Ever felt overwhelmed with bad clients in your grooming business? We've been there too. In this heartfelt episode, we open up about our own experiences with bad clients and the importance of setting boundaries to manage our expectations. Dealing with difficult clients is an inevitable part of the grooming business, so we dive into some real-life experiences we've faced with nightmare clients. We also reflect on our early days in the industry when clients took advantage of us and the power dynamics that can exist between new business owners and their clients.
We explore practical tips to manage difficult pet grooming clients and knowing when it's time to let them go. We emphasize understanding what the client wants and not taking it personally when they leave a negative review or end the relationship. Additionally, we share strategies for handling problematic clients, setting boundaries, and using a 'no-show fee' to manage clients who don't respect our time. Join us for this honest and insightful conversation on navigating the challenges of the grooming industry.
Collections – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com)
Discount Code: HandlingIt
Dog Supplements | PawMega | We Make Dog Food Better – PawMega - Make Dog Food Better
Dog Grooming Solutions – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com) Discount Code: HandlingIt
Ever felt overwhelmed with bad clients in your grooming business? We've been there too. In this heartfelt episode, we open up about our own experiences with bad clients and the importance of setting boundaries to manage our expectations. Dealing with difficult clients is an inevitable part of the grooming business, so we dive into some real-life experiences we've faced with nightmare clients. We also reflect on our early days in the industry when clients took advantage of us and the power dynamics that can exist between new business owners and their clients.
We explore practical tips to manage difficult pet grooming clients and knowing when it's time to let them go. We emphasize understanding what the client wants and not taking it personally when they leave a negative review or end the relationship. Additionally, we share strategies for handling problematic clients, setting boundaries, and using a 'no-show fee' to manage clients who don't respect our time. Join us for this honest and insightful conversation on navigating the challenges of the grooming industry.
Collections – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com)
Discount Code: HandlingIt
Dog Supplements | PawMega | We Make Dog Food Better – PawMega - Make Dog Food Better
Dog Grooming Solutions – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com) Discount Code: HandlingIt
Oh, how are you doing this week, Sierra?
Speaker 2:Good. Actually, i'm like in such a great mood this week, i don't know. It's just a whole bunch of stuff happening and things are looking good right now, and you I'm glad you're having a good week.
Speaker 1:I am so tired. It's funny because we were talking about burnout last week.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I feel like I just hit a wall this week. But I kind of did it to myself. I taught a seminar two weeks in a row on my day off and I was grooming all of the days that I wasn't teaching And I think I just I put too much on my plate. So I did it to myself. But God, i'm tired.
Speaker 2:I bet, but honestly I love those education days where we could do seminars and meet people. It like fills my cup, but also on the bottom of my cup it like leaks out because your energy has to be so on And then I couldn't fathom grooming dogs every day, before and after, like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is fun to meet people, though, and it is fun to teach like teaching is what I love to do, And at this point I think I just groomed because I feel like I have to. You know, I probably could work less days at my salon and be fine, But I like being at the salon. It just takes a lot out of me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i mean, can you, can you not groom, because I feel like the life we live every time we can make some extra dollars it so we could go do the life we want to do, like a contest career or go all over the nation to learn from the best of the best, like.
Speaker 1:I go to a dog.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I have to groom So I can't, but you know if you can't, if you don't need to, then.
Speaker 1:I just feel I went. I've been teaching so much recently and I love it, but yeah, i'm kind of forcing myself just to do it on my day off, so it's like I'm never not working, but that's kind of me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you should put it on a day that you're grooming or like you're not grooming, like Like wow, yeah, replace it.
Speaker 1:Thanks for it's a hard it's it's late for me, my bad. Are you going to? isn't the dandy national soon? Are you going to groom?
Speaker 2:So my mom was like hospitalized So I was the whole thing and she's kind of my it's go time. So my husband has an excavation business, along with like a riffing business, and he builds brand new houses or he doesn't really do a lot of remodels unless it's like an add on. But my point with this is he's so busy that I need to like rely on my parents and my mom was hospitalized.
Speaker 2:So unfortunately, no, i just can't drop them off with a stranger or anything. So that broke my heart. That was, yeah, she's doing so much better. She just had severe low sodium levels and that like is you know, i never knew that was a thing to be worried about. But her, if you raise it too hot, too fast, your brain could shrink or swell.
Speaker 2:So it's just like I know it, and then it's not a good ending. So you had to like raise it so slow or it to not be, you know, detrimental, where she would die or be brain dead or like you know all the other stuff.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it was just a whole sad deal all around, no matter what angle you looked at it. So right now my family needs me home and I broke my heart because probably people on our podcast doesn't know yet. But my heart breed is dandies. I know yours is spaniels, your father spaniels, mine is dandies And I think I cried for like well, because my mom, but also because I can't go to the Dandy Nationals.
Speaker 2:And I was going to work for, like a really great reader, patrick Um, i was just so excited to meet him in person and be able to get all those dogs ready and take pictures and just learn and be around all these contacts, so. But I'm definitely going to hit up the next one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, another time comes soon. It's just not your time this time, but no, it'll come just hard with kids.
Speaker 2:Like you could have your business managed. You could have your own pets and your own dogs managed and everything else, but when you have kids, man, it's like you can't just drop off at the borders.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's a business I do child boarding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, i'm sure people would do it, but no, it's just not. this is not the time. But last week I had a hard week last week because that was when all of it happened. But I'm just trying to see the positive and everything and the things I can control. I'm riding those buses, so yeah, yeah, but I think we should roll into what we want to talk about for this episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm guessing you've had some bad clients, because this was your decision.
