WEIRD call on Friday

[Angie]

This call was very different, It was in the afternoon and I answer my phone, (the woman is talking to me VERY snotty)

woman: yes, I have 2 shih puppies that I need groomed. I just scissored thier baby fur and I need you to even them up.

me: I can fit them in on such and such day at such and such time. But I am really busy that day so it might take a little longer to get them done.

woman:I will have them bathed for you ,all I need for you to do is to go over them and even them up. I REFUSE to leave my babies where there are other dogs around. All it will take you is 15-20 minutes.

me: I'm sorry, but I don't groom anyone till they have had a bath. That is my policy

woman: I will have them clean for you, I used to be a groomer and all I need is for you to put them on your table and even them up for me, I will NOT leave my babies with you, I have to stay with them.


me: I am sorry that I am not able to meet your needs.

and I hung up.
Dont you think if she was a groomer that she can groom them herself and she understands why I have to bathe them first and why I dont allow the owners to stay? She was a weird one.

[ejmj30]

Annoying.

I don't mind, though, if owners stay. I know it puts their minds at ease. Course I'd rather them not stay, cause it makes my life easier, but they do also see that grooming isn't just clipping a little dog hair, it's a lot more than that. I find a lot of times they appreciate the work a lot more. Not always, but usually.

[astrordog]

wierd call

No one stays, EVER............ Go to a mobile groomer if you insist on this.

Do you think that maybe it was a prank call? Who knows, people can be weird.
I had a woman stop in and wanted me to "set" the pattern on her sch. She grooms them herself (must need to LEARN the correct method), I told her my price; full groom price. "I don't need then bathed, just the pattern set". she needs to investigate and find out how much we pay to go to a grooming school. She gave me a sh grin and walked out. Oh well........................


astrordog

[diamienono]

I allow them to stay as long as it does not affect the dog. If it does your outta here. If they tell me they will have them clean, great, but the price is still the same and you just saved me time thanks. If this lady was a groomer why the heck can't she even them out? Some people are really nuts.

[Helly]

I have a few people I allow to stay, for various reasons. Some dogs (Chows come to mind) behave better if their owner is present.

But the snotty attitude? They can stuff that. I don't need their attitude. I have one of my own that suits me just fine.

[Poodlefluff]

It doesn't sound too weird to me. Those kind of people are who I cater to. When I worked at a salon, we were always getting calls for special request. I didn't care if they stayed, waited, or what ever made them happy. If the dog started freaking out I would just finish them in the back. But now doing the housecall grooming, I will even ask my clients if I need help, they are happy to help. the dog never freaks out because they are home and they feel normal. And as for the no bathing thing if they are puppies she probably has to bathe them a lot anyways. I don't mind not bathing a dog if the owner already has, it saves me time and I give them a few bucks off. As long as they actually get the dog clean. But if she was really ever a groomer she should have understood why you were so busy.

[JJk]

I like bananas from Safeway, not from the other side of the phone.

[Shampooch]

Like the others, I don't mind if the customer stays as long as they don't cause the dog to become squirmy or wild on the table. I would have a problem with not bathing them. Most owners I've encountered don't seem to do a good job in bathing and drying the dog properly, so I prefer do it. I seem to always get a better finish that way. JMO. But I do agree, if she were ever a groomer, I would think that she would be able to scissor, unless she had some sort of health problem that prohibited her from doing so.

[Crystal]

yeah, right and I'm a brain surgeon. Maybe she was just a bather and called herself a groomer.

sounds like she was already mad about something, maybe she was mad that she couldn't scissor evenly. But whatever the reason, your probably better off without her.

[sheilabgroomer]

Send her to Poodlefluff...lol

I am w/Helly on this one. I can tolerate customers staying as long as it doesn't negatively affect the dogs. But, w/an attitude like that she would be the last customer I would want breathing down my neck!!!

[pugnacious]

Guess I'm on the other side because I've never been able to "even -up" shihtzu puppy hair! LOL So if she cut off the baby hair what is left??! ha ha

I may agree to let her come at the end of the day, one time as a special favor but I'd make sure her shihtzu "puppies" weren't 3 years old first.

[Pixie]

My thought exactly, if she is a groomer why can't she do it herself????

I let a few clients stay, only if the dog is good.

I had one client stay, it was her first ever owned puppy and she just didn't know what to expect. It was a Shih Tzu pup, what a wiggly pup (what's new). After I was done she really appriecated what I had to put up with, didn't know it was going to be such a lot of work, gave me a nice tip too. She stayed one other time but now she just leaves him with me and does whatever it is that she needs to do.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Well, I personally don't like it when people stay, but it's not a huge deal for me.

I think with this situation, though, she couldn't guarantee the exact start time / finish time since the groomer is "fitting them in." So that woman MIGHT have to wait an hour, or MIGHT have to wait 3 hours. That makes it hard. I would have responded the same.

Tammy in Utah

[Angie]

Thanks guys for your replys. I do let "certain" people stay if I know them or know the dog. But she started the call really snotty so, I just didnt want to deal with her. I have enough difficult clients as it is. She just rubbed me the wrong way.
By the way, had a cute little heifer calf born yesterday during a nasty storm. She is okay cause mom was in the barn at the time. My cows are chickens when it comes to storms. They hate getting wet so they all stay in the barn. My goats are the same way. If its raining, they stay in.