Groomers! Are You Sick Of Clueless Clients

[GoldiesRgr8Poodles2]

Wheatens are hard but im lucky enough to deal with 4 of them... One is kept in a full head but a light body clip to keep him neat every 5 months or so... got one that shaved off all year because he tangles too easily for the parents and they'd rather have him short than the up keep... one in a short bodied show clip and the other with a show head but body shave off... I love wheatens so they arent a breed that i find hard but my first one i was so greaztful to have a pic to follow and i got it right so he's very much the "same as last time dog"

Four? In Adelaide? Both mine came from SA. Are the ones you groom Irish coated?

one is but the other 3 arent. they are lovely dogs all of them!

ps i dont think you were bitchy at all in your question...

I wonder if they're related to mine at all. I'm betting the Irish one is, at least. Can I PM you about them?

pm me all the way

And on another not I got one of those great new customers today... They werent happy with the way they had been spoken to at the previous salon because there poodle puppy was a bit naughty and came to me. Notes on the style they liked and a pic from a book on the face they wanted was great she was raving anf rang my later today to let me know how happy she was... These are the reson we keep doing what we do is the good people that make it all worht it!!!!

Edited May 16, 2008 by GoldiesRgr8Poodles2

[ILFC]

Well- I take my hat off to you guys- it's a labour of love really. I am totally shocked and disgusted at the horror stories. Sadly- I think they will be more and more common as people buy dogs they have no idea to care for- if you cross breeds that have dissimiliar coat types- you will have an unpredicatable coat- of which their "breeder" will be unable to advise on. We get Grover groomed and it is a blessing- not only around the house- but the compliments we get on his coat are amazing- total strangers want to touch him- of which he loves so well done on a hard job

[GoldiesRgr8Poodles2]

ILoveFlatCoats...... I LOVE flat coats have 3 or 4 at the salon 1 choc and the others black and they are gorgeous temperaments!!!!!! and they shine like the river on a moonlit night after!

[Silverblue]

Glad to see this thread back on track, backstabbing & name calling is not productive.

I had a client yesterday who wanted "same as last time", the wife wasn't there and he didn't speak good english.

Last time the dog was a mess and had to be clipped short with a 7 , when I spoke to her on the phone she said he wasn't as bad so won't need to go as short, but he keep saying "same as last time".

It was confusing, I tried to show him on the dog, but he didn't really understand.

I ended up using the 1/4 comb and hoped for the best, wife came home just as I had finished and YAHHHH I had got it right.

So as for leaving notes, it doesn't really work,as someone stated what is "Short", my short is a 7, their short could be a 1/4 comb, you really need to clarify with the owners, I usually do a small test patch.

Then there is the clients who have a foxy x that I have to use a 30 blade on.

Can't get much shorter.

[qashmir]

About 20 years ago, i had a woman with an english springer. She asked for an english springer clip. I did this and as so happens, i grew up with friends who showed springers so was confident as to how they looked. When the woman picked up the dog, she was horrified that i had Clipped off the "ruff" around it's neck. I showed her the picture in the Grooming Guide and also a current picture of a show dog. She still insisted i had ruined the best part of the dog by clipping off the ruff. She was furious, screaming in the salon, threatening to report me to whoever she could. The point of this story is, after all this time, i still remember her venom and it makes me be ridiculously careful when it comes to clients requests for fear of their wrath. So a note saying "not too short, just in proportion" or "i want him clipped but not cut" etc., just doesn't cut it with me.

[Andisa]

HMMM>

Last time I was in here this topic was a hoot. What happened? :rolleyes:

I was going to go back to find out but I figured it's not really worth it.

hopefully next time I pop in I will have another laugh. ;)

Cheers everyone.

[GoldiesRgr8Poodles2]

See this one I had wanted trzditional airdale clip we did it and she went off her narna at us saying to was wrong brought back a photo of whay she wanted and i said"And whats differnet?" The rear end she screamed you can see his ANUS!!!!! I just laughed and told her we can leave that longer next time she was almost in tears telling me how he'll Be embarrassed now because every dog will look at his Anus!

[Clyde]

she was almost in tears telling me how he'll Be embarrassed now because every dog will look at his Anus!

now that is funny

One of my male clients doesn't like the hair clipped from his dogs willy. He likes me to 'scuplt' it to make it look chunkier. It's his wifes miniature desexed Poodle - so there's not a lot to work with :rolleyes:

[qashmir]

I also have a client with a min poodle with groin issues! Dog is clipped off with a 7 every time but i have to leave long hair (about 10cm long!) over his balls coz she "doesn't like to see them". I told her the best way to not see them is have him desexed but no, of course she is going to breed with him with her bitch.

[Ari]

I hate when people insist on things that look silly like that as you know as soon as the dog steps onto the street there will be people (and other groomers) looking at it saying "OMG, look how terrible that dog is groomed. That groomer cant be any good"

For instance I have 3 eng cockers that come to me for a "cocker show trim". The trim that they want is 2 inches long on the back, with 7 blade legs and belly with an inch of hair on the top of the head. Me saying that's not how cockers are trimmed for the show ring falls on deaf ears. These are 3 seperate people who dont know each other which is strange. To me the dogs look ridicilous but the owners say the groom is perfect. Where on earth did they get the idea from? Are other groomers calling that a show trim?

