An AI front desk for pet groomers and boarding kennels
How a grooming salon or boarding business uses an AI front desk to book by breed and size, collect vaccination records before drop-off, send the ready-for-pickup text and handle boarding intake, with wet hands and a dryer running.
Frontiva · · 3 min read
A grooming business's AI front desk books grooms at the right length for the breed and size, quotes from your price list with the surcharges you define, collects vaccination records before the appointment, sends the text when the pet is ready, and takes boarding bookings with the feeding and emergency details a kennel needs. It answers the phone that nobody with a dog in the tub can pick up.
The phone problem in a grooming salon
Every call arrives while someone has a dog on the table and a dryer running. Most go to voicemail; most callers do not leave a message. They text or call the next groomer. The AI answers by text within seconds, asks the questions that decide the booking, and confirms, while the groomer keeps working.
Booking by breed, size and coat
"Can I book my goldendoodle, about 50 lbs" is enough to set the service length and the starting price. The AI asks whether the dog has been groomed before and when, because a matted coat changes the appointment, and books the right slot with the right groomer. Breeds or sizes you do not take get a polite no from your list.
Prices with the surcharges stated
Starting prices by size and service, and the surcharges you define (matting, temperament, extra-large breeds), quoted up front so the drop-off conversation has no surprises. A firm price follows the groomer seeing the coat, and the AI says so.
Vaccination records before drop-off
At booking, the AI asks for proof of rabies and distemper (and Bordetella for boarding), and the owner sends a photo in the thread. The appointment is flagged until a person has checked the records. Nobody discovers at drop-off that the records are missing.
Ready for pickup
The groomer marks the pet done and the owner gets a text. Late pickup policy is in the confirmation, so the reminder about it is not the first time the owner hears it.
Boarding intake
Dates, feeding instructions, medications, emergency contact, the vet's name, and the vaccination check. All captured by text before arrival and on the pet's record. Daycare days are booked the same way.
What it does not do
Give health advice about skin, ears, lumps or behaviour the owner mentions. It notes them for the groomer. Confirm boarding before records are checked by a person. Take an aggressive or anxious animal without flagging it from the intake answers so the groomer knows before drop-off.
Frequently asked questions
Will it quote a price for a groom?
From your price list by size and service, with surcharges stated. A firm price follows the groomer seeing the coat.
Can clients send vaccination records by text?
Yes. Photos land on the pet's record and the appointment is flagged until a person has checked them.
Does it handle daycare packages?
It books daycare days and answers package questions from your knowledge. Package balances are your team's to manage.
What Frontiva does here
The pet grooming and boarding page shows the workflows. In Frontiva each service (a small-dog groom, a large-dog groom, a bath) carries its own duration and buffers, clients book on your public booking page, and SMS reminders go to clients who agreed. A deposit policy can be shown on the booking page, but charging it needs Stripe, which is not connected yet. For keeping bookings realistic, see booking buffers and turnaround time.