A CUT ABOVE GROOMING POLICY AGREEMENT
PET(S) AND GROOMER SAFETY


GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SERVICING AGREEMENT

Welcome to A Cut Above, thank you for entrusting your pet with us. The following are some everyday policies to ensure a positive and safe grooming experience. Others are policies that will only apply to some pets who do not enjoy grooming as much as others. A Cut Above is a small grooming facility. We try to take less dogs than other salons. This ensures your pet gets individualized attention and that the grooming is not rushed. 


FOUR-WEEK MAINTAINCE SCHEDULE 

With our four-week maintenance schedule it is of the utmost importance that our clients stay as committed to their schedule as possible. While we do understand circumstances may arise that would prevent you from coming to an appointment, full payment will be required for any missed appointments not previously discussed with your specific groomer. Due to the nature of this type of scheduling, there may not be room to adjust or modify your appointment after they have been set. Please schedule your time accordingly to avoid missing appointments. 


It is at A Cut Above's discretion to terminate a client at any time due to missed or late appointments.



DROP-OFFS

Please arrive on time for your pets appointment to ensure that there is enough time to groom your pet and to help keep our schedule for the day on time. A Cut Above opens at 7 am, we are not at the shop prior to opening. Please arrive at the time of opening and not prior so we can make sure that someone is there to check in your dog. If you are running late for your appointment please call us to make sure we can still take your pet for the given day.  Our scheduling system relies on accuracy of pick-ups and drop-offs to be able to accommodate all clients for the day - arriving late can negatively affect all subsequent appointments.  Arriving 15 minutes or later for an appointment can void your appointment. Any appointments of the day can have their appointment cancelled after 15 minutes. Full payment of the missed appointment must be paid to schedule another appointment. If we are able to take in your dog after 15 minutes a $20 late take in fee may be added to your bill. 


PICKING UP

All of our appointments are one to three hour appointments, unless your dog is oversized or requires special handling and care. If your dog is finished before the time you have been given to pick up your pet, you will receive a call or text letting you know.  Due to our smaller facility and to ensure a lower stress environment for other pets, pets with a morning/midmorning appointment should be picked up within one hour of their scheduled out time. Pets left at our salon beyond that may have a daycare fee of $10 added to their grooming bill. If you need have your pet longer at the salon arrangements need to be made with us prior to your appt.  


All 1pm and afternoon drop offs mean your pet/pet's are the last appointments for the day. Our salon closes at 4pm. Arrive late and a $1 a minute daycare fee may be added to your bill.  If you do not arrive for your pet after 30 minutes and we cannot get a hold of you, your pet will be taken to go potty and will be kenneled with water and food for the night.  A $30 boarding fee will be added to your bill.



NEW CLIENT AND PUPPY APPOINTMENTS

New clients and puppies are always exciting and we feel very lucky to have been chosen by you to care for your pet. We will schedule our day to ensure that you have time to go over grooming and care instructions for your pet. It is not necessary to arrive early and doing so causes an interruption in the grooming of another client and can cause their appoint to go late or cause the pet to become too excited to have their groom finished. Please bring a current copy of your pet’s vaccination records. 



We want your puppy's first few visits to be as pleasant as possible and will make every effort to do so. To make sure your puppy learns to enjoy grooming we ask for that you be flexible with the time your puppy is at our salon. Grooming is a new and overwhelming experience and lots of puppies need rest breaks during the grooming process. Clippers can also be overwhelming for your young puppy and they also might not have the patience yet for grooming. This can result in a simpler cut than requested or skipping specific aspects of the requested cut.  We feel that it is better for your puppy to gain trust and learn to accept grooming rather than finishing a cut that is making your pet nervous. 

                                                                   

PET HEALTH CONDITIONS 

Your dog's safety and comfort is our primary concern. Please do not come to an appointment with an ill or injured pet. If your dog is showing signs of illness, has open wounds, or has an injury please call and reschedule your appt. For the safety of your pet and other pets we will not groom an ill or injured pet. 


Allergies and Sensitivities:  Please advise us of any allergies, sensitivities, or pre-existing medical conditions so we can avoid aggravating the health issue and even help alleviate the discomfort. Please let us know of any prior grooming history you or your dog may not have found satisfactory. We want to avoid the repetition of poor or unpleasant experiences or situations. 


EXPRESS SERVICE DISCLAIMER

Express services are available for pets that need to be in the salon for as little time as possible. This could be for mental or physical health reasons or you have to have your pet returned earlier than normal. An 'Express Service' means that your groomer will receive your pet and immediately begin grooming from start to finish with no interruptions. Sometimes a dog may be required to have an express service by the groomer if a dog is disruptive before or after the groom (i.e. excessive barking, digging at gates or kennel doors). Appointment slots for Express Services are only available at 7AM. A charge of $25 for small dogs and $50 for large dogs will be added to a pet's bill for this service. If the client does not pick up a pet within 10 minutes of the groom's completion, $1 per minute will also be added to the pet's bill.                                                       


