"Difficult Dog" fee for Petsmart groomers

[fledchen]

http://consumerist.com/2010/08/watch-out-for-petsmarts-bad-dog-fee.html

Anyone know what the criteria are for this fee?

[state_of_nowhere]

I have never heard of this before. One of the students I tutor in ASL works in dog grooming. She used to work at one of the chain stores and knew nothing about this.

Personally, I don't pay extra money that isn't disclosed to me up front. I consider it dishonest. The best thing to do would have been to page or call the owners and let them know that there will be an additional fee because the dog is "hard to handle" or whatever. I agree that something like that is incredibly subjective, and for such a young pup the focus should be on making the experience positive and not traumatizing the poor thing just to get the job done.

[Gretl2009]

When I was working as a groomer, we did impose a fee on dogs that were "difficult" on the table.  If the dog nipped or bit at clippers, scissors, hands of the groomer, bit the face of the groomer (yes, that has happened), bit the bather, is unable to be managed on the table in any number of ways. 

These dogs usually take more time on the table, usually takes more than one groomer to control and complete the grooming -- hence taking money away from the grooming business overall. 

[BlindMag]

I very rarely went to a groomer for my dachshunds; when I did I stayed to help and make sure the groomer took enough time to work with my dog (very positive experience) and that his back was always correctly supported. I didn't care if they charged me for taking extra time, but my doxies were never difficult for a groomer to handle.

[MJ]

I think $6 is cheap. My Pom was a devil dog. I always told groomers this and to please keep him muzzled for everyone's safety. He still bit several groomers (one 3 times in a single session). The groomers never charged me extra but I always tipped at least $20 as hazard pay.

[Nianhel]

I've had Coco groomed at PetSmart before, because a really sweet lady I used to work with at Animal Control works there now as a groomer. I told her that she's never been very cooperative in the bath, and isn't fond of being left with strangers (doesn't bite or anything, but doesn't really like to sit still). But when I came back to get her, she said the dog had been an angel. Works for me! The bath/brush/nail combo ran about $60, so it's certainly not something I decided to make a habit out of, but they didn't mention anything to me either about a "difficult dog" fee, nor did I see anything on their price boards (which I read every detail, including the fine print). So I dunno. But it would make sense to me for any groomer to have a similar policy. However, I'd obviously expect them to make it known to the owner BEFOREhand. Otherwise I'd either refuse to pay it, or would pay it but refuse to tip, and likely wouldn't use that groomer again due to unscrupulous business practices.

[Gretl2009]

MOST, not all, groomers do have a sign posted that a fee will be imposed if the dog is difficult.  Usually, if it is the first time you are seeing that groomer, they will tell you after the grooming that your dog was difficult and because of such, they will have to impose a fee on you the next time, because it will take extra time or an extra set of hands to groom your dog.  A reputable groomer will let you know after the first time -- you can't believe the number of people who will tell you that their little angel would never turn into a nightmare on the table.  We took to videotaping the dogs whose owners did not believe us.  We'd show them their little sweetum turn into Cujo on the table -- I had one woman who refused to believe us - said she was taking her business elsewhere -- we jumped up and down for joy -- 2 months later, we had heard from no less than 4 other groomers in the area, all of whom refused to even do anything with this dog -- it was so awful.  She sheepishly came back to our shop and offered us 4 times what we normally charged because no one else would so much as pick up a brush anywhere near this monster.  It took 2 of us to do the dog - since it was the owner and me, and she was a great boss, she took the normal charge for the dog and put it into the business, the extra the owner paid, she and I split.  We went so far as to have a bite glove in order to handle this nasty  little cocker spaniel. 

[Nianhel]

Yikes! Sounds like a real adventure. But at least you got a good "tip"

[k1maplewd]

yes the groomer I worked for in high school as a bather had a difficult dog fee too and she did it the way that Chris describes- if the dog was new and a horror on the 1st visit, she would tell the client that next time if the dog was that difficult there would be an extra charge.  And usually she gave that extra to her staff to split as hazard pay. 

[hopesclan]

Yup.  The groomer I worked for did the same thing.  It was never tacked on at the end without prior notice and the fee began the second groom.

Difficult meant biting, requiring a muzzle, requiring a second person assisting in a groom, or for the dogs that repeatedly defecated all over the grooming table and everywhere else, thus required several hose downs and serious clean up.  This is far beyond the usual 'uncooperative' pet that doesn't like baths.