Smelly Dog

I am writing to respond to your letter regarding complaint ID# [redacted] First, My name is [redacted] I have owned Smelly Dog for about years nowPlease update your records [redacted] is no longer an owner, nor is he affiliated with our business in any wayI would like to explain from my point of view what happened that day and also would like the customer to know how seriously I took this eventI took immediate action to not only mitigate the urgent situation, but also, to make sure this type of mistake does not happen againThis was the first time this customer visited our establishmentWe run a cage-free grooming salon, doggie daycare, dog market and bakery with groomers and staff that love dogs and people! My staff is known for being very helpful and kind to all our customers, two-legged and four-leggedI am surprised to hear how the customer did not receive a phone call because it is our standard practice to call every customer when their dog is ready and also to mark in our schedule those who have been calledBecause we are a busy shop, we very much rely on leaving detailed notes and ALWAYS marking dogs i.echecked-in, checked-out, completed, called-on, etcto minimize mistakesBetty was marked as calland message left; however, if the customer says he didn’t receive a call or message, we might have mistakenly misdialedNo matter what the situation, we are always kind on the phone and in-personThe day Betty visited Smelly Dog we had yorkies at the same timeThis happens sometimes and we are always very careful to keep track of who is whoWhat happened involving Betty was NOT common, in fact it was an anomaly and we have identified what went wrong, who was at fault and have made changes to insure it won’t happen againI will explainFirst, a shift lead trainee was at the front desk without a trainerThis was the BIG mistake that I believed caused all the other confusion this dayIt is against company policy for a trainee to be left alone to check in and out customers by himselfThis was an isolated incidentMy manager was reprimanded for this actionOnly experienced employees are allowed to check dogs in and outThe second part of the problem this day involves an extreme customer mistake! Another customer owns yorkies, and sent her husband to pick up the dogsThe trainee gave him the correct dogs; however, he argued with the trainee and used harsh language and claimed that the other yorkie in our play lounge, Betty, was hisThis trainee assumed he had made a mistake because why would a customer tell him a different dog was his? So after much debate between the ustomer and trainee, the trainee gave this customer the yorkies he claimed were hisWhen Betty’s dad arrived, it was obvious the trainee had made a huge mistake and informed the manager and the groomer to help him solve this dilemmaObviously, he did not handle the matter in the best way if he left a customer at the front deskImmediately, the manager got on the phone to get Betty back as quickly as possible and explained to Betty’s dad that she was doing everything she could to get Betty back ASAPUnfortunately, I was not in the shop when all this happened, but I had just returned when Betty’s dad returned to pick up BettyAt that time, I apologized to Betty’s dad and explained the situationHe told me he was scared that Betty went home with someone else, but as long as he got her back, he would be fineI agreed and empathized with himI understood why he was frightenedI talked to him some more and explained to him how long we have been in business and how many satisfied and returning customers we haveAlso, from the thousands of dogs we see every year through years, this was only the second time a customer took the wrong dogThe first time was six years ago and it was a very big deal and we made changes to our intake procedures to make sure it didn’t happen againNow, since it has happened again, I will make stringent efforts to get to the bottom of what happened to make sure we don’t repeat this mistakeThe customer seemed very understandingThen, I asked him if there was anything I could do for himHe said “no.” I then told him that I would like to give him a free groom for Betty next time he came in and he said he would keep the appointment card (with future appointment) and consider coming backHe said it had been stressful, but he would think about itHe shook my hand and seemed happy when he left.Anytime a customer is unhappy or has a problem, I address the issueI always talk to my customers to understand from their point of view how we can better our services and procedures to better serve them and in turn, be a better businessI was shocked a couple weeks ago when one of my groomers told me Betty’s Dad was really upset on the phone and said he would never come backI called this customer and left him a voicemail encouraging him to call me with any concerns or issues because it was important to me to make things rightI also reminded him that my offer for a free groom still standsHe never called me back.To this customer (I am keeping names out of this): Again, I sincerely apologize for my staff making the huge mistake of sending your dog home with another customerI want you to know that I didn’t take that lightlyInstead, I’ve made an upgrade to our intake procedure that will make it near impossible to mix up dogsI have addressed my entire staff about this incident and how serious of a mistake it was and how important it is for every employee to take the necessary precautions outlined in our procedures guide to make sure every dog goes home with their ownerAlso, my manager and trainers now understand the importance of completing a lead shift’s training and also perform more customer relations training before they are left alone to check dogs in and outThis one mistake that one employee made does not make us a bad business! We are a reputable business that performs quality services in a safe, clean environment with a friendly, helpful staffWe take excellent care of the dogs under our supervisionWe have been in business since We performed more than 14,services last year and are on track to do more this yearThe fact that our customer satisfaction rate is more than 99% speaks volumesIt is rare that we disappoint a customer, but when that happens, we do everything we can to make things right with that customer and to ensure the same mistakes don’t happen againWe have thousands of customers who love our business and return time and time again.Sincerely, [redacted] , Proprietor