Speaker 1:I had horrible clients recently and I don't know what. So we love doing this podcast and we have so many ideas. But I texted Sierra like yesterday and I was like can we talk about bad clients? because I just have so much I need to get off my chest And I don't know if you guys have a lot of bad clients or if it's just. I live in Austin, so it's just like such a variety of people and it's pretty populated with, like dog people specifically. Oh my God, oh my God, it's been horrible. Can I tell you about this?
Speaker 2:Yeah, i have to hear it because I don't know if mine's just small town minded, but I want to hear Austin.
Speaker 1:I want to hear this Oh my God, and you know this is not even about a doodle client, this is okay. Let me just tell you about this, This client. So when I first opened my salon, about like two years ago or something like that, this client started coming to me then And when I opened my salon my prices were too low, like most people, like you set the bar too low for yourself And it's hard to raise it from there. But I've raised it slowly and I don't think I've raised it significantly, even as high as I should for the amount of education I've received. And this client has just always been so mean to me And I usually it takes a lot for me to like get upset at somebody And, yeah, like I can take a lot. I'm a pretty empathetic person and I don't want to be mean to people for no reason. But this lady, this client, she has two schnauzers, two miniature schnauzers. They're both horribly bred and they both have horrible coats Off standard, like horrible coats Super soft, my good coat.
Speaker 1:And so bad. And one time I groomed them when I first opened and I took pictures to post on my website because you know, when you open, you just any client, you're just trying to get more clients in. And she loved that groom and I was like, Oh, this is going to be a good client forever. But the next time she comes in this is, you know, two years ago she makes a comment like I want it to look like you know it looks in that picture And I'm like, okay, like that's fine, I can make it look like that, Like it's a seven schnauzer cut with like a short furnishings, Like that's fine. And every time after that, every appointment, she makes a comment about how something is off, something doesn't look right, And I just like deal with it because I don't feel like, I don't feel like fighting with her over it. Like it's a schnauzer, It's fine. She's always complaining about the price And I guess it had just gotten to me over the last few years And at this last appointment she was my first appointment on a Saturday morning, the day before I was going to teach, I was trying to have a good day, I was trying to get ready for my class And I pull up to the salon me and Adrian and I have a coworker who is already in, the worker who is already there.
Speaker 1:And I see this. This client is walking in and I asked Adrian to pull behind the building and wait until she checks in Because I didn't want to talk to her. That's so sad, but she was so mean And I just didn't want to talk to her. I didn't want to talk to her And so I let my coworker check them in so that way I could just groom them and everything would be fine. And I groom them and she comes to pick them up and I just knew something was going to happen. So I had Adrian take them out and he comes back in the salon I'm grooming my next dog already And he brings the first schnauzer back.
Speaker 1:This is a white schnauzer And he says she says that the furnishings are too long, You need to take them shorter. And I say, okay, no problem, I'm just going to run a card comb over them And I'm going to take them shorter because that's what she wants. So I'm just going to do that. It's fine, I'm a good person And so I do. I take the guard comb over this already short furnishings right And the white dog goes back out. Second dog. Second dog is a brown schnauzer right, Which is already like issues, Yeah.
Speaker 1:And yeah, and so brown schnauzer comes back. Oh, brown schnauzer, at the top of the head is too short. Well, she's been complaining about the length on the top of the head on this dog for the last two and a half years. I know that, so I think I'm. When I groom this dog it gets a seven on the body. I do a 30 with my five and one blade on the top of this dog's head and ears because I know she's going to want it shorter. If it's bald, she can't want it any shorter. Right, brown. Right Brown comes back. She wants it shorter. I am allowed to say bad words.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:She, i had to do a fucking 40 on top of this dog's head. I did a 40. I did a 40 on the dog's head. It was bald and I hid like I clipped and then I card. So there's no hair there, it's, it's gone. And I think, okay, like that was a horrible thing that I just did, but the dog is gone and it's fine. Adrian comes back. He comes back into the salon with a white dog again And the match it Does she know And she says no, she says this one foot looks a little bigger than the other foot.
Speaker 1:And I like just immediately I saw red and I just immediately went up front and I I didn't yell at her, i'm not, i can't yell at anyone, i have like confrontation issues but I walk up there and I just say I am so sorry that this dog doesn't look how you want. And she was like why did I like shock that I like finally had snapped, i guess, and I said we can refund. You Happened like I'm, you don't have to give me any money, you can keep all your money, just go away and never come back Like just your fire. I can't take any more of this like criticism of the dog. This is a criticism of these absurd requests.
Speaker 2:And I start watering her.
Speaker 1:I start watering and she starts saying please don't do this to me, please don't do this to me, please don't fire me, please don't fire me. And then she started like reaching her hands out towards me and I just put my palms up like to face her And I said I am done, i'm done. And I just backed away and I went back into my salon and I just I. There was probably a better way to handle that, but you can only take it for so long and I took it for three years. I did a 40 on that dog's head. She didn't care about the haircut, she just needed to feel in that moment like In control of something like that you know, and I just let it go on for too long.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of my.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not.
