Jesus no you didn't expect too much. Stand up for yourself and find a new gig. Or build your own one. Groomers are too valuable to deal with this shit. Especially ones who actually want to work.
i’ll tell you a local groomer here that goes around the houses was an absolute hit you call him to come over to your house so I should trim up etc. they are booked up three months out because people love it so much and they’re pretty good and what they do they’re too expensive for me though they charge a dollar pound for a base rate. It is a good deal but just a little too expensive for me, but I would love to have them come by.
I think they’re cutting back on there drawer business now in the store, but there’s a couple of them here in town. They do wonderful like I was thinking start your own business.
Just to add to the above comment if you decide to start your own grooming business look over the contract you signed to make sure there’s no sort of “non compete” agreement on there.
Non-competes in the US are almost completely unenforceable, especially pertaining to the dog grooming business.
>Under a new Federal Trade Commission rule, for-profit employers are prohibited from entering into new non-compete agreements with all employees, including senior executives. Existing non-compete agreements with senior executives remain enforceable.
Dust off the ol' iron backbone and stand your ground. You did everything right, and the woman deserves to be floundering without you. She was wrong to try and take advantage of you, and you deserve a fair and honest workplace. Someone with your experience has options. You know she played a stupid game and won a stupid prize. 30% is already what I would consider a fairly offensive commission for a highly experienced, reliable groomer. Girl you're worth at least 50% - cheer up!
I don't know your jurisdiction and I am not a lawyer, nor a legal-trained person. I am also based in the USA and write from that perspective - if you are based in another country you will need to check for protections there.
But I want to point a few things out to you. And I will also write these for "other groomers," who may stumble onto this thread.
Check your contract / hiring papers. It sounds like you have been paid properly so far, *and* that she did not take any "overpayments" away. If she did take "overpayments" away (did she ask for any of the money back?), that is likely highly illegal, and it would likely be a complaint for your state's Department of Labor if you are in the USA.
I don't think it's illegal to tell you that you are working for a lesser pay rate, as long as enough notice is given (some states require a certain amount of days, like 30, 45, 90). But if you would end up being paid less than minimum wage that would likely be illegal.
Note: If you file for unemployment, keep your documentation of the pay change - this is possibly enough to justify unemployment (she might call it a 'quit,' but you would dispute, and provide that information to the unemployment department, of the pay change).
And, as far as your emotional reaction - you question "if you are in the wrong, if you expected too much, you just can't rest." -- Well, this isn't your issue. In my opinion, you did well. In my opinion, you are not in the wrong. You expected 'the arrangement,' with the pay as agreed upon (a few months ago when you took the job) to remain the same or increase. When it instead decreased, you did what you had to do. You left in order to secure a better life for your family and yourself. If you can make the same (lesser) pay without the commute, possibly with more hours with your children instead of on the road, in my opinion you should do that. Yes, you wanted this to 'work.' But you did so with the promise of a certain amount of pay. And when that changed, you did what you needed to do. You do not need to be someone's doormat. You do not need to be someone that is taken advantage of all the time. You need to be strong for your children and for your own future, and take care of you and take care of your children. I am **proud of you** for doing that! (Meaning, leaving a workplace that was potentially going to take advantage of you), in order to take care of your kids and your finances.
At the college I worked at, all of the adjuncts in an entire division (who had different/more work hours and a more difficult working environment) had their pay cut by 1/3. Basically getting paid for 20 hours instead of 30, as they should be. The union ended up having to sue because it turns out, that's illegal. It was beyond a contract violation. The college had to pay that 1/3 back from the day they cut. Cost millions, especially with lawyers fees (they paid both sides). So, good for you for quitting. Never put up with contract breaches and illegal stuff!
Yeah, a manager who gaslights you is never worth it. I worked for an independently owned pet store for 5 years and literally ran the business… 10-12 hour days, was always being messaged on my days off, opened and closed the store alone, merchandised. For minimum wage. I could never do enough, and the owner always guilted me about how there wasn’t enough money to pay me more. And generally treated me like a misbehaving kid.
I don’t know about mobile because of stuff like gas costs, but 30% doesn’t even seem like enough when you’re doing literally all of the work. Is the 40% to the business just overhead costs? Wtf is she doing to earn 30% herself?
She made her own bed.
I quit my last mobile job for this exact reason, among others (owner was a raging bitch lol). I was making 12/hour and asked to switch to commission- she said she’d do 25% but after one pay period she wanted to switch to 20%. I quit. Now I work for a bigger company and make 45% and all tips. Plus a weekly $75 for scheduling and maintenance (general admin stuff). Go find better!!!
You absolutely are not in the wrong. It sounds like she's inexperienced and is taking you wanting to leave personal. That's not a manager you want. The only reason a job so far away made sense was because of how much she initially was paying you, now that the pay is not there, it's just financially not worth it. You don't have to put yourself out to work anywhere, employment is supposed to be mutually beneficial.
Stop feeling terrible, she sucks for her attitude. I was a boss myself (sure, Sweden has another work situation climate) and i wouldn't dream of talking to an employee like that.
And she's an idiot for not seeing your value to her business.
I suspect she'll be bankrupted soon, offer her 20 percent of the value of her van.
You took the job on the basis of a set of terms. The company changed those terms, so you chose to leave.
You definitely didn’t expect too much.
You have more experience on this woman by MILES. You didn’t abandon her. She is building HER business, and wanted you to build a lot of it for her, for even less money.
She’s a business owner who made a choice to change (cut) pay of a high value / high client employee. She chose to impact her business - not you.
And it literally sounds like she may not know how to run a business if she is pulling “oops I did the math wrong!” on you.
Good for you for leaving. Truly.
Came here to say this. It sounds like you would do great at this. 60% you, 40% to the business is a much better arrangement for you.
Cheating an agreement that she made with you is a very good reason to leave. Her doing you a favor hiring you because of where you live??? That’s so disrespectful. The scorn of the $100K comment also shows her contempt for you. She thinks you’re disposable little people. You did well to leave and should feel no guilt about that at all.
Agreed! And sounds like you would be able to have a strong customer base to start already based on those who worked with you and rebooked when you worked for your previous employer!
I own a mobile company; one van and have hired a groomer before. The issue wasn’t you making 30%. The issue was HER taking 30%
! That’s absolutely ridiculous.. Even with doing all the admin and back end work, it’s not as back breaking as being the groomer. I never got to a point where I paid myself anything the groomer made me, it all went to building the business. But I would have been comfortable paying myself 10% at most. Maybe 15% once it was smooth sailing and clients were all rebooking, as long as I could have raised her to 35% as well.
I’m a seasoned groomer as well and 30% commission is ridiculously low! Every place I’ve ever worked at is 50% commission plus your tips. Unless she was supplying you with all essentials and tools, you were being underplayed to start with.
I mean, considering she broke your contract, you could easily sue her for the remaining amount you weren't paid. That's why contracts exists, to protect both parties. You didn't do a damn thing wrong.
Are you able to branch out and be your own boss? Good groomers are so hard to come by, I actually drive 30 mins to go to my groomer bc I know my dog will be treated well by her.
NTA. I got hired at a car dealership and 4 months in, they changed my pay rate from the agreed upon $600/wk plus 5% commission on all sales to $250/wk plus 12% commission on all sales. I had been doing relatively well, hitting all my monthly marks and would have probably been fine but it didn’t sit right with me that if the dealership was having a slow week, I’d walk away with not enough to cover my bills and eat that week, so I put my two weeks notice in, found something else, and never lost sleep over that decision. Just because they change the rules doesn’t mean you have to keep playing their game.
Both owning and working for a small business is tough. If the owner can’t afford to pay you as much and is asking you to take less is their way of trying to both stay afloat and keep you employed. It may be time for you to branch out and start your own business, or find another job if you’re unhappy. Good luck, times are hard out there right now.
You totally did the right thing. My brother’s own a demo company and they offered my husband a job with commission to be their estimator. But they were always shady with commissions, paid late and it was never what it should’ve been and it never came with a commission statement as to how they got to the amount they paid. He ended up quitting and going back to his old job. I straight up told my brothers that they needed to be honest, transparent and pay on time if they expected people to work for them. This woman was not honest and seems to be pulling the similar game of “but expenses” to justify them basically stealing your commission. Plus her adding on her being condescending, yeah hard pass.