I am writing to respond to your letter regarding complaint ID#[redacted]. First, My name is [redacted]. I have owned Smelly Dog for about 6 years now. Please update your records. [redacted] is no longer an owner, nor is he affiliated with our business in any way. I would like to explain from my...

point of view what happened that day and also would like the customer to know how seriously I took this event. I took immediate action to not only mitigate the urgent situation, but also, to make sure this type of mistake does not happen again. This was the first time this customer visited our establishment. We run a cage-free grooming salon, doggie daycare, dog market and bakery with groomers and staff that love dogs and people! My staff is known for being very helpful and kind to all our customers, two-legged and four-legged. I am surprised to hear how the customer did not receive a phone call because it is our standard practice to call every customer when their dog is ready and also to mark in our schedule those who have been called. Because we are a busy shop, we very much rely on leaving detailed notes and ALWAYS marking dogs i.e. checked-in, checked-out, completed, called-on, etc. to minimize mistakes. Betty was marked as called-on and message left; however, if the customer says he didn’t receive a call or message, we might have mistakenly misdialed. No matter what the situation, we are always kind on the phone and in-person. The day Betty visited Smelly Dog we had 5 yorkies at the same time. This happens sometimes and we are always very careful to keep track of who is who. What happened involving Betty was NOT common, in fact it was an anomaly and we have identified what went wrong, who was at fault and have made changes to insure it won’t happen again. I will explain. First, a shift lead trainee was at the front desk without a trainer. This was the BIG mistake that I believed caused all the other confusion this day. It is against company policy for a trainee to be left alone to check in and out customers by himself. This was an isolated incident. My manager was reprimanded for this action. Only experienced employees are allowed to check dogs in and out. The second part of the problem this day involves an extreme customer mistake! Another customer owns 3 yorkies, and sent her husband to pick up the dogs. The trainee gave him the correct 3 dogs; however, he argued with the trainee and used harsh language and claimed that the other yorkie in our play lounge, Betty, was his. This trainee assumed he had made a mistake because why would a customer tell him a different dog was his? So after much debate between the ustomer and trainee, the trainee gave this customer the 3 yorkies he claimed were his. When Betty’s dad arrived, it was obvious the trainee had made a huge mistake and informed the manager and the groomer to help him solve this dilemma. Obviously, he did not handle the matter in the best way if he left a customer at the front desk. Immediately, the manager got on the phone to get Betty back as quickly as possible and explained to Betty’s dad that she was doing everything she could to get Betty back ASAP. Unfortunately, I was not in the shop when all this happened, but I had just returned when Betty’s dad returned to pick up Betty. At that time, I apologized to Betty’s dad and explained the situation. He told me he was scared that Betty went home with someone else, but as long as he got her back, he would be fine. I agreed and empathized with him. I understood why he was frightened. I talked to him some more and explained to him how long we have been in business and how many satisfied and returning customers we have. Also, from the thousands of dogs we see every year through 9 years, this was only the second time a customer took the wrong dog. The first time was six years ago and it was a very big deal and we made changes to our intake procedures to make sure it didn’t happen again. Now, since it has happened again, I will make stringent efforts to get to the bottom of what happened to make sure we don’t repeat this mistake. The customer seemed very understanding. Then, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He said “no.” I then told him that I would like to give him a free groom for Betty next time he came in and he said he would keep the appointment card (with future appointment) and consider coming back. He said it had been stressful, but he would think about it. He shook my hand and seemed happy when he left.Anytime a customer is unhappy or has a problem, I address the issue. I always talk to my customers to understand from their point of view how we can better our services and procedures to better serve them and in turn, be a better business. I was shocked a couple weeks ago when one of my groomers told me Betty’s Dad was really upset on the phone and said he would never come back. I called this customer and left him a voicemail encouraging him to call me with any concerns or issues because it was important to me to make things right. I also reminded him that my offer for a free groom still stands. He never called me back.To this customer (I am keeping names out of this): Again, I sincerely apologize for my staff making the huge mistake of sending your dog home with another customer. I want you to know that I didn’t take that lightly. Instead, I’ve made an upgrade to our intake procedure that will make it near impossible to mix up dogs. I have addressed my entire staff about this incident and how serious of a mistake it was and how important it is for every employee to take the necessary precautions outlined in our procedures guide to make sure every dog goes home with their owner. Also, my manager and trainers now understand the importance of completing a lead shift’s training and also perform more customer relations training before they are left alone to check dogs in and out. This one mistake that one employee made does not make us a bad business! We are a reputable business that performs quality services in a safe, clean environment with a friendly, helpful staff. We take excellent care of the dogs under our supervision. We have been in business since 2005. We performed more than 14,000 services last year and are on track to do more this year. The fact that our customer satisfaction rate is more than 99% speaks volumes. It is rare that we disappoint a customer, but when that happens, we do everything we can to make things right with that customer and to ensure the same mistakes don’t happen again. We have thousands of customers who love our business and return time and time again.Sincerely,[redacted], Proprietor

