The Frustrations of a Mobile Groomer: When Clients Don’t Respect Your Time. By ky

Running a mobile pet grooming business has its joys—working with animals, making pets look and feel their best, and the freedom of setting my own schedule. But with those joys come challenges, and today was a prime example of just how frustrating it can get when a client refuses to respect my time and effort.

I have a regular client with three small dogs. She usually books all of them for grooming at the same time, which works out well for both of us. But today, things went off the rails.

First, she gave me the wrong address. Now, mistakes happen—I get that. I was willing to overlook it and head to the second address she provided. When I arrived, I knocked on the door, expecting to be greeted by her or at least one of her pups. Instead, I was met with confusion. The person who answered told me there was no grooming appointment.

I double-checked the address. I confirmed the pets. Everything was correct on my end. So, I called the client. No answer. I called again. And again. I even sent a couple of texts. Finally, she called me back—but I was driving and couldn’t answer immediately. As soon as I got to a safe place, I called her back. Voicemail.

At this point, I had done everything I could. I’m a mobile groomer, and my time is valuable. I don’t charge deposits, but my policy is clear: If a client no-shows, they are responsible for the full cost of the appointment. She had agreed to this policy when booking, just like every other client. So, I charged her the full amount for the day’s grooms.

That’s when the threats started.

She started accusing me of being a scammer, saying she would write horrible reviews about my business. She went from being unresponsive to harassing me, trying to twist the situation into something it wasn’t. But how exactly did I scam her when I drove to her location—twice—only to be met with radio silence? I showed up. I made every attempt to reach her. The only one who didn’t follow through was her.

And the worst part? I even have a text from her saying I could come “anytime.” So, which is it? I can come anytime, or I’m a scammer when I do?

I love what I do, but people like this make it incredibly difficult. Small business owners, especially mobile service providers, rely on clients to be honest, communicative, and respectful of our time. When someone flakes, we don’t just lose that appointment—we lose gas money, time we could have spent on another pet, and the trust we try so hard to build with our customers.

I won’t let one bad client shake me. I stand by my policy, and I stand by my work. But it’s disheartening when someone refuses to take accountability and instead resorts to threats and slander.

To my fellow mobile groomers and small business owners—how do you handle situations like this? Have you dealt with clients who ghost you and then turn around to blame you? Let’s talk about it.