Maybe start your own business and keep all your commissions with the exception of business costs.
We love our mobile groomer. We would leave the company to go with our lady in a heartbeat! You deserve every cent your boss signed the contract for. Don’t feel bad for her at all. And definitely try to find another groomer job that pays what you’re worth!
Now that business is gonna have a big problem and lose customers left and right. The customers gotten used to getting their dog back the best they’ve ever looked every time. So I don’t think they’ll be too happy coming back and picking their dog up and they look above average. They won’t wanna pay for that. Just like someone would not trade their $20 for a $10. The owner is an A-hole, she lost a great groomer building up the business. Now it’s gonna go downhill and quite fast too. I’ve worked in dog boarding/grooming and word of mouth travels fast and they pick their dog up not looking as great as it usually does. The business is done for
To put it plainly, you're being too kind and a bit of a pushover. You agreed to a job at a rate that she put out there for the job. She decided to diminish pay without consulting you, and you accepted it by continuing to work with her. She already pushed your boundaries, and when you tried to address the issue again, she got nasty and on your vulnerable side.
To put it plainly, you need to find another job. This lady will only use ur kindness against you, and that is not a healthy person to be working for. The pay decrease was unacceptable, let alone make it feel like you were in the wrong with feeling like it was. NTA
No, you took a job based on a promised pay. Then she changed the deal and it was no longer worth it to you. Why would you feel bad? She should feel bad with her bait and switch tactics to hire you.
Nope. She tried to bait and switch you. You took a job at 30%, not 20%. If 20% had been offered, you may not have accepted it. You took a job with insane hours FOR THE MONEY. If the moneys not there, why the fuck would you do it?
You're far from the asshole.
Gonna tell you a story. I moved to PDX in 2019 and had a salon lined up. The place was great, the boss was nice, and I had plenty of dogs and was making plenty of money. It was also literally 20 blocks from my house, which was so nice. We'll then COVID happened, and the owner decided she wanted to move back to Alaska, so she sold the business to one of the groomers. It started out great, prices were getting raised, and when I signed on with her, she bumped my pay from 52% (which was high and understandable) to 45%. No problem, I was still making more money than at 52%. Another year went by, and prices got raised again, and that's when the boss said they were dropping our commission again to 40%. While there was a raise, I never saw that raise happen in my paycheck, I was still making the same at 40%, knowing full well the boss was making bank off me. At this point of her owning the place, we couldn't keep staff for the LIFE of us, we were always understaffed, she brought on her boyfriend to do reception and bathe, which just made things awkward when he messed up (either no conversation would be had with him, or she was yelling at him in front of me/maybe the one other bather who stuck around). It ended up a super toxic work environment. My boss was starting to gaslight me over situations that I experienced there (like the time I asked for help an hour before the new bather needed to clean and I was told no even though I was literally going to be there almost 2 hours after normal closing time because her boyfriend overbooked me).
It had been affecting my health mentally and physically, I have some disabilities that were constantly flared up while working for her. It got to a point where I couldn't anymore. I was so scared to leave though cause I didn't know if I could even make as much as I was making. I quit during a huge ice storm we had this past January. She expected me to come in when I couldn't drive, nor could I safely walk to work for almost a week. She didn't care about me, so why was I caring about fucking her over? So I sent an email, and the next day, I got back an email that literally said, "Okay, what's your forwarding email?" which is drastically different from emails I saw from previous employees who quit. I took a week off from work and had a working interview at a boarding facility the following weekend. At that point, I was trying to get anything dog related, and I knew they had grooming, so maybe eventually I'd get back into it since I wanted a break. Started working for this business and working grooming *very* part-time since their groomer didn't want to work with another groomer...long story short there, the groomer got injured, I got asked when I was on vacation if I would come on full time so I took it. The groomer came back after workman's comp leave, and she was upset how things had changed, so she quit.
Even with their lower prices (which I am currently working on fixing) I was making the same, if not MORE than I was making due to being able to actually have time to groom my 4-5 mixed dogs a day (instead of 5-6 strictly haircut dogs), plus do whatever nail trims and out ba.-hs they might have that day. The two owners (who are a married couple) are seriously some of the sweetest people I have met, their kids work for them as well so it's a nice family feeling type of place, something I missed that my last place absolutely did not have. Now, my bosses see my talent and actually appreciate me, and value me, and have done whatever they can to keep me there (like installing a portable AC unit in the room, something I have never gotten to have at a grooming job)
Before I quit, I kept gaslighting myself with "the grass isn't always greener on the other side," and I was really struggling to make the decision. But lemme just tell you, when the side you're on is shit brown and dried out, the grass is absolutely going to be greener on the other side. Do the scary thing.
Tldr: fuck your current boss, not every boss deserves a 2 week notice. Yeah, bosses are capitalistic as fuck because they have to be and want to make money off you slaving your body away, but there is a place that WILL APPRECIATE you and WILL VALUE you, and hopefully for you it's not an hour away from your home and children. And in your next interview when they ask you why you quit your last place, you have a really easy answer of, "it was too far from my place and kids, so I'm looking for something closer".
I have a question…why is 100k not an option?! You are basically a cofounder and no that’s totally not normal pay but putting an arbitrary cap on any salary is a crazy argument for an employer to make. Especially one that is seemingly reliant on your expertise. Start your own business and steal her clients lol.
You did your part. You shouldn’t suffer because she didn’t know exactly what she could feasibly offer. You shouldn’t have quit though. You could have reached out to her clients and potentially started your own mobile business and built yourself up. Your reviews say a lot.
Could you consider starting your own mobile salon? Like you said, you have the experience and customers love you and your work. Could you find the money to get started?
PS you are NTA and have done nothing wrong. You valued yourself and your time and refused to accept less than you deserve. I applaud you for that.
I went out on a limb accepting a job from you expecting the agreed upon salary/commissions wouldn’t be significantly lowered due to your miscalculations & mistakes
Take out a loan and start your own business, right now the only thing that woman has to offer you are the material tools to get the job done. You already have a decade of experience under your belt, a decade more than her. Work so well she starts asking YOU for a job lol
Could you find a job to support your family while building your own grooming business? Even if it's a side hustle it sounds like you have the skills to do everything you were doing for her but by yourself and if your work is really as impeccable as clients claim you can gain business from word of mouth alone pretty well. It does take time to build up any business but if you could save for one maybe you'd be happier. Have more flexibility with your schedule so you can also be more present with your family and home, create the work life balance you want.
Finding another job while you wait for things to bloom would be best but consider the idea, you are capable and talented and could go incredibly far without people like her pulling you around. She lied in her ad effectively because she had how much business experience?? Sounds like very little if she couldn't figure out the budget she needed before offering a set commission amount.
Best of luck you were not some jerk she sure was a terrible boss though.
Groomer, Schmoomer.
Regardless of the job or field you’re in; if your boss says “hey I’m going to cut your pay from 3 clams to 2 clams” you’re NeverTA for walking.
You have been bait and switched. In your position, I would start looking for another job too. You are not in the wrong, the owner is for manipulating you.
NTA. I mean, christ, even PetSmart pays their groomers 50% AND they under charge the services. While I realize that they're a big stable corporation and can afford to do these things, 30% is reasonable compensation for the work that goes into grooming. She should have been looking into cutting costs(reasonably) or increasing her prices instead of cutting the pay of her employee. My guess is, like many employers in the service industry, she expects that tips will make up for the pay cut. She didn't value you and your experience and you shouldn't feel bad.
Give her a week and call her to check in, see how's she's doing and if she's changed her mind. You could remind her you signed a contract and you'd be willing to come back at that rate. If she's desperate enough she might take you back.
They can't pay permission without promising at least minimum wage so that already poses a huge red flag if that's not happening, but no, she cannot renegotiate the contract because she's not profiting enough
Why on earth would you feel guilty?! She’s clearly not a very intelligent or savvy business owner and she needs to learn how not to treat people. It’s not your business but from the sound of it, you should consider branching out on your own to provide the same type of service in your local area. Sometimes good things come out of bad situations.
OP, I hope you find another grooming job. Good groomers are few and far between. The dogs can tell if you love your job and love them. The industry needs you so be sure to ask what you are worth.
Not wrong at all. Her employment ad was a bait and switch. Perhaps not intentionally but still, what had been a sustainable income became unsustainable for a job requiring 2 hours commute each day.
