Our Company Policies are posted below. When you visit Synergy, we keep this release form and acknowledgement of policies on file for you. You may periodically be asked to re-sign this document. A signed release is needed should your pet ever need emergency treatment and transport. Our policies are based on a combination of legal requirements, and best practices based on our years of extensive experience. Our policies are non negotiable, but we do accept suggestions! If you have ideas or needs, we love to consider them and sometimes we are able to accommodate as we grow.  All clients are expected to abide by our policies. Failure to read policies does not invalidate them, and they are in full effect at each appointment. By accepting an appointment confirmation from our online scheduler, you agree to abide by these policies.

Safety and Liability Release:

• Synergy Pet Salon may provide transport and representation of my pet in the event of an emergency and seek medical attention for my pet. I may be responsible for any charges related to such medical care.  Synergy Pet Salon is not responsible for any pre-existing conditions that my pet might have, known or unknown.

Scheduling and Cancellations:

• Synergy Pet Salon operates by appointment only. We open at our first scheduled appointment and close when the last pet goes home. Appointments are usually available between 9-5, 7 days per week. Store hours are 9-7 M-F and 9-5 on Saturdays, closed Sundays.
• Clients are encouraged to book online and are reminded that receptionist availability may be limited. Texting is the quickest way to reach us.
• You may schedule an appointment online up to 18 hours in advance.
• Walk-in services are sometimes available but pets with an appointment are given priority. Synergy reserves the right to decline walk-ins.
• A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel an appointment.
• Late cancellations or no shows are subject to a cancellation fee of $50 If you need to cancel your appointment, let us know by text or phone call (text preferred).
• No shows and late cancellations will be charged to the card on file. If your card is out of date or payment fails, your account may be sent to collections and/or denial of future service at Synergy. This policy is necessary to the health of a small business. Missed appointments create a deficit in our service providers’ income and creates disruptions in the ability of our staff to meet the demand of other clients. If you need to cancel,please be courteous and please let us know as soon as possible.
• Winter Adverse Weather Policy- Important- If you have an appointment during the winter months and we experience heavy snow, you may be contacted by phone or text and rescheduled for 12pm or later that same day. Our groomers drive from all over Utah to service your pets and sometimes even when the roads are clear in American Fork, they may not be clear in other cities. Most of the time, roads are clear by mid to late morning, so we will open at noon those days. We appreciate your cooperation on the rare occasion that we need to  work to accommodate severe weather conditions. 
• The week before Thanksgiving and Christmas, Synergy does not accept any new clients. New clients are defined as clients who have never visited our salon or who have lapsed more than six months since their last appointment. Demand for holiday appointments are high and in order to provide continued quality of care to our loyal clients, we have chosen not to accept new clients these weeks. New clients are more than welcome to schedule on the days and weeks following the holidays! 

Pick Up and Drop off:

• Please arrive on time for your pet’s appointment. Your stylist may not be able to accept your pet if you are more than 15 minutes late, and a late notice cancellation fee will be charged to the card on file. 
• Please prepare to spend 10-20 minutes with your pet at check-in. Sometimes multiple pets are scheduled to arrive at the same time. Simultaneous arrivals enables your style team to work on your pet in the most time efficient manner. Your understanding of this at check-in is appreciated. Your stylist will discuss your grooming preferences and assist you in selecting any desired services. Please refrain from talking/texting/browsing on a cell phone during the check in process unless you plan to show your stylist example photos of your desired grooming preferences which are always welcome!
•  Synergy Pet Salon, LLC does not offer overnight boarding services and pets must be picked up within 60 minutes of phone or text contact unless prior arrangements have been made.  Synergy charges late fees for late pick up (minimum of $15). Pets left for 24 hours without contact from you will be considered abandoned and may be surrendered to a shelter, rescue or private adopter.
• Most pets will be completed within 3-4 hours, although multi-pet appointments and larger breeds MAY take longer. Please plan your schedule accordingly. We require that you be available by phone or text while your pet is with us.
• Summer and seasonal advisories- During our peak seasons, while we do our best to remain within our 3-4 hour average, there may be days when we need longer. Please, please wait for our call or text. The more interruptions we have during a day, the longer the process takes. We DO utilize kennels for your pet’s safety, however, our kennels are equipped with an elevated grate so that potty opportunities are available, and each kennel has a clean, comfy pad for naps. In the event that we have a dog with us for an extended period of time, short kennel free times in the salon may be made available to the pets on an individual basis for safety. Our staff is trained to monitor for signs of stress. If a pet is exhibiting signs of stress, we may advise a straight through appointment (advance notice is REQUIRED), or refer out to one of our friends with one on one salon environments.
• You may not assist with your pet’s grooming due to insurance restrictions. Please do not show up early without calling/texting us first as this is disruptive to the pets being groomed. Often when pets see their family members while being groomed, they become overly excited which may create conditions that make continuing the grooming process too dangerous to complete.

