corporate vs. vet grooming ??

[saintlover]

so i have been grooming 4 yrs. corporate grooming salon. love grooming, love the stress, no lunches etc. etc. i would say i am ready for a scene change. the 18 yr old bathers that dont care one way or the other what there dogs look like. feeling like its a fight for dogs when its slow. (7 groomers soon to be 9) and of course the corporate have to's that make no sense. so i have been thinking about going to a vet's office and grooming around august when things get slower again. no place in mind just curious as to what people think of vet grooming? pros and cons. talk to me people

[mary1982]

sounds familiar

Go For It!

[happy trails]

I did exactly that never regretted it but recently went mobile

[astrordog]

corp.vs vet grooming

I work in a vet office and am very happy with it. But, it depends on the doc you are working for. Mine understands how much $ I generate, not only in grooms, but ear checks, vacc, skin checks, etc. He bought me a Hydrosurge and is in the process of getting me a clipper vac system. He basically purchases all my needs without question. But, I have worked for a vet who didn't get it, was so cheap and tight he squeeked when he walked.

astrordog

[Helly]

You work for a corporate shop and don't get a lunch break? When I worked for corporate we HAD to take a lunch break, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Anyway, working for a vet can have it's ups and downs. How well it works out sometimes depends on the vet. Some are easy to work for and some a prima donnas with egos the size of Texas. If the vet's staff is making your appointments, they can make your life hell. Or they can make your job as smooth as silk.

Grooming for a vet means you'll probably be doing sedation grooming, not on every animal, of course, but you'll be getting those bad apples that get fired from every shop in town. The vet might ask you to clip animals that are in pretty bad shape. I did more severely matted dogs, more maggot dogs, dogs with mats over their butt so severe that they couldn't defecate...until I shaved the mats. Then it was "Katy, bar the door!"

But when grooming for a vet, you have a ready made clientele to tap into. You have a vet available if a pet becomes ill or is injured. You have vet techs to assist if you get a pet that needs restraint. And they know how to properly restrain, too.

You'll learn a lot, working for a vet. Most vets are willing to teach you, or have their techs teach you, because there are times when every pair of hands is needed, like emergency c-sections. Especially if you're working for a small clinic with only one vet and one tech.

I say give it a try. It's a wonderful opportunity to expand your knowledge, and can be very rewarding.

[Jadenlea]

I have done it since 91 (vet grooming) and have absolutely loved it. I love having all the other people around me who love animals and have their best interest at heart. I love that if anything ever were to happen the vets are right there. I love the chance for the extra learning about all kinds of things I wouldnt have learned working in just a grooming place. And one of the nicest benefits is knowing that MY OWN pets will always be taken care of if anything happens. Vet care is expensive and I know that none of those vets would let my pets die if I had a catastrophic accident happen to them that I couldnt afford. They would work something out with me. For me thats a big piece of mind. I wouldnt change it for anything and would like to stay there for my whole grooming career.

Now to be honest in the past couple yrs they have added so many medical requirments for people to be allowed to come in and have made it completely inflexible that they may kill grooming there and I may have to move on. People dont want to get every vacs, fecals and exams yrly when they can go down the street and get grooming without needing ANY vaccines

Some things to think about if you are in a vet hosp. You will get many animals refered to you that other groomers wont do. Old, sick, behavior problems, sedations. If you dont like to do those kind of grooms you wont like working in a vet hosp. I dont mind any of those. It makes me feel good to be able to take care of the older ones and the behavior problems are a nice challenge to keep me on my toes. Most groomers dont feel that way though so its something you need to consider.

Another thing to consider is, unless your vet has had groomers there before, most know ABSOLUTELY nothing about grooming so you will want to make sure they are flexible about learning and understanding what it takes to be a good groomer and offer quality work including a well equiped space.

[groominglife]

""But, I have worked for a vet who didn't get it, was so cheap and tight he squeeked when he walked""

That was great!! I really needed that laugh

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I have worked in 3 salons/shops now. This one is an animal hospital and I LOVE IT, I'M SO HAPPY I AM BESIDE MYSELF!!!

It is true, I suppose, that some vets get all the "nasty" dogs in town, but out of 500+ clients, I have 5 dogs that need to be sedated, 3 of those are schnauzers. And actually I can do several of them without sedation, but the hospital owners don't like dog's carrying on because the clients out in the lobby can hear them.

So maybe my situation is different, but I really don't have that many sedation dogs (and those mentioned above come once a year), and by far the majority of my dogs are very well behaved---I think it is because we are an animal hospital, the clients are therefore more likely to be caring for their dogs, more willing to spend a little money for their care and comfort etc...