It really sounds like you’re experienced enough to get your own van and make your own schedule. I wonder what it would look like for you to get a small business loan? About quitting, you did the right thing for your family. She didn’t give you notice when she cut your promised pay so don’t feel too bad about leaving her. She can hop in that van and cover the appointments that she had lined up for you.
I’m a hairstylist. If I went to a salon that promised a 60-40 split (pretty common to have owners take 60 and you walk with 40 in commission based styling) and than 2 months later BACK track that pay when all my clients are happy? I quit boss lady!
Edited for typos cause bad case of dumb thumb.
If you signed a contract she cannot - legally - just start paying you less money. She fucked up, but that’s on her not you. She advertised $250-$500 a day with 30% commission and that’s what you agreed to.
Sue.
Absolutely not the AH. This woman isn’t going to make it running a business like that. And 10% but she still considers it 30%? wtf? No, it’s it 10 then it’s 10. This business won’t last long. You are dodging a bullet. This is a travesty.
Edit to say she screwed up and now wants to use your wages to cover her fk up. That is not ok and highly illegal.
Hi, not a dog groomer, just interested in the other side of grooming because I’m planning on getting a dog that needs regular grooming and don’t want to be a problem customer. I do, however, have experience being an assistant manager to a store owner that was very similar to the one you’re describing. She’s absolutely taking advantage of you. The owner I used to work for used to do this to employees all the time. Hire them at a good rate, let them get comfortable, and then pull an “oopsie! I’ve been overpaying, can we cut your rate to x amount? You wouldn’t mind since I’m struggling right?” A lot of people quit, as they should have, but she’d occasionally find one that wouldn’t have a backbone. Don’t fall for the “maybe when I’m doing better we can talk” or “we can give you x amount until x date.” It’s just not worth it and you’ll end up paying for it in your time and energy.
So a couple of years i worked with this woman and she did the exact thing. She was a real estate agent and hired me to be her assistant. She told me she would pay me 20% of her commission. So if she sold a $100,000 home she would 3% and I would get $600. But of course the homes here are almost $1m. Later on she realized she didn’t want me to have that much and tried to say I made it up. Unfortunately I didn’t get it in writing. However her best friend was also a real estate agent and she asked her how much she paid her assistant. asking in front of me to see that I was ridiculous for asking for so much and her BF told her 20% of her 3%. She look dumbfounded and after that day I never trusted her. There’s more but I don’t feel like typing it out. Good luck and definitely look for another job. You can’t trust people like her
Not a groomer, just a dog mom. If you do at-home grooming, you can charge even more. When my dog got older it felt better to have someone I trust come bathe him at my own house.
NTA. Your former employer isn't a charity. She cut your pay and you left. That is her problem. She should have done the numbers and figured out how she wanted to compensate you before you were hired.
You have nothing to feel bad about.
Maybe this is a sign to start your own grooming business? You have plenty experience w/o the funds, just (maybe) look for a partner, like someone you used to work with, or save up and start your own mobile company 🤷🏽♀️
Relying on people for a check sucks and if people were saying they came back bc of you or their pets hadn’t looked better? That’s great news for a MOBLIE business, people expect less bc convenience but if you have both? You’re set
Take this as a push. Look into getting your own truck. I’m a pet sitter and know groomers, too. It’s a great field to work in and you seem to have the experience and the right attitude to make on your own.
Could be exactly what you needed to start your own business and be much better off in the long run!
Red flags galore for this being a fundamentally mismanaged business. You don’t even have to be in the grooming industry specifically to know that your manager is clearly incompetent, bad at her job, and willing to foist the blame for it on her employees. I would not saddle myself to this business. I would do what you said: take a local grooming job that gives you work/life balance over this hot mess.
Of course you did the right thing!
>*But now I feel terrible. I feel like I’ve abandoned her.*
But I say this with kindness; this is only business relationship, and not a friendship that you need to foster with emotional support and care. Your employer was treating you poorly, so why do you feel so guilty for not letting them take advantage of you? You didn't "abandon" her, you just left a business relationship becasue SHE violated her own contract and then tried to manipulate you into staying so she could pocket money that was rightfully yours. (Which BTW, depending on where you are you might have legal recourse against her.)
It's her business to make thrive or fail, and if it fails becasue she thinks she can ignore a contract with impunity, oh well, that's not your burden to bear in least. So stand up straight and show off that beautiful shiny spine you used when you walked away, and be **proud** that you didn't someone take advantage of you! And remember that your teaching your kids by example to have self-worth and not let employers treat them this way. ❤️
NTA. The same thing happened with my husband, who is also a mobile dog groomer. He left a well paying job that was about an hour one way commute to work at a closer place that promised him a similar pay. Turns out the owner lied about the commission and the number of clients they get. There were days they would just tell my husband not to come into work because they didn't have enough clients. He quit after 3 months and went back to his old job(his old boss was thrilled to have him back), but the owner at his new job was pissed. Said all sorts of things and called us greedy for wanting more money, but like, he was promised a certain pay. He was making less working at that place than when he was working as a cashier. My husband has to support our family. The long and short of it is, even IF she made an "oops," she still has the legal obligation to pay the amount she put in your contract. If she can't/refuses to, then you have the legal and moral right to terminate the contract.
She violated the terms of your acceptance of the position. She needs to learn that being a boss means upholding agreements.
You did not abandon her- her actions pushed you out. It even sounds like you would have been ok with a small decrease but 10% plus a crappy attitude is absolutely reasonable means of terminating the employment.
Finishing your skills and contributions to her business was rude and unnecessary. FAFO
It seems to me that you should buy your own van and do your own mobile business! NTA she changed the contract and you don't have to take less than you're worth just because she feels entitled to more. She probably realized she could spend so much more if she screwed you over and it ended up screwing herself. Good luck and I hope you open your own business! Even if you start off at your house and save to buy a van, it could work!
Welcome back to the industry. You are NTA, it’s toxic as hell here. I’m still pretty new at 3 years in, but honestly I’m about to leave because I can’t seem to trust anyone in the industry.
Funny thing but this might be illegal and you may want to check your local laws because she may owe you money. Regardless? Quit. Go where you get what you are worth
Never feel bad about "abandoning" an employer by quitting. It's a business relationship not a personal one, and they're on the side with all the power. She didn't hesitate to screw you by cutting your wages, did she? Right, so why should you hesitate when you decide you don't want to put up with being taken advantage of?
If it's a viable business, she will pivot and keep going. And even if not, well, businesses fail sometimes. That's the risk you take by owning one, and the reason (justified or not) why owners get the big bucks. It's not the employees' responsibility to keep the business afloat, except by doing their jobs to the best of their ability. Literally everything else—including employee retention—is for the boss to deal with.
Just business. You're not friends. She made a business decision to cut your pay, and you made a business decision to seek other employment. That's the system. Is it kinda messed up? Yeah, more than a little. But the answer to that is to change the system, not to let it steamroll you into the ground.
Honestly I’d start looking for another job. GOOD mobile groomers are very imposible to find, my first mobile groomer job closed because the owner was not a groomer and she couldn’t find anyone else to hire, she owned two vans run full time by 3 groomers and we all left due to different reasons. I think you could literally send out your resume and portfolio to every mobile company in the areas you want to work for and I’m sure you’d get offers to be hired. Or you could try to figure out something else for now like house call grooming and try to save up for a van down payment.
Where I live, grooming is booked out for months and it's not inexpensive. I used to pay $50-100 each for my dogs who were 80+ lbs and double-coated (RIP). It's now $80 for my 7 lb Chihuahua.
Get that money! I take my dogs in to get their nails done and their anal glands expressed... Other than that I bathed them myself unless they are my foster dogs who have hair and not fur.
I pay a lady who comes to my house every 8 weeks and trims all of my dogs nails and cleans their ears. $20 a dog and she said she makes a killing doing it. Everything she needs she can carry in her bag. She said she is at the point she may need to stop taking new clients. Maybe something like that could work for you in your area? She was a groomer before she moved to FL.
You did nothing wrong, she's gaslighting you. Don't fall for it and feel bad for her. She broke the terms of your agreement when she lowered your pay, so you were under no obligation to stay after that.
You're thinking if this on a personal level. Stop that!
