PetSmart Grooming Experience

[elizabethann]

I just took Fenway to PetSmart to get groomed. I was an advocate for PetSmart until today. I asked them if they had the time to groom him and they said yes. After waiting over 1.5 hours (Fenway was getting dried out back), an employee came over and asked me about my grooming experience. I said I never would have gotten him groomed if I knew it was going to take so long (he was just going for a wash & dry - not a cut). The employee said the wait is 3 hours!! I said I was never told that. So of course, she went running into the groomers and squeeled about what I said and the groomer took Fenway from out back, quickly dried him, popped a damn bandana on him and charged me $32!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. I just sent and email to PetSmart telling them of my horrible experience. I felt bad for Fenway. He was treated like a sack of potatoes. I just made him a special supper as a way of saying "I'm sorry". He got a cheese/egg/chicken omlet.

I'll be sticking to his regular groomer from now on.

[dab_20]

Many people have told me Petsmart and Petco are not good grooming places. (usually) I'm sorry that happened to you and Fenway, and I'm glad you emailed them. I Can't believe how much they charged you! I woulden't take him back there, either. It costs me 25 dollars to get a hair cut, bath, clipping nails... well the whole grooming process at the place I take Molli and Sam. Although the last time I was there, Molli's skin ripped and she had to get her skin glued to avoid stitches.

Give Fenway a big huggie for me!

[wolfsoul]

3 hours is actually a great deal. Our regular time is 4 hours, but if we are behind, we can take up to 8 (just one dog can set us behind on all of them). People don't realise that there is alot more than just bathing and drying a dog -- atleast, at most shops. I don't know how Petsmart works but I doubt they are a big shop like we are. That price is outrageous. For a bath and points at our shop a small dog would cost $14-22, depending on the dog.

[labmomma]

When I get my pets groomed I drop them off at 7:30 and can pick them up anytime after 3:00. The price is very reasonable and the head groom person is a sweetie and just dotes on my fur children. The price is in the $30's for a bath, clip and dry. My groomer is employed by my vet.
Labmomma

[Majestic]

I took KiKi to Petsmart twice - each time takes about 3 hours. I think it is not bad at all. It take a barber about 30 mintues to cut/trim my hair lolz. It would take a lot longer to do the same job with a dog. I am ok with Petsmart.

[caseysmom]

Sounds like they didn't communicate very well with you. I don't use petsmart because it sounds like they have a high turnover of groomers. I do use banfield their veterinary service and have been happy with it.

[BC_MoM]

Most big pet store companies are just jokes for their services. I only use them to buy toys, treats, etc..

There's a very small pet store 10 minutes from my house that grooms Mickey twice a year. They always do a fabulous job. Their technique is awesome, they trim so well, they bath and put on doggy perfume, they trim and sand the nails, and add an adorable bandana and send home a baggy of treats for just $50, which I think is very reasonable.

If only there were more like Aardvark Pets!

[Jessika]

In my experiences with PetCo and Petsmart grooming, you call to make an appointment, you drop them off, then come back and pick them up a few hours later. And three hours is about average...

[IRescue452]

At the kennel where I work they take 4-5 hours. They take the dogs outside to go to the bathroom before and after, but 4 hours in front of a dryer sounds like too much for me personally. I use a shedding blade to dry Autumn as best I can and she's fully dry on her own after an hour. Pet dryers must be very slow.

[CathyBogart]

That doesn't sound bad to me...3 hours is not that long to wait for a grooming in my experience. $32 is expensive though, how much did they quote you beforehand?

[wolfsoul]

At the kennel where I work they take 4-5 hours. They take the dogs outside to go to the bathroom before and after, but 4 hours in front of a dryer sounds like too much for me personally. I use a shedding blade to dry Autumn as best I can and she's fully dry on her own after an hour. Pet dryers must be very slow.

Not all shops use cage dryers. We use high pressure dryers, and they are not hot. Most dogs will not take more than a half hour to dry this way. We only use a cage dryer if the dog was difficult for it's head or something and it couldn't be dried well, or if the face or ears are still damp.

[elizabethann]

I have a question for the groomers out there....

When you are grooming a dog (and you have multiple dogs waiting), are the dogs who are waiting supervised at all? I know they're probably in their kennels, but is someone in there with them? Is someone keeping an eye on them?

Because when I was waiting, the groomer said my dog wasn't dried yet. Well, he was out back (all by himself) for over 1.5 hours and all I could imagine was this hot blower on him and he was frying.

I emailed PetSmart but got no reply. I was calm, cool & collected in my email. That's no way to run a business so I'll be sending a letter to the President (if I can find that info somewhere).

Thanks for all the responses.

[Ginger's Mom]

Three hours does not sound too terribly bad to me. Although for the first visit it may be. My experience at all of the grooming salons I have been to (both private and mass market) has been pretty much the same. First, they may not be sitting around waiting for you to bring your dog in, so there may be a little wait until it is his turn (they were answering questions for other customers, someone brought their dog in for a quick nail clip, some dog was a bit harder than expected, any number of valid reasons). Second, it takes me an hour to bathe and blow-dry brush out my dog myself, I am asking them to also trim her hair and cut her nails, so it may take them a bit longer. Third, the more often you take your dog their and the more comfortable they become with him/her, the longer it takes to get him/her back. My theory with that is that they take the more difficult or unknown dogs first, and leave the easier ones for later when they don't have as much energy to deal with a dog that may be difficult.

[Jessika]

Because when I was waiting, the groomer said my dog wasn't dried yet. Well, he was out back (all by himself) for over 1.5 hours and all I could imagine was this hot blower on him and he was frying.

To my knowledge, the cage dryers are NOT heated at all. I used to help out in grooming when I worked at PetCo, and all the cage dryers were just like fans blowing on the dogs, not heated at all.

[Aspen and Misty]

I'm a little confused as to why you are upset?

You wanted a bath and a dry. Most likly they gave him a bath, placed him in the back under a kennel dryer. Which are NOT what you would think they are, the dog does not over heat, the cage does not even get a little bit hot, most dog's don't even pant when they have one on them. Also all Petsmarts kennel dryers (including the groomers) are on for 15 minutes, then off for 15 minutes to allow the dog time without one on them, it is a Petsmart rule. If you are worried about Kennel Dryers you can ask for them not to use one or you could ask to see one. You would be surprised as they really are not hot and the dog's don't mind them. I'm assuming the groomoers plan was probably to allow him to dry a little under the kennel dryer and then bring him out to Force Hair Dry him before you picked him up. And I'm sure when the employee went back she probably was asking how long it would be till he was done and to tell them you were waiting outside. It seems to me like the groomer then stopped what she was doing to finish up Fenway since you were there early. To me this sounds like good service, they finished up Fenway an hour and a half before he was scheduled for pick up to make it so you didn't have to wait.

And while there was a communication error as to when he would be done, we are all human, we all make mistakes.

Ashley