How would you deal with....

[alina1686]

I have a woman that comes in with her 2 westies every 6 weeks. Over time I have learned to groom them perfectly! But she asks for a discount, she pays $2 less than everyone else and her price has not been raised in 4 years!!!! (I got her as a customer from my previous job that closed down)

Anyways, she comes in and every time she get the SAME EXACT haircut. She complains pretty much every other time that she comes in. Listen to her complaint last time...this is how it went:

1."OOOHHHH they look soooo cute!"
2."Maggie's face looks really short, did you have to cut a lot off of it?" Me: no actually i didn't cut much off at all.
3. "Did you even cut her face?"
4. "Did they even get haircuts?"
5. "Let me smell them to see if they are clean"

So she pretty much just insulted me & my bather and accused us of not washing or grooming her dogs?

How do you go from "Oh they look so cute!" to "did you even wash them"

So like I said she is the only one that pays $2 less than everyone else and my prices are going up $1 in January for the first time in 2 years. Always a complainer, never happy!!!

What would you do? Because I am 2 seconds away from sending her to a different groomer...I figure if she is THAT unhappy with my services, why has she been coming to me for 4 years??????AND she leaves a tip...

[RudyRoo]

Smile,, ignore her complaining, groom her dogs and take the tip,,,,lol

[4Sibes]

What would I WANT to do? Well...when she got to #5, "Let me smell them to see if they are clean"...my response would be "start w/ their butts, I'm not sure we got them really clean back there?.

Seriously...I would raise her to the same price everyone else pays.

And I would remind myself (as I was raising her $) that she is just one of these few people that never feels like they fully got their money's worth...unless they complain.

I have about 10 clients like that...it's just part of who they are, and they are unwelcome at other grooming establishments because of it.

It's like my parents always said..."if you are gonna cry, I'm gonna give you something to cry about".

[aussiecrazy]

Can I come work for you 4sibes!!!! LMAO!!! I am so the same way about telling people how it is....I think we would have a blast! It would only be a short 4-5 hour commute from VA to MMD every morning but s worth it to watch you in action...lol.

[alina1686]

LOL

Yea, its the same thing everytime...She actually comes in with checks already written out, without asking how much it's going to be first! It's so annoying, the funny thing is that she actually referred other westies to me & those people come in every time saying how they are "customers for life" and "my dog has never looked this good"...Funny huh..

[Whipple]

I agree with 4sibes. Id up her price to the same as everyone else. Then if she complains, complain right back about rent prices. Or shampoo costs or something. If your willing to ship her off might as well get your moneys worth before she leaves.

[Jenneversage64]

I had a Westie client today

First time for me. The dog is 12 and she claims the former groomer from another state cut the tip of his tail off. It looked normal to me. I can't think she meant the actual bone, but she said it was and ever since the dog has been nervous. So she HAD to stay in the rig with me. I hate that. He did have rescue remedy I told her to get. And I tried the groomers' helper that did calm him some. But her hands were in my way, etc. Then he has to poop after the bath while I am drying. So I wait while my generator is using up gas and he never poops outside, and he comes back in. It was nearly impossible to trim his legs because I can't lifem due to bad hips. I could not get his head good and he didn't get his back trimmed as she requested. I offered to do his nails but she said no, she would do them. She was rude in her comments and I could tell she was expecting a miracle, yet she had to see he was IMPOSSIBLE to work on. I got my money and left. I didn't give her a card. She has a Scottie female I did not groom and said she is good for the most part. I wonder what part that is? Climbing out of the rig? Doesn't like nails done. Have you EVER had a Scottie that didn't try to bite for nail trims? This dog scratched my arms up trying to push me away, as many Westies do. She might think I am incompitant, but her dog is older now, and not what he maybe once was. As far as her husband dieing recently, I do not know if that affects the dogs' behavior. Do you? So, he had a lot of problems for me to deal with. UGH!

[Jadenlea]

I think some people are chronic complainers. They see life through a different lens then most of us. What we hear as complaining from them is just "Their way" and probably doesn't mean what we think we are hearing.

