Well...I debated about posting this to be quite honest, but I also am at a crossroads as to what to do about this problem I have and while only I can make that choice it never hurts to get feedback from other people.
Most of you know I work at a big chain store grooming salon. This is where I started as a bather and eventually learned how to groom. The past few months I have been building my portfolio with the intentions on going to a smaller independent grooming shop. They do a lot more technical grooms, very few "yearly shave downs" and they dont tolerate difficult dogs. If a dog is too much trouble to be groomed safely the dog goes home, and that's how I think it should be!
Well, it's looking like I might be able to start this job in the next few weeks!
My problem, however, is that while being at this store I have come to realize that many people treat dogs poorly in this shop. I am sure it's not like this everywhere. I have been wanting to leave because the other people I work with use the fact that I am gentle with animals against me. I refuse to hurt a dog, if it takes too much force to groom a dog I will send the dog home. It's not worth me getting bit and it's definitely not worth a dog getting injured.
One of the girls is worse then the others..she screams at dogs, handles them rough, sometimes placing them on the ground and sitting over them in order to groom them. This infuriates me and I have tried talking to the store manager only to tell me that without proof she will do or say nothing....
Well, don't tell that to someone with lots of camera toys. So, of course I caught her on tape. I have several instances of her grooming and mistreating dogs, nothing huge yet but enough to *maybe* get her fired!
My fear is that the manager still will refuse to care...as long as the salon makes money she stays out of our business. We don't even have a grooming salon manager...our manager was fired for drinking on the job oddly enough.
This salon needs A LOT of help..the management position was offered to me but I declined because well i dont want to fix all of their problems especially with a manager that seems to not take anything there seriously! That and I was already looking into my new job....
My main question is, what should I do with this tape? Do you think I should show the manager and if so should I wait until I leave?
I know this groomer is also thinking of applying at another major grooming salon in a big retail store, should I maybe show the grooming manager at that store as well?
My concern is for the animals. There are too many groomers who mistreat their clients dogs, I hear about it all the time and I am one of those people who believe that you can safely and effectively groom a dog without losing patience. I also believe that the dog picks up on your hostility and it will only make the grooming session worse the longer you persist.
I'm just not sure what to do! I don't even know if I have enough recorded to actually do anything. If I can't get my store manager to care the only other option would be to go to corporate... and I will if I have to, but i'm just wanting to know if im doing the right thing.
I will NEVER leave my dogs with a stranger to groom after working at this place... not without a nice folder full of references!
