients who value you understand that.

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Handling the three responses you'll get

"No problem!" Most people. Say thanks and move on.

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"That's quite a jump." Acknowledge it and hold the line: "I understand. I put it off as long as I could. Costs have gone up a lot and I want to keep doing this properly." You don't need to say more.

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"Can I stay at the old price?" Decide your answer before anyone asks. A fair, consistent position: "I'm keeping it the same for everyone, but if you prebook every five weeks, you get our prebooking rate." Giving individual exceptions means keeping a secret price list in your head.

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Some groomers offer a softer landing for seniors on fixed incomes or multi-pet households. That's your choice. Make it a stated policy, not a favor.

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Will I lose clients?

Possibly a few. Usually fewer than you fear, and often the most price-sensitive ones, who also tend to cancel late and haggle.

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Run the numbers on your own book. If you see 100 dogs a month at $80 and raise to $88, you'd need to lose more than nine clients before you earn less, and you'd be doing less work for it.

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Crystal Gonzalez of Pooch à la Mode talks about positioning and price on The Daily Groomer podcast in How to Raise Your Perception of Value. The Brandises take the opposite angle, using a low-priced service to bring people in, in Family Values & Half Price Nail Trims. Both are worth hearing before you settle your own approach.

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Sending it without spending a weekend on it

For a hundred-plus clients, personalizing each message by hand is a long evening. Three ways to make it quicker:

1. Mail merge. Export your client list with pet name and current price, and merge into the email template.
2. Your grooming software. Most can message a filtered list. In Teddy you can ask the assistant to text every active client with their pet's name filled in, and since texting is unlimited it doesn't cost extra. MoeGo and DaySmart Pet have mass messaging tools too; check whether a large send counts against a bundle.
3. Add it to reminders. Put one line in your appointment reminder for the next six weeks: "Reminder: new prices start [date]."

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Then update the saved price on each pet's record the day the change takes effect, so nobody is quoted the old number.

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After the increase

• Update your website, Google Business Profile and printed list on the same day.

• Brief any staff so everyone quotes the same prices.

• Watch your rebooking rate for two cycles. A small dip that recovers is normal.

• Put next year's review date on the calendar.

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If the increase has you rethinking your numbers more broadly, our business plan template walkthrough covers costs and break-even, and any new pricing works best alongside a clear cancellation policy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write a grooming price increase letter?

State the effective date, the new price for that client's pet and one short reason. Thank them and give a way to ask questions. Keep it under 150 words.

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How much notice should I give for a grooming price increase?

Four to six weeks, so every regular gets at least one visit at the old price.

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How often should groomers raise prices?

Once a year is common. Small annual increases are easier on clients than large occasional ones.

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Should I explain why I'm raising prices?

Give one sentence. Rising costs and maintaining quality is enough. A long justification invites debate.

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Is it better to announce a price increase by text or email?

Use the channel your clients already hear from you on. Many groomers send both, plus a sign at the counter.