I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Petco Grooming today, especially because today is my dog's birthday and I specifically scheduled a grooming appointment so she could be groomed for her special day.
Her regular groomer was already booked, so I scheduled with someone new. When I arrived, I gave the groomer specific instructions about how I wanted my dog's hair cut. I don't think there is anything unreasonable about providing detailed instructions to a new groomer who has never groomed your dog before.
The groomer then asked if I would prefer for her regular groomer to do her instead. Of course I said yes--if that was actually an option. He went to the back to check, but her regular groomer was not available.
After that, I was told that the groomer was "not comfortable" cutting my dog's hair. The grooming manager then came out and told me that because he was uncomfortable and they were booked, I would have to reschedule. I explained that rescheduling was not a reasonable solution for me. I had an appointment, it was my dog's birthday, and I had planned my day around having her groomed.
What was even more concerning was when the store manager became involved and explained that they had been receiving complaints about this groomer, that she did not feel comfortable with him cutting my dog's hair either, and that he was still in training.
That left me with an even bigger question: Why was my dog booked with someone whom management admittedly did not feel comfortable having groom her?
If an employee is still training and does not feel comfortable completing a particular groom, I can respect that. I would much rather someone be honest than risk doing something incorrectly. However, that is a staffing and management issue--not something the customer should have to deal with after arriving for a confirmed appointment. At that point, I believe the grooming manager/trainer should have stepped in and honored the appointment rather than simply turning me away.
Instead, I was left calling around at 3:00 p.m. on a Sunday trying to find another groomer who could take my dog at the last minute on her birthday.
What makes this even more upsetting is the amount of money I spend at Petco. I spend entirely too much money at Petco to be treated so terribly. My dog's food, treats, toys, medical care, grooming, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, clothes--EVERYTHING comes from Petco. I have consistently chosen Petco for practically every aspect of my dog's care, which is why I expected much better treatment and customer service than what I received today.
The entire situation was handled very unprofessionally. I am a paying customer with a Petco membership, and this experience has seriously made me reconsider whether I will continue that membership once it ends. When a loyal customer spends this much money with a company, the very least they should receive is professionalism, respect, and a reasonable attempt to resolve a problem--especially when the problem was created by the store's own staffing decisions. I had to cancel my dogs birthday party as a result because I did not want her to have her not groomed on her special day! Just ruined my entire day!
I will not be returning to this grooming location. Customers should be able to trust that when Petco accepts and confirms a grooming appointment, they have someone available who is actually qualified and comfortable performing the service. read more