AI Receptionist for Pet Grooming & Boarding
Frontivo.io is a 24/7 AI receptionist for pet groomers, mobile groomers, kennels, catteries and dog daycares. It answers calls, website chats and texts in seconds, asks the pet's breed, size, coat and handling needs, books grooms with the right duration on your calendar, explains your prices, vaccination requirements and drop-off times from your own information, and takes boarding and daycare requests for your team to confirm. It never gives veterinary advice and points owners of a sick or injured pet to their vet. All-in-one plans start at $299/month (Phone Only $199/month, Website Chat Only $149/month), and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.
14-day free trial · No credit card · 14-day money-back on your first payment · Keep your number by forwarding it
Hi, can I book a groom for my dog this week? She's a cockapoo.
Of course! When was her last groom, and is her coat matted at all?
About three months ago. A bit matted behind the ears.
Thanks. A full groom for a cockapoo takes about 2 hours and starts at $85. With some matting the groomer may add a dematting charge of $10 to $20 and will confirm it before starting. We have Thursday at 9:00 AM or Friday at 1:00 PM Mountain. Which works?
What can an AI receptionist do for a pet grooming or boarding business?
Grooms booked by breed and size
Asks the breed, size, coat condition and date of the last groom, then books the service with the right duration — a bath for a small terrier is not a full groom for a doodle.
Prices from your own list
Quotes your grooming prices by size or breed exactly as you entered them, and says the groomer confirms the final price for matted coats or extra handling.
Boarding and daycare requests
Takes the dates, number of pets, feeding and medication notes and vaccination status, then creates a lead with the details for your team to confirm the stay.
Vaccination and first-visit rules
Explains which vaccinations you require, temperament assessments for daycare and what to bring, so first-time customers arrive ready.
Mobile grooming areas
Checks the customer's address or ZIP or postal code against your mobile grooming area before offering times.
Appointment reminders
Texts a reminder before each booked groom, so fewer appointments are missed and your table stays full.
Pet emergencies go to a vet
If an owner describes a sick, injured or distressed pet, it tells them to contact their vet or an emergency vet right away. Any incident during a groom or stay goes straight to your team.
Why groomers and kennels miss bookings
Groomers have their hands full — a wet dog on the table and clippers running — so the phone goes to voicemail all day. Pet owners book whoever answers, especially before holidays, when every groomer and kennel fills up. Boarding enquiries for school holidays arrive all at once, and each one needs dates, pet details and vaccination status before you can say yes.
How does Frontivo.io book a groom with the right time slot?
A sample conversation. Prices and names are examples — Frontivo.io only quotes the prices and details you give it.
Caller
Hi, can I book a groom for my dog this week? She's a cockapoo.
Frontivo.io AI
Of course! When was her last groom, and is her coat matted at all?
Caller
About three months ago. A bit matted behind the ears.
Frontivo.io AI
Thanks. A full groom for a cockapoo takes about 2 hours and starts at $85. With some matting the groomer may add a dematting charge of $10 to $20 and will confirm it before starting. We have Thursday at 9:00 AM or Friday at 1:00 PM Mountain. Which works?
Caller
Thursday at 9. She had her shots last year — is that okay?
Frontivo.io AI
We ask that every dog is up to date on rabies and distemper vaccinations, so please bring her vaccination record or have your vet send it before Thursday. Can I have your name, her name and your mobile number?
Caller
Dana Price, she's Biscuit, 555-617-3390.
Frontivo.io AI
Biscuit is booked for a full groom on Thursday at 9:00 AM Mountain. I've texted you the confirmation with our vaccination requirements. See you both Thursday!
How do you set up an AI receptionist for a pet grooming business?
- 1
Tell Frontivo.io about your business: services, prices by size or breed, groom lengths, boarding and daycare rules, vaccination requirements and hours — type them in or import a page from your website.
- 2
Set your rules — what counts as urgent, when to transfer to your team, which groom times can be booked — then test every channel in the Channel Tester.
- 3
Forward your business line (or get a new Frontivo.io number: in seconds in the US and Canada, after a documents check in most other countries) and paste one line of code to add the chat and voice widget to your website.
