thoughts from a groomer
Hi, I'm another grooming chiming in... a few things stood out about your review...
1.) It wasn't the cleanest place in the world ( a bit of a wet dog smell/musty). If they have 2 groomers and only 2 dogs at a time... it should be spotless. And it shouldn't smell like wet dog. Wet dogs at a grooming shop smell clean, not like wet dog... and if they are doing straight-through appointments, dogs would be dried immediately after the bath. Wet dog smell means they aren't washing towels effectively (or using towels on multiple dogs), or not cleaning the tubs out well.
The good:
2.) - They are fast; she was in and out in a 1.5 hours. They really do tend to have 2 groomers working and only two dogs in at a time (small shop). They call as soon as the dog is done. I do lots of standards, and am a really fast groomer, and I can't get a standard super clean and properly dried in 1.5 hours... it sounds like corners were cut.
3.) She got adorable bows. Meh, you can buy awesome bows, or learn to make your own.
4.) They did a good job of filing her nails and left them a tiny bit long (just enough that I could tell they were being careful not to quick her, which was my primarily concern for this visit). I'm ok with this especially on her first visit.
5.) they are cheap ($55) I don't know the typical prices in your area, but I would not even give a Lab a bath and brush for that. With as many open appointments as you noticed, and the low prices, they may be undercutting other shops or being below market just to bring bodies in the door.
The just OK:
6.) - It didn’t really seem to be a professional groom. I do a better job on her face/feet. She looks a bit ragged and they didn't shave along the bottom of her feet/between the pads. I did warn them that she has sensitive skin and to please not do a backward shave at this time, but feel they could have gotten her cleaner with the 10 blade with the grain. I'm not really sure how much they are supposed to shave for a sanitary, but once again she was a bit ragged down there. Sounds like they did the clipping before the bath... not on clean, fluffed hair... this is just lazy. If you are a groomer, you know you will be asked to do poodle feet/face/sani often... it is part of life, you need to do it well!
7.) - She really wasn't very clean. She still had dried rawhide goop on her front legs (a light amount, but some none the less). When I wash her I soak and wash at least twice. She comes out clean. Her last real bath was 3 weeks ago, and she had a quick scrub down about 1.5 weeks ago. She is a poodle, she was dirty, but not so much that they shouldn't have been able to get her clean. This is a pretty big deal for me, since when I take her in for a bath I want her come home clean. Ugh, you paid money to get your dog CLEAN. She should feel clean, smell good, and be properly straightened. I can forgive some of the rawhide goop, as it is like cement, and REALLY hard to remove.
Though she had a 'successful' experience, you really didn't have a successful groom. I would continue to look for a better groomer. Go to a local show (obedience, rally, agility, or conformation) and ask other poodle peeps where they get their grooms. If you have a local training club, go to some training nights and meet people and see where they get groomed.