I am writing to respond to your letter regarding complaint ID#[redacted]. First, My name is [redacted]. I have owned Smelly Dog for about 6 years now. Please update your records. [redacted] is no longer an owner, nor is he affiliated with our business in any way. I would like to explain from my...

point of view what happened that day and also would like the customer to know how seriously I took this event. I took immediate action to not only mitigate the urgent situation, but also, to make sure this type of mistake does not happen again. This was the first time this customer visited our establishment. We run a cage-free grooming salon, doggie daycare, dog market and bakery with groomers and staff that love dogs and people! My staff is known for being very helpful and kind to all our customers, two-legged and four-legged. I am surprised to hear how the customer did not receive a phone call because it is our standard practice to call every customer when their dog is ready and also to mark in our schedule those who have been called. Because we are a busy shop, we very much rely on leaving detailed notes and ALWAYS marking dogs i.e. checked-in, checked-out, completed, called-on, etc. to minimize mistakes. Betty was marked as called-on and message left; however, if the customer says he didn’t receive a call or message, we might have mistakenly misdialed. No matter what the situation, we are always kind on the phone and in-person. The day Betty visited Smelly Dog we had 5 yorkies at the same time. This happens sometimes and we are always very careful to keep track of who is who. What happened involving Betty was NOT common, in fact it was an anomaly and we have identified what went wrong, who was at fault and have made changes to insure it won’t happen again. I will explain. First, a shift lead trainee was at the front desk without a trainer. This was the BIG mistake that I believed caused all the other confusion this day. It is against company policy for a trainee to be left alone to check in and out customers by himself. This was an isolated incident. My manager was reprimanded for this action. Only experienced employees are allowed to check dogs in and out. The second part of the problem this day involves an extreme customer mistake! Another customer owns 3 yorkies, and sent her husband to pick up the dogs. The trainee gave him the correct 3 dogs; however, he argued with the trainee and used harsh language and claimed that the other yorkie in our play lounge, Betty, was his. This trainee assumed he had made a mistake because why would a customer tell him a different dog was his? So after much debate between the ustomer and trainee, the trainee gave this customer the 3 yorkies he claimed were his. When Betty’s dad arrived, it was obvious the trainee had made a huge mistake and informed the manager and the groomer to help him solve this dilemma. Obviously, he did not handle the matter in the best way if he left a customer at the front desk. Immediately, the manager got on the phone to get Betty back as quickly as possible and explained to Betty’s dad that she was doing everything she could to get Betty back ASAP. Unfortunately, I was not in the shop when all this happened, but I had just returned when Betty’s dad returned to pick up Betty. At that time, I apologized to Betty’s dad and explained the situation. He told me he was scared that Betty went home with someone else, but as long as he got her back, he would be fine. I agreed and empathized with him. I understood why he was frightened. I talked to him some more and explained to him how long we have been in business and how many satisfied and returning customers we have. Also, from the thousands of dogs we see every year through 9 years, this was only the second time a customer took the wrong dog. The first time was six years ago and it was a very big deal and we made changes to our intake procedures to make sure it didn’t happen again. Now, since it has happened again, I will make stringent efforts to get to the bottom of what happened to make sure we don’t repeat this mistake. The customer seemed very understanding. Then, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He said “no.” I then told him that I would like to give him a free groom for Betty next time he came in and he said he would keep the appointment card (with future appointment) and consider coming back. He said it had been stressful, but he would think about it. He shook my hand and seemed happy when he left.Anytime a customer is unhappy or has a problem, I address the issue. I always talk to my customers to understand from their point of view how we can better our services and procedures to better serve them and in turn, be a better business. I was shocked a couple weeks ago when one of my groomers told me Betty’s Dad was really upset on the phone and said he would never come back. I called this customer and left him a voicemail encouraging him to call me with any concerns or issues because it was important to me to make things right. I also reminded him that my offer for a free groom still stands. He never called me back.To this customer (I am keeping names out of this): Again, I sincerely apologize for my staff making the huge mistake of sending your dog home with another customer. I want you to know that I didn’t take that lightly. Instead, I’ve made an upgrade to our intake procedure that will make it near impossible to mix up dogs. I have addressed my entire staff about this incident and how serious of a mistake it was and how important it is for every employee to take the necessary precautions outlined in our procedures guide to make sure every dog goes home with their owner. Also, my manager and trainers now understand the importance of completing a lead shift’s training and also perform more customer relations training before they are left alone to check dogs in and out. This one mistake that one employee made does not make us a bad business! We are a reputable business that performs quality services in a safe, clean environment with a friendly, helpful staff. We take excellent care of the dogs under our supervision. We have been in business since 2005. We performed more than 14,000 services last year and are on track to do more this year. The fact that our customer satisfaction rate is more than 99% speaks volumes. It is rare that we disappoint a customer, but when that happens, we do everything we can to make things right with that customer and to ensure the same mistakes don’t happen again. We have thousands of customers who love our business and return time and time again.Sincerely,[redacted], Proprietor