Speaker 1:He knew I was mad. He knew I was mad and he, like He came back to the third time. The third time a dog came back. He looked at me and he said, like I knew he was trying to do damage control And he was like she said and my eyes just got big and he said don't. And I just took the dog from him And I went back up there and it was just kind of a blur after that. But poor Adrian man.
Speaker 2:Well, honestly I don't know what that lady's deal was, but honestly she's on a power trip or something.
Speaker 1:But I right, and I mean a little bit wrong.
Speaker 2:You handle it better than like 99% of what our industry would have done because you're Gavin Freeman and you date like Adrian I. I imagine your guys's fights with like pillows and throw pillow fights at each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it takes a lot. It takes a lot for either of us to really like get up and arms about something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, anybody would have, i think I.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean I have been. I've had the cops called on me before actually.
Speaker 1:Oh my god.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I had a groomer in my shop at one point and I was at the college, well, being an instructor, but my, my groom and board was still operating and my my groomer that was on staff groomed a dog, left like 40 minutes early to get lunch But she knew the dog wasn't gonna be back until like 1130 for pickup, what she told her. But yeah, girl like showed up at 1115 and Wanted her dog out of my shop. That was locked and she couldn't get the dog out. So she called the cops and like we stole her dog.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:It was so stupid. and then I have to call my groomer and be like where are you? like the cops were called to guess They're on the farm I'm teaching. What are you doing? She's like I literally went to go get lunch because I was gonna groom my own dog over a lot over my lunch hour And I was done. I had 40 minutes I just written to get a sandwich And so my groomer came back mad and she ripped into that person and the cops because I couldn't come and like Get the whole situation like figured out or anything. I should have just took off, like just immediately left the college and, you know, got that better, because I've never seen that clan again and she was. she's a person That's like as big as you could be in five counties.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like bigger than your status. Oh god, that means a lot in Iowa. in Iowa, that's a big deal.
Speaker 2:It's a big deal Because of a sandwich run. But I don't know. I think people like what does she really think? does she really think we just stole her dog, like kidnapped her dog?
Speaker 1:That's really ridiculous. And why is the first? Why is the first thing? the cops like what she didn't call. I don't know, there's just no she definitely called the salon.
Speaker 2:I just you know like the phone was in the salon while the groomer was at Dairy Queen, So Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:But they told the client right like you'd be here at this time and they just 1130.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they were there at 1115, so Wow, the whole thing that is. Yeah, I was gonna say mine. I think your story is very similar. I was wondering how like tell me more cuz mine very like.
Speaker 1:How many bad stories Another, this one is another one that is from when I first opened Something about when you're like a new business or at least this was my experience people like know that, you're like Need clients, you know, and they kind of take advantage of that. There was this one lady and I will never forget her. It was like my, it was like my third week, i want to say, of working by myself. From my salon I'm just taking any dog that comes in. I'm not charging enough as it is, but it's this little shitsue and Just a horrible dog, just mean matted, biting, like it really Probably should have been like a vet groom or it at least needed some type of like, some calming medication or something, because it was it was a hard groom and it was my last dog of the day and I text the lady like hey, we have like half an hour left.
Speaker 1:You can have this way. She's like great, and then half an hour passes, she's nowhere to be found. Another half hour passes, she's nowhere to be found, and at this point It's like Six and I was supposed to be on it like five and I'm wondering where this lady is. I Call her, she doesn't answer. I'm waiting around. She shows up close to like I want to say seven.
Speaker 1:And she shows up and I'm going to check her out and I'm just, i'm being nice about it. I kept myself busy and at that point you know I needed the clients. So I'm not gonna I'm not gonna like Lose a client on purpose. So I Go to check her out and she says, oh, i don't have any money, but I do sell these products and I could get you in, like on a really great opportunity to be a part of this. Like You could sell your own product, like be your own business, and I'm like I'm at my own business, i'm grooming at my own business. She was trying to get me to sell like Mary Kay or like Avon or something, and she was gonna just pay with, like she was gonna get me in on this pyramid scheme With those products instead of, like, paying with cash.
Speaker 2:And I was there with the dog for five hours. She didn't ask me, she didn't ask you in the beginning.
Speaker 1:If that's something, no, she showed up with a great opportunity for me, with a great opportunity.
Speaker 2:After you did the service.
Speaker 1:After I did the service and after I waited for her for like two hours, and then I just I was like no, no.
Speaker 2:So what did you do? Did she hand her dog to her?
Speaker 1:I had already handed the dog to her and I have like this little window right. So I handed the dog through the window and she's holding the dog and I tell her no, and I reach back through the window and I get the dog, and I get the dog, and so then I'm just holding the dog and I'm like how do you want to pay? Because we're not doing like, we're not doing Avan, like that's not, that's not a thing we're doing today. And so she's like well, i'm going to have to call my mom, i guess. And then she's just standing there waiting for me to say something and I'm like, yeah, i guess you're going to have to call her.
Speaker 1:And she called her mom and her mom is just like screaming at her in my lobby, like on speakerphone, and she's like I need like I just need you to like Venmo me like $65. I'm like, okay, well, the tip to make it like 75, please. Anyway, her mom Venmo's her like 30 minutes later and she she paid. But yeah, she definitely tried to try to pay with Avan products.
Speaker 2:Never in my life, never in my life, i've had the people like oh I'm sorry, can you hold this check till next week And I know things happen, but yeah, people have never had the audacity.
Speaker 1:Where does it come from?