MATTED OR NEGLECTED COAT AND SHAVE-DOWNS OR CUSTOM CUTS 

Allowing a pet’s coat to get matted is not only very uncomfortable, but unhealthy for your pet. Excessive matting can be avoided with regular grooming appointments. We will de-mat your pet (if possible) at $2 per minute (minimum $10) in addition to the regular grooming fee. De-matting will not be done if it causes pet undue stress or pain or if the pet is under a year old. Excessive de-matting is a painful, time-consuming, and costly procedure that can cause extreme discomfort and can aggravate (or cause) skin problems. In the circumstance where your pet cannot have its mats brushed out or the expense is too much, your pet will receive a “shave down” to remove the mats. Under this circumstance, a shave down is the more compassionate or economical way to groom your pet.  Mats are constantly pulling the skin of your pet and are always painful. When ears become matted, it is possible for swelling and break-through bleeding to happen, especially from head shaking and around the tips of the ears. Shaving mats can show bruises, scrapes or other health issues that were hidden before. A Cut Above will not be held liable if this should arise. Shave downs or custom cuts that are outside a basic pet trim or breed standard cut will be discussed and the groomer will perform the cuts to the best of his/her understanding of client’s directions and his/her ability but no other guarantee is made. 



AGGRESSIVE PETS

A Cut Above does not take aggressive pets or pets who bite for the grooming process. You must inform us if your pet has ever been turned away from another groomer or if they have ever shown signs of aggression such as growling, scratching, snarling or biting. We consider the terms "nipping and snapping" to be biting. California Civil Code 3342 requires you to inform a groomer if your pet has bitten a person before. Withholding this information and your pet bites someone in the salon you will be held liable. If your pet is biting and cannot be calmed or safely groomed you will be called to pick up your pet and the full grooming bill must be paid. If you know your pet becomes upset or is sensitive about a part of the grooming process, for the safety of your pet and us, you must inform us before your appointment date.  Knowledge of your pets fear of nail clipping, de-matting, drying, etc. helps us successfully groom your pet and make the experience easier and, in most cases, help your pet overcome this fear.  Pets who struggle for aspects of grooming are at greater risk for nicks, quicked nails, or a haircut that isn’t quite perfect looking.  We always take great care to ensure your pet is not injured during grooming, but pets who are biting or struggling put themselves at greater risk for this happening.  A Cut Above will not be held liable for these types of injuries or for haircuts that are less than satisfactory. 


PAYMENT

Payment for grooming services is due at the time the services are rendered unless prior arrangements have been made.  There is a $30 non sufficient funds/returned check charge and client will be placed on a cash only basis thereafter.


CANCELLATIONS

Though we strive to confirm our clients' appointments 24 hours in advance, it is the pet owner's sole responsibility to remember their appointment. A Cut Above must be notified at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment of any cancellations.   This allows us time to try to book a replacement for your vacated appointment. The client may be billed for the full grooming price if 24 hour cancellation notice is not provided. If an emergency cancellation is made there may be a $25 fee added to the next grooming bill. Service may be terminated for repeated cancellations without 24 hr. notice.  


"NO SHOWS”

No shows and last minute cancellations are subject to the full grooming fee.  The charge must be paid prior to rescheduling.  Pre-Payment will be required before another appointment is booked.  Please be respectful of our time as we are a by-appointment business, and another client could have taken your appointment if we had known.  Note: Clients that are 15 minutes late or more will have their appointment cancelled and full payment of the missed appointment must be paid to schedule another appt. If we are able to take in your dog after 15 minutes a $20 late take in fee will be added to your bill. 


REFUSAL OF SERVICE

We reserve the right to alter or cease any groom in the event that we determine it is in your pet’s best interest or your pet displays aggressive behavior.  A Cut Above has the right to refuse service to your pet at any time for any reason.  The client may be charged the full price of the groom even if we are unable to complete it.


ELDERLY PETS

We will use extra care and patience for older pets. Elderly pets are a special appointment and require extra time.  Please let us know if your pet needs this specialized appointment.  Grooming elderly pets can cause mental or physical stress due to grooming being much more tiring for the pet, especially arthritic pets.  Due to this, we will at times have to do a much simpler cut for your pet’s health and safety or stop the grooming process.  Pets who can no longer stand for long periods or require lots of breaks during the grooming process may have an extra charge added to their bill.  Please be sure to notify us of any health conditions that might make your pet uncomfortable during the bathing, drying, or clipping phases.


Any grooming which takes place on an elderly or frail pet is conducted at your risk and A Cut Above will not be held liable for mental or physical stress the grooming process may cause.


CONTACTING US

A Cut Above business hours are Tuesday through Friday from 7am-4pm and Saturday from 8am-4pm. Please also note that we are also available also through text messaging through our booking app as well. A Cut Above Grooming Salon will do our best to answer all texts during business hours. This is also a great way for us to communicate with you during your pets appointment when the salon is a bit loud and a voice call would be harder to hear. We typically only answer texts and voice calls during business hours. After hours the cell phone is left in the salon. Emails and texts may be responded to after hours only if they are pertaining to a current appointment that is coming up for the next business day. Otherwise, the email or text will be answered on the next business day during business hours. That way after hours time can be focused on our friends and family. 


Customer releases A Cut Above from any and all liabilities, financial, and otherwise, for injuries to Customer, Customer's pet(s), or any other property of Customer, which arise in any way from services and/or products provided by or as a consequence of Customer's association with A Cut Above including, but not limited to, veterinarian bills.