Best way to deal with clients with difficult dogs
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Best way to deal with clients with difficult dogs
Hi everyone
This sounds like a terrible thread but we have all had customers whose dogs are horrid behaviour wise, waste a lot of time on the grooming table and the customer only rings once in 4, 5 or 6 months.
I got caught out of course by these sorts of people when I first started and now it is 6 months later and I'm getting a few of them ringing back.
I have a voicemail stating that I'm booked out till Jan and I must admit I've been a little naughty and just been ignoring the message (it was only 2 people) and hoping they went elsewhere however I have noticed they will leave 2, 3 or more messages even though the voicemail says I am booked out (you would think they would get the message that I'm not available to take any appointments and just move on?)
What I am worried about is that these customers might badmouth my business on facebook or something along those lines because I didn't return their calls.
Am I doing the right thing here? Or should I return the call and explain that last time the dog was quite difficult and I feel that a groomer working alone such as myself is not the best choice for the dog? Or the other option is tell them it will be $20 extra due to the difficult behaviour and needing to account for the extra time spent.
I would prefer to move the client on as I want to keep my appointment book free for the possibility of picking up a client that will become a good regular their either books in the diary or calls regularly when they are ready.
What is the best way to deal with these sorts of clients?
This sounds like a terrible thread but we have all had customers whose dogs are horrid behaviour wise, waste a lot of time on the grooming table and the customer only rings once in 4, 5 or 6 months.
I got caught out of course by these sorts of people when I first started and now it is 6 months later and I'm getting a few of them ringing back.
I have a voicemail stating that I'm booked out till Jan and I must admit I've been a little naughty and just been ignoring the message (it was only 2 people) and hoping they went elsewhere however I have noticed they will leave 2, 3 or more messages even though the voicemail says I am booked out (you would think they would get the message that I'm not available to take any appointments and just move on?)
What I am worried about is that these customers might badmouth my business on facebook or something along those lines because I didn't return their calls.
Am I doing the right thing here? Or should I return the call and explain that last time the dog was quite difficult and I feel that a groomer working alone such as myself is not the best choice for the dog? Or the other option is tell them it will be $20 extra due to the difficult behaviour and needing to account for the extra time spent.
I would prefer to move the client on as I want to keep my appointment book free for the possibility of picking up a client that will become a good regular their either books in the diary or calls regularly when they are ready.
What is the best way to deal with these sorts of clients?
snaggywoo- Location : Newcastle, NSW
Posts : 248
Re: Best way to deal with clients with difficult dogs
hi
ive had a few of these & I do tell the customer at the time that their dog is very difficult, or go & get the owner to try to help me, then they can see for themselves.
I have had one guy ring me back, who I needed to hold his 2 small dogs as they were snarling & snapping at me constantly, and I told him nicely, but firmly that I did not feel comfortable doing his dogs & he would better going to somewhere where there is more than 1 person. He understood.
When I get a call to clip a new dog now, I always ask if there have been any issues in the past with clipping & if the owner is honest & tells me that there has been, I say straight up that they would be best to go somewhere where there is more than 1 person, as I work alone & need to be able to manage the dog.
It is hard as I am trying to build up my clientele, but I can not take the risk of being bitten & not being able to work.
I changed my career to this for less stress! hahaha
ive had a few of these & I do tell the customer at the time that their dog is very difficult, or go & get the owner to try to help me, then they can see for themselves.
I have had one guy ring me back, who I needed to hold his 2 small dogs as they were snarling & snapping at me constantly, and I told him nicely, but firmly that I did not feel comfortable doing his dogs & he would better going to somewhere where there is more than 1 person. He understood.
When I get a call to clip a new dog now, I always ask if there have been any issues in the past with clipping & if the owner is honest & tells me that there has been, I say straight up that they would be best to go somewhere where there is more than 1 person, as I work alone & need to be able to manage the dog.
It is hard as I am trying to build up my clientele, but I can not take the risk of being bitten & not being able to work.
I changed my career to this for less stress! hahaha
brig- Location : sa
Posts : 16
Re: Best way to deal with clients with difficult dogs
Yeah I like the not comfortable because I work alone so a certain level of cooperation from the dog is needed.
Unless the dog sounds ghastly I will try the dog once. I have found that there are quite a few that the owners think were terrible to the last groomer and they were relatively fine when I did them.
I have found a good predictor is the vibe you get about the owner. I have found I'm rarely wrong (even though it is stereotyping). If you get the feeling the owner just "doesn't get it" then often the dog has unworkable issues.
Unless the dog sounds ghastly I will try the dog once. I have found that there are quite a few that the owners think were terrible to the last groomer and they were relatively fine when I did them.
I have found a good predictor is the vibe you get about the owner. I have found I'm rarely wrong (even though it is stereotyping). If you get the feeling the owner just "doesn't get it" then often the dog has unworkable issues.
snaggywoo- Location : Newcastle, NSW
Posts : 248
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