Speaker 2:I just don't think it was probably like in their blood. I bet their parents just never. I bet their parents got away with it.
Speaker 1:I don't know, It's just it was crazy, it was really crazy. Do you have any other good ones?
Speaker 2:I mean, i think I sound so stupid compared to you, like yours are so funny.
Speaker 2:I have so many I should have like really thought of all the stuff. I've had A guy it was like roughly a month or two ago He had a Yorkie. Well, he had two Yorkies and one of them was like I swear I had like technus or something You know how. They're like frozen and they don't move and like their tongues out and they're like old, like I swear to God. This dog was like paralyzed. It was like 15 years old little Yorkie, like a palm pocket, a pocket Yorkie, like itty-bitty. And I've kept telling him I'm like I think I think he's like knows what's going on On the inside but has no control on the outside.
Speaker 2:I don't think he enjoys this. I think he's off, like it's not. I really think like you need to talk to your veterinarian and see what he thinks about this dog. He's like no, he loves it. He's a baby. Look at him And I'm like I can't even stand. I have to groom this dog on his back Like he can't like he's like paralyzed.
Speaker 2:It's super sad. Well then he had this New Yorkie puppy And after that, after I had like I'm not going to groom this dog, your older dog, like the last time I said it was the last time and you brought it anyway with this New Yorkie And he literally looked at his Yorkie and was like Hey, you shit on this groomer, you shit on her And you just keep shitting all day. And I like looked at him, like what did you just say for this dog to do? He's like I asked him to shit on you And I'm like why? Why would you say that?
Speaker 2:He was just like because you won't groom our old dog. And I'm like because I think it's in pain and I'm not good, it doesn't bring me any joy And I think it needs medical attention. And he was just like well, you shit on her. I'm like I'm not grooming your little dog either. And he like looked at me like I offended him, like I offended him And I'm like I have never been. Nobody has like requested someone to shit on me before. So I'm just not going to groom your little dog either.
Speaker 2:And he looked at me like I was crazy And he literally just like put the dog in my hand and said I'll see it for And I'm like oh my God, i grew up with the dog.
Speaker 1:that yeah, did it shit on you.
Speaker 2:No, no, it did not. I mean I couldn't take it personal for the dog. I think you know the dog can't, we can't, control who our parents are, gavin. So I grew up with the dog and I gave it the best service, but still it was like no manners. He doesn't give a fuck about anybody else.
Speaker 1:He doesn't listen, obviously, but I don't know what happened to that whole dog. That dog did shit on you.
Speaker 2:Honestly, it would be my life Like what was that?
Speaker 1:Did he come back after that? Is that like a client you still have?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he still comes back. I don't know why I put up with stuff like that. But I'm a lot like you, like I confrontation I could do. I'm really good at the education piece on board, like I am so solid with that. You know, do, do, do. Someone calls. I'm like hello, this is Sierra from Glamorous Pass, how can I help you? And they're like yeah, i'd like to make an appointment.
Speaker 2:I have a 10 month old doodle, never been groomed. I'm like okay, let me put your expectations low. I only grew Monday, tuesday, wednesday with eight o'clock and one o'clock options. If you book with me, you book for the whole year And also you have a doodle puppy so it might just get a bath and you have to be okay with that. And I'm so good at that and I'm so good with like navigating those branches, like if you say yes, then it's a no, and like I'm so good at directing that conversation And usually I can scare away the people that are, like you know, not respective of one's wishes and how they do business.
Speaker 2:But every once in a while we get those people that come in. And when those people come in, but they still like respect my wishes of like hours and time and I have phrased my prices like double, double and nobody's blinked, nobody's done anything. Like I have good clientele, like for our other episode, i felt like kind of bad to my clientele. If they listen like I actually have really great clients. Just some of them really ruin it for a lot of them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I've had to like seriously look at my client list and if they make me even slightly uncomfortable or if a dog is on my schedule, and I'm like ugh, and I'm dreading that day. I'm like why am I doing this to myself? Like I don't think any groomer should be doing that to themselves. And that's part of why I want to talk about a bad client, because sometimes it's like the client just doesn't understand and it's fixable, it's like something you can work through, yeah, and it's like you can work through the time. It's just, it's just not worth it and you just have to fire them.
Speaker 2:Like at what point?
Speaker 1:do you feel like you just have to end the relationship with the client, like, is there like a sign that you get from them, or is it just like a feeling that you have?
Speaker 2:Yeah, when they stop listening, like I have clients that you know I use this analogy all the time in my classes. Have you ever been in the backseat of a car with your friends? Everyone's singing the song and you don't really know this song, but you won't have a good time. So you like fake the lyrics and you're singing like watermelon, watermelon, watermelon watermelon, but you're dancing and you look So like when you have a friend up front is like Sierra. You don't even know the lyrics.
Speaker 2:You feel stupid, like a lot of our clients are like Sierra in the backseat of a car singing watermelon, to like Tupac.
Speaker 1:You know a song that everybody should know.
Speaker 2:And like I, I'm the world's worst lyric person. A lot of our clients are like that, especially like our doodle owners. They just want to have a dog and like they don't know like how to have a dog, but they wanted to have a dog.