As long as she isn't rude I personally would just let it roll off me and not take it personally. It sounds like these dogs are easy money for you, coming every 6 weeks. They are probably not matted and are well behaved. PLUS she is a customer, quaranteed to refer people to you (since she already has) and that is very valuable in itself. To me it would be silly to send them away.

As for actually how to deal with her, I usually nod and agree about prices when people complain. "I hear ya..the price of everything is going up these days" in an empathetic voice and I am not bullcrapping them because its the truth! I don't apologize for the price but I can empathize with having to part with the money. If they complain about the groom itself Ill ask if there is something they would like changed or say "Ill make a note so we do such and such next time"

[alabamagroomer]

I have a client like that...

She would come in 1 week and say she wasn't short enough last week, the next time, she was too short. Ears, tail, eyebrows, you name it, she has complained!

One day, I had it! I very professionally told her that it seems that I have been unable to meet her expectations and that I would like to recommend another groomer - one that I think may be a better fit for her. I did say that I hated losing Molly and she was a pleasure to groom, but that I really just wanted her to be happy with the service.

She was shocked! She said, why do you think I don't like how you groom her? We love you! She really had no idea! We laughed about it, and now she seems pretty happy most of the time. (I groom her dog every 2 weeks) She still complains and makes comments, but I have just accepted that that's who she is.

As for the $$$, raise her price, girlfriend! If you have to put up with this, at least get paid full price for it!!!

[CAAW]

Uh yeah we've put everyone up to the same price. it just sin't fair for anyone's to be cheaper. And I'd make it worth your time..... At least go up 2-3 bucks.... We plan on increasing every other year, 3 the first, 2 the next. Keeps it ending in evens or 5's...

[kwpgrooming]

Yea, its the same thing everytime...She actually comes in with checks already written out, without asking how much it's going to be first! It's so annoying, the funny thing is that she actually referred other westies to me & those people come in every time saying how they are "customers for life" and "my dog has never looked this good"...Funny huh..

Let her know how much her new price will be before she shows up with the check. I agree with the others go up to the same price everyone else is paying.

[flyingfur]

What would I WANT to do? Well...when she got to #5, "Let me smell them to see if they are clean"...my response would be "start w/ their butts, I'm not sure we got them really clean back there?.

Wow, Sibes, that should be in the "comebacks" thread!!

[Ali Kat]

What's wrong with simply being direct?
"So let me make sure I understand you. You are saying you believe I didn't complete the haircut and didn't give your dog a bath and I'm still charging you for it. I value my honesty and integrity above all else, so if you truly believe I would do that, I will not be your pet's groomer. Do you really believe I am dishonest and stealing from you?"
If you allow yourself to be a door mat, don't complain about the shoe prints. We can stand up for ourselves without being rude, confrontational, passive/aggressive. Of course, after they leave, a mini meltdown might be in order.....

[puppy love]

Uh yeah we've put everyone up to the same price. it just sin't fair for anyone's to be cheaper. And I'd make it worth your time..... At least go up 2-3 bucks.... We plan on increasing every other year, 3 the first, 2 the next. Keeps it ending in evens or 5's...

I am raising my prices after the first of the year. I have not raised my prices in about 3 years on existing customers(yeah,yeah, I know I should have) but I am going up 5 bucks per dog on Jan 1. Multi pet homes of 3 or more will get a break on the 3rd dog, but everyone else goes up. New clients have been paying the new price for about 6 months.

And I'm with everyone else, if you gotta hear her lip everytime she picks up her dog, at least get paid for it. I LOVE Sibes response! That would shut her up about asking if they smell clean!

[dogspaw]

What's wrong with simply being direct?
"So let me make sure I understand you. You are saying you believe I didn't complete the haircut and didn't give your dog a bath and I'm still charging you for it. I value my honesty and integrity above all else, so if you truly believe I would do that, I will not be your pet's groomer. Do you really believe I am dishonest and stealing from you?"
If you allow yourself to be a door mat, don't complain about the shoe prints. We can stand up for ourselves without being rude, confrontational, passive/aggressive. Of course, after they leave, a mini meltdown might be in order.....

That is great! Simple and to the point.

I would raise her price at LEAST up to what everyone else is paying. If she does not like it and goes elswhere, you loose the headache. If she stays and pays it, you know she really does like what you do and is just one of "those" type people.