well... IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!!

[virgo's merlot]

a lady comes in with a golden retriever.... she's a new client, so i go through the all my general questions about what she wants done. it's a red golden, with out a lot of under coat, easy hair to work with.

me: so how much hair do you want to take off? half off? 3/4 off?
lady: umm, i don't know...
mek. or i can just do a lite all over trim up?
lady: (who is clearly getting agitated) well... IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, JUST CUT THE HAIR!!!

ok..... cooky. so i step back.... there's an awkward silence..... then i say "ok, you got it ma'am."

mean while in my head i say.... yep...... grudge groom for you.

i k7-ed her...... it was liberating..... granted the dog had a glorious coat....

i was pretty nervous upon pick up..... i have to admit.

the lady just cooed... oh how sweet.... you look like a lab.... with her cooky tilted smile....

whether or not that's what she really wanted..... i guess i'll never know...... and i'm sure you guessed already.... no monetary gratitude..... for my non rocket science.

[sittingpretty]

You are brave, but I wouldn't let any client, new or not insult me that way. I would turn it around and ask why it is that she doesn't know how she'd like her dog groomed or why exactly she wants a hair cut...IF that is really what she wants. Then I'd offer suggestions.

Sometimes they do not understand what we actually do and getting them to understand it (and why it may cost a few $$) perhaps is the "rocket science" part.


sittingpretty

[Kifaru]

Glad it worked out for you!

I had a client who was deeply emotionally attached to every last millimeter of every single strand of hair on her little dog's ears and tail. For a long time I harbored fantasies of putting him into a Bedlington trim for that final "don't let the door hit ya" grudge groom. Never did it, but it still makes me happy to picture it.

[merrypuppins]

and

if she wanted a lab she should have gotten a lab!

[gottalovegracie]

Gosh you ARE brave! I always err on the longer side, I guess. If people aren't sure...I can always take more off if necessary. I like your thought though...if she doesn't know, might as well do what's easiest...shave it!!

and "sittingpretty": I love it when they JUST want a little off....ALL OVER! Like that makes it SOOO much easier! NOT! They really have no clue sometimes.

[virgo's merlot]

Glad it worked out for you!

I had a client who was deeply emotionally attached to every last millimeter of every single strand of hair on her little dog's ears and tail. For a long time I harbored fantasies of putting him into a Bedlington trim for that final "don't let the door hit ya" grudge groom. Never did it, but it still makes me happy to picture it.

i had a lady who screamed at me for shaving the poodle tail pom off...... "i was so proud of that tail..... it meant the world to me!!... why did you shave it???... look at the damage you've done" yeah, the whole nine yards, almost in tears.

i simply said, "lady if it meant that much to you then why haven't you brushed it in the last 6 months? it was a matted rock, you obviously weren't too proud of it."


she has since then learned her lesson... and regained her composure..... because that doesn't work on me.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

well... IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

"You're right, Ma'am, it's not, that is why I am not sure why you can't answer my question."

Or how 'bout this one:

"You're right; a rocket scientist couldn't do my job, it would be too complicated."

Seriously though, I NEVER ask how much hair they want taken OFF. I ask them how much hair they want LEFT. They seem to be able to picture the outcome better. Haven't had one person not be able to figure it out with that question.

In fact, I STARTED using that question for the very same situation as yours. The client had a golden, he was on his %$#@ cell phone, and couldn't give me the courtesy of his attention span to tell me what he wanted. He was ALL over the place. Take some off here, some off there, bla bla bla. I asked him if he wanted a setter trim then? So I do a setter trim and his wife shows up the next morning wanting more off. SHE did not know either, (how much lenght off), so I did a #3 blade, lines and everything, lol, and sent the dog home, NEVER to see it or his dumb owners again.

Today, I would guess they wanted a shave down. HOW HARD is it to say, "Short all over?" GRRRR...

Tammy in Utah

[puppy love]

i had a lady who screamed at me for shaving the poodle tail pom off...... "i was so proud of that tail..... it meant the world to me!!... why did you shave it???... look at the damage you've done" yeah, the whole nine yards, almost in tears.

i simply said, "lady if it meant that much to you then why haven't you brushed it in the last 6 months? it was a matted rock, you obviously weren't too proud of it."