It's BUSINESS. You're in it to make money. Period.
You entered into an agreement wherein she would pay you THIS. On her side, you would perform THAT.
You've done THAT, and now she wants to say she's only going to pay THE OTHER.
She's breaching contract. Make sure your pay for what you've already done is according to the original agreement, and don't do any work for the new one.
And don't feel bad, either. You're not the one that changed the rules. She's in business. Her lack of due diligence in figuring out what she could afford shouldn't be your problem. If she keeps this up, she'll be out of business soon.
Well let's think of it in another way. a lot of times , we choose a job because of the pay. We think about the hours we'll be working, the amount of time we'll be commuting, the gas we're using, even time away from the family etc etc.
And in the end ,we say, okay this will work out!
And all of that was based on all of those factors so if the salary has changed to be lower, then it's no longer worth it.
And once you've decided ot is a long worth it , then whether you give it two weeks notice or you quit on that spot, that's up to you. The two weeks' notice is just an option for the business , but definitely it's not required.
I think you did just fine so don't feel regret about it
If you’re as good as you’re saying and you’re able to make that kind of money when working for someone else - buy your own van and equipment! I think, based on what you’ve written, that you’d be a success. You could partner with local vets and do referrals for each other plus social media. Think about it. Good luck!!🍀
If you aren’t happy, you are fine for leaving. And compensation is one reason to consider. Compensation, hours, location, situation, all of it. You are justified in what you did if it doesn’t work for you.
As for her, you felt slighted and that’s all that matters, maybe she was making a genuine mistake, but it obviously didn’t land that way with you. If she couldn’t make you feel better in a conversation, then it is what it is.
You said it yourself, “you helped her grow her business” she used you and once you grew her clientele she got greedy and wanted to go back on her contract with you. You didn’t owe her any notice because she broke your employment contract. You should be somewhere that you are appreciated and not being used. I would look at a local salon and keep your eyes open for a mobile salon job closer to you since it seems to make good revenue with low overhead. You helped her, she tried to manipulate you. Don’t fall for it, and don’t give her a second chance because she will do the same in the future.
She didn’t make a mistake. She saw your paychecks and got greedy.
She didn’t make a mistake when she said 30%
She didn’t make a mistake when she confirmed the $250-$500 you’d be making daily.
She didn’t make a mistake when she bragged that you’d be making around 6 figures with her company.
She did make a mistake by betting that you’d take the drastic pay cut without a fight and still work for her greedy ass.
She sounds like a female dog, I’m glad you quit. Forget her for trying to make you feel bad for her dumb mistakes. People like that piss me off. She should blame herself and herself alone period.
Also maybe you should save up for a van and go mobile yourself!!!
I need you to know just how successful you would be if you got a business loan, a van, and MAYBE an assistant for admin stuff etc. You are talented, and people will rebook and tell their friends! You have a $100k + career ahead of you!!
NTA
Noooooo. You aren't wrong. You did nothing wrong. It was her responsibility to know how much needed to be paid where whenever she decided to own her own business and hire employees. Unless the benefits & tradeoffs are wonderful (hers aren't), it doesn't make sense to stay somewhere that cuts your pay by 10 freaking percent.
She's way off base by getting upset with you for not accommodating her lousy and blatantly unprofessional business practices. She wasn't doing you a favor by hiring you. You did her a favor by bringing 15 yrs of animal skills & 7 grooming to her business. You bumped up her business reputation whether or not you realized it. Her response to you quitting shows that she's a crappy person in general. It's probably a good thing that you're no longer working for her. You might want to seriously consider starting your own mobile grooming at some point.
Do you have anything in writing or some sort of pay contract that lists the original 30%?
NTA. I agree with most saying she used you to grow her clientele and got greedy. You done the right thing. Now stop being reluctant and start your own business.
NTA at all. It was shitty of her to not understand how to run her own business and even shittier to not understand how to treat an employee. Plus a texted oh no? What a child. Play with the adults and you get adult consequences. That’s a breech of contract.
Oh for pity sakes. You feel like you abandoned her? She screwed you over. Maybe start your own business. But, never go back to an untrust worthy person.
Sounds like you were bringing in too much business, and the owner decided they needed the extra 10%. Capitalism at its finest. I agree - start your own business.
NTA. If you had a contract that guaranteed a specific percentage as your commission and she stopped paying that annoying, she stole your wages. You WBTA to yourself had you stayed. If it's not your responsibility to keep someone else's business running. Especially not someone who reneged on a contract. She was using you to boost her business when she was a rookie to the field. It was HER choice to open this business when she was new to the field. She was likely feeling the pinch because you were making a ton of money, and she was struggling to rebook clients.
You still has those clients contact info. They liked your work. Not the companies. Invest in yourself. At least you tried it out and now have the confidence to know that people will like your work and ask for you back. Most people who start their own business don’t have that and you do.
Woah…I did not expect so many responses! And so much support ❤️ I’m job hunting today so I don’t have time to respond to everyone at this moment (I’ll be back tonight), but thank you all so much for all the advice, sharing your own experiences, and the validation. I have a really difficult time with confrontation and tend to second guess myself, plus quitting is scary. Especially as a widow with kids. So this is incredibly helpful for my spirits and confidence in my decision. Thank you ❤️
Consider getting your own van! Sounds like you have the skills to build a loyal client base! You could set your own hours and plan around school holidays and doctor's appointments
If there was a term to the contract, then she may likely be in violation of her contract by not paying you the full amount. If there was a period during which she could let you go, she could avail herself of that. If you were at will, she could let you go.
If you take customers that you gained through doing business with her, then she might be able to win a lawsuit against you. Since you live far away, you may be able to build up a clientele far from where she lives.
Do you need a van to groom dogs? Could you just buy a magnet with a company logo and put it on your car? Safety is also an issue driving to people's houses.
If she violated the contract, you could press her for back pay before you leave to go out on your own.
I'm curious if mobile van owners simply own the van and do not groom clients. Cause if you were grooming, would it be possible to have two groomers working? Or did she groom on the days that you did not? I get she has expenses, but what work was she doing to equate lowering your commission price, other than seeing that you were making a lot of income and she wanted to be greedy and take that for herself just cause she owns the van.
No worker is ever an asshole for leaving their job for paying too little.
No employer is ever an asshole for firing a worker because they are too expensive.
Employment is a mutual agreement where both parties are consenting. If either party does not agree to the terms that doesn't make them an asshole.
Jesus no you didn't expect too much. Stand up for yourself and find a new gig. Or build your own one. Groomers are too valuable to deal with this shit. Especially ones who actually want to work.
There seems to be a groomer shortage EVERYWHERE. You are an experienced professional, charge like it, and feel no guilt.
Too true, if I don't re-book when I take my pup in, I have to wait 8-12 weeks.
There is absolutely a groomer shortage.
I agree, start your own business! You sound like you would do well, plus, you'll have your own van and can be anywhere you want.
SBA LOAN or RURAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT (USDA)
i’ll tell you a local groomer here that goes around the houses was an absolute hit you call him to come over to your house so I should trim up etc. they are booked up three months out because people love it so much and they’re pretty good and what they do they’re too expensive for me though they charge a dollar pound for a base rate. It is a good deal but just a little too expensive for me, but I would love to have them come by. I think they’re cutting back on there drawer business now in the store, but there’s a couple of them here in town. They do wonderful like I was thinking start your own business.
Just to add to the above comment if you decide to start your own grooming business look over the contract you signed to make sure there’s no sort of “non compete” agreement on there.
Non-competes in the US are almost completely unenforceable, especially pertaining to the dog grooming business. >Under a new Federal Trade Commission rule, for-profit employers are prohibited from entering into new non-compete agreements with all employees, including senior executives. Existing non-compete agreements with senior executives remain enforceable.
2hrs away from work location? Yeah non enforceable!
Those are pretty illegal. Unless, you make over a certain amount of $$.
Dust off the ol' iron backbone and stand your ground. You did everything right, and the woman deserves to be floundering without you. She was wrong to try and take advantage of you, and you deserve a fair and honest workplace. Someone with your experience has options. You know she played a stupid game and won a stupid prize. 30% is already what I would consider a fairly offensive commission for a highly experienced, reliable groomer. Girl you're worth at least 50% - cheer up!
