DO YOU EVER puzzle over just what your customers are thinking? Or maybe they’re not thinking at all.
We’ve rounded up tales of pet business customers who, by all indications, may not have been thinking straight.
My business partner, Natalie, and I were away from the shop for the weekend when we received an urgent phone call. One of my loyal customers had tripped and fallen through our glass door and had broken her clavicle. She admitted it was her fault. Was rushing back in to show my receptionist some photos, tripped over the step up (which has a “Watch Your Step” notice on it) and flew through the door. Well, her husband comes in a few weeks later to tell us that “it’s nothing personal” (when is it ever?), but she will be out of work 16 weeks, so they are suing us. The insurance company comes out and finds us not at fault. However, it turns out that the insurance company would rather settle than fight. So, the aftermath is that these clients come back and rebook their dog! They still have us groom their dog! People ask how I can handle that. I tell them I need to get my money back somehow! — Melissa Ripple, Paws & Effects, Eustis, FL
A lady wanted us to redo her dog’s haircut because she was convinced that the new style she requested was causing static electricity when she put on and removed her dog’s sweaters. I told her as sweetly as possible that while I did think my groomers were amazing, manipulating the laws of science was beyond their realm of scope! — Maggie Victory, The Whole Pet, Fort Smith, AR
I received a call from one of our associates, and she said, ‘I’ve now seen it all. We had a guy come in, look around, grab a sample of catnip, and leave the store and put the catnip in a pipe and smoke it. — Alexis Butler, The Dog’s Meow, Salt Lake City, UT
A daycare Mom was dropping off her dog. She drove right thru the building. — Pam Alerine, Style Mutt, Cleveland, OH