Did the customer freak out?

[Luvkitties]

So if you have cut a dog, have you ever had a customer freak out?

If so, what did you say to calm them down?

Have you ever cut a dog say two appts. in a row? I would think this could happen if you have a dog that just won't stay still.

Just beginning my groomer trainer and I am assuming that as a groomer you always take a pro active approach and tell the customer about the cut before they leave the shop...am I correct?

[AmysJrGroomer]

Always honest!

Always be honest with clustomers regarding any animals health and safety. Regardless of any reaction you receive, once emotions calm down, you will feel better and so to will the customer. Honesty is a must for me

Buzzy Bear

[diamienono]

I have never had anyone freak, but I did hear a lot of "oh, my poor baby. it will be ok" Most people are uneducated when it comes to grooming accidents, so I try my best to make them understand. I have never had anyone not rebook that I cut, so I guess they got over it.

[furrybestjob]

I wish I could say that I've never cut a dog , but alas I have. I can't imagine cutting the same dog two times in a row. I think if I was the owner of a dog that got cut twice in a row I might freak out. I've been pretty lucky in the few cases and haven't had anyone lose control. When I explain what happen, I try to remain calm, not over dramatize the situation, show them what happened and how. I apologize from the heart (I know that sounds corny, but they are heart fealt), to both the dog, in front of the owner, and the owner. (a dog kiss from a dog you just nicked goes a long way in the eyes owner). I haven't had it happen in my own business, but I would ask the customer what they would like me to do and let them know if they would feel comfortable going to the vet then I'd be more than happy to pay for it (If it was my fault). I also would follow up with a call to see how the dog is doing.

Although you may feel it was the dogs fault with its behavior, I wouldn't make a blunt statment that makes "fluffy" look bad, unless you're not wanting to do the dog again and don't mind offending . Don't say "Fluffy wouldn't stay still", say something like "I went one way and Fluffy went another".

You know, I guess I did have a customer kind of freak out once, and it was over a nail that I cut too short. Even though the customer never saw blood, because it wasn't that bad and it was stopped immediately with quick stop, she insisted on going to the vet because she heard that dogs could bleed to death if their nails bled. I wouldn't pay for the vet visit for that dog, and she still has me groom her dog.

[lbboop99]

I have cut a dog before. I always tell the owner about and they are good about it, they understand accidents happen. I did have one owner freak out. She cried and cried, I felt awful, but it was a tiny cut. She brought the dog to the Vet and the vet said it was fine. She hasn't been back.

[K9Klips]

I don't think you will find many groomers that have never cut a dog. Accidents happen. Fortunately, I have never cut a dog that required vet attention (knock on wood). I always tell the customer, I never make excuses, I just tell them it happened and usually compare it to us getting a papercut or scratching off the first layer of our skin. I have never had anyone freak out but at times could tell they weren't very happy. However, I know I'm not perfect and I don't pretend to be. We are working on moving targets, after all.

[Mary1980]

Wow furry, she still comes back? Even after being so dramatic and taking him to the vet. Patience is a virtue.

[misscatahoula]

I wish I could say I've never nicked or cut a dog before, but I have. Nobody's needed to see the vet, thank god, but it still makes me feel terrible. I've been grooming for quite awhile and try to eliminate all the risk factors that often lead to cuts( choice of proper blade length, careful w matbreaker, careful in all the riskier parts of the body, esp. when very matted,etc) but accidents can still happen. I let the owner know right away. Most people are understanding. Some never came back. The only customer who went freaky was a Lab owner who came in for a nail trim and I made 1 nail bleed. It stopped once I put Kwikstop on it, but he was worried it could start up again if he ran around inside their home and they had new almost-white carpet, so I gave him a baggie w small amount of kwikstop in it just in case, but he was still very put out that I made his dog bleed and "now I'll have to crate him all day to be sure", and he left in a pissy mood and by the time he left I wasn't feeling too sunshiny either.

[toomuchfunbnme]

Cute avatar!

Wow furry, she still comes back? Even after being so dramatic and taking him to the vet. Patience is a virtue.

This is off topic, but Mary your avatar is so silly! Where did you find it?

[toomuchfunbnme]

It's gonna happen.

I don't think that I have ever met a groomer who hasn't accidently cut a dog yet. In some instances it's just impossible to avoid. I say be honest and up front. If it's an honest mistake, most people will understand.

[Grinch]

I've gotten a few too. But nothing that needed vet attention. My worst one was a Std. Poodles ear. It was actually the little flap inside the ear and I went right into it. Now I know how to shave ears right but this guy was a MESS...his ear was literally matted to his head. I felt horrible but luckily the owners were fine and were understanding that I didn't do it on purpose. Anything else I did was very minor no more than a scratch and a little nick on a schn. ear that was poorly cropped, grrrr.

[Poodlefluff]

I have had a client get mad, I cut a mat out and it ended up having skin inside that got a cut. Even though I was being very careful the dog should have been a shave down but it was a bath dog and the bather was trying so hard to get the dog de-matted I was trying to help by cutting off half the length of hair and then brushing that out. But the dog moved and I cut too close. The people barely spoke any English and did not understand that their dog needed to be shaved, and how matted it really was. We tried and tried to explain that the mat had pulled skin into it. And they never really got it.

[Pixie]

I like the others have cut a dog but the owners have always been good about it. They all have come back and still love me lol.
There has been this one little skinny poodle that I have cut twice in a row of appointments, the appts. were months and months apart (6). The first time was in the front and the next time was in the butt area. Each area was just so boney that the clipper caught the skin and that was that. She still comes to me, it has been years, and the dog is still skinny. Knock on wood I haven't cut it again. But they were always understanding about it.

[groomingranny]

Ahter 38 years in the biz, yes I have cut a few, nicked a few and cut one badly. I get all the rejects that no one else will do,really matted maltese couldn't tell which end was which, except for the size of the opening,HaHa! A 7f sucked that thin skin in the flank up and cut a place about an inch long. I was sooooo apologetic and said something like she zigged and I zagged in this is what happened. Vet glued it back together and 6 years later I am still doing this little dog once a year in the asme condition. I guess if I didn't do her ,they would just let her go. I hate those OAY CLIPS you can never charge what they are really worth.

[Misty]

I have cut a few in my days. My first was an OES, I was just finishing her. There was a stickie outie under her jaw, as I went to scissor it she stuck out her tongue and licked the scissors. Just then the owner walked in, she asked me what was wrong, I said I don't know yet. Just then the dog shook her head and sprayed blood everywhere. It was a really small nick on her tongue but it sure bled. Of course there weren't any message boards then so I didn't know about the sugar trick. The owner was leaving for Florida and just took the dog with her. I managed to give her a roll of paper towels. I groomed her for several years until she moved to Florida permanently.