Even The Doggos Are Struggling In These Weird Times

I work at a dog grooming salon, and due to the global health crisis and being recently bought by corporate, things are not looking good. We aren’t making as much money, and we are losing customers, mostly from multiple price increases and terrible management tying our hands.

The schedule is fortunately full today since we had to reschedule dogs from early in the week due to an issue with water that needed to be fixed. We all have a long day ahead of us, with large or difficult dogs, but we have a job to do.

Things are going smoothly until 9:00, and one groomer decides she doesn’t want to groom a large doodle today.

Customer: “Fluffy is here for his haircut! I don’t really want much off if we can do that. He got rescheduled a few times, so he is long, but we kind of like it.”

Fluffy, of course, looks like Chewbacca, and upon inspection, we find that he is matted under all that fur, meaning we most likely can’t just brush it out at this stage.

Groomer: “I’ll see if our bather can brush it out! I’m sure she won’t mind an extra bath dog!”

She would mind. [Groomer] goes to the back and asks [Bather] about it.

Bather: “I don’t have time to brush out an extra large doodle, and his matting is too tight.”

Meanwhile, I am explaining to the customer the intricacies of matting, and telling him that most likely, the bather will not be able to do it, and all we would accomplish is pulling painfully on the dog’s hair. The owner understands at this point that his dog will have to be shaved down.

Groomer: *Coming back to the front* “Well, I don’t have time to brush him out and give him a haircut! You need to take him home and brush him out!”

Customer: “It’s okay; I understand that he needs to be shaved for his safety. He really does need a bath and haircut.”

Groomer: “I can’t just throw him in the tub with those mats!”

Customer: *Quietly now, unsure what to do* “But… he’s been rescheduled three times now…”

I cut [Groomer] off before she can open her mouth.

Me: “You can preshave him before the bath. I’ll help you if you need it.”

Groomer: “But he doesn’t want his dog shaved!”

Customer: “It’s okay; I know he has to be shaved. Whatever is best for his safety.”

She takes the dog back. I apologize to the owner and offer him a free tooth-brushing for the inconvenience of being rescheduled. It’s not much, but I’m just a groomer.

Me: “Hey, [Groomer]! He’s getting a tooth-brushi— Wait, what are you doing?”

[Groomer] has the dog in the tub already.

Groomer: “I’m just going to bathe him. It’s easier to feel how matted he is when he’s wet!”

It’s not.

Me: “We told the customer we had to shave the dog! Why are you washing almost a foot and a half of hair you’ll have to shave?!”

Groomer: “Whatever!”

She proceeded to brush out a small fraction of matting on the chest as the dog dried, and then I saw her later surface brushing, meaning she was getting the top parts of the fur but not the bottom to give the appearance of a brushed-out dog, and I never once saw her take any length off the dog.

She sent the dog home matted and told the customer he had to brush him at home — AND she charged a brush out fee. The customer was so sweet and still tried to tip her, but the receptionist had discounted the grooming price since the dog had not received the services the owner requested.

We also let management know, but they don’t care as long as we shut up and make money, so who knows what will come of it.