When something breaks — a van, a groomer calls out, an incident with a pet or client — your job is to keep the schedule intact and get the right help. Two field guides exist for the details: the [Equipment Troubleshooting Field Guide](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/groomingops-manual/articles/1783138715-van-equipment-troubleshooting-field-guide) and the [Operations & Incident Field Guide](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/groomingops-manual/articles/1783138715-van-operations-incident-field-guide). Use them. They cover Wag’n’Tails Ultra vans, including CleanPower System Endura vans, in a symptom → steps → escalate format.

## General incident flow

1. Stabilize: make sure any pet, person, or groomer is safe first.
2. Diagnose using the matching field guide (symptom → steps).
3. If the steps don’t resolve it, escalate — the guides use consistent “get with management” language for exactly this point.
4. Protect the schedule: reassign, reschedule, or rebook affected appointments so clients aren’t left hanging.
5. Communicate: tell affected clients proactively if their appointment is impacted.
6. Log it in Slack so there’s a record and so it’s picked up if it carries into another day.
## Common scenarios

| **Scenario** | **First move** |
| --- | --- |
| Groomer calls out | Try to cover the van with another groomer; if impossible, contact affected clients and reschedule them to the soonest available slots. Treat the freed slots as gaps to fill elsewhere. |
| Van equipment failure | Use the [Equipment Troubleshooting Field Guide](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/groomingops-manual/articles/1783138715-van-equipment-troubleshooting-field-guide). If the van can’t run, reschedule that van’s day and escalate the repair to management. |
| Pet or client incident | Use the [Operations & Incident Field Guide](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/groomingops-manual/articles/1783138715-van-operations-incident-field-guide). Stabilize, document, and escalate per its steps. |
| Access / no-show at the door | Attempt contact immediately; if unreachable, follow the no-show process and free the slot — a reminder this is what confirmation the day before prevents. |

> **ESCALATE EARLY:** It is always better to escalate something that turns out to be minor than to sit on something that becomes a client-losing or safety problem. When the field guide says “get with management,” do it.