Speaker 2:And so like it's that education piece where you're like, oh okay, so let me tell you about how to have a dog. You know, other than feeding and watering it and making sure it doesn't poop in your house, you have to groom it. Have you ever not washed your hair for like 10 weeks? No, okay, like your dog shouldn't do that either. And like when they're listening, you're like all right, all right, all right, okay, she just needed to be told how to own a dog. Then there's other people that you could, they like, look at their phone. They give zero shits. They think we're just a dog rumor, like just janitorial level, which, by the way, janitors make the world go around.
Speaker 2:But you know, like that's how we like they treat like it's just a servant, like it's just a peasant level below them And, honestly, we make more than most of these people that treat us like that, so it's just a washed up, fricking stupid ring around, but here we are, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so stupid, but those are the people that I'm like, oh, it sounds like this isn't going to work out for me. And you know I have a huge clientele list and I only groomed three days a week. You know here's so and so and so, and so I literally have a list of groomers on my desk, of places people could go elsewhere. It's like a threatening list and people like see it and they're like Why do you have that? I'm like, oh, in case, i don't want you as a client, yeah, and they'll just like, oh God, she might be kidding, she might not be, i don't know. So I'm not kidding.
Speaker 1:I love that, I love that, I'm just like Oh.
Speaker 2:I don't want to leave you hanging, but you also don't listen or respect my time or knowledge, and I get paid to do this all over the nation. I'd hope you'd like respect me a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm really good at that part.
Speaker 2:It's just that in between, like I could get them on board, i could get them into my system for a whole year And if they just like stop showing up or they do it like, i'll just charge them the $25 no she, no show fee, like six times, and then they'll try to show up like their seventh appointment and I've like still grooming their dogs it hasn't been groomed like I don't know. six weeks, seven appointments, however many weeks, that was like over a year and a half. So that's that part. I suck with that.
Speaker 2:And they don't want to be educated.
Speaker 1:Yes, and for me it's like the. I feel like I've gotten really good at like client communication and managing like what a client wants and what they're willing to do And if they're willing to be good clients. And what I have found is like If you express a boundary and a client is negative towards you about it in any capacity, just fire them immediately Bye. And that's like if you're raising your price three dollars And they're feeling some type of way about it, bye. But even other things, like if You say you know, pick up is Half an hour after your dog is done, and they are like passive, aggressive to you about that in any type of way.
Speaker 2:Just like I have a dentist appointment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because the thing is like, if they're gonna be that way about to you about your policies or boundaries that you set, they're going to be that way about anything that you want to change moving forward. In the minute that they Can latch on to something to blame you for or post a bad review about, they will.
Speaker 2:They will do it too.
Speaker 1:I.
Speaker 2:Agree 1,000.
Speaker 1:I used to groom this standard poodle and he was a big standard poodle. He was huge. Like to do clean feet on the standard poodle I would have to have like him in a belly band but also like an assistant to like support his legs so that I could do these clean feet like. He Was huge and he was not a show dog, my enemy, and he was like an apricot standard poodle. But they wanted him in an HCC, historically correct, continental, which is so much work, so much work and Staying a red coated dog on a red coated poodle and he's just a pet.
Speaker 1:Like it was so much work for nothing and Eventually I got to a point where it was just physically too much, like it was taking me half of my, like I could do this dog and like What would you charge for?
Speaker 1:that I was charging like. I Was charging like 460. I want to say, oh, and It's like it's okay, but it didn't justify like How miserable I was and also blocking off a whole day of work. That is like I could have made the same amount of money and enjoyed your time and your body and been happy and had a good day.
Speaker 1:But I did it as long as I could and I stuck through and I tried, and I tried and I tried and I got COVID like Right after Atlanta. And after that there was like a month where, like I already have respiratory issues and they like Struggle to breathe as it is, and like COVID took a little bit of a toll on me. Like I was struggling with like any level of physical activity And I had to groom this dog and it took so much out of me like I was hitting my inhaler like Every 30 minutes, like fighting for my life to your in this poodle, and so I was finishing and I was finishing the dog and I thought I can't do this to myself anymore, even if I get like, even if my respiratory issues get better, like I can't kill myself for a dog anymore, i just can't do it.
Speaker 2:The dog obviously sounds like he doesn't want it either.
Speaker 1:He doesn't like it. It's not.
Speaker 1:It's not worth it request Yeah and I had shaved the dog before I tried to talk to these You know owners like he didn't need to be in a continental but inevitably they wanted it And so I finished grooming the dog that day and I thought I'm just gonna tell them like This is gonna be his last appointment here. But I am willing to help you guys find another groomer, because it's hard to find not only somebody that Knows how to and is willing to do a continental, but also somebody that is like Comfortable grooming a dog that size because it's so hard and it takes so long. Yeah, i don't think people understand that, but I send them a very nice text message and I just want to preface this by saying at my salon We communicate solely through text message, just because it's the only way that you can make sure that no information gets like lost or Twisted. You know like it's right there, we can all see it Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I texted them and I just said you know, i really enjoyed working with you guys. I just can't anymore, but I will help you find a new groomer. Like we'll figure this out together. And They come to pick up and they're just like slamming the door open, throwing like just Clearly, visibly, like angry and being passive, aggressive. And I was in the back Cleaning and Adrian said they're here, i don't think you should go up there. And I was like what do you mean? He was like he's just being very Like if you go up there, you guys are gonna like end up just in a screaming match. And I thought, yeah, that's not gonna be good for anyone. So Adrian checks him out and I think like they'll be rational about this and they'll text and we can like figure something out.
