Observations

I'm consistently amazed at the fact that people who are unhappy react with anger. Whether it's a customer that's unsatisfied with their dog's haircut, or an associate that is upset with another employee, I find it just odd that anger is more often than not a first response.

With co-workers, it's a little different and maybe justifiable. You spend so many days ignoring someone, blowing them off, and trying your damndest to be as positive as you possibly can in their generally negative-presence. Eventually, you just pop. And then you stay popped until either you or the other employee is gone. Unhealthy? Yes. Understandable? Yes. (Side note: Does "Understandable" mean "Not Derstandable"?)

With customers, it's a little different. A lot of people bring their dogs in for the first time ever, the dog has never been groomed, it freaks out the entire time, the groom takes longer than it should, the dog doesn't look as good as it could if would have just stayed still, and when the customer comes to pick the dog up, if they are unsatisfied, more often than not, they fly off the handle!

Let's backtrack. If it's your dog's first haircut, why would you expect it to be a perfect gentleman and sit on the table and let itself be groomed? I'm sure a majority of children act irrationally when they get their haircut the first time. I didn't, but I was a good little boy.

Secondly, if your dog has never been groomed before and you bring it in tangled up and looking a right mess, you should probably expect it to take longer because your dog looked like it just rolled out of a grease pit. Brush/Comb your damn dog!

Thirdly, all groom times are approximate. It takes longer to groom a dog when you call every ten minutes to ask if your dog is ready. How about this? I'll call you when it's done. That's what I told you the last three times you called. Douchebag.

Fourthly, if you're disappointed in the way the dog looks, most likely I am too. I know what a good groom looks like. I also know what your dog let me do. Don't get mad at me because your dog is a little bitch and tried to bite me the whole damn time. Be thankful that I didn't decapitate your dog with my scissors.

So with that said, it's nice when a customer comes through that fits the above scenario, takes one look at their dog and says, "Fan-Fabulous." I'm not sure what that word means, but I'm going to take it as a good sign.

I consider it a good day if I don't get yelled at by any customers. I just don't do angry.