Wet dog on the table. Phone on the counter.
You can't walk away from a nervous terrier mid-trim to answer a call. AlloPlace answers in English or French, quotes from your price list by size and coat, and books the next groom into Google Calendar.
The calls you get
"How much for a goldendoodle?" "Do you do nail trims without a bath?" "Is Max ready yet?" "Do you groom cats?" "He's not great with strangers, can you handle him?" "Do I need to bring vaccination papers?" Owners call while you're bathing, drying, and holding a paw still for the clippers.
What it does for you
Prices by size and coat. It answers from what you wrote: small, medium, large, double coat, matting fee. If you only price after seeing the dog, it says that and gives a starting price.
Books the right length. A nail trim isn't a full groom. You set how long each service takes, and it books that into Google Calendar.
Asks your questions. Tell it what you want to know from new clients, like breed, weight, age and the last groom. The answers show up in the call summary and transcript, so you're not surprised at drop-off.
Doesn't pretend about pickup. It can't see your table. When someone asks "is Max ready?", it puts them through if you allow it, or takes a message so you can text back from the inbox.
Takes the hard cases to you. A dog that's bitten before, heavy matting, a first groom for a senior dog. Those become messages, not bookings.
A typical call
7:30 p.m. in Lévis. A woman calls about her Bernese mountain dog's first visit. AlloPlace asks his weight and when he was last groomed, gives your starting price for large double-coated dogs, and says the final price depends on his coat. Your rule says big dogs get morning slots, so it offers Wednesday at 8:30 and books it. She agrees to a reminder text.
TBD: replace with a real call once a customer agrees.
Rules you might write
- "Every dog needs an up-to-date rabies vaccine. Ask owners to bring proof on the first visit."
- "If a caller says their dog has bitten a groomer before, don't book. Take a message."
- "Large double-coated dogs only get morning appointments."
- "We don't groom cats. Say so kindly."
Good to know
- Calendar or software: it books into Google Calendar only. If your bookings live in MoeGo or another grooming app, it can't see or book into them. It can still answer, quote and take messages. If you're not on Google Calendar and want booking, talk to us first.
- Pickup texts: you can text an owner by hand from the inbox. AlloPlace doesn't send "ready for pickup" texts on its own.
- Payments: no deposits or card numbers over the phone.
What it costs
Starter is US$30 a month (about CA$43) for 150 minutes, with booking included. You can set a spending cap so a busy spring doesn't surprise you. Full pricing