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Showerthought: A client told me my grooming style was too 'cookie cutter'
They said every dog I posted looked the same, which made me realize I was just doing the same popular cuts from Instagram. Now I spend 15 minutes at the start of each appointment asking the owner what *they* actually want, not what's trending. Has anyone else had a client push them to be more creative in their work?
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terrywilson2mo ago
Wait they actually said "cookie cutter" to your face? That's a pretty direct way to put it. Good on you for taking it and changing your whole process though. It's wild how easy it is to just copy what you see online without even realizing it. Spending that time asking questions is probably a game changer for making each dog look unique.
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andrewh431mo ago
That's exactly what happened to me a few years back. A regular client brought in a photo of a doodle from a completely different part of the country and said "can you do something like this instead of the usual teddy bear face?" I was embarrassed because she was right - I had fallen into a rut where every poodle mix got the same round head and same body length. Now I ask people to bring in three pictures that catch their eye, even if they're weird or messy, and we build from there. It takes longer up front but the dogs look like actual individuals now and I get way fewer "oh, that's not what I meant" follow ups.
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