Advice For Helping a Coworker (New Groomer) Who Doesn't Take Constructive Criticism
Hello, all.
I'm really going to try to word this in a "drama-free" way, which means keeping my point concise and to the facts. I will probably fail. Forgive me.
So, overall the problem I have is a new groomer (about a year into grooming), consistently over-booking their own schedule to make as much money as possible, but as a consequence their dogs will sometimes go home unfinished.
Just today, they sent a doodle home with partially shaved legs because they simply ran out of time to finish him. They are late to finish 90% of their groom dogs (by upwards of an hour most times), and take more dogs on their schedule than I do, and I've been grooming several years longer than them. A few weeks from now, they are doing a giant schnauzer groom in the mid-morning, followed by FIVE LARGE bath dogs within a 2-hour space in the early afternoon. Maybe some power groomers out there would disagree with me but I would have a heart attack if I saw that on my schedule.
I've tried to tell them multiple times to slow down. Not only for themselves, as they take breaks approximately never, but because of what this behavior does to the rest of us. If they are busy for 100% of their day, the rest of us have to take a larger share of the burden of phone calls and appointments and cleaning. I've washed and dried dogs for her multiple times (which I don't mind doing on occasion, but I really shouldn't have to just to help them keep their head above water). I've asked the lead and the manager to talk to them about it multiple times, but there has been no change in behavior or attitude.
Additionally, though I think this is common with newer groomers. they are terrified to take the faces of their dogs too short, but then end up leaving them way too long. I couldn't even count at this point how many customer complaints we have had, or how many dogs have come in for a touch-up immediately after their appointment. Again, this topic has been addressed multiple times with no changes.
I genuinely don't know what to do. How do you work with someone who doesn't listen? I understand "do less dogs" isn't always simple when people have bills to pay, but I worry they won't be able to grow at all as a groomer if they don't give themselves the time to ever put full-effort into a dog. I don't know what to say to them that won't feel like beating a dead horse. And I have to be the one to do it, because I swear our manager hasn't even bothered speaking with them even though I've asked (again, multiple times), and our lead is going on maternity leave soon and won't be there to, y'know, lead.
Any advice at all would be appreciated.