There is the vet that doesn't "get" grooming, and they don't feel it is important or anything but an extra "service" to offer the clients, but YOUR attitude can make a difference there, as mine has. My vet leaves me alone and lets me run the show because so far, in 1 year, no complaints, lots of compliments from those surveys that owners fill out, etc...they trust me, and I appreciate that trust.

All I can suggest is that you check the place out first, and have a positive attitude, that you know what you're doing, and that you are VERY professional---remember, if you send a client out the door unhappy, the vets may very well lose a client.

Good luck---choosing to work at an animal hospital was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm happy as a clam, can you tell? Lots of job satisfaction here, lol.

Tammy in Utah

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

PS: I failed to add that they have benefits at animal hospitals, though they are probably more expensive, but at many shops there are NO bennies at all.

Tammy in Utah

[groominglife]

I worked at a larger salon and the biggest difference of working there and at my new place is that I made 1000-1200 a week at the large place and here im making 200/week. But this place has never offered grooming before and we are starting to advertise now so(crossing fingers) my paycheck will start changing pretty soon. But seriously I'm loving it so much more than being stressed out everyday and not being able to sleep. Wondering when they'll hire groomer number 12 or something...

[TFTLady]

I "like" working for a corprate and even the stress is ok in moderation. But when im the only person in the shop for over 8 hours becasue the manager is not answering her phone (as usual) and the night groomer needs somone to bond her out of jail ( this one is a great story i just havent had a chance to get it all written out the way i like )

That can make for a person going ok time for a change Which in a way I am getting, becasue of a forced move back to Nevada next week. So fresh start so to speak.

And I've read through all the wonderfull coments about vet grooming on here and when im able i do think that is something ill look into more seriously. IT looks like if you find the right place it can be a fantastic workplace

-Kelly-

[ottatic]

I personally would like to work for a vet office for many reasons but I think the one I like the best is that if I knick the dog, they are right there.

[Misty_Me]

I'm sorry you're having such a bad experience with corporate. I guess I've gotten lucky. My manager is the type who won't make you take a lunch, but doesn't object if you do. If you're starting to lose patience with a dog, she has no problem with you putting the dog back in the kennel and going outside to cool down. She'd rather have you take 5 breaks on one dog than have you lose your temper with it. Now, mind you, if you just goof off you WILL hear about it. I know that no salon is perfect, and I'm going to have irritations wherever I go, so I don't mind putting up with the irritations there. If I come in with a new trick from these boards, everyone encourages me to try it out, and if it works for me, they'll try it too. Now we have a lot more brushing out during the bath as opposed to brushing before the bath. All of us were trained to groom (in my case, will be trained) by the same person, but we all have unique grooming/brushing/scissoring styles. As long as it looks good, it's just fine. Shortcuts are fine, but ONLY if they work. But then, my manager groomed for 12 years at a private salon before going corporate. Maybe that makes it totally different from someone who has just started in corporate and stayed there.

[groominglife]

My manager while I worked corporate was a little loony. You had to brush a dog out before the bath. Or she would come back in the bathing room and freak out cause you didn't get out enough hair???? I'd always say "I do plan on blowdrying and using him/her to release the coat!" Seriously why do I want to brush out a lab if its being shaved? She just stand there and nag and nag. Mostly she'd want you out front because that way you'd be he only person "not grooming" and have to answer all the calls and help all the customers that came in while all the bathers actually hide in the back. I'm not kidding - one girl used to hide behind the cages and eat mcdonalds or talk on her phone. The other one spent more time in the bathroom than in the salon. Plus when you're up front Usually that meant getting 5-10 calls and helping 1-6 walk ins on a slow day. This one also refused to have enough ear cleaner, tooth brushes, paste, or shampoos in stock because it cost to much and she said she wanted her bonuses. So before giving the dog a bath you'd spend 30 minutes or so upfront and not actually brush out the dog because you were to busy. At least 4 people left when I left. And the time that got me most annoyed was when the managers or this ones girls clients would come in and need something fixed. It was always my job to put things down and help them "Because I could fix mistakes" Arg sorry guys just a lonnnnnng rant. I am so happy to not be there.


But the store before that I LOVED until they got a new crazy lady manager who had never managed before and it went to her head quick. It was a good thing I was moving states at that time. But before then we would always have enough shampoo and products and lunch time was your choice to what time you went and if you went. The bathers were more than happy to help you and we would tip them or buy em food. If they wern't busy they'd just grab dogs and start washing.