PetSmart — Local services in Knightdale

Sharing our terrible experience from yesterday at Petsmart Grooming in Knightdale so others don’t make the same mistake.

Are you kidding me? I brought my 10-lb shih tzu chihuahua mix to her 11:30am grooming appt at 11:25. I was rudely told not to ring the buzzer when groomers were in the room, despite me walking in and not being acknowledged. I was told it would take 4 hours. There was a new sign saying latest pickup tonight was 6:30. I asked to be called 10 mins before Mila would be ready so I could be sure to get there before I had to leave to teach a 5:30 and 6:30pm workout class. I was assured she would “definitely be ready” before then. I call at 3:45 and after being put on hold for 10 mins by 3 different employees (no exaggeration there), I was informed that Mila was JUST NOW getting on the table. I expressed my surprise and frustration as I reiterated what I told the groomers at drop off and how I was assured she would be ready in time. I was told that was an “estimate” and that they’ve been backed up and “busy all day.” Well that’s funny because I had this appointment booked out for 6 weeks. I explained I had to teach and couldn’t come until after if she wasn’t going to be ready in time and the employee said, “well what do you want to do? You can get her now and whatever is already done will be done she just won’t be finished.” I scheduled a full groom for my dog because she needed a full groom. What I wanted and expected was for my appointment time and length to be honored. Even their website says 2-4 hours for a groom. Again, this is a small dog- she’s maybe 10 lbs soaking wet. Instead, my poor girl sat in a cage for the better part of 8 hours until I could come and get her at 7:35pm, just before close. They called me at 5pm to say she was ready- well beyond the 4 hour window I was given and past the time that I could pick her up before leaving to teach. The manager who got Mila from the back was unapologetic. Quite frankly it’s not my problem that they were backed up today, had someone on maternity leave and had a groomer quit 2 weeks ago. I was charged the full price of the groom. I will sooner learn to groom my dog myself than ever EVER return to this location. From start to finish this was handled terribly and I’m more than disappointed and infuriated. This is completely unacceptable. I am not one to write a public negative review, but Petsmart made the mistake of emailing me asking for one after the service. Several mistakes were made, to be honest, and not one single apology was provided. Let this serve as a warning to others that your precious dog will likely sit in a cage with no food or water for 8+ hours despite booking an appointment 6 weeks prior. Not to mention, it was a pretty shitty groom. Deplorable.

UPDATE- I just got a call and had a conversation with someone named Aaron from the Knightdale PetSmart. He was very professional and apologetic. I appreciate that this was not his doing and was not his fault, but it’s unfortunate that my dog had to pay the price of a mis-managed grooming department. He let me know this is not their standard and that I’ll be getting a full refund. While I won’t be returning to this location (or potentially any other PetSmart for that matter) I do appreciate the courtesy of him reaching out and doing what he could to help. It’s a very unfortunate situation all around and I hope that they do implement changes and stop...

If anyone cares to pay attention the low reviews are associated with the grooming department. My dog has been going to Pet Smart groomers across four states over the last 14 years. I have been taking him to the Knightdale location the past 4. I have NEVER been told by any groomer, boarder, walker, sitter or vet that he shows any signs of aggression. He is around small children often and resides in the same home as a very rough, very active 11 month old baby boy. I scheduled his appointment Sat for a Sunday bath and cut and I quote the scheduler says "we look forward to seeing little sweet Nieko". My daughter drops him off Sunday around 12:30 and before 3 we are being called to pick up him because he was being "aggressive, meant business and to protect the safety of the staff he could not be serviced there any longer". I would have expected to be asked if he was on meds, has he had an injury or even told he had the same reaction with another groomer. I get there to pick him up and the cashier looks over at some lady who later identifies herself as the "salon manager" and the one who called me and she responds with "they do not have to pay because I couldn't finish him". My entire tone changed at that point because "they" as in my daughter and myself was standing there and could have been addressed directly. A professional manager that has had a client upward 4 years should have shown concern to greet me, discuss the issue with my dog and go from there. I informed her Nieko has never received a bad report when being groomed there or anywhere else. She makes it clear that he can not be serviced there and suggest that because of his age he may need to be groomed at a vet. I made it clear his age had not changed in two months since the last visit and he will most certainly not be returning. To sum it all up there was two other staff members not servicing humans or dogs that could have retrieved my dog, but the salon manager who was afraid to groom him bc of his aggression goes to get him from the back. If any dog "aggressively bites at me and means business" I would probably not want to hold it again. I also want to mention this aggressive dog is a 16 year old, 6 lbs Yorkshire. I was not there to know what happened so I can not say what his actions were. I just know in all the years I have owned this dog he has NEVER shown aggression to anyone, not strangers, not vets, not groomers, not children, not cats nor other dogs. I expected more customer service and dialogue with the manager but what I received was a lack of professionalism.

UPDATE: Took Nieko into Smithfield Road Vet in Knightdale to get his nails clipped as suggested by the Salon Manager. In and out in under 6 minutes and asked if he showed any aggression, hesitation or annoyances. The answer followed a laugh and the reply was "no, Nieko is never...

I booked my dog's grooming session with Heather at 6:00 p.m. and arrived 10 min early. My dog has had many, many grooming with no problems but this was his first at petsmart Knightdale. Upon arriving, I was greeted by Heather, who's first response was "Hi, I'm Heather but actually I'm going to pass you off to Amber, our manager because I have another grooming appointment at 6." She went and got Amber from the back and she came out to alk to me about the haircut I wanted for Charlie. She said normally she needs 3 hours for a full grooming but she had to leave by 7:30 p.m. so come back before then. I left at 6:10 and came back at 7:00 p.m. and looked around the corner and there was a cone on Charlie's head, which surprised me. He's never had an issue with groomers and is the most friendly loving dog I've ever met. He's never met a stranger and is friends with everyone. She calls me over the intercom in the store that Charlie is ready around 7:20. I go and she has him hooked to the base of her table and he's yelping. She tells me that she couldn't cut his face because he kept trying to bite her. Shock doesn't begin to describe my feeling. I noticed he hadn't been shampooed either and she said she didn't have time but she wouldn't charge me for the face since she couldn't cut it. She took off $5, charging me $42. I paid and left but noticed Charlie wasn't acting right. I told everyone I knew that she said he tried to bite her and everyone laughed at the absurdity. He wouldn't walk and was acting traumatized, clinging to me. He kept licking his hind leg and private area so I examined him and she cut him with the clippers in his private area (where he's been neutered) and also on his hind leg on the tendon behind the paw area. We're on day 2 and he won't eat, drink or walk and cries and licks the areas but his face still needs to be trimmed and he needs a bath. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow and will update PetSmart with what the vet says is wrong along with the vet bill. I'm a long time customer of PetSmart but I'm beyond upset right now at the treatment of my...