Tis the Season to be Grumpy.....

....falalalala lalalala...... 9 more days.

Well, actually 8 more days.

We don't work Christmas day right?

Our customers do know that, right?

How have all of you been doing?

Are you hanging in there?

Are your customers being naughty or nice?

I have to say that 90% of my customers are being nice.

So why...why do I let the naughty, grumpy customers bother me?

This last week was so busy.

I felt like the last week was never going to end.

It was not that the dogs I groomed were hard to do, or that I had too many to groom.

It was grumpy customers.

Some of them long time customers.

Maybe it is just me.

At my post-op appointment last Monday, my doctor asked me if I had been having mood swings since the surgery.

No.

I didn't have any of the other symptoms that he mentioned either.

After all, he only removed one ovary.

I am not ready for the change of life just yet.

The one symptom that he did not mention was over sensitivity.

Because, I am telling you, I was over sensitive to things that my customers were doing this past week.

Or, maybe it is just because it is the Holidays.

I just don't know.

I usually just try to let things roll of my back.

I try very hard not the let what a customers says, or does bother me.

I don't want to let someone ruin my whole day for some stupid thing that they said, or did, and then walk away and never give it, or me a second thought.

So why am I being so sensitive?

Maybe I am not.

Maybe every groomer would be just as sensitive as me. 

Let me give you a few examples.

(descriptions of the dogs are very vague to keep from hurting anyone's feelings)

I could not help but feel a little depressed when half of the customers that I gave picture calendars to didn't even recognize their own dogs.

I have spent hours on those pictures and calendars.

I at least thought that they would recognize their dogs.

Was I being over sensitive that it hurt my feelings when customers didn't even recognize their own dogs?

Next was the Self-serve customer with the beautiful large dog.

The owners are a very nice couple that had bathed their dog in the Self-Serve before.

I happened to be walking past the lobby just as they came in the front door.

The dog is very sweet, but also extremely shy and timid.

I stopped to greet them only to be told that their dog did not want to come in, because I clipped his nails the last time that they were here.

Was I being over sensitive to be flabbergasted, that even when I am not the one bathing the dog, I still get blamed for the dog not wanting a bath?

Then came the long time customer...like over 20 years long time customer.

She dropped her dog off at 8 am.

She asked me what time we closed.

4 pm.

The same time that we have been closing for the last 5 or 6 years.

Gone are the days that I stay open till 7pm.

She got upset that I was not going to be open later.

She even called at 3 pm to see if we were still closing at 4pm.

So, was I being too sensitive, when I got very irritated, when she walked in at 4:10 to pick up her dog?

I will have to admit that I had a mixture of feelings about the next customer.

Another long time customer with a very sweet dog.

But, the dog is a big job.

He is a medium size dog, with an extremely thick double coat.

A double coat that takes forever to brush out, because the undercoat no longer blows out with the drier.

A dog that no longer stands for the grooming.

A dog that once you have brushed him out, and can finally get a comb through the coat, gets hand scissored all over.

The dog is a lot of work.

The owner has never tipped, so imagine my surprised when a family member came in to pick up the dog and handed me an envelope.

I knew the payment for the groom was in the envelope, but I could also feel something else inside.

It is Christmas, so forgive me if my first thought was a Christmas card with a Christmas tip inside.

After the owner left, I opened up the envelope.

I took out what was inside, and then through my head back and laughed.

The 'Christmas tip' was a check for the exact amount of the grooming, as usual, but there was a note attached.

A note telling me to hold the check until the next week.

 I laughed at my stupidity for thinking that this customer, who has never given a tip before, was giving one now.

Was I being a little over sensitive to also get a little irritated that she hadn't even asked if it was okay for us to hold the check?

Then there was another long time customer, that for the second time, sent her kids in to pick up the dogs, and gave them a pre-writen check with the wrong amount for the groom.

She now owes us $12.

The problem is, she never comes in.

The owner always has someone else drop off and pick up.

She has always been a good customer.

Yes, she was told about the amount being wrong on the check.

She still has not come by to pay the difference.

So, am I being over sensitive about a long time customer would do this?

We had to finish off the week with the customer who insisted on arguing that we were charging her a dollar more than we had before.

"No, your price went up a dollar at the beginning of the year, but has been the same price ever since," my husband explained.

"No, you went up a dollar from the last time, I am sure of it."

A dollar?

Really?

I know the economy stinks right now, but really?

A dollar?

Yes, I must be over sensitive. :/

There were a few more things, but I think I have rambled on enough.

I am still trying to keep that Holiday cheer.

One more week.

It is going to be another long one.

I am putting it out there in the cosmos right now....

.....NO MORE GRUMPY CUSTOMERS!!!!

All of my customers are going to come in full of Holiday cheer.

All of my customers are going to come in full of Holiday cheer.

All of my customers are going to come in full of Holiday cheer.

 All of my customers are going to come in full of Holi.........

Oh, sorry.

I thought if I said it enough it just might happen. :)

Hang in there, and have a great grooming week.

Happy Grooming, MFF