Hya everyone,
I have been going to this groomer for about 8mths. every 2 mths.
On the last visit i asked them to leave emma's hair long as i want to grow it out,but clip Bonnies coat,when i went to pick them up they had got them mixed up and clipped emma and left bonnie long(shih-tzu's)     so i had to hang around while they clipped Bonnie,i still had to pay the normal price! Yesterday i took them again,this time i took a picture of tzu with the same cut i wanted Bonnie to have,i also wrote instructions on a piece of paper so they wouldnt forget,i asked them not to clip under emma's eyes as i want to grow it out,i also asked them to clip Bonnies head the same length as her body,well when i got there they had clipped under emma's eyes and left bonnie's head hair long!!! So back went Bonnie to have it done the way i asked.
The reason i chose this salon is coz they are shih-tzu breeders and know the breed very well,they are only there for 3 hours compared to 7 hours at the salon up the road,they also treat the dogs with such love and compassion as if they were their own.
The price is a little steep considering the mistakes they have done,it is $45 each(Aussie dollars)
I just wanted to know what you would do if this happened to your dogs?I would have thought that they would give me a discount on my next visit or something,to keep my business!Do i keep taking them there,as i feel comfortable in the kind way they treat the dogs or do i take a risk and change groomers??
To groomers,if you had made these mistakes twice in a row what would you do to appease the owner?Am i asking to much for a discount?I didnt bring a discount up with them,they said sorry and will not let it happen again!I'm not too sure about that

Christine

May be if you took your dogs in one at a time they wouldbe less likely to be confused.

That would be a bit silly,wouldnt it?Professional groomers should not make such simple mistakes,what difference does it make if i bring one or two in,they are completly different dogs,not to mention it is an 1/2 hr. drive away! I dont know a single person who brings their dogs in seperatly,what a silly unhelpful thing to say

christine

Actually I was going to suggest that too but Jackie got in first.  It's unlikely they'll muddle them up a third time but I would either stay with them or take them on separate occasions if you are worried that they might.  I have a hairy mutt who goes to a groomer twice a year and she is a 45 minute drive away.  When we had two hairy mutts before old Ben passed away I used to take them on separate occasions because she'll only have one dog there at a time.
Sally

Jackie is right, not silly or unhelpful, most people got out of there way to make things easy for other people looking after there dogs.
Be it groomer, vet or kennels, for 1 hour or 1 week.
Try and differentiate between your dogs for the groomers. 
If you can't do it by taking one dog at a time then find some way that you can.
Have you spoke to your groomers and asked them what there problem is?
Why do they find it difficult to tell the dogs apart?
Have you actually introduced the dogs individually to the groomer so that they can tell the difference?
Please don't knock people for trying to help it was you who asked.

:rolleyes:

What's silly about making it impossible for the groomers to get the dogs mixed up? Seems entirely sensible to me.

Well Jackie H just posted what I thought :D
Sounds the best solution all round really, you asked for an opinion and you got one, can't say fairer than that :D

Whether you consider Jackie's answer to be silly or otherwise (and I think it eminently sensible) I would defiantly not take a dog of mine back if they had already had two tries and could still not get it right! And I would not need to ask a forum to decide it!

John

Professional groomers should not make such simple mistakes
As a professional groomer, I agree Christine.  But then a professional groomer would trim to the breed standard and wouldn't do as the owner asked and clip shih tzus!  Sheep shearers clip a coated breed!

I disagree with that. A professional groomer is there to do what the client wishes (within reason) to be done to their dog. If you went to a restaurant and ordered lamb but got beef would you just accept it?

Jesse

So, you have been there four times? And it seems from your post that twice now they have not done as requested? You have 3 options, you either stay with them, take them seperately as Jackie suggested or you use another groomer, quite simple really! I drive 70 miles, 140 mile round trip to go to my groomer because she is good and never makes a mistake, if she did, I would discuss why and give one more chance before changing. If you are not prepared to take on board other peoples advice, then don't ask for it.

Well you asked and I gave you the best answer I could think of, I could have said, it is you who choose to take your dogs back several times to groomers who can't tell them apart and don't follow your instructions, why do you keep using them, but I was too polite. So when it comes to being silly & useless I am not sure it is me

An alternatie is learn to do it yourself, once you get used to it it shouldn't take you much more than an hour or so for each dog. The money you will save on taking to the groomers over the cost of equipment will make it worth your while and you could do them while you're watching the telly!!
As to price I checked on the currency converter and you're paying a lot less then you would over here!

Jesse

Another option is to learn how to do it yourself.  This is what I did and it's the best thing I ever did. 

Hi Christine!

If it was me I wouldn't go back and I certainly wouldn't have paid when they didn't do as I'd asked.  It's a shame you live so far away.  You could bring them both to me.  I wouldn't do as you asked either but I would be lovely to them both and not charge at all.  Joking apart - find another groomer.  Either that or you need to do some tests on them.  Can they hear?  Drop a bin lid behind them - if they jump you're ok on that one.  Can they read your notes?  Ask them to read out loud to you.  If they pass both tests then they are not professional - go elsewhere or accept that you'll never know what you're going to get.

