I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel it's important to share this experience, because it…read morewasn't the mistake that disappointed me, it was how the situation was handled afterward. I brought my puppy, Genie, in for a scheduled grooming appointment. When I arrived, I was informed that the groomer was running late. I asked the receptionist how late, and her response was simply, "we don't know." Even with that uncertainty, I decided to leave Genie there and go to work, trusting that they would do their best to get back on schedule. As expected, the groomer's late arrival pushed the entire schedule back. By the time I received the call that Genie was ready, it was much later than planned. Because I had scheduled my workday around the original pickup time, I had to rearrange my schedule before I could leave to pick her up. What happened next is what turned an inconvenience into a disappointing customer service experience. Instead of acknowledging that the delay had started on their end, the employee who helped me immediately began criticizing me for taking too long to pick up my dog. He reminded me of their late pickup policy and repeatedly told me that I should have "scheduled my time better." I calmly explained several times that I had scheduled my time and that the delay was caused by the groomer arriving late. I even pointed out that he wasn't there when I dropped Genie off that morning, and couldn't have known what was said. Still, he continued arguing instead of listening. It got so uncomfortable that I was the one who had to say that I was done arguing. As someone who works in customer service, I found it incredibly disappointing that I had to de-escalate a conversation with an employee instead of the other way around. Afterward, the manager personally called to apologize and asked me to give the business a second chance. I appreciated that call and agreed. I later went out of town, and when I returned, I called and scheduled another appointment because I wanted to give them the opportunity they asked for. The very next day, I received a call informing me that after speaking with the owner, they had decided to cancel my appointment because they "didn't think they were going to make me happy." That was honestly the most disappointing part of this entire experience. I wasn't asking for special treatment. I wasn't demanding anything unreasonable. I simply accepted their apology and agreed to give them the second chance they asked for. Instead, they canceled my appointment and left me feeling like I was the problem. To be clear, I don't blame the groomer. Mistakes happen. What I do blame is how this situation was handled. One employee's behavior turned a scheduling issue into a confrontation, and when management had the chance to stand behin' its apology, they chose to cancel my appointment. There are many places that can groom my dog. What sets a business apart is how it treats customers when something goes wrong. I was willing to move past the original mistake because I believe in giving people a second chance. Unfortunately, after everything that happened, I was left feeling that the apology didn't translate into accountability, and that's why I've decided to share my experience
Since posting this review, the owner responded publicly. While I appreciate the response, I am disappointed to see it focus on explaining why the groomer was late rather than addressing what my review was actually about: how I was treated afterwards. Emergencies happen, and I never criticized the reason for the delay. My concern was being blamed for a late pickup that resulted from a delay that started on your end, and then having my follow up appointment canceled after your manager personally called to apologize and asked me to give your business a second chance. I also want to correct one statement in your response. You stated that I have a pattern of picking up Genie late. That is false. There was no recurring issue, no previous conversations about late pickups, and no history of this being a problem. The only incident being discussed is the one described in my review, where the pickup time was directly affected by the delay on your end I know that mistakes happen What matters is how we take responsibility. I accepted your apology in good faith. But that didn't translate into accountability or follow through. I wasn't looking for special treatment, just basic professionalism. And unfortunately, your response reinforces the same concern as a business owner I hope you learn from this experience.