I know a few girls who work at pet-somethings and they are great groomers!!
Groomers are like hairdressers, some suck and really don't care, others take pride in their work, love their work and want to make YOU the owner happy (like me
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You do need to look around, and ASK around, word of mouth is my best advertising. In my area there are some really awful groomers (who bring me tons of business) and some neat and tidy love-to-shave-em groomers and then a couple (once agian me!) who love to do fluffy fancy cuts.
I too talk with the owners, if the dogs are too matted I ask to shave, they don't want me to shave that is fine, I can show them the best tools to demat show them how (my time for free) and send them home and tell them to call me when they are dematted (99% of the time they call back in 2 weeks and we shave them down and start with a fresh coat).
I also have a cottony yorkie who matts if i stare at him crosseyed...so I have gotten VERY good at dematting, the other groomers in the area send me anyone who is desperate to not get a shavedown and if I turn them down for dematting they know it is over.
In my area 100% of the dogs that come in matted, always return matted, so we try to find a length and style that works for the owners lifestyle and combing habits.
I am hoping for my own little optmistic mind that their are owners out there that comb more often then my customers
I love it when people come in and they are specific, I also love it when they let me do what I want
Look around and call groomers but more then anything if you see a really cute well groomed dog on the street, even a different breed ask who grooms their dog.
I cannot tell you how many clients my standard poodle has picked up for me