Not only do I have to have mad grooming skills....

[lefty]

but I have to be a mind reader as well. I love it when they bring a dog in and say, "you know, make him look cute." I really try to probe to see what they want, length, style, etc... I even have pictures for them to look at. But some clients just won't give it up for anything. Funny how some people are. So I just do the dog like I think it should look, and chalk it up.

[geddy]

yes, i know what you mean. that ... or yes, give him a puppy cut. Good lord. They assume its an actual style and we all do a puppy cut the exact same length or something.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Karen,

Call that an opportunity! An opportunity to show 'em how good their dog can look!!!! I love it when they leave it up to me. I'm like, "Alrighty!" and I make it look as cute as possible. I love their reaction upon pick up. They're not allowed to argue, because they left it all up to me, so it's their own fault!

Tammy in Utah

[padalin]

i know what you mean

haha I think we all get that.
The other day my front desk forgot to have someone fill out the form so they called to see what exactly the client wanted.. He said make her look cute.. Like last time.. THE DOG HAD NEVER BEEN TO US BEFORE.
So then he proceeds to write a big long letter to my boss about how much he loved the cut and had just moved to town and we had a customer for life.. Go figure..
I used the groomer psychic network to figure out what he had last time I guess..

[kats_melody]

I used the groomer psychic network to figure out what he had last time I guess..

Aren't they expensive? The infomercials on TV say a dollar a minute.

I often wonder why Dionne Warwick's Psychic Friends Network never saw their bankruptcy on the psychic horizon? :-)

[louie]

haha I think we all get that.
The other day my front desk forgot to have someone fill out the form so they ...
I used the groomer psychic network to figure out what he had last time I guess..

your avatar photo is the best i have seen! so adorable!

great story too!

If a new client tells me to just make the dog look cute, i am fine with that BUT if a client has a tude and says "you are the professsional, do your job and make the dog look cute....." THEN i walk. Did that twice in 9 years. So much fun to just walk back to my van and drive away from a pita.

[wet noze]

These people don't know what they want. lol Yup, you gotta go with your gut. These dogs are fun....no expectations.

[RileysRoost]

but I have to be a mind reader as well. I love it when they bring a dog in and say, "you know, make him look cute." I really try to probe to see what they want, length, style, etc... I even have pictures for them to look at. But some clients just won't give it up for anything. Funny how some people are. So I just do the dog like I think it should look, and chalk it up.

I actually give a small discount for "Groomer's Choice." I'm finding that quite a few people out there really understand that dog hair is a renewable resource (mostly) and pet styles aren't set in stone-they can change like people can. They give me no instructions at all and understand that I could shave their dog, dye it blue and give it a red mohawk...they just never know. (Not that I've ever done that-I wish!) But it does help with the wishy-washy people and I don't have to try to match whatever picture is or isn't in their head. I just ask some questions about the lifestyle of the dog and try to match the picture that forms in MY head.