Speaker 1:You know, and I had to grow me this dog for a long time like I stuck through this for a long time. I had shaved the dog multiple times and it was matted, grown it back into a conty, set up the conty and got matted, shaved it the whole thing like multiple times, and And instead of like willing to work with me, they just immediately go leave reviews like everywhere on salons that are not even ours, like Saying that I'm lazy and that, just this whole thing. And just say, even saying that like I abandoned them And now they're not gonna be able to find a groomer in the next four weeks, and I'm like I have a text message right here and it says like I Will help you find a groomer, like I was gonna try, and it's like things like that. It just makes me sad, because I liked the dog and I liked the people, or so I thought, but the minute that Something happened that they didn't like, they just immediately went and left a review without trying to like through the See me as a person down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, didn't care about like it's hard. The dog doesn't really necessarily want this groom like that, just fucks up.
Speaker 1:That's a blow, that's a it's hard to feel like you're not seen as like a person. You know We're just a service to them like a servant and it's like I. I thought that I thought that we had a relationship beyond that, like I was working with you guys all this time and just to immediately just Just be trapped like that and just landed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, fuck them.
Speaker 1:It's crazy.
Speaker 2:No, that's that's like. I think that's that's something that our industry deals with a lot with or deals a lot with that, and I think it's like that navigation to not take it like so personal, but unfortunately we get super close with their clients and the pets that it's going to be personal and it's just like that hard switch of like how to Yeah, you know how to turn it off, like we're.
Speaker 1:I think pet groomers are. nature is like we're naturally really empathetic people And when you get attached to a dog, it's like you could pick a client out of my client list and I can tell you where they have all of their moles. I can tell you, like, what they don't like to be done. I can tell you what they're really good for. Like we have a relationship with these dogs, like we're a part of their lives and we by no means want to just like get rid of you or just like.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Lose that relationship, like something happens that leads to it not being a good fit, and I think if you're like a pet owner listening to this, you should try to understand what that is So you can maybe like remedy it for your next groomer or figure out what you're doing that might be making the situation worse.
Speaker 2:Harder for everybody Like you probably would have kept the client. if it could have like a doodle kind of six week haircut Like it probably would have been a lot easier.
Speaker 1:No shaved feet. You know a nice little like blue hour to do clean feet Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like, but they obviously didn't want to do that and they pushed you and pushed you until you literally fired them.
Speaker 1:And then they were awful about it.
Speaker 2:And it's like yeah it's like making like a five year old gymnastic try to like be an Olympian gymnastic person.
Speaker 2:You know and like pushing him and pushing him and pushing him and pushing him to the five year old doesn't even want to be a gymnastic anymore or whatever you would call them. That's probably the worst analogy, but I'm like it's hard, that's okay, but just kept pushing you and they weren't listening. So those clients are hard because We all have them. I could think of like a whole handful of people that I've had to like, but they always came back Like that's where I'm. The biggest pushover is. They'll call me and be like I've tried this place, in this place and this place, and it's just like a butch job, sierra, like how can you help me? And I'll be like sure, like I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I like take that on as like I'm the only person in the world that could fix it for people. But I don't know, i don't know. That's hard.
Speaker 1:These days I'm just you get one chance and once that chance is over, you're out of here. That goes for clients, That goes for like anybody in my life. Like I remember when I was young my mom told me this one time She was like you if somebody hurts you, like you just immediately like cut them off, like for good, forever, without giving them another chance. And that's like not fair. And even when I was young I remember thinking why isn't that fair? If somebody, in any relationship that you're in, wants to be a part of your life, but they're purposely doing things to hurt you, I don't think they deserve to be there.
Speaker 1:And if a client is overstepping a boundary that you have clearly laid out for them. They're not going to have any respect for you whenever the next thing comes up, or like if something happens in your life and you have to cancel an appointment because you know something serious happens, like they're just going to be mad and they're going to leave a review and it's just not worth it.
Speaker 2:No, i need to work on that.
Speaker 1:I think if a client is, if a client makes you feel like I don't want to go to work today, i think you should just fire them And that might be bad advice but it's just not worth it And I think making yourself deal with bad clients leads to burnout. Like that's one of those things that, like, we all love grooming dogs And that's why we started this, because we love dogs but it's not the dog necessarily that burn us out.
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure It's like. On my end, it's always the client before the dog, so I agree.
Speaker 1:Oh, that felt so good to get that off my chest. I had so many bad clients. Oh my Lord.
Speaker 2:Oh, i'm just glad that you came up with the topic and you just been rolling and I'm loving it. I think they cried at one point just thinking of, like Adrian, bringing back that brown snoucher. Yeah, i would this, i.
Speaker 1:While we're here, I'd like to personally apologize to the Schnauzer that I shaved the head and ears with a 40 blade. I'm sorry you were caught in the crossfire of that situation.
Speaker 2:He has to go to the dog park now and be so made fun of. Yeah, you know that picture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know that picture of that dog where it's like it's like a human dog has like the human bald head and the like ear. Yeah, they put like the.
Speaker 2:Snapchat filter of a gorilla over the dog. That was that dog, literally.
Speaker 1:Oh baby.
Speaker 2:He's going to make no new friends. His mom's a cunt. Well, I hope it takes real good care of him Maybe she'll just like settle down and not try to become a professional behind the desk and try to stop telling the groomer what they did wrong, like if that was the case, then you groom it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, oh man, i don't know, I'm just trying to think of other stories but, like I have a lot of people, what's your, what's your thought on people coming early? Does that like drive you crazy? or drives me crazy when it's my first dog?
