PetSmart review: not satisfied with their services! 103

To, me too... first of all us animal owners, dogs, cats, etc, we pay alot of money for our companions. from purchasing to grooming, to immunizations, food, toys, insurance, and much more all becuase we truly care and love them as family members. we take our pets to get groomed by people like you as we assume that you like your job and that our pets are in good hands. first of all you sure complain alot for the type of work you do which is kinds scary for us pet owners to trust you already. who gives a damn if your back hurts, and all the crap you have to deal with yada yada yada... we pay what the company charges us, and just as the company expects us to pay our fees we expect you to do just what you went to school for. so I am uncertain what you mean by it is not worth the measly 9$ dollars? complain for being underpaid if anything but not to the public. all you freaky pet parents? that is everyone and you cannot tell me everyone is alike. most people just want what we pay for, and if for some reason a groomer cannot get certain things done than communications is a great thing. everyone has there good days and bad days at work, your no exception! so next time you go grooming pets keep in mind how you would want your pet taken care of regardless of a measly nine dollars. if money is an issue you should consider going back to school. also take into consideration not to speak about everyone, it is unprofessional calling people crazy in your message above. I appreciate all my groomers, yes it is not an easy job, but no job is. and also be happy in this economy that people like us take our pets to the groomers so that you can still carry on with your job.

If your cat doesn't wash itsself, maybe it's time for a new damn cat...

We usualy go to petmart for Bella groming, and she comes back ok, and service is done, , But this time the groomer didn't touch the dogs tail, and when she got home she was limping.My husband pick her up and not a thing was said to him, he paid the 46.00 and when Bella got home she was in pain. I called them and she said Oh I forget to tell you we cut her nails too short and they bleeding and that's why she in pain. Thanks for tell me, our poor dogs looke so down, she has bad arthrits as it is and now she looks criple..I would now find another pet groomer to go to since she wasn't honest, in not telling us...

I took my long haired german shephard to petsmart on preston crossing saskatoon canada for a wash and trim I asked them not to cut her too short has she would look silly. when I went back to pick her up and saw her I said that is not my dog she looked like a goat on a lead as she is white and they had shaved her I nearly started to cry. when I got over the shock and asked them why they had done that they said she was matted have they not hard of detangling shampoo and under coat rake I have and when I shapmoo her thats want I use. I would not reccomond anyone to go there infact I am telling everyone they would be better off as sheep sherrers not trimming peoples beloved pets and changing for the prilidge.

The solution to this is simple...wash your own damn cat...lol...oh you people.

My dog looks great after grooming and a cocker cut but they were one hour and 15 minutes late in having her ready. I stood outside the window watching for about 1 hour. I know she is not the easiest to groom but the groomer never smiled at her or spoke kindly to her and just kept saying"Stop" to her. The groomer looked very stressed and never smiled at me or did not speak to me until I spoke to her to thank her.

Of course your dog has to be up to date on their shots, you are taking your pet into a public place where other animals are. regardless of the endless efforts to sanitize and clean, dirty dogs coming in, clean dogs going out - there is always a possibility of contamination. it is for the safety of your pet! all petsmart requires is a rabies vacc, but they strongly reccomend all vaccines. this just makes common sense. and besides, if your dog is not up to date on the rabies vaccine and it bites a groomer or bather while it is in the salon, we are required by law to contact animal control, and if they cannot verify your rabies vaccine, your dag has to be querantined for 10 days at an animal control facility at your expense, and if at any point in that process your dog shows any signs of aggression for any reason, they face possible euthanasia. so what's a $12-20 vaccine worth to you? since it's required by law in all states any way, regardless of whether or not you get your dog groomed or boarded. and needless to say, I do not want to go through the agony of rabies prevention vaccines for humans if I am bitten by an un-vaccinated dog. and furthermore, say your dog went to the groom shop and picked up bordatella (which us very contagious btw) because another person didn't think this shot was necessary or it was too much hassle, or wasn't aware that their pet was sick. and your baby's strain of bordatella isn't responding to treatment, and it gets worse and your baby ends up dying. no matter whose fault you think it is, it won't bring your baby back or undo the heartbreaking process of losing a pet. it all could have been prevented by getting your pet vaccinated properly. are vaccinations really that much of a hassle?
And as far as prices at petsmart - go to a mom and pop joint that charges half that and see what you get, and how safe your pet is there. i'm not knocking mom and pop groom shops - i'm just saying they aren't held to any standard of quality or safety, and that is something to consider.