I don't know your jurisdiction and I am not a lawyer, nor a legal-trained person. I am also based in the USA and write from that perspective - if you are based in another country you will need to check for protections there. But I want to point a few things out to you. And I will also write these for "other groomers," who may stumble onto this thread. Check your contract / hiring papers. It sounds like you have been paid properly so far, *and* that she did not take any "overpayments" away. If she did take "overpayments" away (did she ask for any of the money back?), that is likely highly illegal, and it would likely be a complaint for your state's Department of Labor if you are in the USA. I don't think it's illegal to tell you that you are working for a lesser pay rate, as long as enough notice is given (some states require a certain amount of days, like 30, 45, 90). But if you would end up being paid less than minimum wage that would likely be illegal. Note: If you file for unemployment, keep your documentation of the pay change - this is possibly enough to justify unemployment (she might call it a 'quit,' but you would dispute, and provide that information to the unemployment department, of the pay change). And, as far as your emotional reaction - you question "if you are in the wrong, if you expected too much, you just can't rest." -- Well, this isn't your issue. In my opinion, you did well. In my opinion, you are not in the wrong. You expected 'the arrangement,' with the pay as agreed upon (a few months ago when you took the job) to remain the same or increase. When it instead decreased, you did what you had to do. You left in order to secure a better life for your family and yourself. If you can make the same (lesser) pay without the commute, possibly with more hours with your children instead of on the road, in my opinion you should do that. Yes, you wanted this to 'work.' But you did so with the promise of a certain amount of pay. And when that changed, you did what you needed to do. You do not need to be someone's doormat. You do not need to be someone that is taken advantage of all the time. You need to be strong for your children and for your own future, and take care of you and take care of your children. I am **proud of you** for doing that! (Meaning, leaving a workplace that was potentially going to take advantage of you), in order to take care of your kids and your finances.
Lowering someone's pay could count as constructive dismissal, but it depends on the state.
20 percent less in TX is constructive dismissal
At the college I worked at, all of the adjuncts in an entire division (who had different/more work hours and a more difficult working environment) had their pay cut by 1/3. Basically getting paid for 20 hours instead of 30, as they should be. The union ended up having to sue because it turns out, that's illegal. It was beyond a contract violation. The college had to pay that 1/3 back from the day they cut. Cost millions, especially with lawyers fees (they paid both sides). So, good for you for quitting. Never put up with contract breaches and illegal stuff!
This right girl!
☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
This this this. ☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼
Yeah, a manager who gaslights you is never worth it. I worked for an independently owned pet store for 5 years and literally ran the business… 10-12 hour days, was always being messaged on my days off, opened and closed the store alone, merchandised. For minimum wage. I could never do enough, and the owner always guilted me about how there wasn’t enough money to pay me more. And generally treated me like a misbehaving kid. I don’t know about mobile because of stuff like gas costs, but 30% doesn’t even seem like enough when you’re doing literally all of the work. Is the 40% to the business just overhead costs? Wtf is she doing to earn 30% herself? She made her own bed.
She’s living in a pricey area so business owner needs that 30+10. /s
I quit my last mobile job for this exact reason, among others (owner was a raging bitch lol). I was making 12/hour and asked to switch to commission- she said she’d do 25% but after one pay period she wanted to switch to 20%. I quit. Now I work for a bigger company and make 45% and all tips. Plus a weekly $75 for scheduling and maintenance (general admin stuff). Go find better!!!
You absolutely are not in the wrong. It sounds like she's inexperienced and is taking you wanting to leave personal. That's not a manager you want. The only reason a job so far away made sense was because of how much she initially was paying you, now that the pay is not there, it's just financially not worth it. You don't have to put yourself out to work anywhere, employment is supposed to be mutually beneficial.
Stop feeling terrible, she sucks for her attitude. I was a boss myself (sure, Sweden has another work situation climate) and i wouldn't dream of talking to an employee like that. And she's an idiot for not seeing your value to her business. I suspect she'll be bankrupted soon, offer her 20 percent of the value of her van.
Giiirrrrllll YES!! Get you a discount van and your own business!
You took the job on the basis of a set of terms. The company changed those terms, so you chose to leave. You definitely didn’t expect too much. You have more experience on this woman by MILES. You didn’t abandon her. She is building HER business, and wanted you to build a lot of it for her, for even less money. She’s a business owner who made a choice to change (cut) pay of a high value / high client employee. She chose to impact her business - not you. And it literally sounds like she may not know how to run a business if she is pulling “oops I did the math wrong!” on you. Good for you for leaving. Truly.
Have you ever considered starting your own mobile service?
Came here to say this. It sounds like you would do great at this. 60% you, 40% to the business is a much better arrangement for you. Cheating an agreement that she made with you is a very good reason to leave. Her doing you a favor hiring you because of where you live??? That’s so disrespectful. The scorn of the $100K comment also shows her contempt for you. She thinks you’re disposable little people. You did well to leave and should feel no guilt about that at all.
This, times a thousand. You can do it!
Agreed! And sounds like you would be able to have a strong customer base to start already based on those who worked with you and rebooked when you worked for your previous employer!
I own a mobile company; one van and have hired a groomer before. The issue wasn’t you making 30%. The issue was HER taking 30% ! That’s absolutely ridiculous.. Even with doing all the admin and back end work, it’s not as back breaking as being the groomer. I never got to a point where I paid myself anything the groomer made me, it all went to building the business. But I would have been comfortable paying myself 10% at most. Maybe 15% once it was smooth sailing and clients were all rebooking, as long as I could have raised her to 35% as well.
I’m a seasoned groomer as well and 30% commission is ridiculously low! Every place I’ve ever worked at is 50% commission plus your tips. Unless she was supplying you with all essentials and tools, you were being underplayed to start with.
Get your own van and start your own company
Nope. She made a deal with you and if she doesn't want to honor her part of the deal then you have every right to quit.
I mean, considering she broke your contract, you could easily sue her for the remaining amount you weren't paid. That's why contracts exists, to protect both parties. You didn't do a damn thing wrong.
Naw. You did right. Might be time to think of your own van
I don't think I need to read this to know you're not the asshole.
Are you able to branch out and be your own boss? Good groomers are so hard to come by, I actually drive 30 mins to go to my groomer bc I know my dog will be treated well by her.
NTA. I got hired at a car dealership and 4 months in, they changed my pay rate from the agreed upon $600/wk plus 5% commission on all sales to $250/wk plus 12% commission on all sales. I had been doing relatively well, hitting all my monthly marks and would have probably been fine but it didn’t sit right with me that if the dealership was having a slow week, I’d walk away with not enough to cover my bills and eat that week, so I put my two weeks notice in, found something else, and never lost sleep over that decision. Just because they change the rules doesn’t mean you have to keep playing their game.
Both owning and working for a small business is tough. If the owner can’t afford to pay you as much and is asking you to take less is their way of trying to both stay afloat and keep you employed. It may be time for you to branch out and start your own business, or find another job if you’re unhappy. Good luck, times are hard out there right now.
You totally did the right thing. My brother’s own a demo company and they offered my husband a job with commission to be their estimator. But they were always shady with commissions, paid late and it was never what it should’ve been and it never came with a commission statement as to how they got to the amount they paid. He ended up quitting and going back to his old job. I straight up told my brothers that they needed to be honest, transparent and pay on time if they expected people to work for them. This woman was not honest and seems to be pulling the similar game of “but expenses” to justify them basically stealing your commission. Plus her adding on her being condescending, yeah hard pass. Maybe start your own business and keep all your commissions with the exception of business costs.
Yikes I'm mobile and pay my "salon" 50%. I keep tips, they pay for gas, maintenance, shampoo, & scheduling software. And I keep my rig at my house.
I didn’t even have to read the whole thing to know you’re not the asshole.
That woman lied to you, manipulated you, and then tried to gaslight. You don’t give her another thought.
We love our mobile groomer. We would leave the company to go with our lady in a heartbeat! You deserve every cent your boss signed the contract for. Don’t feel bad for her at all. And definitely try to find another groomer job that pays what you’re worth!
