I cant believe I said this!!!

[petstylist]

As some of you might have read from my other post Im working a friends shop for her while she is out of town the week. (She has the in laws from [email protected]*!) So today a client comes in with her 4 dogs that were down for just baths, and asks if I could squeeze one more in,she and her family were moving back to Omaha because they owned 9 Outback resturants there and had moved down here to help someone in their family open their own Outback,and she wanted them clean before tomorrows move, I asked what kind it was and was it only a bath? Its a Lhasa bath and yes only a bath, Ok bring him in. She goes out to the car and retrives this 40 pound dog with the worst skin infection I have seen in a while and smiles at me as she hands me the leash and the medicated shampoo from her vet.
Ok deep calming breaths just a little medicated bath no biggie, as the woman is walking out she says over her shoulder "Oh! And trim the 2 poms up all over!"
I stop her and ask "So you want them groomed?" "Nope, just bathe them and trim up their feet, rears and make sure to get their chests really short!"
I say (trying to be nice and calm because this isnt my shop and not my client) "Ma'am thats a groom and will be x amount"
She looks me dead in the eye and says "Cant you just bath them, trim them up really good like I asked and only charge me x amount like she does for a bath?"
Well then it happened, like I always knew it would and have tried and tried to keep it inside.
My inside-my-head voice suddenly takes over and I hear the following words issue forth from my mouth: "Ma'am next time I go into an Outback Im going to order the fillet and tell my server that I'm only going to pay the chicken price!"
There was silence and I just stood there, and finally the woman said "Just groom them then!" And walked out, came back a few hours later and paid the bill just as happy as a clam.
I think Im going to need that bottle before tomorrow night....
Tammy

[Raggs]

Good for you... I hate people like that.

I had a client call before to ask if I could bathe is dog that day. I told him only if it's a bath. He said just a bath. Then he walks in and tells me to bathe him really well and shave him like normal. I handed his dog back to him and told him I didn't have time and to make an appointment for later that week to bring his dog in. He said that he called and the girl he talked to said that he could bring the dog in for grooming. I told him that it was me on the phone and that he said it was only a bath and I told him on the phone that I was completely booked (already had 20 dogs in) and could not do another grooming dog. He made an appointment and came then.

[milhasavilla]

That's hilarious Tammy!! You did good I think. I have a hard time saying things the correct way, so I usually don't say much at all when I'm confronted in such a situation. But you handled it superbly imo! I can just imagine the look on that client's face......Looks like you were speaking her language though. Good for you!

[diamienono]

EXCELLENT comeback. ROFL.....I guess she understood know where you are coming from.

[Helly]

Oh, I just love it! Sometimes you just have to put things in a context they can relate to.

I somtimes think people forget that we're people too. I recently had a customer comment on how much her bill was, and asking if I'm aware how much electricity just went up. I said "Yes ma'am. I opened my bill just this morning. Our bill went up 100%. How much did yours go up?"

Stunned silence. I guess it never occurs to folks that the groomer has to pay bills too.

[Chicken]

That's great! I have those exact same thoughts and it's all I can do to bite my tongue some days. You must have been speaking her language though; "filet vs. chicken" she understood!

[SiotehCat]

Nice.

You see, thats something that I would think of saying AFTER the client left. Im just not quick like that. Good for you, though. Someone had to set her straight.

Sio

[lillysmom]

Right on!!

Thats great!! You shouldn't feel bad about your reply.. I think it was witty and not rude... she was being rude trying to take advantage of you. She certainly knew what you meant and that you were not "BATHING" them for free! Good for you.

[GroomSaloon]

1 outback filet mignong - $24.95
1 trip to Omaha - $325

Pet stylists outback remark - PRICELESS!!

[stacie-gotg]

Brave girl that you are that was very good. Got a laugh out of me.

[PAWS]

You Go Girl!!!!

[luvpups]

I think that is funny. You are right to charge for a groom . Sometimes you have to get on their level or they just don't get it. I had a customer the other day, I am mobile and they were saying oh that it is kind of expensive but we'll give it a try. I charged him what I quoted on the high end but after working on the dog that was all matted up I told him that if the dog is in this condition again it will be x amount more. He ws shocked and said he could get it done twice at a shop for that much. Funny thing is though, his car in the garage cost more than my new 2006 WNT van! And they live at a country club. They loved the groom though.

[Mary1980]

That was awesome!! Great come back I would have thought of that one 3 days later lol. She owns all those Outbacks and she's so cheap?? People should not brag about all they have and then want discounts.


Raggs: I love the fact he was talking to you on the phone! I hate when people say other people said things they didn't. It puts people in awkward positions. You got him though!! I love it!!

[ferret]

Muahahhahhaaaa!

Hooray! That was great! You can play on my team with guts like that! lol

[k9stylist1968]

LMAO! You said what we've all wanted to say many many times in this career! Sometimes the mouth engages before the brain, but it sounds like this time it worked in your favor!