Joe :)

:D :D :D lol @ Joe, have you considered a career in Politics? The Norman Party would get my vote :)

Hey that's a good idea.  If they can vote a Monkey into Parliament in Hartlepool maybe Durham's ready for a Dachshund MP.

Lord Norman.  Got a bit of class don't you think?  :D :D

I think you'll find Mr Tebbitt has claimed that name!
:D

Lady JG of Bombay Sapphire.... *tugs forelock* and *curtseys*

Good name though!! :)

liberty :D

Tut tut... get it right Joe, Lord Norman of The Land of the Prince Bishops :)
Now you need a chest big enough to pin that on :D :D

Good God!  Not naming him after Norman Tebbitt!  Will have to be Lord Norman Shortlegs of The Land of the Prince Bishops.  Not very catchy is it?  Lord Norm?  No he's definitely not that!  Just plain old Norman - fighting the good fight for shorties everywhere.  Free chews for all and a ban on cats :)

And cat pooh all round?

.............and exactly WHO let him graze in the litter tray???? ;)

i would of refused to pay and i would not  go there  again with my dogs

why Ozzie72, hasn't replied to any of  the replies and suggestions posted here.

liberty

Because she's in Australia and probably in bed! :)

Well they did manage to pop back long enough to have a go at me, still did not hurt too much as several others it would seem agreed with me.

Exactly Jackie, ;) Don't worry about Joe, he's just young and naive ;)

I heard that ;)

*saying nothing* ;)

:D :D Meant in the nicest possible way young man *giggles* :D

Champdogs dating agency anyone?

:p

Oooh !! saucer of milk Mel ;) :D

liberty :)

Excuse me?  Me and Norman are very happy together thank you :P:

Erm, who said Joe was young? :D

Cheeky mare!  :D

Joe, we're talking about you........not to you ok ;)
You just cuddle up with Norm, and let us girls sort it out ;)  :D :D

Admin, I wish to report that I am being bullied by these here women.  :P

*Snigger*

From personal experience Joe, most of Admin are women so............., you can try to hide......
Did  you ever see 'The Blair Witch Project'??

*sinister cackles* ;)

Norman says if you can't play nice we're going home.  And we're taking our ball with us!  :D :D :D

I will say nothing ....

I will say nothing........

:D :D :D

Go on Mel, just go for it..........

Joe, as for balls......well what can I say?????????? ;)

Joe can't reply because he's too upset.  Now go and play in your own street.  We don't like your kind round here.

Joe's mum

Aaawh Joe, would a group hug help? Make you and Norm feel better ??

You just ask Admin, sure they'll be more than happy to help *evil grin*  ;)

Well - I think it is incompetent of them to mix the dog's up twice.  Who cares what sort of clip or cut is being requested, as a customer if a request is made it should be done, and properly!  Money is being paid for a service and that service has not been done to your satisfaction.  It is up to the groomer to get the dogs right IMHO and if it were my dog's I would find someone else to do it!
Sarah :)

Exactly right Rozzer,these mistakes should not have been done,Jackie i have not replied as yet coz i was in bed as i am in Australia,thanks Joe ;) I have also spoken to a few groomers and pet owners and they all said it would be a waste of time to bring your own dogs in seperatly and completely unnecassary,i was beginning to think i overeacted to your post Jackie,which brings me to the point of why i replied to you as i did,i'm not sure if it's in my imagination but your posts sometimes have a tinge of sarcasm to them and i honestly cant tell if you are being serious or just having a dig Your first reply sounded very sarcastic to me,maybe i am being overly sensitive,if so i truly do apologise to you Jackie :) Thats why i ended my post to you the way i did,as everyone knows it is very hard to pick up on someones tone over the internet ,which is why we can use smilies :D
I have honestly never heard of a owner bringing their dogs in seperately and neither has anyone i have spoken to.
Jackie if your post was legit. then i am sorry for being rude to you but if it wasnt then i am curious to know why??
For everyones info. i have sorted out another groomer,fingers crossed!I asked them if i should bring my dogs in seperate and their exact words were "ofcourse not,that would be a silly,waste of time"
Thank-you all for taking the time to reply to me,i DO appreciate it,even tho i dont agree with it all ;) :D

christine
(i dont expect you to reply immediatly as it is 2am over there and you will most be in bed :p)

A local one woman grooming salon clipped my dog recently and made a real mess of him the poor chap I think he knew that he looked a state. I'd taken him there before and she hadn't done a brilliant job but he was clean and tidy. I now have bought myself some clippers and have been to a course which was a disaster but now I have found someone to teach me to groom my dogs. I think I would rather practice on him myself and if I make a mess of him at least I wont have the trouble of finding £35 for some one making a schnauzer looking like an overweight mountain goat!

Hi Christine, >>May be if you took your dogs in one at a time they would be less likely to be confused. << how could you possibly think that was sarcastic, it seemed to me a sensible answer and you were free to ignore it. Will do my best not to reply to you again would not want to risk your misunderstanding.