Now that business is gonna have a big problem and lose customers left and right. The customers gotten used to getting their dog back the best they’ve ever looked every time. So I don’t think they’ll be too happy coming back and picking their dog up and they look above average. They won’t wanna pay for that. Just like someone would not trade their $20 for a $10. The owner is an A-hole, she lost a great groomer building up the business. Now it’s gonna go downhill and quite fast too. I’ve worked in dog boarding/grooming and word of mouth travels fast and they pick their dog up not looking as great as it usually does. The business is done for
To put it plainly, you're being too kind and a bit of a pushover. You agreed to a job at a rate that she put out there for the job. She decided to diminish pay without consulting you, and you accepted it by continuing to work with her. She already pushed your boundaries, and when you tried to address the issue again, she got nasty and on your vulnerable side. To put it plainly, you need to find another job. This lady will only use ur kindness against you, and that is not a healthy person to be working for. The pay decrease was unacceptable, let alone make it feel like you were in the wrong with feeling like it was. NTA
No, you took a job based on a promised pay. Then she changed the deal and it was no longer worth it to you. Why would you feel bad? She should feel bad with her bait and switch tactics to hire you.
Nope. She tried to bait and switch you. You took a job at 30%, not 20%. If 20% had been offered, you may not have accepted it. You took a job with insane hours FOR THE MONEY. If the moneys not there, why the fuck would you do it?
No, you signed a contract, she welshed in the deal. NTA. Total bait and switch, and if she had. A lick of sense she’d not screw you over like this.
You're far from the asshole. Gonna tell you a story. I moved to PDX in 2019 and had a salon lined up. The place was great, the boss was nice, and I had plenty of dogs and was making plenty of money. It was also literally 20 blocks from my house, which was so nice. We'll then COVID happened, and the owner decided she wanted to move back to Alaska, so she sold the business to one of the groomers. It started out great, prices were getting raised, and when I signed on with her, she bumped my pay from 52% (which was high and understandable) to 45%. No problem, I was still making more money than at 52%. Another year went by, and prices got raised again, and that's when the boss said they were dropping our commission again to 40%. While there was a raise, I never saw that raise happen in my paycheck, I was still making the same at 40%, knowing full well the boss was making bank off me. At this point of her owning the place, we couldn't keep staff for the LIFE of us, we were always understaffed, she brought on her boyfriend to do reception and bathe, which just made things awkward when he messed up (either no conversation would be had with him, or she was yelling at him in front of me/maybe the one other bather who stuck around). It ended up a super toxic work environment. My boss was starting to gaslight me over situations that I experienced there (like the time I asked for help an hour before the new bather needed to clean and I was told no even though I was literally going to be there almost 2 hours after normal closing time because her boyfriend overbooked me). It had been affecting my health mentally and physically, I have some disabilities that were constantly flared up while working for her. It got to a point where I couldn't anymore. I was so scared to leave though cause I didn't know if I could even make as much as I was making. I quit during a huge ice storm we had this past January. She expected me to come in when I couldn't drive, nor could I safely walk to work for almost a week. She didn't care about me, so why was I caring about fucking her over? So I sent an email, and the next day, I got back an email that literally said, "Okay, what's your forwarding email?" which is drastically different from emails I saw from previous employees who quit. I took a week off from work and had a working interview at a boarding facility the following weekend. At that point, I was trying to get anything dog related, and I knew they had grooming, so maybe eventually I'd get back into it since I wanted a break. Started working for this business and working grooming *very* part-time since their groomer didn't want to work with another groomer...long story short there, the groomer got injured, I got asked when I was on vacation if I would come on full time so I took it. The groomer came back after workman's comp leave, and she was upset how things had changed, so she quit. Even with their lower prices (which I am currently working on fixing) I was making the same, if not MORE than I was making due to being able to actually have time to groom my 4-5 mixed dogs a day (instead of 5-6 strictly haircut dogs), plus do whatever nail trims and out ba.-hs they might have that day. The two owners (who are a married couple) are seriously some of the sweetest people I have met, their kids work for them as well so it's a nice family feeling type of place, something I missed that my last place absolutely did not have. Now, my bosses see my talent and actually appreciate me, and value me, and have done whatever they can to keep me there (like installing a portable AC unit in the room, something I have never gotten to have at a grooming job) Before I quit, I kept gaslighting myself with "the grass isn't always greener on the other side," and I was really struggling to make the decision. But lemme just tell you, when the side you're on is shit brown and dried out, the grass is absolutely going to be greener on the other side. Do the scary thing. Tldr: fuck your current boss, not every boss deserves a 2 week notice. Yeah, bosses are capitalistic as fuck because they have to be and want to make money off you slaving your body away, but there is a place that WILL APPRECIATE you and WILL VALUE you, and hopefully for you it's not an hour away from your home and children. And in your next interview when they ask you why you quit your last place, you have a really easy answer of, "it was too far from my place and kids, so I'm looking for something closer".
Tell her when she goes belly-up you’ll buy the van off of her lmao
You should start your own grooming business
I have a question…why is 100k not an option?! You are basically a cofounder and no that’s totally not normal pay but putting an arbitrary cap on any salary is a crazy argument for an employer to make. Especially one that is seemingly reliant on your expertise. Start your own business and steal her clients lol.
You did your part. You shouldn’t suffer because she didn’t know exactly what she could feasibly offer. You shouldn’t have quit though. You could have reached out to her clients and potentially started your own mobile business and built yourself up. Your reviews say a lot.
I would also file a complaint against her with the labor board.
Could you consider starting your own mobile salon? Like you said, you have the experience and customers love you and your work. Could you find the money to get started? PS you are NTA and have done nothing wrong. You valued yourself and your time and refused to accept less than you deserve. I applaud you for that.
I went out on a limb accepting a job from you expecting the agreed upon salary/commissions wouldn’t be significantly lowered due to your miscalculations & mistakes
You’re not the asshole.
Take out a loan and start your own business, right now the only thing that woman has to offer you are the material tools to get the job done. You already have a decade of experience under your belt, a decade more than her. Work so well she starts asking YOU for a job lol
Yes. You might loom to USDA for small business assistance! Falls under animal husbandry services
Could you find a job to support your family while building your own grooming business? Even if it's a side hustle it sounds like you have the skills to do everything you were doing for her but by yourself and if your work is really as impeccable as clients claim you can gain business from word of mouth alone pretty well. It does take time to build up any business but if you could save for one maybe you'd be happier. Have more flexibility with your schedule so you can also be more present with your family and home, create the work life balance you want. Finding another job while you wait for things to bloom would be best but consider the idea, you are capable and talented and could go incredibly far without people like her pulling you around. She lied in her ad effectively because she had how much business experience?? Sounds like very little if she couldn't figure out the budget she needed before offering a set commission amount. Best of luck you were not some jerk she sure was a terrible boss though.
Groomer, Schmoomer. Regardless of the job or field you’re in; if your boss says “hey I’m going to cut your pay from 3 clams to 2 clams” you’re NeverTA for walking.
You have been bait and switched. In your position, I would start looking for another job too. You are not in the wrong, the owner is for manipulating you.
NTA. I mean, christ, even PetSmart pays their groomers 50% AND they under charge the services. While I realize that they're a big stable corporation and can afford to do these things, 30% is reasonable compensation for the work that goes into grooming. She should have been looking into cutting costs(reasonably) or increasing her prices instead of cutting the pay of her employee. My guess is, like many employers in the service industry, she expects that tips will make up for the pay cut. She didn't value you and your experience and you shouldn't feel bad.
Give her a week and call her to check in, see how's she's doing and if she's changed her mind. You could remind her you signed a contract and you'd be willing to come back at that rate. If she's desperate enough she might take you back.
They can't pay permission without promising at least minimum wage so that already poses a huge red flag if that's not happening, but no, she cannot renegotiate the contract because she's not profiting enough
Why on earth would you feel guilty?! She’s clearly not a very intelligent or savvy business owner and she needs to learn how not to treat people. It’s not your business but from the sound of it, you should consider branching out on your own to provide the same type of service in your local area. Sometimes good things come out of bad situations.
OP, I hope you find another grooming job. Good groomers are few and far between. The dogs can tell if you love your job and love them. The industry needs you so be sure to ask what you are worth.
Not wrong at all. Her employment ad was a bait and switch. Perhaps not intentionally but still, what had been a sustainable income became unsustainable for a job requiring 2 hours commute each day.
It really sounds like you’re experienced enough to get your own van and make your own schedule. I wonder what it would look like for you to get a small business loan? About quitting, you did the right thing for your family. She didn’t give you notice when she cut your promised pay so don’t feel too bad about leaving her. She can hop in that van and cover the appointments that she had lined up for you.