LOVE IT!!! I so wish I had the ka-honies to tell clients just like that!
And the buzz clip grudge groom for the bitchy lady - priceless - again, I wish I had the nerve to be so bold....

[k9cosmetologist]

I love crazy

I love your story.
I could not have done it. If people talk down to me I tell them I'm unable to provide them services and show them the door, no time for nut cases!

[Helly]

Personally, anyone who talked like that to me would have been shown the door. But I'm old and crotchity.

I probably would have told her "True, but I'm not a mind reader. If you don't know what you want, how the heck do you expect me to know? And seeing as I don't have my crystal ball in the back room, I think you'd be better off taking your dog to someone who does. Have a nice life."

[lefty]

Personally, anyone who talked like that to me would have been shown the door. But I'm old and crotchity.

I probably would have told her "True, but I'm not a mind reader. If you don't know what you want, how the heck do you expect me to know? And seeing as I don't have my crystal ball in the back room, I think you'd be better off taking your dog to someone who does. Have a nice life."

>>>

Let's hear it for those of us who are old and crotchety! I've gotten meaner as I've gotten older, or maybe as I've gotten more confident in my grooming skills. I usually just say what's on my mind these days. It's like the filter that used to stop me from saying things is permanently in the off position.

[Kindredkiss]

Haha Good for you. I would never have shaved the dog, I tend to stay on the long side when people dont know what they want done.

[celebpet]

Don't you just love the crazy ladies that go buzzerk on you if the groom doesn't come out like they thought it would. It's like they expect them to read their mind or something. I simply show them my notes from our discussion about the type of groom they wanted, appologize if I didn't get it right this time, make a note of it for the next time, and ensure them that hair will grow back in time. Most of them drop it if they see you listening intensly and making notes of it on the grooming car.

Example: I was given a dog when I was in school that no one wanted to do because they lady always would go off on them if it was just not so so. The dogs name was Harpo, of all things, had a bad attitude about being groomed. It was a Cockapoo and she wanted a 10 on the back with a short skirt, but a #3 on the head with a visor, a comb on the legs and a schnauzer beard. Talk about a nutty trim. I had a Cookapoo at the time (has passed away since then)and knew how to make them look good. I looked at the teach with a puzzled look on my face and said, You got to be kidding me! She laughed and said she's the customer just do it.

Well at the end of the day when she came in she was finally happy with the groom, I got a big tip and the lady told the receptionist that was the best her dog had ever looked.

The funny thing was she asked if she could schedule her next appointment and requested I groom the dog again. They had to tell her that I was student getting ready to graduate and I wouldn't be there to do Harpo the next time. I felt sorry for the next student who was going to get this dog, but in the long run it helped me understand how to decifer a clients request and do some really crazy blending techinques.

[Helly]

I just had one of those "Speak of the Devil" moments today. I too got the lady without a clue, and the "It's not rocket science. Just cut his hair."

My response? "Now you wouldn't say something like that to your own stylist, would you? Of course not. Because you know the wrong instructions will get you the wrong haircut, 100% of the time. So if I'm going to give Phydough the right haircut, I have to know what that is. And the only person who can tell me is YOU."

And then I shut up and waited. After a brief silence, she said "Oh. Yes, I understand." and proceded to tell me exactly what she wanted.

Sometimes you have to punt the ball into their territory, and see where they run with it.

[Peaster]

It was awhile ago but I had one of these too. It was a guy with a springer and the only thing I could get out of him was that he diden't like the last groom. Well after going around in circle trying to figure out what he DID or DIDEN'T like. Wouldn't tell me either. I finely had enough and point blank told him "Well sir if you won't tell me what you want or what you don't I can't garentee you will like this haircut either" He chewed on that for a moment and went I want.....and got a hair cut he wanted.

The really funny part of this story was the look on our bathers face at the time. One of those gentle souls who could never say anything negative or stand up to anyone and would do anything to avoid conflict. When I basicly started telling a client off in front of her. LOL too funny.