Speaker 1:in the morning because I'm not a morning person Like, so I have. So we have you know at this point.
Speaker 2:So it's eight o'clock and one o'clock, but I also have 12 o'clock Borders that drop in between and Mackenzie, she's, she's, um. She always makes the comments of people just drop off their dogs If they have a one o'clock, they know I'm in the shop at like 1045. They know I'm in there grooming the eight o'clock. It's like they just know my schedule. I've been here forever. They know how I operate and like the like hey, sorry, i have to go to Walmart or something, so I hope it's okay. I dropped the dog off and they don't call to ask me.
Speaker 2:They don't do anything, they just like come knowing I'm going to be like, yep, i'm here anyway, and like I have never seen anything wrong with it other than, yes, it disturbs my whole shop. Yes, every dog sparking. I have to put my scissors down.
Speaker 2:We have to stop our conversation, you know, and like, yeah, i can another dog and it's not like the most convenient time, but like I also get it Like people have a day job or they work or they have life going. So I'll just like stop and I'll do it. But I never realized how much like it bothers other people that I'm like sure, like she's like it. They're three hours early, are you kidding me? And I'm like well, i'll grim it at one, it's no big deal. They're not expecting me to have it done in an hour.
Speaker 2:But I didn't know if it was just me, if I'm just this big pushover or what. I think a little bit.
Speaker 1:But also like it just depends. Like like I get to my shop every day at nine, like my first dog is at nine, and usually I get to my shop every day, my first dog is at nine and usually one of my coworkers has a check in my nine o'clock dog, because I'm there like nine oh five And I know that's horrible, but like I have to fight for my life to wake up in the morning. It's like a thing. And I don't like when my nine o'clock dog is there at eight thirty, because like I'm struggling to be there at nine myself, like can we not? But anytime after that, like sure you can come early, like I don't care, but I see where she's coming from You also have a receptionist like that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're one on one.
Speaker 1:So it's like I'm going to have to stop at some point anyways to check in my next dog and like I don't know. But I think it's the, it's the knowing that people will be like she's not going to do anything. You know, like I think that bothers some people more than others.
Speaker 2:And I think McKenzie is a type of person that that would bother her for sure, But like oh yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I think it just like. It's a thing where, like, if that's the boundary you've set in your business and it means a lot to you, and force it, you know, and don't let people overstop that boundary. But if you don't care, then I don't see the problem.
Speaker 2:I was going to say. part of me is just like that respect thing, but I'm also like I don't really want to fight that battle. The lateness drives me crazy. I'll tell people sorry, you're 20 minutes late. The whole shop's like. I'll lock the door and send them a text Like I can't safely come to you. I have a dog in the table and on the tub. even though, like I could, i'm very well, probably shouldn't be that.
Speaker 2:I have people in my shop Like we're all, you know, we're all next door to our table Like we can't, unless we put the dog in the kennel and stop all over. But when?
Speaker 1:you're late.
Speaker 2:Like they know, sierra means no business. I'll do it for boarding too. If they come out like 8 20 and like it's eight o'clock dropoff, like sorry blood suit, 12 and they're like. I have a plane to catch my glass looks like, but the early does part. I don't care, we're in there.
Speaker 1:I don't care if any dog is late, unless it's my last dog, because I am not. If my last dog is at 230 and it's 233 and they're not there, i'm angry because now I'm going to get off late. I have two American caucus in full coat to be like I've got things to do, like I don't know.
Speaker 2:No, i'm the same way. For late that that will strike the courts. But the early I'm like I'm, you know. I have two young children. I'm up at five o'clock every morning Um dishes laundry. Something is being rotated.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Kids are sometimes being bathed. Like early is great. Um, some of my clients have even have my like code to come in the shop for that part, like cause they work like a odd shift and they'll put the dog in the shop, like while the whole house is sleeping, so they can have their grooming appointment. Because, like I completely understand, people work, they have day jobs and, like my schedule isn't really set up for people to have a job. Um, so, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, that just means they're not your clients Like.
Speaker 2:I know, but we live in Evansburg, Iowa, and I know the people like either really great clients of my husband or I don't know. That's where I'd have a bleeding heart. Like, I'll just be like sure, here's my code, i trust you, i know your garage code.
Speaker 1:That's where I'm kind of like spoiled by like living in Austin, because like, yeah, i could open my Instagram and scroll and pick a DM and I could have that new client like tomorrow, just like a random client, because they it's like never ending. So I I in that sense can be a little more like picky about who I take on, but I'm really I have this like sense of loyalty to like the clients that I have right, Because they've stuck with me and like I've raised prices on them and they've been respectful.
Speaker 2:So there's a price. I'm curious. I in Austin Texas.
Speaker 1:We have like a system of pricing That's like we have like a base price for weight and then like we adjust the base price to add on for like coat type and then like the coat condition. It's like a whole, like.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Almost like a spreadsheet that we follow, so it's very individualized for every dog.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Which is good, because my prices have probably almost doubled from when I opened.
Speaker 2:but That's good.
Speaker 1:You know, when you open you just like got to get people in the door. Yeah, That was my experience.
Speaker 2:I did it too. I was 17 when I opened my business and I remember I called like local dog groomers because it wasn't Facebook, wasn't really a big thing when I opened my business, so you couldn't really like run websites. I think the world was too cheap at the. I don't know like websites was like if you wouldn't had a website back then. It was like $600 just out of that.
