It is 11:55pm on Christmas Eve, and I just finished wrapping the last present!
I took off today in hopes of having a relaxing Christmas Eve.
I think that I should have groomed.
I haven't stopped moving since 8am.
We hope that everyone has a wonderful Holiday tomorrow.
Take time to relax from all of that hectic holiday grooming.
I am sure that some of you may have seen this Youtube video.
I found it last year and smiled the whole time I was watching it.
Enjoy!
Have a safe, Happy Holiday!!
Merry Christmas, MFF
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you too! I've been going stir crazy today, but at least I got a little more sleep than normal. My husband secretly put on the books for us to have a '3-day' weekend a while back, we haven't been closed on a Monday in a very long time, I'm going to have cabin fever before Tuesday comes. At least we have enough food to survive nuclear winter :) The kids have been amazing all day, Jack picked up a few new words and Luc is so cute trying to copy him. I'm just so glad that the tree has made it this far, and for one Christmas in my life none of the animals have eaten (opened, or even broken) any of the presents. I hope you really enjoy your weekend, grooming escalates every day leading up to Christmas, it's nice to be able to take a small break.
ReplyDeleteEat, Drink, Be Merry... all that jazz.
Best Holiday Wishes,
~Serena
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Serena,
ReplyDeleteYour husband is a smart man. You need that extra time once in awhile.
I saw on your facebook that you had a tidy-up grooming Christmas party. I would love to know how that turned out for you. It is funny how we talk about time off, then when we get it, we feel like we will go stir-crazy. lol
Enjoy those kids while they are little!
Enjoy your long weekend!
Lisa,MFF
gipsiwriter,
ReplyDeleteWe had a great Christmas.
I hope your Christmas was happy and wonderful!
Lisa,MFF
It went very well, it was spaced out perfectly throughout the day from start to finish. I got the idea from you in one of your blogs, it went so well! We made about $500 and saw some of my favorite fur babies. Thank you so very much for having this blog, it's so nice to hear from someone so experienced, and I really love your posts. It's every day things that happen to us all, with a lightened mood to it. I have to ask though, do your customers try to sneak into the back of your shop? Mine, every now and then, open the baby gate and just walk on back. I try not to let anyone in the back, just in case they walk to the bathing room and slip, or walk into the kennel bank room and try to pet a strange dog. Just this morning I had an old man try the gate, I had to kindly tell him to wait here and I would go get his pet. I do have insurance, mostly for slip and fall in the front of the store, but I always let my husband know that if I'm grooming I really do not need the pets distracted. Years ago I used to let customers come back and watch if they insisted on staying but the pet, instead of relaxing and focusing on me, was focused on getting to the owner the entire time. Trying to jump from the table, tub, etc. It was just more work, and the customer felt the need to make small talk the entire time. I really do like people, but I'm here for the pets, I can't babysit everyone and be sure that they do not wander off to 'meet' the other pets, I can't guarantee they will not snap at that person. People confident with pets usually do well, but someone unsure or insecure, the pets really do pick up on that and try to 'defend' their space. My own mother visits often, we have had pets our entire lives but my mother is a very nervous person and many pets that I have been grooming have tried to growl or snap at her, one actually bit her pretty well once, a dog that I groom every single Saturday with never an issue at all, probably one of the sweetest dogs I've ever had the pleasure to groom. I'm just glad that she is my mother and can understand. Now when she visits she does not come into the back anymore, just the front rooms with Phillip and the boys.
ReplyDeleteNow back to work,
~Serena
Hi Serena,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that the Christmas party worked out so well for you. I really want to do it again myself, but always seem to forget to book it until it is too late.
It's up to you, but I would get rid of the baby gate and have your husband install a half door that has a door knob that you can lock from the inside if necessary. You know, the kind of door that is cut in half and opens at the top and the bottom. That way, if you want to leave the top of the door open so that you can see your lobby, or the customers can look back, you can still lock to bottom of the door to keep unwanted people out.
I have a sign on my grooming room door the reads 'Employees Only'. Of course that has not stop a few of my customers from following me back. :(
When a customer asks if they can go into the grooming room, I very nicely inform them that my insurance will not cover them if they get hurt or bitten in my grooming room. "My Insurance will not allow you in the grooming room."
I tell them that I have nothing to hide. They are welcome to watch me groom through my large picture window in the front of my shop.
Every once in a while we will have customers walk straight back into the Self-Serve without waiting for my husband to take them back. That can be very frustrating. Every once in a while a Self-Serve customer will also want to use my clippers or scissors. I ALWAYS say No. I tell them that my insurance will not allow me to supply them with sharp instruments that could injure their dog. So far know one has argued with me about it. Of course I usually come back and cut out the mats myself to soften the 'No'. :) I read a story once about a mechanic that took some of his bosses tools home to work on his own car. He did not ask his boss if he could use the tools. The mechanic injured himself with one of the tools and sued his boss. Guess what? He won!! His boss did not even know that he took the tools, but the mechanic STILL won. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
I also tell customers that I need all of the dogs attention on me so that they do not get hurt during the grooming process. I once had a customer come in 10 minutes early for their poodle. I was just finishing scissoring the face. I had an open table at the time, no backboard like I do now. The customer came in and immediately yelled out his dogs name at the top of his lungs. The dog, who had been sitting there so good for me, suddenly jerked his head back. He jerked his head back so hard and so violently, that he flipped backwards off of my table, hit the floor, got so scared, that he pooped and peed all over himself. Thankfully the dog did not hurt itself. I was so mad that I told my husband to tell the owner what he just caused and to get out so I could clean up his dog and not come back till I called and told him to.
Most people understand when you explain to them that YOUR RULES are for the safety of their pets.
I think that you would like the half door. There are times that you may want to close the entire door so that you, and an especially crazy dog, can have much needed privacy.
I am sorry to hear about your Mom. I am sure that the bite did not help with her fear of dogs. It is amazing what even a sweet dog will do when they sense fear. She comes to see the Grand kids anyway, she won't miss the dogs. :) Protect yourself, keep people out of your grooming room.
Lisa,MFF