How Tips are Distributed to the Staff
Whenever you tip the staff at Dogtown, the tips are distributed among the staff based on the percentage of total staff hours the employee worked that week (with the exception of grooming–trained groomers get 100% of grooming tips for work they completed). Tips are passed in full to the employees, and upper management and ownership take 0% of your tips.
Daycare – FAIRLY COMMON; Although customers do tip on daycare fairly often, it’s not expected. Plenty of customer do not, and that’s totally normal.
Boarding – PRETTY COMMON; For whatever reason, a pretty decent number of customers feel compelled to tip for a boarding stay, more so if special requests are made. But again, it’s completely common and acceptable to forego tipping for a boarding stay.
Grooming – VERY COMMON; 99% of people tip groomers. Grooming is a skill that takes a lot of time and patience, and it’s messy. When a groomer grooms, s/he gets 100% of your tip. Baths completed by handlers typically go into the daycare tip pool.
Retail – COMPLETELY UNCOMMON; Customers do not normally tip on retail. It would be very unusual in any industry to tip on products purchased.
Combination – FAIRLY COMMON: If you would like to tip on a boarding stay that has grooming as well, normally it’s best to tell the person working how much you want to go to the groomer and how much you want to go to the staff. If you do not, that’s ok, we will distribute tips in a reasonable way.
Tipping is appreciated but never required or expected in this industry (except for grooming). The staff is well-paid at Dogtown in comparison to the rest of our industry. However, it isn’t the most lucrative career for most of the staff, so tips can really make an impact for the staff. Again, upper management and ownership NEVER take the tips. Employees get 100% of what you tip! Do not feel bad if you don’t want to tip. We understand that daycare can be expensive. It’s not a big deal at all if you do not tip! Your dog will be cared for no matter what!
Should I Tip The Boarding Kennel?
Tipping your boarding kennel is a personal preference that will depend on your boarding experience and your budget. Receiving a tip as a kennel worker is not uncommon but is not a requirement for a stay at a kennel.
If you do not tip your boarding kennel, you will not be thought of as rude or ungrateful, and sometimes a heartfelt thank you can be just as meaningful.
With that in mind, many people still choose to tip their boarding kennel after their dog’s stay.
Tipping is a way to show thanks for a job well done.
If you frequent a kennel and they consistently take excellent care of your dog, you may want to tip them from time to time.
Many people will tip their boarding kennel for stays around holidays or for times where they accommodate special requests outside of normal boarding care routines.
Will my dog be OK in kennels?
First things first, you need to ensure their vaccinations are up to date, especially the Bordetella vaccine, which protects your dog from kennel cough. Good kennels won’t accept your dog unless you can show them that they’ve been fully vaccinated.
Top 5 tips for choosing where to board your dog!
Should you tip for dog boarding? No, tipping is not expected for boarding a dog or cat. However, if you use someone who boards your pet in their home and they go above and beyond for you, a tip is appropriate and certainly appreciated.