Oh my creepieness

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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Not exactly dog related except its one of my dog grooming clients that gives me the willies.

He's an older chap, retired anyway. He used to come in to the shop with his wife and things were fine -but now because I've had to change his dog's appts to early mornings (to suit my schedule better) he now comes on his own with the dog. Normal protocol is to drop the dog, come back for it three hours later.

But this guy sort of barges his way in to the trimming area, invading my space alot (as he keeps creeping closer and closer to me while speaking that I find myself backing up to stay a socially acceptable distance). I've even moved to the other side of my grooming table and he comes round to the same side.

I may be getting the wrong end of the stick and he's probably harmless, but it's even difficult to get rid of him so I can get to work. He'll stand and chit chat about all sorts, and I really need to get back to bath his dog, which I'm not about to do while he's there.

Today I tried the tact of saying "I'm really busy today so I'd better get on with it" before he even started a big convo...but he started anyway! Meanwhile sort of pushing his way in from the reception area (very clearly defined with a wall and door and chat window) in to the trimming area.

Anyone have any good ideas? It's sort of getting to the point that I may have to start ensuring there's another person in teh shop (eg staff, which I don't have) at the same time!
 
I feel your pain!! We have no end of bargy clients that try and push through the gate, or demand to put their dogs in the kennels. I get sick and tired of explaining we are not insured to have members of the public back there :rolleyes: We have a 'Staff Only' sign on the gate, which has made a slight difference, but we still get them trying to follow us through.
I try to avoid dealing with them as much as possible, there is usually someone else around to bring the dogs in and take them back out. I find that way I don't instantly dislike the dog based on their idiot owners :D :D
 
Yes, a big bitey (or at least looks like it would) type dog would do wonders to keep the creepy ones out. But then it might invite another element in (my area is big on dog-fighting sadly).

I don't usually get bargey pushy type, I'm pretty scary on my own (allegedly) so most don't try to push me about.

The wife was present with her husband for picking up time - and she's rather bossily told him to take the dog out. And then he came back in again, and she was finished rebooking and paying and as he started another long soundign chit chat, she was clued up enough to shove him out the door in front of her. LOL, love her style!
 
kirstyhen said:
I try to avoid dealing with them as much as possible, there is usually someone else around to bring the dogs in and take them back out. I find that way I don't instantly dislike the dog based on their idiot owners :D :D
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LOL, and I thought it was just *me* that had the idea that I would probably like some dogs better if they had different owners. It's totally true too, than even difficult dogs are much more likeable when the owners are nice (and normal).
 
LOL, coulda used them at my house last week when they came a knockin! He just seemed completely insulted when I insisted that NO, I really DON'T want religious material, delivered to my door!
 
I feel your pain Pucci, I seem to attract the mature gentleman :o and I DO NOT like my space invaded, in fact im phoebic to the extreme in regard to this, esp men, I have a few boarding clients who are over bearing, and to be honest it got to the point I stopped taking the dogs from one gentleman cos he became obsessed:o he would put his arm around me and insist I was here to take the dogs instead of OH:confused: he would call be at 6.30am to arrange drop off's:eek::mad: he also became pretty angry when I said im not boarding anymore:rolleyes: which of course I am:D
I now send OH to collect dogs from full on men:p we where dog walking the other day and there is a man we keep passing and he stares at me in a wierd manor, (I hide behind OH):o anyhow he said "if I was younger I would be chasing her around these woods" WTF:eek: OH thought it was funny, "we now don't walk that route anymore":o I felt like saying "well you would not fecking catch me mate"

Im affraid I would lock the door this fella comes through so he could not get near me, or make his appointments when someone is there with you so they can take the dog off him, infact if it where me, I would go to the extreme and say "im fully booked":rolleyes:

See I am scared of somethings.......... strange lecherous fellas:D
 
I guess you are on your own, but when I worked in a bookshop if a colleague got 'stuck' with a customer, one of us would go and call the shop floor 'phone as an excuse for the 'stuck' person to get away. Could you set your mobile to make some kind of alarm noise and excuse yourself to answer the 'urgent call'?
 
I can lend you my girls Silk (white) will lick him till he leaves and Suki (tan) will bark her head off till he leaves :D But on a serous note put a child/dog gate in the door so when he comes in he has to open it (most people don't know how to open them) you can then get to the gate before its opened and take dog from him closing the gate behind the dog as the gap is only big enough for one dog or person at a time and most gates open both ways so open it towards you. Hope that makes sense.
 
Some great ideas here! It's a funny ol' area where I work, and I have a decent level of security in order to get inside the shop (my husband thinks I'm paranoid, but I have a locked door which I can open via a buzzer from the trimming area). However, short of the dog being passed thru the chat window (ala, would you like Fries with that?) I still have to let the guy in to the reception and then it's immediately in to the trimming room. There's no room to get "distance" if you get me. So my security level drops once someone is INSIDE my shop.

I have a lady who rents a table from me, but I don't know her schedule so can't predict when she'll be there to schedule the dog. If I get too creeped out, I might just not accept bookings from them. At the moment it's not entirely threatening, but just mildly annoying. And if his wife is there, it's absolutely fine.

Ommadawn, funny, the last time he was in, phone was ringing incessantly for real - and he just hung about til each conversation was done. It was weird.
 
Just tell him you're starting the dog immediately and say goodbye, good and firm. Whilst he might be lonely and that's sad, it's not your job to entertain him.
 
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