Making more work for yourself

[mylady]

Am I the only one that does this? For example, I had a new Springer client today. He had been shaved down 4 weeks ago and the owner asked that he get a bath, trim his feet and neaten his ears with a sani clip. So what do I do? I take my coat kings to him to get rid of that fuzzy coat he didn't need and then pretty much trimmed him all over. trimmed the back of his legs, undercarriage, hind quarters, ears, stripped out some more caot, carded him really well. I know I was getting nit picky. A groom that should have taken an hour took me almost 2 and I wasn't going to charge them for what I decided on my own to do. I just didn't want him to look shaggy everywhere but his feet. They loved how he turned out, but I'm sitting there thinking to myself, I just made my job twice as long as it had to be. All they wanted was a simple B&B trim and here I am stripping out coat with my coat kings. I tend to do it a lot. People ask for something simple and I make it more complicated because I want it to look perfect.

[4liz2]

your not alone, there's a lot of us that make it more then we should, just because we have pride....or a screw loose.

[Arrooh]

I am a compulsive groomer

I've been known to do a nail trim and just about do a whole trim. My Bath and Tidy's are so tidy. One customer has said to me a few times: Now that's just a bath, remember? I laugh and say I'm doing it for me. I really like to have the dog look real good. As long as I know it's my choice, totally, then it's okay to me.

[Debbiedogs]

As long as...

As long as you tell them that you went ahead and did double the work for "fun", and let them know that it wasn't really just a bath, blah, blah. Or tell them next time when you leave him fuzzy.

You just need to let them know so that their expectations are corrected and so that YOU don't feel you have to work an extra hour for free!!

[BoscoandKoda]

I spent at least two hours on a dog that was suppose to be just a 'feet trim' the head was so uneven, it's legs had puffs of hair on them..I had to trim! In the end he looked awesome though!

[onions]

OMG!
I am QUEEN at that.
"JUST a bath" is not in my vocabulary....

[scrubapup]

LOL!! I do it to myself all the time. I have a Cocker that comes in every 3 weeks. The owner use to bring her in every 6 weeks but then decided she wanted to bring her in for a bath in between grooms. So it's "supose" to be full groom, then 3 weeks later a bath.... 3 weeks later FG, etc, etc.

But I find myself shaving her face and doing alot more trimming then I should on those bath visits just because I can't help myself. Her hair grows so fast it just needs to be trimmed up. lol And of course, I only charge the owner my bath price because that's what she is coming for.

[flyingfur]

I do the same thing! and people notice! Apparently I'm the only groomer in town who uses an Hv and a furminator on labs, coat king on goldens, etc. I simply have to do the best I can on every dog.

[KarlaSnyder]

You are not alone! It's amazing how much hair is on the floor for "just a bath".

[Kubota]

If I have some extra time, I will do the same. But I always let the owners know that I "threw in a little extra trimming today".
Some days, I just don't have the extra time to spend and I wouldn't want them to be disappointed next time.
I find it very hard to let a dog leave when I know that it could look better with just that little bit of extra time and effort. While I remind myself that the owner gets what they pay for, I'm always thinking that they are also my walking advertisement. Where does it end???? LOL

[tia2370]

I find myself doing extra work sometimes, too. If I have a little time, my light trims get all the crazy hairs trimmed off and puppies in puppy training get a little extra shaping up all over if they're decently behaved. I think a lot of my clients like the extra effort because they ask to come back to me! One did give her dog a funny look, though, when I touched up her dog's spots. She didn't say anything, but she looked very closely at her dog. I had to look away to keep from laughing. She's such a sweet lady. I didn't know about making the spots pop before I started reading her and decided to try it on her papillon. She looked fantastic!

[Jenneversage64]

In the long run

it should make your job easier next time. If you love it that way, then that is your reward. I sure hope all those clients appreciate you. I often offer for free to fix a head or something on the other dog. Last time I fixed a face a former groomer left uneven and not trimmed into the neck on the Powder Puff, she did NOT appreciate it. I am now nervous to trim him this week. Chinese Powder Puff dog.

[Poodleluv]

Huh! I resemble that remark!

This is Frederick. He comes for a dremel every 2 weeks. His Dad pays only for the dremel. that is fine with me. but wait! I see dandruff flecks,no shine in the coat,shedding hair,so out comes the latex gloves,a spritz of witch hazel,a spritz of crown royal,the furminator,and a pile of hair. LOLOh ,and some strange compulsion to peer into those gigantic ears and make sure they are clean,and wipe em out gratis with my epi if they are not!He hates his nails done ,but loves the rest.

[mylady]

Aww, with that face how could you not! LOL. Bassett right? Everyone I've met has hated their nails done!
I used to have a client come to the salon for a nail and foot trim on his golden. She always had matts in her hindquarters and tail and I just couldn't let her leave like that, so I would always brush them out as well.
The two cavs I did today, I think most of the groomers around here see them as easy bath dogs, but of course I have to coat king, strip, blah blah blah. The female I did today gets that fu-manchu looking mustache on her face and I finger pluck that out. Today I met the owners daughter, who is a groomer that lives in NJ. I kept wondering if she was going to be going over my work, I was a little nervous! LOL.
On a side note, the springer I did today had markings like a tri color Cav in the face. I've never seen that before. Is that possible in a pure bred Springer or would that mean he may have something else in him? Just curious.

[arlaede]

I too do this all of the time! Just can't help it! Cavilers are the worst...mistakenly priced them as bath/minor trim and end up full grooming all of them for the price of a bath minor trim....no wonder I'm seeing SO many!

Re-pricing starts as soon as I run out of brochures!