Orchard Grooming

21/01/2025

Hellooo 👋🏻

I have quite a few messages in my inbox that I haven’t been able to get back to just yet but this is just a quick post to say I’m not currently back to work

When I am back to work with my books opened I will give you all the update here

Thank you!
Jo 😃❤️

04/11/2024

13/10/2024

Hellooooo! Just checking in with you all from the ✨Baby Bubble✨ to let you know the baby is here, we’re all good and he’s absolutely delicious

Arthur Jason was born 16/9/24 weighing 9lb 3oz 👶🏻💙

Jason and I want to thank you all for your well wishes, cards and gifts; as always yous have blown us away with your generosity and kindness it really is overwhelming and very much appreciated

I know a lot of you will be wondering when I’ll be returning to work, at the moment it is looking like it will be after Christmas at the earliest but as soon as I set a date I’ll let you all know 💌

Love
Arthur’s Mum 😃
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15/08/2024

✅LITTLE KITTEN HAS A HOME 😃✅

Odd post from me the certified dog lady BUT I found a little stray kitten last Friday when out walking the dogs and he’s been in the vets all week waiting on someone coming to claim him but no one has come forward

The vets are now looking to see if anyone would like to rehome him

He’s about 12 weeks old and is genuinely one of the friendliest little souls, anyone would be lucky to have him. We’d take him in a heartbeat but our home life has a little bit too much going on at the moment to take on a kitten it wouldn’t be right on him

If you’re interested he’s currently in Greenmount Vets in Portadown 🤞🏻

Please feel free to share

03/08/2024

Hellooooo!!

Just a quick post to say I’ve finished up working and am now on Maternity Leave 👶🏻

I will still be monitoring my inbox for the time being but will probably not be just quite as present on this page

At the moment I haven’t decided on a back to work date but it will more than likely be the New Year ⭐️

When I think too much about closing my doors (even temporarily) it’s making me a little bit emotional 🥲 I’ve spent the past 4/5 years seeing you all regularly and building up this little business and it’s something I genuinely cherish and value that I get to work a job that makes me so happy

Stepping back is definitely bittersweet but it’s not a goodbye, but a see you soon 👋🏻

Jo
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31/07/2024

Hellooooo! 👋🏻

I just wanted to come on and apologise for my quietness on here lately and to address a bit of drama that’s went on these past few days in the background

I’m not really someone who likes to give too much of my headspace to negativity or nonsense but when it comes to your livelihood and your little business it’s very hard to not take things personally and let them bother you, and I didn’t think I’d want to talk about this on here but after speaking to a few fellow self employed friends I think it’s important to talk about this particular topic

A lot of you will know I use Facebook as my primary business platform and put a lot of effort into making it a nice little page to follow and I really do try to keep it light and jokey, it’s a reflection of me, my professionalism and my personality at the end of the day. It’s a safe space and once someone threatens that safe space they’re swiftly removed and blocked

Which is exactly what happened on Monday

After posting a picture of my pack of dogs after their walk with my work van on Sunday to my own personal Facebook stories I received the message below from a longtime customer late Sunday evening

Even after replying promptly to this customer that these are my own dogs, I haven’t walked anyone else’s dogs from 2021 and that this is my last working week and physically cannot groom any more dogs in my condition in this heat and that I was very sorry but I couldn’t fit their dog in, this person did indeed replace their positive review of my business on here with a scathingly negative one, and then proceeded to get 3 other family members to also post negative and completely made up reviews with the contents spanning from me abusing their dog, to my salon being filthy, to me being a rude lazy bitch and apparently ghosting this customer, all of which are completely untrue

(Maybe bar the lazy bitch comment, but everyone has their off days lads 😅✨)

Thankfully when I contacted Facebook to report these 4 false reviews they were taken down, but in doing so I’ve lost around 10 positive reviews on here and I’m not sure why. So I’ve went from 60 positive 5 star reviews to 50 overnight purely because someone took 2 minutes out of their day to viciously slate a business they have never had any dealings with

As a business person on Facebook your reviews are so important in generating new business, it’s the first thing people look for when they come onto your page. It’s a snapshot of your business and how much other customers value your business. It lets people see how hard you work and what sort of person you are to trust their dogs with you

For random people to have the power to ruin something that’s taken years to build up is an absolute sin, and it’s completely unfair to be able to threaten someone’s livelihood in this way

This person knew the damage they’d be doing by leaving their negativity on my page, and attempted to hold me to ransom over it in the hopes to knowingly bully a very pregnant and shattered woman to come into work to groom her dog that I identified as a risk to groom in my condition due to aggression. This was fully explained to her at the time when I did say no to grooming her dog- bearing in mind this is a dog who I was able to rehab out of sedation grooms at the vets with time, care and lots of work on my part

It sort of goes without saying, but caring for my own pack of dogs and my own health is my priority at this point

But unfortunately when do you run a business people sometimes forget that there is a very real and very human person behind the scenes running that business. We’re not machines. It’s really horrible to say but one of the biggest reasons people are quitting the pet services industry isn’t because of the dogs, it’s because of people and situations like this and it’s so sad when there are passionate dog loving people out there not working with them because of the stress of dealing with stuff like this

