Happy Friday Daily Groomers,
I’ve been thinking about Google reviews lately.
Not about tactics to maximize 5-star ratings.
More about the reality that this stuff directly impacts you and your business.
When someone searches:
“dog groomer near me”
Google isn’t showing:
How calm you are with anxious dogs
How much time you spent working through matted doodle
How great that groom actually looked in person
How you have to make sure you pay your bills on time
It’s showing:
⭐ Your rating
📝 Your reviews
💬 Your response
To the whole world… with only that as context.
And let’s be honest…
Most reviews are great.
But if you’re ever bored, Google “pet groomer near me” and sort the reviews by lowest.
You’ll see some wild stuff in there.
Stuff I’m sure you can relate to.
Now, sure…. sometimes a bad review is deserved. No one’s perfect.
But a lot of times?
It’s straight Looney Tunes at the bottom of the review barrel. 😂😂😂
The client who:
Isn’t pleasant in general
Didn’t brush their dog for months
Didn’t listen or empathize
And then leaves a dramatic novel online
With zero context.
And that review just sits there.
Public. Permanent. Context-free. (Unless you report it and win, I guess?)
While every new potential client reads it and makes a decision about your business in about three seconds.
I’ve heard many groomers talk about how frustrating it is… giving their all on a tough groom and still getting hit with a 1-star. Other groomers jump in saying “don’t worry, one bad review won’t kill you.”
And logically? That’s true.
But emotionally?
It still messes with your head.
So I’m genuinely curious:
How do you think about reviews?
Do you respond to every review?
How do you usually ask for reviews?
What stresses you out more?
I like asking these kinds of questions because it gives us a real pulse on what the grooming community is thinking at large.
And honestly, that perspective alone can help some of you out there.
Ultimately, just trying to understand what’s normal, what’s annoying, and what’s getting ignored.
Fill out the poll and leave some context.. Maybe even tell me the craziest review you’ve ever gotten.
I know you’ve got one.
For the love of reviews,
Alex
🛠️ Behind The Scenes Building Teddy
At Teddy, we’ve been talking a lot about reviews lately.
Reputation management is a billion-dollar industry. But in grooming, it doesn’t need to be complicated.
So what actually moves the needle? Our take is the best systems in business are the ones that quietly run in the background.
That’s all folks! Keep calm and groom on 🐶🤘
