I'm sorry to hear that you've had so many bad experiences. I don't use a groomers very often since I have cats but the one I do use is very good. No, I don't think you're being too picky about this. You should receive great service and they should let you know if they find something on your animals like skin conditions, ear problems, nail problems etc. I think that using a moblile groomer will be a great solution for you and hopefully this groomer will be a good one.

Do you have any grooming schools near you? This is what I use and if a student does the grooming then their instuctor has to make sure that everything's been done correctly. Since I have cats, the owner usually is the one that gives them their annual lion cuts. Good luck.