Vaccinations and Health

• Synergy Pet Salon follows the laws regarding rabies vaccinations and by law is required to report any pet bites (this includes bites to the groomer working on the pet).  Clients must be able to provide proof of current vaccination if requested. The tag does not provide us with the date of expiration, we need to have the veterinarian papers. We strongly recommend you file this document digitally and have it available for every appointment. We do save this record to your client profile.   Rabies vaccines are typically good for 3 years.  Dogs who are unable to be vaccinated must have a veterinarian statement or titer test document on file. 
• It is the responsibility of the client to inform the groomer about ANY known aggression. Statements like “my dog does not bite, he just nips” are not acceptable. If your pet is known to bite, just tell us! Synergy staff is very good at handling all types of pets without sedation and with minimal restraint (including muzzles, elizabethan collars, etc). But in order to safely handle your pet, we need to know if you know that your pet dislikes any part of the grooming process such as its toenails, rear end etc or if any groomer has previously mentioned that your pet bites, nips or struggles for any part of the process. This helps us adapt our techniques with sensitivity and avoid injuries to our staff and the pet. Overly aggressive pets will be assessed an appointment fee (minimum $40) based on the amount of work completed and referred to a dog trainer and a sedation groomer if necessary. In some cases, with proof of ongoing training, we are willing to help acclimate sensitive pets to the grooming process when evidence of progress is being made. We have successfully helped hundreds of pets acclimate to grooming over the years. Please just be honest with us.
• Synergy does not require proof of other vaccinations at this time, however, we strongly recommend that puppies have 2 sets of puppy shots or be over 6 months with one vaccination if following an amended schedule.  Synergy Pet Salon sanitizes our facility with a broad spectrum sanitizer. All pets are welcome to bring their own kennel to stay in while visiting our salon.
• Kennel Cough is an airborne disease and vaccinations to this disease do not cover all strains of the illness. For this reason, any pet exhibiting symptoms of illness may not be groomed in the facility. We request that you wait at least 10 days after a kennel cough vaccination or booster to visit our salon environment. 
•  Please inform your stylist if your pet has special conditions or is a senior. We will take extra care with your pet, including scheduling with specialized stylists or a support handler if needed. It is important to remember that some conditions may be aggravated by the stress of the grooming process. Synergy Pet Salon is not responsible for any conditions including illness, seizures or the death of my pet due to pre-existing conditions whether known or unknown at the time of service.
• Synergy welcomes intact animals, however, females in heat may be declined service as this can disrupt the atmosphere in the salon when other pets are present.
• Pets must be well and must not be exhibiting symptoms of any communicable diseases, or external parasites and that if my pet begins exhibiting symptoms of illness,or external parasites found, I will be contacted for immediate pick up and may be assessed a salon decontamination fee as deemed appropriate by the company.
• Pregnant dogs- please contact us (text preferred) to schedule. Pregnant dogs have special considerations and may or may not be granted an appointment. We want to keep your furbaby safe. We happily provide maternity clips in preparation for birth and puppies, however, priority is given to the function of the groom and the stress level of the mother dog. Humanity before vanity applies to these services.  Our groomers reserve the right to stop a groom on a pregnant animal at any time.
• Anal Glands- We do not regularly express anal glands. This procedure is best done by a licensed veterinarian and is not usually necessary for regular maintenance of your pet’s grooming. For more information, we suggest reading this article. Our groomers may perform external anal gland expression at your request as an add on service, but we do not recommend it. 
• Ear plucking- We regularly wipe out your pet’s ears when they visit us, however, not all pets need their ear hair plucked. This is a controversial procedure and we have left it up to our groomers to decide whether or not each pet needs their ears plucked. If you have a specific desire for or against plucking, let your groomer know your preferences when you drop off.
• Other health concerns- Synergy reserves the right to refuse service to pets with health issues until they have been seen by a veterinarian. This includes but is not limited to skin irritations, funky body odor, inflamed eyes, ears, tumors and growths etc. If any of these conditions are discovered by our stylists, we may send you a referral and in some cases, you may be required to furnish proof of veterinary care for future appointments.

Dematting Policy:

•  Synergy abides by a “humanity before vanity” policy and we will shave any matted fur.  Removing matted fur sometimes uncovers previously unknown conditions such as scabs, rashes etc and that the mat removal process may result in minor skin irritations. The pet owner is responsible for treating the skin following matted coat removal. Our salon associates are happy to help you develop a plan to avoid matting in the future.  Minor tangling (knots that can be detangled in 10 minutes or less) can be brushed out. Anything beyond minor tangling puts your pet at risk for grooming injury with dematting attempts and we will not provide this service. Synergy recommends shaving and a fresh start. It’s hair and it will grow back. Trauma from a dematting grooming experience will not go away. Dematting can be painful and dangerous. Additionally, dematted hair is damaged and will frequently re-mat after being dematted.  
• If mats are discovered after check in during the course of grooming that were not noticed at drop off, our stylists may send you a text to ask how you wish to proceed. Generally the options are: you may leave the matting as-is and take your pet home to attempt brushing out yourself or your stylist may shave out matted areas with a blade appropriate for safe mat removal.  If we do not receive a response within 15 minutes, our stylists may remove matting at their discretion. Please be very aware of this policy as we do not refund or re groom pets who were shaved due to matting. 
• If areas of matting are found and removed, it is important to note that there may be irritated skin, bruising, or scratches uncovered by the mat removal process. Recently shaved coats that were previously matted are also at higher risk of clipper irritation. Hemotomas on the ears are more likely after thick mats have been removed. By asking your stylist to remove matted fur, you accept the risks and any follow up veterinary care costs that may incur for these conditions. We want to be exceptionally clear on this policy as matting is something that we absolutely cannot magically remove. There are no miracle brushes, or techniques even with all of the patience and skill in the world. It simply isn’t humane and it isn’t conducive to optimal coat maintenance as dematted fur is damaged fur and it will continue to form mats. Extra fees may occur with matted coat removal as it is more time intensive and creates more wear and tear on our equipment. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding of this policy. Thank you. 

Dogs over 50 lb

• Synergy Pet Salon only accepts pets up to 50lbs . This means we are unable to accommodate certain breeds.  In order to help our clients best, we have removed online booking options for our large dog clients. We are not always able to pre-screen every online appointment request and dogs that are over the limit that schedule online may have their appointment canceled at the time of check in. This is to ensure we have space and available groomers to accommodate you and your furbaby. To book an appointment for a large dog, send us a text at 801-768-0270 and be sure to pre-book your next appointment at check out. Due to the high demand, our large dog clients are required to stay on a 2 month or less schedule. We encourage our large dog clients with dogs over 50 lbs to use our self-service bays. We are more than happy to teach you the tools of the trade to keep your large furries happy and clean.  We recognize the demand and need for more large dog services in Utah and are pleased to offer this option
• Your pet must fit in the kennels we have on site in order to book a regular salon visit. If your pet does not fit in our kennels or is destructive to kennels or property, we require an express service be scheduled for your pet. Express services are scheduled as the stylists’ first appointment of the day. Your pet will be completed from start to finish and may be picked up immediately upon completion. You are welcome to wait in your vehicle, or stay in the area so long as you are able to pick up within 10 minutes our our call or text.

Noisy Pets:

• Due to the size of our facility, dogs who are excessively noisy and disruptive may be referred to another facility, or we may recommend scheduling a straight through service for your pet. We have found this to be the best way to reduce noise stress to other pets, staff and neighbors. Because we are in a high traffic area, we do have to abide by city noise ordinances. Many dogs bark when they are excited and this is normal and expected. Stressed out pets that bark in excess of 15 minutes straight may be more comfortable with a different arrangement. We will let you know if your pet needs special scheduling considerations for future appointments.

Photos and Social Media:

• Synergy Pet Salon, LLC and its associates may photograph or film your pet and identify them by their given name on social media, website or in print to advertise, or to show a portfolio. Your name will not be shared, but you are welcome to tag yourself in photos.There is no promised compensation for modeling. If you prefer not to participate, let your stylist know at drop off.

Payment and Pricing:

• You will be given a pricing estimate at drop-off. All of our pricing is custom, so if you are a regular client, while it is possible  that your price will fluctuate less with a regular schedule and consistent groomer, there may be times that it does. We do not quote exact prices, but do guarantee your final price will stay within the estimated range.
• Prices increase every year by Feb 1. Minor adjustments may happen as needed. We do not send out reminders of price increases. 
• Payment is expected in full at the time of pick up.
• We accept credit/debit cards only please. We do not accept cash or checks for grooming services. Tips direct to the groomer may be cash. 

• Our groomers may accept gratuity, cash tips are ok. 

Satisfaction:

We want you to be satisfied with your groom. There are a few things that you can do to help us help you get the best service possible:

• The person who drops off the pet gets their way. We will not accept texted/emailed or phone instructions. If you are particular, please drop off the pet yourself. 99% of dissatisfaction can be avoided by abiding by this simple step!
• Bring pictures of YOUR pet in your favorite clip. We encourage you to take pictures after your visits and save them to show us next time if there is any thing you like or wish to change. The internet can be a great resource for ideas, but frequently Google images shows photos of pets that are a different age, hair type, or even breed and we cannot guarantee that we can make your pet look like a photo of another dog.
• Look your pet over thoroughly when you pick them up. Our stylists work hard to perfect their art, and your feedback is what helps them do so. We don’t get offended, so feel free to let us know if you want something fixed or noted for future visits. If there are any changes you wish us to make, let us know before leaving the salon. Most requests are reasonable ( “I would like a half inch more off the tip of the tail.”) and can be accommodated right then. If there is anything else we can assist you with, we require that you let us know within 48 hours of your service.
• If you loved your service, you are welcome to request the same groomer at your next visit. We usually have 4-5 groomers on staff. Grooming is an art form and everyone has a slightly different style, we welcome you to try us all!