The only thing I don't like about PetSmart is that they are overpriced for some things. However the grooming is ok. I must say I haven't had any problems with the grooming. The only problem that I do have is that they are always over booked and the manager at The Irvington & I-19, in Tucson Arizona, is really rude. She doesn't look like she likes her job at all. I was there to drop my dog off and never once did that woman smile or chat with any of the clients. I feel that she is shouldn't hold that position as manager. She has NO Customer Service Skills what so ever. I do know that the job of grooming can get to you, just like any other job. Our Groomer was wonderful. She was friendly and she had awsome people skills and Mad loved her. She was so excited to have us see her. And BTW the Pet Smart down here, you have to be UTD on the shots or they won't accept the animal.

I have been a groomer for fourteen years and I was trained at a Petsmart store, the woman who trained me had twenty years and was great at what she did, so I applaud Petsmart for having her on staff. But It is true that Petsmart is all about the money and wants each groomer to take as many dogs as possible every day. My store manager would say to me every day, how many dogs did you do today. My grooming manager would take dogs in until three in the afternoon, she would pile up invoices of dogs that were to be done that day and you didn't dare ask to leave until they're all done, I would come in at seven am and would'nt leave until seven pm. I was just starting out grooming so Petsmarts way was all I knew. I now work at a animal hospital and LOVE IT, I've worked there for seven years and have learned alot about skin problems, arthritis, ear infections and prevention of this. I like this enviroment much better because it's just me grooming at my own pace, I don't take more dogs than I can handle, I watch all of them all day. I think groomers at Petsmart are under too much pressure at Petsmart, clients are watching your every move threw the windows, the managers are always on your back with their rules. What I also really understand about Petsmart is why they don't require all dogs to be up-to-date on all vaccines? What if a dogs came in with kennel cough?Or Parvo? Both of these are VERY CONTAGIOUS. Good luck to all groomers with Petsmart, I've been in your shoes.

To "me too": Thank you so much for posting that comment! I am a bather at petsmart, and I hate it when people don't realize how much work it is to bathe/groom dogs. At my petsmart (and i am assuming, most if not all other petsmarts), nail trimming IS included in all bath or groom packages, and we really can't remove that from the price! If you don't want it, you still have to pay the same price. The way I look at it, we are doing it for free rather than charging the person EXTRA for it. Package prices are better in the long run.

And we do try very hard to trim nails on all dogs whose parents request the service, but sometimes the dogs get too stressed or occasionally it's just too dangerous for us depending on how the dog is reacting to it. We always run the risk of getting bitten, scratched, etc etc and yet we still do it because we want to provide the best service possible. And trust me I get about 10 scratches a day and i've gotten bit before. We aren't out to get people and we don't try to get as much money out of people as we can-- trust me. Sometimes we even provide extra services or don't charge for things we are "supposed to" according to policy-- like special shampoos or conditioners.

What people don't realize is that their little angel dogs aren't necessarily the same dogs we see on our grooming table. Dogs act differently on the grooming table, getting their nails clipped or having clippers making loud noises around their ears or privates, than they act when they are at home with their owners getting cuddled and fed. I mean wouldn't you!? Dogs get stressed and don't necessarily like being groomed but we do our best to make sure they are safe and try to keep their stress at a minimum. We are working there because we love animals. But we are also WORKING. So don't treat us like we don't know what we are doing. *And.. don't get mad at groomers if you don't like the price that your dog's groom is costing because we don't make the prices.. corporate does!*

