From what I see... Most that do the Petsmart/Petco grooming, almost always have a bad experiences. I think the reason is because most of the groomers that I've seen in both places, look rather young and in-experienced. They are easier to pay & dont mind being part time...imo. And on the other hand, you have those that just dont care... If you do a search, you'll be able to find many stories like yours
I always recommend people to find a "private groomer", because I think Petsmart is too commercial. Plus, you dont have to leave your dog for 3 hrs to all day
My groomer only takes 1 1/2 hr to do Meka, so I never understand why they take so long... Not to mention, if they've got that long of a wait, because they have so many dog to groom; how can one trust that they are even giving their dog the right attention
Next time, try having a picture of the cut you have in mind. That will help the groomer get an exact idea of what you want. Or, even finding out how much experience that person has is helpful...