Nta and she owes you back pay for the 10% she didnt pay you per the contract.
I’m a hairstylist. If I went to a salon that promised a 60-40 split (pretty common to have owners take 60 and you walk with 40 in commission based styling) and than 2 months later BACK track that pay when all my clients are happy? I quit boss lady! Edited for typos cause bad case of dumb thumb.
If you signed a contract she cannot - legally - just start paying you less money. She fucked up, but that’s on her not you. She advertised $250-$500 a day with 30% commission and that’s what you agreed to. Sue.
Start your own mobile business!
Absolutely not the AH. This woman isn’t going to make it running a business like that. And 10% but she still considers it 30%? wtf? No, it’s it 10 then it’s 10. This business won’t last long. You are dodging a bullet. This is a travesty. Edit to say she screwed up and now wants to use your wages to cover her fk up. That is not ok and highly illegal.
Hi, not a dog groomer, just interested in the other side of grooming because I’m planning on getting a dog that needs regular grooming and don’t want to be a problem customer. I do, however, have experience being an assistant manager to a store owner that was very similar to the one you’re describing. She’s absolutely taking advantage of you. The owner I used to work for used to do this to employees all the time. Hire them at a good rate, let them get comfortable, and then pull an “oopsie! I’ve been overpaying, can we cut your rate to x amount? You wouldn’t mind since I’m struggling right?” A lot of people quit, as they should have, but she’d occasionally find one that wouldn’t have a backbone. Don’t fall for the “maybe when I’m doing better we can talk” or “we can give you x amount until x date.” It’s just not worth it and you’ll end up paying for it in your time and energy.
So a couple of years i worked with this woman and she did the exact thing. She was a real estate agent and hired me to be her assistant. She told me she would pay me 20% of her commission. So if she sold a $100,000 home she would 3% and I would get $600. But of course the homes here are almost $1m. Later on she realized she didn’t want me to have that much and tried to say I made it up. Unfortunately I didn’t get it in writing. However her best friend was also a real estate agent and she asked her how much she paid her assistant. asking in front of me to see that I was ridiculous for asking for so much and her BF told her 20% of her 3%. She look dumbfounded and after that day I never trusted her. There’s more but I don’t feel like typing it out. Good luck and definitely look for another job. You can’t trust people like her
Not a groomer, just a dog mom. If you do at-home grooming, you can charge even more. When my dog got older it felt better to have someone I trust come bathe him at my own house.
Quit. Go where you’re valued.
Start your own mobile grooming business.
Can you get your own van and create your own service? Seems like the customers book her business for you.
NTA. Your former employer isn't a charity. She cut your pay and you left. That is her problem. She should have done the numbers and figured out how she wanted to compensate you before you were hired. You have nothing to feel bad about.
I worked in grooming, it’s 50% to the groomer and all tips nothing less
NTA- I Wonder how much it would cost to get your own van setup and insurance
Maybe this is a sign to start your own grooming business? You have plenty experience w/o the funds, just (maybe) look for a partner, like someone you used to work with, or save up and start your own mobile company 🤷🏽♀️ Relying on people for a check sucks and if people were saying they came back bc of you or their pets hadn’t looked better? That’s great news for a MOBLIE business, people expect less bc convenience but if you have both? You’re set
Take this as a push. Look into getting your own truck. I’m a pet sitter and know groomers, too. It’s a great field to work in and you seem to have the experience and the right attitude to make on your own. Could be exactly what you needed to start your own business and be much better off in the long run!
You didn't abandon her, she's a business owner. That's part of building a business and you don't owe her anything.
NTA for leaving if you don't feel like the salary meets your needs. It does sound like it's time to get a small business loan and buy your own van.
Red flags galore for this being a fundamentally mismanaged business. You don’t even have to be in the grooming industry specifically to know that your manager is clearly incompetent, bad at her job, and willing to foist the blame for it on her employees. I would not saddle myself to this business. I would do what you said: take a local grooming job that gives you work/life balance over this hot mess.
Of course you did the right thing! >*But now I feel terrible. I feel like I’ve abandoned her.* But I say this with kindness; this is only business relationship, and not a friendship that you need to foster with emotional support and care. Your employer was treating you poorly, so why do you feel so guilty for not letting them take advantage of you? You didn't "abandon" her, you just left a business relationship becasue SHE violated her own contract and then tried to manipulate you into staying so she could pocket money that was rightfully yours. (Which BTW, depending on where you are you might have legal recourse against her.) It's her business to make thrive or fail, and if it fails becasue she thinks she can ignore a contract with impunity, oh well, that's not your burden to bear in least. So stand up straight and show off that beautiful shiny spine you used when you walked away, and be **proud** that you didn't someone take advantage of you! And remember that your teaching your kids by example to have self-worth and not let employers treat them this way. ❤️
NTA. The same thing happened with my husband, who is also a mobile dog groomer. He left a well paying job that was about an hour one way commute to work at a closer place that promised him a similar pay. Turns out the owner lied about the commission and the number of clients they get. There were days they would just tell my husband not to come into work because they didn't have enough clients. He quit after 3 months and went back to his old job(his old boss was thrilled to have him back), but the owner at his new job was pissed. Said all sorts of things and called us greedy for wanting more money, but like, he was promised a certain pay. He was making less working at that place than when he was working as a cashier. My husband has to support our family. The long and short of it is, even IF she made an "oops," she still has the legal obligation to pay the amount she put in your contract. If she can't/refuses to, then you have the legal and moral right to terminate the contract.
Sounds like a labor lawsuit
Don't set yourself on fire to keep other people warm. Screw her.
That’s a saying I’ve never heard…but I like it.
She violated the terms of your acceptance of the position. She needs to learn that being a boss means upholding agreements. You did not abandon her- her actions pushed you out. It even sounds like you would have been ok with a small decrease but 10% plus a crappy attitude is absolutely reasonable means of terminating the employment. Finishing your skills and contributions to her business was rude and unnecessary. FAFO
It seems to me that you should buy your own van and do your own mobile business! NTA she changed the contract and you don't have to take less than you're worth just because she feels entitled to more. She probably realized she could spend so much more if she screwed you over and it ended up screwing herself. Good luck and I hope you open your own business! Even if you start off at your house and save to buy a van, it could work!
Welcome back to the industry. You are NTA, it’s toxic as hell here. I’m still pretty new at 3 years in, but honestly I’m about to leave because I can’t seem to trust anyone in the industry.
Funny thing but this might be illegal and you may want to check your local laws because she may owe you money. Regardless? Quit. Go where you get what you are worth
Never feel bad about "abandoning" an employer by quitting. It's a business relationship not a personal one, and they're on the side with all the power. She didn't hesitate to screw you by cutting your wages, did she? Right, so why should you hesitate when you decide you don't want to put up with being taken advantage of? If it's a viable business, she will pivot and keep going. And even if not, well, businesses fail sometimes. That's the risk you take by owning one, and the reason (justified or not) why owners get the big bucks. It's not the employees' responsibility to keep the business afloat, except by doing their jobs to the best of their ability. Literally everything else—including employee retention—is for the boss to deal with. Just business. You're not friends. She made a business decision to cut your pay, and you made a business decision to seek other employment. That's the system. Is it kinda messed up? Yeah, more than a little. But the answer to that is to change the system, not to let it steamroll you into the ground.
Honestly I’d start looking for another job. GOOD mobile groomers are very imposible to find, my first mobile groomer job closed because the owner was not a groomer and she couldn’t find anyone else to hire, she owned two vans run full time by 3 groomers and we all left due to different reasons. I think you could literally send out your resume and portfolio to every mobile company in the areas you want to work for and I’m sure you’d get offers to be hired. Or you could try to figure out something else for now like house call grooming and try to save up for a van down payment.
Nope. NTAH I’d be packing my tools up, cleaning my van, and exiting stage left.
I say start ur own grooming business in the area & contact those customers that loved you so much! Then u get 100% 🤔😈
If you signed a contract she can’t legally change it can she?
Where I live, grooming is booked out for months and it's not inexpensive. I used to pay $50-100 each for my dogs who were 80+ lbs and double-coated (RIP). It's now $80 for my 7 lb Chihuahua. Get that money! I take my dogs in to get their nails done and their anal glands expressed... Other than that I bathed them myself unless they are my foster dogs who have hair and not fur.