You have NO idea what it is like being a groomer. I am one, (at petsmart btw) and although 90% of the time, I truly love my job, there are days that I DO NOT get paid enough to put up with getting bitten, peed on, pooped on, screamed at, barked at, climbed on, having my hand bitten so hard that it has broken bones (yeah, happened to me) scratched, not to mention basically washing my hand 20 times a day ( and i'm sure you can imagine the painful and ugly rash this causes), and last but not least, my back -incredible back pain- just to have people like this yell at you because you weren't willing to have your face chewed off to get their dog's nails clipped. You are lucky they TRIED (groomers do not give up easily) to get your dogs nails done, and trust me, the price you paid to have them try is not worth the measly $9 you pay to actually have them done. I mean seriously, have you ever tried this at home? If they couldn't do it, and they haven't the past 3 times, THERE IS GOOD REASON. Of all the crap I have to deal with from all you crazy freaky pet parents out there, and your even crazier dogs, and as many times and I could have lost it on a dog and seriously hurt it, I don't. You know why? Because as crazy as some of you are, you trusted me with your baby, and I have 'babies' of my own, and because I truly understand the incredible heartbreak it would cause me to have something happen to one of my own, especially at the hands of another person. So keep this in mind the next time you want to scream and yell and complain at your groomer for something so silly, just imagine what their day may have been like, and know, more than likely they have tried their very best. And PLEASE for the love of god, tip your groomer and/or give them sincere thanks and praise. They aren't doing this because it's always fun rainbow puppy time, this is hard back breaking, but rewarding labor!

The letter to Corporate will do nothing for you. I used to work for Petsmart and the groomers there are not paid strictly on commission . What you need to understand here is that if Petsmart charged you PER service done to your dog you'd be paying over double what you're already paying. If they couldn't do the nails on your dog for the last three times there is probably a good reason for it. If it stresses the dog out too much or puts either the associate or your dog in danger of getting injured the service is not provided (is states this on the paper you sign at check in)...it does not however mean the service was not attempted. You're probably lucky the groomers didn't charge you a special handling fee of $6 if they really couldn't get the nails done.

next time take him to a vet to have that service done...there they can give your dog some type of sedation to prevent an overwhelming amount of stress. Or can use more than 2 people to help hold the dog down which is against petsmart policy to keep everyone involved safe from injury as well.

believe it or not the groomers at Petsmart salons are not "out to get you". they do what they can SAFELY which is why services are refused. What the manager should have done was given you an $8 off coupon instead of removing it in the computer...If they couldnt' get the nails done the attempt was almost definately worth your 8$ that you wouldnt' have paid either way.

PetSmart off 192nd in Vancouver, Wa is crap. They didn't cut my dogs nails for the 3rd time I've taken him there. Then refused to remove the charge for cutting his nails because they couldn't do it because it was a package deal. After I insisted that they remove the price because I'm not paying for services they didn't provide this snotty women said fine we'll just call the manager up here and see what he has to say. The manager came and removed it from my price. I was trying to be as pleasant as possible because I didn't want to be rude but seriously why should I pay for something I didn't get. The "snotty" women continued mumbling things under her breath and kept telling the manager that he needed to just discount upfront and not in the computer back there. After a few more times of saying that the manager said that it needed to be changed in the computer, and again the "snotty" women replied with "If you take it off back here her commission will get cut". I was completely floored at that remark, so I replied with "Why would should she get commission on a service that wasn't provided? You told me they couldn't do it because it was sold as a package, but in reality you just wanted to collect on a commission you don't deserve because you didn't provide the service..." she then shut up. This is just the short story of what I went through at the PetSmart. There is a whole other thing about the rude lady who called me to tell me that my dog was done, and then the ordeal of trying to pick up my dog, with the two women back there with horrible attitudes and one throwing things around and at one point throwing the mussel and yelling at me "I'm done with YOU and YOUR DOG"... I've been going to PetSmart for 7 years getting my dogs (2 of them) groomed twice a month not to mentioned the arm and leg I have paid for overpriced food and toys. There will be a letter going to Corporate about this and I will NEVER be shopping or getting my dog groomed at PetSmart again!