✨WITH THAT BEING SAID✨😅 if you have been to Orchard Grooming recently and feel like making a very fat and shattered woman’s day better, I would love to get my reviews back up to their pre drama level if at all possible. If you have a genuine positive experience to share I would be very appreciative!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(If you go to the reviews tab you should be able to post a review from there, or copy and paste into your browser: https://m.facebook.com/jo.orchardgrooming/reviews )

I know a lot of you will already know but if the next few months work out I am hoping to expand the business in the new year with exciting new services, and having my ducks in a row with reviews will really help me out with that before I take off for a bit! 🤞🏻

To end off this post I’d like to acknowledge that the majority of my customers genuinely are the best and I honestly do appreciate everyone who has been so good and so understanding of my taking off and getting your dogs sorted elsewhere without drama. It’s made a very stressful time a little bit less stressful for me and I do really appreciate it 🙏🏻✨

16/07/2024

Just a bit of a warning for anyone who walks their dogs down the towpath at Knock Bridge heading Scarva direction (not towards the boat club in Portadown)

There are quite a few wasps nests on the left-hand / canal side of the path, unfortunately Juno got into a fight with one and lost today 😅

Just be careful walking your dogs off lead round there, especially in the 400m just before the turnstile

(She’s doing fine but the reaction and swelling she had after needed vets attention this afternoon, I’m not sure what went on today, if they’re hornets or just particularly angry this time of year but Juno today is the worst reaction to a wasp sting I’ve seen in person ever 😖)

13/07/2024

Louis 💫

10/07/2024

‼️APPOINTMENTS AVAILABILE‼️

Just a post to say I’m considering coming in on Saturday 13th to offer last minute appointments for those looking sorted before I go off ✨

I appreciate that this date might not work for everyone 😅 but it would be the last bit of availability I’d have at the minute

Message the page to book if interested!

01/07/2024

Hi Everyone 👋🏻

Just a quick post to say I am planning on looking at my book for July ✨ tomorrow ✨

I know I have quite a few messages to reply to already but if you have messaged me please try not to double text, I’m hoping to reply to everyone in order and texting again means you go to the back of the queue because I think it’s a newer message 😮‍💨😅

Thank you for being so patient while I work a few things out on my end!

Jo 🐾

23/06/2024

When you come to OG for a snuggle and a Sunday kip away from your sister 😅💜

All messages will be replied to tomorrow!

19/06/2024

Miss Sheba 👑

18/06/2024

Hello Everyone!!

Thank you for all of your messages in response to my previous post, just as a bit of reassurance all is well with me and thank you for all of your concern, it doesn’t go unappreciated or unnoticed 🌟💚

I just wanted to come on and give you all a bit of an update regarding my availability for the next wee while because I know I have quite a few messages about availability waiting to be answered

‼️ At the moment I have not opened my book beyond 1st July, and currently do not have any availability for further appointments between now and then‼️

I am planning to open my book from the beginning of July to mid July very soon, and as soon as I do I will post an update for you on here to book

I know and appreciate you’re all keen to get your dogs booked in ASAP and for as far forward as possible knowing that I am going off for a while, but at the moment I’m wanting to avoid booking ahead to then potentially have to cancel or disappoint any of you with late notice

With that in mind, I just want to assure you all as well that if you do choose to go with another groomer for the time being it is absolutely ok and you will not get any nonsense from me about it. There are some absolutely wonderful and talented groomers in the local area with their books open and ready to take on new customers ✂️🐶

I will be on admin this evening getting back to enquiries, if you have any concerns or worries please feel free to message me!

Jo 🥰

27/05/2024

‼️IMPORTANT NOTICE‼️

Just a post to let you guys know that I am planning on taking an extended break from work from the beginning of August and will likely not be back until the New Year

As it stands I’m hoping to continue working until August, but will be planning on winding down significantly the closer we get to the time

At the moment I’m holding off booking appointments from July onwards BUT as soon as I open my book for after July I will post on here to let you know

With winding down this will obviously have an impact on the amount of dogs I am able to take between now and my finish date and waiting times for appointments may be longer, and it may mean that I have to say no to grooming your dog temporarily

Please do not take this personally, it is purely me cutting down my hours and / or not being able to groom your dog safely from my side

When I think too much about closing my doors (even temporarily) it’s making me a little bit emotional 🥲 I’ve spent the past 4/5 years seeing you all regularly and building up this little business and it’s something I genuinely cherish and value that I get to work a job that makes me so happy. Me posting this isn’t a goodbye by any means, just a see you next year coming in August ✨

25/05/2024

Just a quick post to say messages will be replied to this afternoon- if you’re waiting on a reply and I don’t get to you by this evening please give me another nudge 😊

19/05/2024

Just a quick post to say I’m back to work 🙌🏻 (W***y and Koko are delighted to be back to their favourite snoozing spot)

Thank you for being patient and for all your well wishes this week, they haven’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated ✨

I will be replying to messages over Monday and Tuesday, if you’re waiting on a reply and haven’t heard from me by Tuesday evening please give me another nudge, sometimes messages don’t come through on Messenger 💌

Jo 🐾

12/05/2024

‼️POLITE NOTICE‼️

I will be taking a few days off due to family emergency and will be uncontactable during this time. I will post here when I am back to work.

Thank you!

09/05/2024

When a customer doesn’t turn up for their appointment it usually means my own dirty dogs get a bit of grooming attention for once 🙈

It’s not hard to tell how Ozzy feels about no shows…

…. Or Bert in the background, who knows he’s next 😅