#TogetherWithTuft: Simplifying Life for Groomers

January 6, 2025 12:22 pm

Tuft_Happy_Relaxed_Dog_Community_About_Tuft

Tired of juggling endless phone calls, missed appointments, and admin overload? We get it—running a pet grooming business can be a handful. That’s exactly why Tuft was created—to take the weight off your shoulders and give you back time to do what you love: taking care of pets! The days of using clunky, outdated systems or trying to “make things fit” are behind you.

As Chloe Smith, our founder, puts it: “The customer journey of finding, booking, and reviewing a pet groomer is no longer suited to our modern way of using services. That’s where Tuft steps in. We’re climbing out of the puppy pen, tails wagging, ready to help you run your business without the hassle.”

In this blog, we’re celebrating #TogetherWithTuft, looking back at our journey from day one, and showing you how we’ve grown by listening to what you—the groomers—really need.

1. How Tuft Began: Designed with Groomers in Mind (June 2021)

When Tuft launched in June 2021, it wasn’t just another booking tool. It was a helpful, intuitive, and simplified system made for groomers. We knew you needed something to handle your bookings, reduce admin work, and give you back time for the pets. The early days of Tuft were guided by our A-Team of Pet Groomers, including Jo Rumming from Jo’s Dog Shedd In, Julian Sandy from Woofterz Dog Grooming, Siboney Abarca from Bubblytails of London, and Lucy Baker from Shaggy and Chic.

Together, they helped us shape what Tuft would become: a place for everything you need in one convenient digital calendar.

Fun fact: One of the first requests we received was from Harriet Burton at Bloomingtails Dog Grooming Parlour. She asked for a feature to help reschedule and cancel appointments easily. By August 2021, that feature was live. We’ve built Tuft with your feedback—and we always will!

Testimonial from Heather Doyle (Hd Pet Styling):
“It’s been going amazing. Clients are super happy with it and love they get so many reminders.”

2. Key Milestones: Building Trust with Groomers (September 2021 – 2024)

With Tuft, our community quickly grew. By September 2021, we hit our first milestone of 10,000 bookings, and we’ve never looked back. By June 2023, that number had jumped to 30,000 bookings, and as of October 2024, we’re celebrating 100,000 bookings!

What’s made this possible? Simple—it’s been about listening to what groomers and pet owners need. Every feature we’ve added is based on feedback from the grooming community.

Here’s a snapshot of how we’ve grown based on your ideas:

  • Historical bookings (added January 2023) – Keep track of past appointments with ease.
  • All-Day Events (introduced August 2023) – Requested by KD Grooming, this feature allows daily reminders of who is sick, how many dogs need grooming, who can go for lunch at what time ect.

Testimonial from Pawlos Grooming:
“I’m almost fully booked for the year now with most people booking via the app, thank you!”

3. Showing Up at Events and Growing Together (2021 – 2024)

We’ve not just been developing Tuft behind the scenes—we’ve been out there, meeting our community face-to-face at some of the biggest industry events. We’ve proudly attended Mastergroom, The Great British Grooming Show, Groomfest, and in March 2024, we even went to Crufts! These events have allowed us to hear directly from groomers about what they love and what they need next.

Back in September 2021, we partnered with ZIWI Peak, which was a fantastic collaboration that got us off on the right foot. In January 2024, we also partnered with The Pet Accountant, making sure that groomers have even more support when managing their businesses.

Events like these have helped us understand what features to focus on, such as:

  • Pending Appointments (August 2021) – Letting you see bookings that need confirmation.
  • Personalised Pricing (July 2022) – Adjust pricing for different services or clients.

Testimonial from Kelly Davis (KD Grooming Studio):
“Thanks to Tuft, we can finally breathe again. It’s been so beneficial—we actually have time to do our jobs again. It gives our clients the flexibility to book their own appointments.”

4. Growing Our A-Team and Adding Tuft Essential 

In December 2022, we welcomed two key members to our Tuft ambassador team—Avalon Doughty and Hannah Hart-Smith from Müttley Crüe. Their industry knowledge has been invaluable in helping us refine and elevate Tuft even further.

Over time, we’ve grown our Tuft family by adding some fantastic new team members. It started with the introduction of our Marketing Manager, followed by bringing on board a Customer Success Manager to support our amazing groomers. Soon after, we expanded further with two Sales Managers to help us reach even more businesses. Fast forward to 2024, and our team is now 14 strong, all working together to keep Tuft running smoothly and growing with our community!

Another huge development for us was the launch of Tuft Essential in December 2023. This is a free version of our software, aimed at giving groomers access to the essential tools they need to manage their business, no matter the size of their salon.

As Chloe Smith put it about Tuft Essential:
“Every pet service, regardless of its scale, should have access to the tools needed for success. Software should be a standard practice, not an exclusive privilege.”

5. What’s Next for Tuft?

We’re not done yet! The next big feature we’re working on is e-commerce—soon, groomers will be able to sell products directly through Tuft, opening up even more business opportunities. And with the upcoming Embeddable Booking Widget (arriving in August 2024), clients will be able to book directly through your website, making the process even more convenient.

What Groomers Are Saying About Tuft

We’ve received so much positive feedback from the grooming community, and we’re proud to share some of their thoughts here:

  • Chloë Lofthouse from Central Bark Dog Grooming:
    “It is so easy and simple to use compared to other software I have used and really helps on the admin side of things! Affordable with no hidden costs. Most importantly, the Tuft team and their customer service are outstanding.”
  • Naomi Jordan Samuel from All Fur Love Dog Grooming:
    “The system is so easy to use, my clients have no issues using the app, which in turn saves me a lot of hassle! The customer support is fantastic on the very odd occasion I’ve had an issue. Excellent!”
  • Neive Thompson-Capper from Scruffy Woofy’s:
    “Thank you, you too—the great customer service is appreciated.”

6. How You Can Get Involved with #TogetherWithTuft

We wouldn’t be here without you, and #TogetherWithTuft is a way to celebrate everything we’ve built together. Share your stories with us, and let us know how Tuft has helped your business. We’d love to feature more groomer testimonials and highlight the amazing work you do.

  • Pet Groomers: Use #TogetherWithTuft to share how Tuft has simplified your day-to-day tasks, and connect with other groomers.
  • Pet Owners: Have a great experience booking through Tuft? Give your groomer a shout-out!
  • Event Organisers: Planning an event? Let’s team up and make it unforgettable.

At Tuft, you are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we’re building a better, more efficient future for groomers everywhere.

Ready to simplify your grooming business? Try Tuft today and see how we can help you get organised and grow your salon!