I also had an unsatisfactory experience at petsmart. about a week ago I called petsmart in dubuque iowa to inquire about the price for a full grooming service for a pomeranian. the lady on the phone quoted me a price range of $25.00 - $32.00 (after the $9.00 off of the pom special). I specifically asked her if this included a haircut and what types of cuts they offered for poms. she assured me that the full service groom did in fact include a hair cut of my choice, which could be the "lion cut" as I had inquired about. so, I promptly scheduled an appointment. well, today I arrived at the petsmart grooming area and the "groomer" responsible for my dog came and talked to me and looked at him. I specifically told the groomer that I did not want his hair too short and that I still wanted him to look like a pom (i.e. full bearded neck, fluffy, big tail, etc). then all of the sudden the price jumped from a max of $32.00 to $40.00 (claiming to have included the 9 bucks off). when I questioned her about the quoted price and $9 discount the groomer explained to me that a full service groom "haircut" as stated on the petsmart website only includes trimming of the hair around the feet and ears. she stated that a "full" trim (referring to his back) would be considered a "premium" service. I reluctantly agreed (read: i've already been through so much in the past several days and have a father in the hospital who had a serious surgery, family coming for the holidays from out-of-town, and all the preparations to do) that frankly I did not have enough time or energy to argue with her. so, when I returned to pick-up my dog I was shocked! he did not even resemble a pomeranian in the slightest way! he was so unrecognizable that my eleven year old son asked me if it was really our dog. his hair was shaved short (not a great idea at the end of november in iowa!), his neck/face hair was all very short (no traditional pom beard) and the hair was noticeably choppy and different lengths. after having left my bill was over $46.00! that is a far cry from $25.00 - $32.00 that I was quoted over the phone. I went home and further looked at him - noticing just how poorly that hair was cut and also noticed that none of the nails on his left front paw had been trimmed... nor were the dew nails touched! I was so disappointed in my experience and the end result, but assumed I was over-reacting. after a family friend stopped by and looked at my dog - she agreed that the grooming service was unacceptable. it was at the point that I decided to call the grooming salon back at petsmart. I explained my concerns and they said that the "person who groomed him trim him up where they missed and fix it". i'm not sure how they will fix the fact that my dog now has no hair left and resembles a shiba inu more so than a pom. frankly, I feel that I was given a bait and switch price. even more disappointing is the fact that i've been searching petsmart website this evening and I cannot find any service labeled as "premimun", but I did find that the "full service groom" was listed as the "package including a haircut". needless to say he will never be groomed at petsmart again and I will be sure to warn all of my small dog loving friends at the dog park to avoid petsmart grooming as well!

perhaps they didn't wash your cat because they were concerned about it's safety and well-being. bathing a cat can be very stressful and very dangerous. have you ever tried bathing your cat at home? how did it turn out? also, for the most part, cats DO NOT require normal water baths. it can actually cause more harm than good. cats are very clean animals and most to an excellent job cleaning themselves, eliminating the need for water bathing. the exceptions to this rule would be if your cat were overweight, longhaired, matted, tangled, etc...or a combination of any of those things resulting in the cat being unable to properly clean itself. did you ask why your cat was not bathed? if not, i would suggest doing so before posting an ugly complaint that may not have a leg to stand on.

I have had both very good experiences with pet smart grooming and two unsatisfactory experiences!

1st their prices are among the most affordable and you can watch through the glass grooming barrier open to all customers.

Recently I had my large standard poodle groomed at nicholasville, kentucky pet smart and the results were incredible! he never looked better and he was treated well. the ladies at this location are warm and serious about their work.

On another visit to the hamburg location in lexington, kentucky the groomer I was assigned to for the same dog was simply a poor employeee and not prepared at all for her practice. I calmly but firmly talked to the manager at that time who happens to be the manager at the nicholasville location. she listned and promptly provided us with a free full grooming and I rescheduled for thenext day and elvis loooked great.

One thing I do not like at some pet smart stores is the volume of dogs going thru the process, causing stress on the groomers and dogs! pet smart should only allow a reasonable amount of bookings per day to ensure quality control and safety!

Be very specific on what you want and even provide photos. if you do have a poor experience firmly but calmly complain to the the manager and or talk privately with the groomer as well. you will get a much better response by not losing control of yourself. if you feel your groom was rushed speak up!

Having your dog groomed is even more personal then getting your own hair done so have realistic expectations and inform the groomer of any medical issues, behavoir issues, fears and give clear directions.

