It's been a while since I gave someone my "feedback"

So I left PetSmart having slung a little mud. I'm not proud of this. Wanna walk through the wash with me?

earlier...

The dog was groomed this morning. Very early. 7 a.m. early. The husband took her. I picked her up. Clerk One announces, "You didn't have an appointment this morning." The dog was already done. In less time than any other.

Dear Clerk Two, with the unnatural red hair, tree hugger stance and kind eyes. Thank you for saying that your appointment didn't show up so it was all good, you could still groom my dog and it all worked out.

If it worked out, then, dear Clerk One, why tell me?

later...

I have been trying to figure out why Clerk One, whose name I don't know because her tag was tucked in her pocket, felt a need to announce to me this information.

Like she was warning me not to do it again.

As if I look like a person who would, without reason, get up at an ungodly hour on the only day I get to sleep in to bring my dog to you without an appointment, on the off chance that you'd take her.

the analysis...

I felt accused. Like I had to justify my existence in their salon. All I'm thinking is, "They made a mistake," and all I'm hearing is them blaming me.

Their rule of law is the appointment book. My name wasn't there. They didn't know I'd booked it first for Friday night at six and then when husband couldn't accommodate that time, I called back and asked if I could have a different appointment. They couldn't know that whomever offered me Saturday morning at 7 a.m. hadn't remembered to write it down or key it in to their appointment schedule. And if they told my husband, he hadn't told me. They accepted my dog, they groomed my dog and everything worked out in the end.

Because I'd come in worried, questioning how they trimmed Bernadette's nails, asking why she hadn't been clipped ("Your husband asked for just a tidy-up") and my disbelief must have been written all over my face because he'd asked and I'd answered thrice "full grooming, including a cut" and so they felt accused and wanted me to know they thought I didn't have a right to be there anyway and how dare I question the job they did on my little dog daughter?

Could it be, perhaps, through love's eyes, I can see their side? Could it be that they panicked when my husband arrived? Scrambled to figure out why they don't have our name in the book and decided the customer is always right so they took the dog and made the best of it? Could they have just wanted to let me know that they bent over backwards and are relieved that everything worked out because of a cancellation and the anxiety they felt initially was now melting into relief and they just wanted a wee little compliment to affirm what a great job they had done?

I would have wanted that. 

Dear Clerk One and Clerk Two. You did a good job. You probably were hurt by my questions. I was just confused and was looking for information. You were just stressed and were looking for affirmation. I think I should bring you some donuts and coffee.

the conclusion...


I got a box of 40 Timbits (donut holes) and wrote a thank you card saying they did a good job and "sorry I was too sleepy to notice when I picked my dog up." When I got there, they were swamped. People lined up out the door. I couldn't see Clerk One so I caught the eye of Clerk Two, said "These are for you all" and left her smiling.

I was smiling too.

Next time? I will not be so eager to give feedback unless its completely glowing and positive. For a dog grooming salon on a Saturday, the fact that my dog is alive, clean and happy is success in my book. While these types of things happen rarely nowadays, I am sad that something so simple became an "incident" that I needed to resolve because I handled it poorly and left someone else feeling a little mud-splattered.

What would you have done?