Speaker 1:So like it was like menus.
Speaker 2:You know, like it was cold calling phone book was the whole thing.
Speaker 2:Like I sound old but like I just, i always say this and probably every episode. I was just in this like little stage of life where, you know, technology boomed in like 2000 and I'd say like 14. I feel like when touch phones really got out there and everyone could have like Facebook on their phone, like when that happened. But I so I cold called everybody and I was like hi, my name's Regina and I have a German shepherd and a Yorkie, and then I undercut everybody which was a stupid mistake, but I was 17.
Speaker 2:I knew everything, so I learned the hard way. I think my first small groom was like 3750. Who knows where the 50 cents came from. Probably because I undercoded like the girl, like store, i know she was 38.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i'm like 3750.
Speaker 2:It was bad but obviously I've you know went to glasses and learned how to price stuff out. So I was always curious on, you know we charge by the hour.
Speaker 2:So if, like you, have in, like an Australian shepherd that has severe undercoat and it just took us three hours to get it all out, we charge you by the hour. But if the next time it comes in because it finally came on its schedule sorry, had a burp then it could just be like an hour. It just depends. Sometimes, like the mean dogs that take a little bit longer to like earn their trust and make them love you and safely groom them, you know sometimes takes three hours So and then other little shitsus could take like an hour. So I was just curious.
Speaker 1:No, i mean, i guess I guess another important thing to add is like if you're just opening and if you're just starting to work for yourself and your need you, if you're just starting to work for yourself and you need to take any client that calls just to survive, there's no shame in that. Do what you have to do, but just know that it's not going to be that way forever And, honestly, it probably won't even be that way for long, because when I first opened my salon, i was doing DoorDash so that I could leave flyers at people's doors when I delivered their food. And now, like I said, i can just open Instagram and like, scroll and pick somebody and have a client tomorrow.
Speaker 1:So, it's just do what you have to do, but know that it's not. you know it's not forever.
Speaker 2:I still stuck at the DoorDash thing. Gavin, That's a genius idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like Hey, i also grew dogs and they gave him a flyer.
Speaker 1:I just put it in the bag with our food and I'm sure a lot of people hated that. I'm sure a lot of people hated that.
Speaker 2:That's why we're friends. The hustle right there, yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:We are so much like Gavin said. no, we're alike.
Speaker 1:That is so, such a Sierra move.
Speaker 2:I would have done that, like if I could sell something, like I'm going to be selling something, like I could sell something to a rock, if you let me try, like I didn't know that, but what he said. But to add on that is don't be super cheap. Like, figure out what the market price is and do not underestimate yourself because it's not worth it. It's not. You will be burned out if you stick to those prices and never get the balls or the guts to up them, because now you're going to have to go work at night job while being a grooming owner, a grooming salon owner, because it's not easy.
Speaker 1:You can always, always, always offer discounts or offer like a first time, like lower price, but you can. It's so much harder to increase prices across the board and so much harder One time I'll never forget this I think I was working at PetSmart and somebody told me it costs twice as much to get a new client as it does to keep an old one, And I disagree with that.
Speaker 2:Like so hard. I was just saying I don't know who set that up It is. It might cost.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it might cost twice as much to get a new client, but you know what costs more than that Therapy, and that's where you're going to have to go when you just have horrible clients that make you miserable all the time. So if there's a client that really makes you wish you weren't going to work, just please, please, please, fire them. You'll be happy you did.
Speaker 2:Are you 1000%? Yeah, what Gavin said right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah I feel so much better. I just needed to scream about bad clients.
Speaker 2:They wreck our days. But honestly, you know surrounding yourself by like people and that we could do. We could have conversations like this or we could talk to our friends and say stuff like it is nice to have I always think about. So my aunt Patty is like a teacher, or used to be a teacher. She retired from that career, but I would sit down and listen to her talk to her friends and, like you think these teachers were like little saints from up above and they're like, yes, cody, whatever you need. But when they have their beers with their friends they're like, fuck that kid, that mom's an asshole. So it is nice to have that little community where you could just be like. Can you believe?
Speaker 1:just breathe and let it out.
Speaker 2:Even saying it out loud and explaining what just happened, to see if it's as fucked up as it happened in the real world. Just doing that and realize I'm like why did I let myself do that? That's when you gather that text or put that software email and send them like hey, after thinking about today's conversation and how well it didn't go, this will be the last time and from here on out your reoccurring appointments are canceled. So here's so and so and so and so and so and so for groomers. I hope you have an awesome experience with them, but unfortunately I don't think we're a good fit.
Speaker 1:Maybe put it a little nicer and a little more professional And just remember that, no, is a complete and full sentence, and you do not ever have to explain yourself to anyone.
Speaker 2:I love that. I tell my five year old that all the time, and now she tells people that. So well, good, well good, i think that's I. if you guys have a bad client story, please either put it in our Instagram comments or DM us. we will share it in the next episode, or maybe not the next, but we'll definitely share it in our stories on Instagram.
Speaker 1:Or if you just have a question, or if you need help, or if there's a situation you're in, we might be able to help you, so let us know.
Speaker 2:And if we can't help you, we have so many friends that most definitely probably can, so we're going to always want a friend. But all right, well, we'll see you guys next time. Bye.