Have a question you want Michell to answer? Please send questions to [email protected]
Dear Michell. Our salon is so busy. We are trying to keep up with the demand but I am working fifty hours per week and my other groomers are working as much as they would like. We need to hire a groomer but we keep hiring groomers who don’t fit in and who don’t stay with us.
“Hello Michell. I have been grooming for five years and I just attended my first grooming show, Northwest Grooming Show. I was fascinated by the grooming contest. I think I would like to try it but it seems so impossible. I know you used to compete. Do you have any advice?” –Sheila
“Hello Michell. I have been grooming for five years and I just attended my first grooming show, Northwest Grooming Show. I was fascinated by the grooming contest. I think I would like to try it but it seems so impossible. I know you used to compete. Do you have any advice?”
I need advice on how to update my salon. I have been open for 14 years and have never changed a thing. I have been noticing that it looks cluttered, dingy and just does not have a fresh smell anymore. I wondered if you have any ideas for how to update without breaking the bank. I have been pretty good about keeping up with equipment replacements and repairs but it is desperate for a face lift.
Hi Michell. I have a problem with one of my employees. She has decided that she is her own boss and the boss of some of my other employees, and even some of the customers! It is partially my fault because I let it happen. I was ill for a year and needed her to take more responsibility. Now that I am back to work full time, I see that many of the policies that I had in place have been changed or discarded all together. She has taken over. How do I regain control of my business without making her feel like she is being pushed out?
“Dear Michell, I own a busy upscale salon in Canada. I have been grooming for more years than I care to admit. I am a Certified Master Groomer and I don’t really take new customers anymore, but my employees do. We often get ridiculous special requests from clients. I tend to be intolerant of these requests. However, my employees are still building clientele and need to be open to offering special services. Any suggestions on how to deal with special requests?” — Alex H.
“Hi Michell. I have been trying to improve my grooming by going to dog shows. I have been surprised that the grooming is not as good as I expected. Sometimes I wonder why the judge picked the one with a bad haircut. I have also run into many rude and unhelpful people. Some of them seem downright secretive. I have always admired pet groomers who have the ability to do show grooming, but frankly I find the grooming to be much more beautiful at dog grooming competitions. I really want to be able to groom show dogs but I don’t know how to get started.” – Holly P.
“Dear Michell, I have tried and tried to develop speed in my daily work and as hard as I try, I am still only doing a fraction of the work of my co-workers. Do you have any advice for me on how to get faster?” -Lilly
“Michell, I work in a very busy shop with lots of groomers, bathers and dogs. It is fairly chaotic. I work hard to keep my dogs under control and comfortable at all times, but I struggle. I know it is possible because when I watch videos the dogs are calm and they just stand there. I am so tired of wrestling with dogs all day long. I can’t get help from my co-workers because they let the dogs do anything they want. Do you have any advice on how to get my dogs to cooperate?”
“Hello Michell. My name is Sylvia. I am a very generous person—maybe too generous—and I tend to give lots of perks and extra time to my clients and my employees. Basically they run all over me! Do you have any suggestions on how to stand up for myself without making everyone feel unappreciated? Thanks!”
Hi there. I am a country groomer who does a lot of double coated
shave–downs. I must shave at least one a day in the summer months. We get Goldens, Border Collies, and Australian Shepherds by the dozens. I have heard that shaving them is not good for their coat.
Ask the Grooming Tutor
As you mature in your career, you look for ways to work smarter, not harder. Certification is a simple way to do that.