Edited May 18, 2008 by Ari

[raz]

One of my male clients doesn't like the hair clipped from his dogs willy. He likes me to 'scuplt' it to make it look chunkier.

:rolleyes: Thanks for the coffee splurk, Clyde!

[qashmir]

This is why you don't know whether to do what a client wants as they are paying, or draw the line at stupid trims coz it's bad for business, ie. Other people looking at the westie in a poodle clip and being horrified. I choose to not do radical trims, like the woman who asked me recently to have her schnauzer in a westie trim. I think it's bad for business as my business relies on 100% word of mouth. I do not advertise or even have signage on my property. When i see a terrible clip in the street, i ask where it was done and then i quickly ask if they asked for it like that. Unfortunately regular joe blow doesn't ask that second question.

[OhMarley]

I feel your pain! I've just started at a new place where the last groomer had upset many clients and now I have to cop it from them. Then when they get their dogs they are really pleased and suddenly nice to me, never mind how they spoke to me at drop off!

I make sure i speak to every owner about what they want and go from feet to face making sure they have explained in detail what they want done. That way I don't have to worry about any misunderstandings.

What really upsets me though are people who come in with dogs that are totally matted and expect a long haircut...for starters the fact they arn't even embarrassed by the condition of their pets coat is alarming and secondly they then abuse me when I tell them it had to be clipped off. Get a clue!

"I hate when people insist on things that look silly like that as you know as soon as the dog steps onto the street there will be people (and other groomers) looking at it saying "OMG, look how terrible that dog is groomed. That groomer cant be any good"

SAME HERE ARUGH I feel like telling me to not tell anyone that I did it... for example this guy who hand drew this picture of how he wanted his maltxshihtzu .... with a massive beard like a schnauser a fringe, clean shaven feet and a lion tail it looked so silly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited May 18, 2008 by OhMarley

[ILFC]

These horror stories must be outside dogs- you cannot live with the smell of what you are describing inside the house. I guess it's out of sight- out of mind.

[Ari]

Nope. Many indoor dogs come matted to the skin with crap cemented on to their rear ends

[qashmir]

I second that! I don't know how people live with the smell either but i often make comment about a tightly matted and stinky dog obviously living outside, but usually the client says no, he sleeps on our bed.

[OhMarley]

I know its so scary to think they sleep on their beds!!!

I had one dog that when i clipped it back it was COVERED in fleas!! You could smell the dog when it walked into the clinic and the dog was an indoor dog that slept on the guys pillow... I dont even want to know what state his house must be in! SCARY!

[Chocolate]

It's amazing how people will pick up, cuddle and snuggle into their fluffy dogs even kissing the fur but if when a client came back to collect their dog I asked them to kiss and cuddle the dirty pile of fluff swept up off the floor full of poo, eye gunk, dry skin/scabs, dried urine, puss they wouldn't dream of it. On their pet it is okay but as soon a clipper separates it from the dog no way, it looks like the pile of muck it really is!!

Edited May 18, 2008 by Chocolate

[Poodle wrangler]

Well I'm glad i'm not the only one. Somethings we see are very sad, the worst case I had was a very old matted poodle that when we finally got the hair off that was matted over the eyes we found that it's eyes had rotted away (nothing left there except pus) I don't understand how this dog was still alive. The dog had been picked up by someone else from the elderly owner and brought to us. The smell was undescribable, we rang the RSPCA 3 times but no one turned up. We rang the police and asked could they check on the old lady (if the dog was like this who knows about the owner) We were told the dog had to go back and the police took it with them, when we tried to find out what happened we couldn't get any more info. The poor old poodle was so sweet even with everything it took to get the coat off, not to mention the sores etc. I still tear up when I think about it and that was about 8 years ago (somethings you can't forget). ........

Having seen how some elderly people live when doing Meals on Wheels (as a student) many years ago, I can tell you the condition some humans are left in isn't much better than the poodle . Some houses reeked of urine and the conditions were filthy (this was a relatively well-off area, too.) I think some people can no longer cope, but don't want to move :D.

Doing Meals on Wheels more recently, there was one man who refuse to move to more suitable housing despite being effectively imprisoned by the stairs out of his apartment. Neighbours shopped for him, but nothing could be done as he refused help, refused to see a DR although he seemed unwell and asked to be left alone.

[Cavandra]

These horror stories must be outside dogs- you cannot live with the smell of what you are describing inside the house. I guess it's out of sight- out of mind.

Nup!!!

One of the most disgusting dogs I do is a neighbours dog,they are not home, so I have to go in & get the dog off their bed myself...........He is putrid, and has so many fleas they run across his eye balls, and the bath water is blood

Another bed dog I do gets bathed once a year, and has the stink of infection each time as the dew claws have grown into the leg more times than not ((

Incredible