Soooooo Insulted!

[CountryCanines]

My shop has hit the 4 1/2 mark of being opened (woohoo). Anyway, one of my hubbys co-workers wives asked if I would like to go on vacation w/her this summer with our kids. I explained that I already had a vacation planned in August so I couldnt shut the shop down anymore then that this summer. I went on to say that hopefully in the future I will have another groomer I can trust enough, so I can do more things like that w/my kids in the summer.... etc etc.


So she then says "I'll come groom for you.".......Well, her mother in law owns a boarding kennel in another state so I thought maybe she had been trained or whatever, so I say " You know how to groom? , I didnt know that!" - well then she says what we all hate to hear....

"What's there to know? Ya shave em and bathe em"

Ughhhhhh <banging head on table>

[Helly]

Ignorance is bliss...for the ignorant. Invite her to spend a day with you at your shop. Give her a couple of dogs to bathe, preferably ones with icky skin, and ask her what type of shampoo she thinks would be best. Slap a brush in her hand and tell her "Have at it dear. Just be sure you brush all the way to the skin. And while you're brushing, be sure you don't bruise or burn the skin." Ask her opinion when you're working on a dog "What do you think? A 4 or a 5? Do you think a reverse clip might look better? What about the ears? Shorten them or leave them long and just tidy the ends? Let her dry a dog, then hand it back and say "It's curly. Wet it down and dry it again, and this time, get it straight!"

If that doesn't cure her ignorance, nothing will. But I'd be willing to bet she'll run, screaming for mercy, if you ever suggest that she "help" you again.

[milhasavilla]

banging my head on the table with ya here! I'm planning on hiring a bather this Spring. Don't care if he/she's all that untrained, I can help in that area. So, I've already had a couple girls hear thru the grapevine that I was planning on hiring, and want to get a job lined up when school's out. So far none of them have even asked what's involved or even say anything about loving animals or wanting to work with them - which usually is a famous phrase when replying/inquiring to an animal related job. It's frustrating, now I'm thinking maybe I don't want to hire someone - I don't want someone who just thinks this is just a job and nothing else...ahhhhhh! I can't imagine hiring a groomer and she gave the response you just received. At least she gave you fair warning and you can look else where.

[poodle_Trouble]

Milhasaville(sp?)

If I was closer I'd work for. Seriously I am having troubles finding anyone who'll hire a bather many here want groomers.

[lbboop99]

I like what Helly said!
I had a woman a few years ago tell me that she was thinking of opening a grooming shop because she saw how well I was doing, she said "all it is is just some shampoo and clippers"! I was floored, she never did open one up, but if she did, she would be out of business fast with just shampoo and clippers!

[Chicken]

We had a customer come in with two awful looking yorkies. I mean, they looked like deranged squirrels they were so hacked up. Mom explained to us that she usually grooms them herself & keeps them in this "perfect show cut" and was thinking of opening a groom shop before we did.

So just to be mean, I said "Oh really? Where did you graduate from grooming school? Oh, you didn't? Really, so what kind of certifications fo you have?? Oh, none of those either, hmmm."

[pugnacious]

LOL Yeah everyone thinks it's a snap. My husband's bosses wife has really wanted me to start training a groomer so in a few years I can retire. She always raves about how beautiful her dogs look! So the last time she asked me if I was going to start training someone, I asked her, "Can we practice on YOUR dogs??!!"

[astrordog]

Good response "pugnacious".
Unless you've groomed it's a waste of time to try and explain it to anyone, and I mean anyone. My Hubby works long hard hrs and it's stressful, but he doesn't understand my job much at all. What he remembers is me being off at 10:00 or noon. I work at a vet clinic and they answer the phone, make appts take dogs out,etc. I'm on comm. only, if my clippers aren't running I'm not getting paid.
I've paid my dues, been a groomer a long time and did my time sitting waiting to build a bus. and let dogs out to go home. Now I have a grooming job that actually has some perks. I don't even have to clean my grooming area, I get done put my tools away and like magic it's clean the next day.

astrordog

[sheilabgroomer]

Several months ago I went to chain store to see what kind of grooming books they had in store. I was actually looking for Notes and didn't find it on the shelves, so I asked an employee if she could look it up. She looked on the puter and said they didn't carry it but they could order it. Then she looked again and said "This thing costs $xxx!! Fora book on GROOMING DOGS!!!! What is there to know!!! I was just standing there with my mouth dropped thinking, "wow, great customer service"....lol
People can be so tactless and not even realize it. Like I have heard said before, if it were easy everyone would do it.

[poodle_Trouble]

Try going to High school Saying you want to get into a Professional Business and when asked what Career I chose, Computers? I answer Pet Grooming" And most Laugh at me. My friends Can't believe I think It's a "Professional" career.
Mostly I get:
"You want to smell like a dirty dog?"
"That's not a REAL job"
"You are CRAZ, Aren't you?"
"Ya, Okay there, Ready to go to the Pyscho Ward now?"

I get so annoyed at people that I want to throw them across the room and out the windows. LOL

[pamperedpups]

Hmmm.

Edited.

[diamienono]

make her do the anal glands hehe. That might change her mind. Then make her shave a matted poop bum

[Sweetpea]

Ugh! That makes me so mad. When I first started grooming, i would tell everyone about it because i was so excited, and they would give me this reaction like, oh you'll know later on what you really want to do. I discovered quickly that some people really look down on this profession. This older guy I was talking to , ya know just chit chat, was telling me how he wakes up every day at 5am goes golfing, starts the day early so he can get a lot done bla bla bla. and i said something like that's kinda crazy waking up at 5 everyday when you don't even have to ( but in a funny joking way) and he said well I guess it is but you wash dogs for a living. The way he said it, just made me feel like I could be doing something soooo much better. Nope, don't think so I like "washing dogs"!! I just wanted to slap him! lol I just wanted to say it's a lot more than washing dogs. He thinks we just dunk them in a bucket of soapy water, throw a towel on their head, slap 'em on the butt and send 'em home. Sheeesh

[misscatahoula]

I don't like that dog groomer isn't often viewed as a real profession, but I'm not surprised by it. When I had to get my mortgage the broker asked for my occupation and yearly income. When I told him Dog Groomer he looked at me funny and said " I didn't know you could actually make a living doing that". My yearly showed clearly I could,lol. When I had to set up my business account with the bank, the manager needed the occupational code for dog groomer to set it up. Dog groomer doesn't have it's own code here in Sask. I'm down as Other, which covers groomers, psychics, birthday party clowns, etc. Not knocking clowns & psychics either, so if any of you do that too don't be mad at me! Just wish grooming was given more recognition for being a real job.

[sheilabgroomer]

When I first started grooming years ago, I would actually hate for someone to ask what I did for a living. I was sometimes embarassed. Shame on ME!!!! Now I am very proud to say that I am a groomer. We have come a long way in a short time. When I first started out lots of the groomers you met were not exactly the kind of people you brought home to meet Mother. But thanks to education and advancements in techniques groomers are as respectable and noble a profession as any other! Sure, there are still people out there that don't get this, but they are becoming fewer and farther between!