I really wanted to like the groomers at the Mount Juliet PetSmart. We had just moved to the area and I couldn't find another groomer who was available, so I looked into the grooming services at PetSmart. They agreed to groom our dog on short notice which I really appreciated. Also, I must agree with other Yelp reviews that say that this store is clean, big, and offers a lot of services which can be convenient.
However, since this would be our young Collie's first trip to the groomer and b/c I had heard horror stories of other Collie owners' experiences w/groomers at PetSmart (one owner returned to find her Collie completely shaved after requesting a simple trim), I decided to play it safe. I decided to schedule him for a basic bath along with a trimming for his paws and ears. I figured this would be pretty straightforward and simple for all parties involved.
First I called the store for a quote. I was told that a basic bath was $27 and it would be an additional $7 for the trimming of his paws and ears. I thought $34 was reasonable and my husband was pleased with the price too. So we booked the appointment.
I dropped off our dog in the morning. I informed the groomer that our dog was very trusting of people (which is amazing considering he is a rescue) and due to his lack of previous groomer experiences, they were working with a blank slate. I brought along his favorite treats for positive reinforcement and again, to help keep things easy for everyone. The groomer said that the dogs are usually ready to be picked up in 4hrs and they would call when the dog was ready. Again, I thought this was reasonable and left feeling confident that our dog was in good hands.
Fast forward four hours.
As promised the groomer called when the dog was ready to be picked up.
When I arrived I asked the groomer how our dog had behaved. She stated that he wasn't fond of the grooming experience or scissors but was ok with clippers. I thought this was kind of odd. Usually animals hate the noise and vibration of clippers and don't mind scissors as much. The groomer shared that she was able to trim his paws and "sensitive areas" but since he didn't like the scissors by his ears she "just didn't do it [the ear trimming]". I wasn't thrilled to hear this since his ears really needed trimming and the ear trimming was 1 of only 3 basic things I had asked them to do.
She handed me the receipt. I couldn't believe what I saw. The total bill was $82 - more than double what they had quoted me! Plus no one had mentioned or asked me in advance about whether or not it was ok to upgrade our dog to the "Premium" service even though I had repeatedly said I only wanted the "Basic" bath. I was stunned. The groomer asked me if I wanted to go to the front register and pay first while they kept my dog, or pay after they gave me the dog. Since I was experiencing some serious sticker shock I figured he was ok in their care and quickly went up to the front register to pay. (really wish I hadn't done this).
When I was finally given our dog I was so disappointed. I can describe him in one word: frazzled. His hair was frizzy, dull and dry (which is terrible for a Collie esp. after we've been working so hard for months to improve his coat), and he looked like they hadn't even brushed him. His eyes were wide, he was panting heavily, and was a completely different, very stressed dog. He couldn't leave there fast enough and frankly I couldn't wait to get out of there too.
So all in all if you want to be be over charged and receive really poor quality grooming at the expense of your pet's well-being, book a grooming appointment at the Mount Juliet PetSmart. I can't believe how much I had to pay while they were 100% ok with not doing the most basic services that I had requested. Our dog is not a trouble maker and clearly the groomer just didn't know what she was doing and didn't care.
Oh and lastly, when we left there was a Chihuahua that was tied up on a table, shivering and scared, and no one was working with it or paying any attention to it. Clearly our dog wasn't the only dog who received such poor, impersonal services so dog owners be careful at the Mount Juliet PetSmart. read more