Pet grooming cancellation policy template

When should a mobile groomer use a cancellation policy?

If you have ever driven 30 minutes to a locked gate, or had a client cancel the morning of, or felt awkward asking someone to pay a fee you never wrote down — you need one.

• — You want late cancels and no-shows to have a predictable consequence.
• — You want new clients to take the booking seriously.
• — You want to protect your driving time and your income.
• — You want to stop having to relitigate the rules after the fact.

What should a pet grooming cancellation policy include?

Six elements cover almost every real-world situation:

1. Deposit — a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the service. Required to confirm the booking.
2. Cancellation window — the deadline before the appointment by which the client must cancel to avoid fees (e.g., 48 hours).
3. On-time cancel action — what happens to the deposit if the client cancels in time: refunded, kept as a credit, or forfeited.
4. Late-cancel fee — a flat fee or percentage charged when the client cancels inside the window.
5. No-show fee — usually the deposit plus an additional fee. A no-show is worse than a late cancel because you also lose driving time.
6. Reschedule rules — how many reschedules are allowed, and whether a last-minute reschedule counts as a late cancel.

Sample cancellation policy (copy and adapt)

Replace anything in brackets with your own numbers. Keep the tone firm and matter-of-fact.

Cancellation & Deposit Policy — [Your Business Name]

Deposit
A [$50 / 30%] deposit is required to confirm every booking. The deposit
goes toward the total service price.

Cancellation window
Please cancel at least [48] hours before the appointment start time.

If you cancel on time
Your deposit will be [refunded in full / held as a credit toward a
future booking with us within 60 days].

If you cancel late
Cancellations inside the [48]-hour window forfeit the deposit, and a
late-cancel fee of [$30 / 50% of the service] will apply.

No-shows
A no-show forfeits the deposit and incurs a [$50] no-show fee. Mobile
grooming is time- and route-dependent, and a no-show costs us the whole
slot and the driving time.

Reschedules
You may reschedule up to [2] times per booking. A reschedule requested
inside the [48]-hour window is treated as a late cancel.

Repeat cancellations
If you have [1] or more previous late cancels or no-shows on file, a
deposit will be required for every future booking, regardless of our
default policy.

By submitting a booking request, you confirm you have read and agreed
to this policy.

Tip: paste this into your intake form, or publish it through Client Control so every client has to agree to a frozen copy before they submit.

Three versions by strictness

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burying the policy. If clients only see it after they book, it doesn't protect you. Show it on the intake form before they can submit.
• No written agreement. An informal text exchange is weaker than a checkbox with a timestamp and a frozen snapshot of the policy.
• Unclear numbers. "Substantial fees may apply" is not a policy. Spell out the dollar amount or percentage.
• Changing the rules after the fact. Once a request is submitted, the policy the client agreed to should be the one that applies.
• Only enforcing the policy sometimes. Inconsistent enforcement trains clients that the rules are negotiable.

Frequently asked questions