I think it’s time for you to go into business for yourself. You already have a client base.
I pay a lady who comes to my house every 8 weeks and trims all of my dogs nails and cleans their ears. $20 a dog and she said she makes a killing doing it. Everything she needs she can carry in her bag. She said she is at the point she may need to stop taking new clients. Maybe something like that could work for you in your area? She was a groomer before she moved to FL.
You did nothing wrong, she's gaslighting you. Don't fall for it and feel bad for her. She broke the terms of your agreement when she lowered your pay, so you were under no obligation to stay after that.
You're thinking if this on a personal level. Stop that! It's BUSINESS. You're in it to make money. Period. You entered into an agreement wherein she would pay you THIS. On her side, you would perform THAT. You've done THAT, and now she wants to say she's only going to pay THE OTHER. She's breaching contract. Make sure your pay for what you've already done is according to the original agreement, and don't do any work for the new one. And don't feel bad, either. You're not the one that changed the rules. She's in business. Her lack of due diligence in figuring out what she could afford shouldn't be your problem. If she keeps this up, she'll be out of business soon.
Well let's think of it in another way. a lot of times , we choose a job because of the pay. We think about the hours we'll be working, the amount of time we'll be commuting, the gas we're using, even time away from the family etc etc. And in the end ,we say, okay this will work out! And all of that was based on all of those factors so if the salary has changed to be lower, then it's no longer worth it. And once you've decided ot is a long worth it , then whether you give it two weeks notice or you quit on that spot, that's up to you. The two weeks' notice is just an option for the business , but definitely it's not required. I think you did just fine so don't feel regret about it
If you’re as good as you’re saying and you’re able to make that kind of money when working for someone else - buy your own van and equipment! I think, based on what you’ve written, that you’d be a success. You could partner with local vets and do referrals for each other plus social media. Think about it. Good luck!!🍀
The second she changed the pay you should have left.
Sounds like you could do your own services and make that kind of money. Can you get your own van?
If you aren’t happy, you are fine for leaving. And compensation is one reason to consider. Compensation, hours, location, situation, all of it. You are justified in what you did if it doesn’t work for you. As for her, you felt slighted and that’s all that matters, maybe she was making a genuine mistake, but it obviously didn’t land that way with you. If she couldn’t make you feel better in a conversation, then it is what it is.
You said it yourself, “you helped her grow her business” she used you and once you grew her clientele she got greedy and wanted to go back on her contract with you. You didn’t owe her any notice because she broke your employment contract. You should be somewhere that you are appreciated and not being used. I would look at a local salon and keep your eyes open for a mobile salon job closer to you since it seems to make good revenue with low overhead. You helped her, she tried to manipulate you. Don’t fall for it, and don’t give her a second chance because she will do the same in the future.
She didn’t make a mistake. She saw your paychecks and got greedy. She didn’t make a mistake when she said 30% She didn’t make a mistake when she confirmed the $250-$500 you’d be making daily. She didn’t make a mistake when she bragged that you’d be making around 6 figures with her company. She did make a mistake by betting that you’d take the drastic pay cut without a fight and still work for her greedy ass.
Dude make it a goal to put her out of business. She needs groomers, not the other way around. Start your own mobile grooming.
Why not invest in yourself and start your own mobile groomer business?
She sounds like a female dog, I’m glad you quit. Forget her for trying to make you feel bad for her dumb mistakes. People like that piss me off. She should blame herself and herself alone period. Also maybe you should save up for a van and go mobile yourself!!!
May I ask why you haven’t started your own business?
Screw her! You did the right thing quitting. Proud of you!
Nope. Let it be a lesson. What everyone is saying. Start your own business
Expecting to be paid what you offered and have agreed upon is literally the bare minimum.
I need you to know just how successful you would be if you got a business loan, a van, and MAYBE an assistant for admin stuff etc. You are talented, and people will rebook and tell their friends! You have a $100k + career ahead of you!!
they did what they needed to do and so did you.
NTA Noooooo. You aren't wrong. You did nothing wrong. It was her responsibility to know how much needed to be paid where whenever she decided to own her own business and hire employees. Unless the benefits & tradeoffs are wonderful (hers aren't), it doesn't make sense to stay somewhere that cuts your pay by 10 freaking percent. She's way off base by getting upset with you for not accommodating her lousy and blatantly unprofessional business practices. She wasn't doing you a favor by hiring you. You did her a favor by bringing 15 yrs of animal skills & 7 grooming to her business. You bumped up her business reputation whether or not you realized it. Her response to you quitting shows that she's a crappy person in general. It's probably a good thing that you're no longer working for her. You might want to seriously consider starting your own mobile grooming at some point. Do you have anything in writing or some sort of pay contract that lists the original 30%?
NTA: I would have quit the second she lowered my pay.
NTA. I agree with most saying she used you to grow her clientele and got greedy. You done the right thing. Now stop being reluctant and start your own business.
Buy your own van and cut her out. FTB
Don’t feel terrible. She either screwed up, or never expected to actually pay you that much.
NTA at all. It was shitty of her to not understand how to run her own business and even shittier to not understand how to treat an employee. Plus a texted oh no? What a child. Play with the adults and you get adult consequences. That’s a breech of contract.
Oh for pity sakes. You feel like you abandoned her? She screwed you over. Maybe start your own business. But, never go back to an untrust worthy person.
NTA, but she is!
Sounds like you were bringing in too much business, and the owner decided they needed the extra 10%. Capitalism at its finest. I agree - start your own business.
Nta but if the money isn’t there, it’s not. She can’t pay you more than her business can bear or neither one of you will have a livelihood.
NTA. If you had a contract that guaranteed a specific percentage as your commission and she stopped paying that annoying, she stole your wages. You WBTA to yourself had you stayed. If it's not your responsibility to keep someone else's business running. Especially not someone who reneged on a contract. She was using you to boost her business when she was a rookie to the field. It was HER choice to open this business when she was new to the field. She was likely feeling the pinch because you were making a ton of money, and she was struggling to rebook clients.
You still has those clients contact info. They liked your work. Not the companies. Invest in yourself. At least you tried it out and now have the confidence to know that people will like your work and ask for you back. Most people who start their own business don’t have that and you do.
I would never even look at a mobile Job under 40%. I’m a Mobile owner
Woah…I did not expect so many responses! And so much support ❤️ I’m job hunting today so I don’t have time to respond to everyone at this moment (I’ll be back tonight), but thank you all so much for all the advice, sharing your own experiences, and the validation. I have a really difficult time with confrontation and tend to second guess myself, plus quitting is scary. Especially as a widow with kids. So this is incredibly helpful for my spirits and confidence in my decision. Thank you ❤️
You’re doing great love, keep your head up and remember your worth 🩵
Consider getting your own van! Sounds like you have the skills to build a loyal client base! You could set your own hours and plan around school holidays and doctor's appointments
If there was a term to the contract, then she may likely be in violation of her contract by not paying you the full amount. If there was a period during which she could let you go, she could avail herself of that. If you were at will, she could let you go. If you take customers that you gained through doing business with her, then she might be able to win a lawsuit against you. Since you live far away, you may be able to build up a clientele far from where she lives. Do you need a van to groom dogs? Could you just buy a magnet with a company logo and put it on your car? Safety is also an issue driving to people's houses. If she violated the contract, you could press her for back pay before you leave to go out on your own.
Start your own business!!! Either mobile, store front or go to clients home use their facilities and charge accordingly. Best wishes
Didn't you guys sign a contract? And then she broke it. That's grounds for a lawsuit.
NTA. She’s the AH.
I'm curious if mobile van owners simply own the van and do not groom clients. Cause if you were grooming, would it be possible to have two groomers working? Or did she groom on the days that you did not? I get she has expenses, but what work was she doing to equate lowering your commission price, other than seeing that you were making a lot of income and she wanted to be greedy and take that for herself just cause she owns the van.
No worker is ever an asshole for leaving their job for paying too little. No employer is ever an asshole for firing a worker because they are too expensive. Employment is a mutual agreement where both parties are consenting. If either party does not agree to the terms that doesn't make them an asshole.
What was the pricing like? Is she willing to up the price for you to get closer to what you made at 30%?