FAQ / Dog groomers
Dog groomer questionsA doodle that’s arrived matted, a Newfoundland who needs a quote, a nervous rescue who will only settle for Casey. Here is how NextSlot runs a grooming salon — each answer shown on your side of the table and on the owner’s phone.
Yes. Add a “Dog size” option to any groom, each size with its own price and its own time: Toy / Small (up to 8kg) £45 for an hour, Medium (up to 15kg) £55 for 75 minutes, Large (up to 29kg) £65 for an hour and a half.
Owners see “from £45” on the menu and pick their dog’s size in one tap. The price updates on the spot, and your diary books the groom for exactly as long as that size takes.
Included on all plansYes. Leave the price blank on your Extra Large (over 29kg) size and it shows as “Contact us” — on your menu, but booked through you. Add a line such as “Custom quote for giant or heavy-coated breeds” so owners know why.
Every other size still books online as normal. The Newfoundland’s owner gives you a ring; the Westie’s owner just books.
Included on all plansYes. Create add-ons once and attach them to the grooms they go with. Make the nail clip a paid upgrade — 15 minutes, £12 — and a bandana complimentary, shown as “Free”.
Owners tick them right under the groom they chose, and the total and the length of the appointment update on the spot.
Included on all plansYes. Attach the ready-made Pet profile to your grooms and owners answer it as part of booking: their pet’s name, breed, age, how they are around groomers, whether their vaccinations are up to date, and anything else you should know — allergies, sore spots, matting.
It is asked once, then again only when you choose — every 12 months to start with — and you read the answers on the owner’s History tab. Vaccinations not up to date? Choose whether that answer blocks the booking or flags it for you to review.
Included on all plansYes, quietly. Switch on “Block online booking” on the owner’s client card and they are asked to call you instead — so you choose the quiet slot and the right groomer yourself.
Add a reason only your team sees, such as “First slot of the day, Marnie only”. You can still book them from your calendar as normal, and one click undoes it.
Included on all plansYes. Add a before and an after to the owner’s client record with a caption — “Teddy face, 13mm on the body” — so whoever grooms next can see exactly what they had last time.
Photos sit on the owner’s Photos tab as Before, After or Reference — handy when someone brings in a picture of the cut they want. Owners never see them.
Included on all plansYes. When you book a regular from your calendar, set it to repeat every week, every two weeks or every month, choose how many visits, and the whole run lands in the diary at once.
Each one is marked as part of a series, and any date that is already taken is flagged so you can skip it. If the family is away one month, cancel just that visit — or everything still to come.
Included on all plansYes, automatically. An email goes 12 hours before and a text 2 hours before, on whichever the owner chose when they booked. Texts only go out between 9am and 8pm, so nobody is woken up.
Every confirmation carries “Add to calendar” and “Get directions” buttons, and a link to move or cancel. Texts come out of your plan’s monthly allowance.
Included on all plansYes. One booking holds up to three dogs, each with their own groom and size — a Full Groom for the cockapoo, a Bath & Brush for the Westie.
The owner chooses “At the same time” to have both groomed at once, or “One after another” to take turns. NextSlot only offers times when enough groomers are free.
Included on all plansYes. Add a buffer before or after any groom — 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes — for sweeping up, cleaning down the table and getting the bath ready for the next dog.
Owners never see it and cannot book into it. You see it shaded on your calendar, so one big double coat doesn’t leave you running late all afternoon.
Included on all plansYes. Take a fixed deposit, a percentage or the full price when the owner books, paid straight into your own Stripe account. NextSlot takes 0% commission on it.
Tell us the rule for each groom and we switch it on with you. The booking is only confirmed once the payment goes through.
Included on all plansYes. Sell a pre-paid pack — a Groom 5-Pack, say — and owners buy it online from your page. Set each groom it covers to cost one credit, and the booking page shows “or 1 credit” beside it.
When the owner books and confirms their email, a credit comes off automatically. You choose the price and how long the credits last, and a pack sold over the counter goes on their account with “Grant credits”.
Included in MaxWe are opening NextSlot a few businesses at a time, and we set every one up personally. Join the waiting list and tell us how your dog groomer works.
