It's a maddening conversation and happens far too often. It goes something like this, "Hello, Pet Owner! What did you have in mind for Mr. Fuzzypant's haircut today?" Pet Owner responds, "I want him short. But not too short." Or (a variation on the theme) "As short as you can make him, but not shaved."
If you are a groomer with mind-reading skills, you are all set and can begin to work. But for the rest of us, there needs to be more conversation. This is where things can get tricky. " Short" can mean a wide variety of lengths, depending on the Pet Owner's point of view. What may be helpful at this point in the chat is to say to the customer, "I am a very visual person. Can you please hold up your fingers to show me what length you have in mind?" As you say this, hold up your hand, leaving a space between your thumb and forefinger of around one inch as a demonstration.
In most cases, what will happen next is that the customer will mimic your movement and show you a gap between their finger and thumb to demonstrate what they have in mind. It might be a quarter, half, or three inches, depending on their definition of "short." At this point, a wise groomer will respond, "OK, you are showing me that you want Mr. Fuzzypant's fur to be left (insert approximate measurement that they indicated) about one-half inch long; is that correct?" Now we are getting somewhere! They have shown you a visual example of what they have in mind, and you have translated that into a verbal description of what they are asking for. This gives both you and the pet owner a concrete idea of the desired outcome and has moved decisively away from the vague "short but not too short."
Now, once in a while, a customer will hold up their fingers, showing a length that is actually longer than the pet's fur upon arrival. For example, a woman recently arrived with a Shih Tzu with approximately one inch of fur. The customer said, "I'd like her to be about an inch and a half long." When this happens, I whip out the short plastic ruler I keep handy. I gently slip it against the dog's skin and say, "Oh, well, your dog currently has about one inch of fur. Do you want me to leave her body untrimmed so it can grow in and just trim her face, feet, and sanitary areas?" Now, the customer can decide if they want to do just as you suggested or if they actually wantsome length cut off. Having the ruler for a prop gives the client a solid visual image of what their pet current has for length and removes any chance of them thinking you clipped too much off.
Using your mad groomer skills to help customers ask for the trim they desire more clearly is sometimes a challenge, but it can help prevent miscommunications and unhappy outcomes.