What to add to your knowledge base
- Full grooms by size and breed
- Bath and tidy
- Nail trims and add-ons
- Puppy and cat grooming
- Boarding and cattery stays
- Dog daycare and temperament assessment
- Vaccination requirements
- Drop-off, pick-up and cancellation policy
Works with the tools you already use
- Your business phone number. Forward your existing line, or get a new number.
- Google & Outlook Calendar. Checks live availability before it books, so slots aren't double-booked.
- Website chat, text, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger & email. One AI receptionist answers on every channel with the same knowledge (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email are on Growth, or each on its own single-channel plan). WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger open soon, once Meta's approval is through: reserve WhatsApp Only, Instagram Only, Messenger Only or Growth at no charge.
- Zapier, webhooks and API. Send every new lead and booking to the other software your grooming and boarding business runs on through Zapier, Make, signed webhooks or the API (on Growth; opens soon, reserve it at no charge). Google Sheets and Slack or Teams alerts work on every plan.
What are missed calls costing your grooming and boarding business?
Adjust the sliders to your own numbers.
Estimated extra revenue if those callers book
$2,208/month
- Phone Only plan
- -$199
- Net per month
- $2,009
Pays for itself after 3 jobs a month.
An estimate from your own numbers, not a promise. Prices in US dollars.
Start free trialFrontivo.io vs voicemail vs an answering service for pet grooming & boarding
Voicemail
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- No
- Knows your urgent calls
- No
- Channels
- Phone only
Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai)
- Cost
- Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Often (Calendly or Google Calendar)
- Knows your urgent calls
- Follows your script
- Channels
- Phone; live chat or texts with some providers
In-house receptionist
- Cost
- About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits)
- Hours
- Business hours
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- One call at a time
Frontivo.io
- Cost
- From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon)
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Option | Cost | Hours | Books on your calendar | Knows your urgent calls | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | 24/7 | Phone only | ||
| Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai) | Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls | 24/7 | Often (Calendly or Google Calendar) | Follows your script | Phone; live chat or texts with some providers |
| In-house receptionist | About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits) | Business hours | One call at a time | ||
| Frontivo.io | From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included | 24/7 | Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon) |
Sources: Ruby and Smith.ai pricing pages (checked September 28, 2026); US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Receptionists (2025 median pay) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026, benefits 30% of compensation). US prices from the sources above; other providers and countries vary. Frontivo.io prices are in US dollars.
For groomers and kennels the difference that matters most is booking the right time slot: Frontivo.io asks the breed, size and coat before booking, so a quick bath and a full doodle groom never get the same slot.
How much does an AI receptionist for a pet groomer cost?
Groomers, kennels and dog daycares can start on Starter ($299/month): phone, website chat and text, with 300 AI voice minutes (about 100 calls), 300 website chats and 300 AI text replies, plus live call transfer to your team, appointment reminders and the Leads and Customers pages. Businesses that also want WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email choose Growth ($549/month; opens soon, reserve it at no charge) for all 7 channels, with 450 minutes (about 150 calls), 600 conversations and 500 text replies, plus review requests, follow-up texts and analytics. Calls and website chat work from day one; texting switches on after carrier approval for your number. Annual plans save 15%, extra usage is billed per unit or can be set to pause at your allowance, and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no card and no setup fee (your phone number is connected when you subscribe, and WhatsApp comes with WhatsApp Only or Growth, which open soon). Need just one channel? Phone Only is $199/month, and single-channel plans start at $99/month. Several locations or 1,500+ minutes a month? Talk to us about a custom plan. Prices in US dollars.
Compare all plansFAQ
Pet Grooming & Boarding: FAQ
Straight answers about how Frontivo.io works for pet grooming & boarding.
- Yes. You add each service with its length — for example small, medium and large full grooms — and it picks the right one after asking about the pet's breed, size and coat.
Still have questions?
Pick whatever's easiest. We're happy to help.
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Answer calls 24/7.
Website chat can be live in about 15 minutes, and your phone number is connected when you subscribe. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- 14-day free trial
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime
Several locations, a team, or a custom setup? Talk to sales