When regular clients quit coming!

What do you do when someone who has been coming to you regularly doesn't make another appointment?
I went through my client list the other day and put a check mark beside everyone who only came once or was a regular and hasn't returned. I wouldn't call the one-timers, but what would you do with your regular customers? I don't know if I should call and see if there was a problem. I would feel bad if their dog has passed away. Out of approximately 200 customers, I found six that have quit coming. A few of those had to go to another groomer when I was away last July for a couple of weeks, and haven't been back. I did send out a newsletter in September to all my customers offering a 15% discount on their pet's next groom, so I have had some contact with them.

I notice that too, I believe that sometimes people like change, but after a year or so, you'll find that they come back. I've had a few dogs in the last couple of days that we haven't seen since 07, she said a friend of hers had a friend grooming and felt obligated to go there, but found that she never did quite the job that we did so she got tired of it and came back. Who knows if this was said to make me feel better, but some are always going to shop hop around.

yeah I agree with the friend going to another groomer so they switch.. I've had that happen with some of my clients coming to me from another groomer. Another thing could be that the dog passed away or they moved.

I just had a regular come back after 8 months away... apparently it was b/c I had told them at their initial appt that the dogs groom was $40 for a shave(matted), then if they would like a bath and tidy in between grooms it would be around $25 in order to get the dog back into coat. These customers interpreted this as "if i come on a regular basis you'll only charge me $25 every time", this is not even remotley close to what I said. They said I had told them $25 and then kept raising the price... helllooo you brought your dog in the next time and wanted coat left and I worked on that dog for 2 full hours and charged you $45 instead of the $40 it was the first time. People don't really listen to what you say at all.

I've often worried about clients who I haven't seen in awhile, but then they suddenly reappear and there is always an understandable reason for their absence (dog passed away and now they are bringing their new dog (had that one today), or they have been "trying" to groom the dog themselves, or they moved away but are now back, or ...) There is always a reason and never as bad as my infetiority complex had imagined. LOL. Of course, there are always some that disappear for good.

I found the trick to bringing a client back is to think of them, and realize "hey, I haven't seen "Fluffy" for awhile." Then, bam, the owner calls within a few days. It's freaky how often this happens. Does this happen to anyone else or am I just gifted? hee hee.


Only once have I had a customer calle and leave the message she wouldn't be coming back becasue I was too far away and the drive was too much for her. I was so appreciative she called and told me rather than never call again.

Yes, I have thought of a customer and they call that day or within a couple of days. It usually happens with my (somewhat) regular customers, but I did do that just before Christmas with a dog that had only come in once back last summer, and the same day her owner called!