Sometimes groomers ask me, "What do I do if someone wants me to groom a breed of dog I am not familar with?" or "What if a customer wants me to do a unique grooming style/technique that I don't know how to do?" Well, it happens to all of us. I have been grooming 27 years and I certainly do not know it all... not by a long shot! I had a phone call this last week that reminded me of that fact. The customer that called has a Scottish Terrier that she shows. She keeps his jacket hand-stripped, but wanted me to groom the dogs head before an upcoming show. Here is how I handled it. I said, "I believe I do a very nice pet groom on a Scottie, but I DO NOT feel qualified to do a show trim on your dog." The customer replied, "I've seen your work, I want you to do it." I repeated my previous statement, she insisted, and she is coming in for me to do the dog in a week or so. In this case I have told the client I do NOT feel confident that I can do what she wants. Twice. But she insisted so I am going to give it a whirl.
Another example is that years ago I desperately wanted to learn how to hand-strip terrier coats. I had little luck finding anyone who would teach me. I read everything I could get my hands on regarding the topic, and one day a woman called and asked if I could hand-strip her dog. I said, "I know just enough about hand-stripping to be dangerous. I would LOVE to learn more but need a dog to practice on. Would you be willing to pay me for a pet clip on your dog and let me practice hand stripping? I will not charge you for the extra time I will spend if you won't get too annoyed if I make an error." The owner told me she liked my honesty, and she let me groom her dog many times while I "played" around with this new skill.
I've done this with "unique" trims, too. One man wanted a mohawk on his standard poodle. I told him I'd never done one, but would be happy to try. It took me 4 or 5 grooms before I got the mohawk the way he liked it, but since I'd told him from the start that I didn't know how to give him what he wanted, he was willing to work with me until I nailed down the groom to his expectations.
So all of these stories boil down to this... admit up front what you don't know. People will find it refreshing. Honesty upfront is so much better than telling the customer you can deliver something you cannot. That is a recipe for disaster every time! If the groom they want you to do is a skill you'd like to work on, offer a deal to the pet owner so you can practice on the pet while you learn. If what they want is of no interest to you, try to refer them to a groomer that can fullfil thier desires.
Meanwhile, keep on learning! The Internet is filled with information that can expand your knowledge and advance your skills. Go to dog shows and look hard at how the dogs are groomed, study the AKC breed guidelines, attend a grooming competition and watch the men and women in the ring create art on four feet, or ask someone you admire for a private lesson.
What do you do if are asked to try something you don't know how to do? Tell it like it is and turn the request into a chance to expand your skills. This is one of the things that keeps our work fresh and fun... the endless opportunities to grow.
Thank you for these tips. They are really useful and helpful. I have tried a lot of techniques and dog accessories with no results but I really am confident your advice will help me.
Posted by: Connor Keating | 09/12/2011 at 04:22 AM