In columbus, ohio I took my dog candy to pet smart and they had to bath her twice because after her first bath she pooped in her cage! she always has to go to the bathroom after a stimulating wash. I know now that I will never take her to any groomer unless they can let her out after a wash. often your dog has to be at a groomer for over 4 hours. ask if you can take him or her for a walk outside after the wash. on this visit the groomer would not let me leave a few very samll treats for candy and I did not agree. she did look beautiful after her grooming but I noticed her poor eyes were very red? I would like to know why! I have never taking her back for grooming since.

Please let petsmart or any other groomer know how you feel both verbally and in writing. contact corporate via email and phone. also talk directly to the salon manager and store manager to convey both your compliments and concerns (even complaints)

Enquire about how bussy they are on the day you are getting your best friend groomed and try to pick slower days to save your pet from all the stress.

For a job well done make sure to thank your groomer and tip them! wouldn;t you do a better job on someone or someones pe if they appeared grateful and praised you?

Always let your groomer know to skip any service that your dog will not safely tolerate (give them permission) some dogs simply will not let a stranger or anyone else do their nails or face. so work on that at home or take your dog to the vet for this.

Pet smart does guarntee vet care if your dog is injured while in their care free of charge ofcourse! sometimes a nail, or cut can happen because dogs move around alot or become excited. so first find out what haooend before you freak on any groomer.

Remember these professionals must perform and act as one and if they do not do something about it.

Nash academy lexington, kentucky
I took my standard poodle elvis here too for a complete grooming. they dod a finsihed job but insisted he would have to be shaved almost to the skin I did not agree and explained I had groomed him myself many times wihtout going that short! still they insisted and the bill was $125.00 vs pet smarts $65.00 and pet smart never shaved him too short. they brushed him perfectly and his cut was awesome!
While nash treated him ok I do not think I had an experienced groomeras I learned later students are allowed to work onthe animals. for over 100.00 I feel I should only get an experienced groomer.
Funny how this summer I took elvis to nash academy and they basically just cut all hi hair off and charges me more for less grooming and no real styling. pet smart on the other hand styled him in great detail all over. I only paid $65.00 and I tipped debbie the groomer $20.00 for working so hard.

Do your homework and makes sure you ask lots of questions and give clear directions so that your groomer may provide you with the best possible outcome.

Ps if a salon looks too bussy talk to a manager politely and let them know you feel concerned about quality when groomers appear over booked

Sincerely,
Amy

first of all how old is the cat? I'v been a groomer for 6 years and we wont wash a cat that gets too stressed out as it is, let alone if they are older. It is also my understanding that if you complain enough to petsmart they will give you a refund. Also cats dont necessarily need a bath they are supposed to clean themselves and it strips their natural oils off their skin when you wash them leading to dry skin and dundruff. So i can maybe understand why they didnt bathe your cat. As for charging you full price for a hour of brushing it is roughly around $24-$30, nails $9-$12 depending on where you go. Usually they will also charge you for cleaning the ears, trimming the feet, and even if they dont give the cat a full bath most groomers will do what is called a dry bath which is using pet wipes or a damp cloth, also to prevent stress.

Did they tell you they didnt was the cat? and how long did they brush the cat for? a matted or thick coated cat would take longer and you would then get charged more. so if didnt want a ath or the cat was too bad for it then they would charge you accordingly. (every 15 min. s of brushing $5 nails $8, then if they did pad shaving feet trimming and sani shave thats another $15) so a $40 bath (long haired cat) with 15 min. (included brushing) is actually almost the exact same as a cat with no bath that got everything else included in the package plus 45 min. brushing... get it?
Unless there was actually something in your cats fur how do you know they didnt wash it? and dont say smell because really bad smells stain into fur and have to grow out just like really bad stains...

When the two times I took my dog to petsmart for full service washing etc. he would alaways leave stressed and would not seem too clean. So we now wash him at home, he is soo happy afterwards. But once he was shedding alot so we took him to be brushed and get his nails trimmed. I stayed in the room to watch what was happening and the lady did a good job cutting his back paws nails but rushed on the front so they are still pretty long and when she brushed him she didnt even bother brushing anywhere but his back.

How do you KNOW they didn't wash your cat?

I am pretty sure they didn't wash your cat because they knew it was going to be too stressful for your cat.