Feel so sorry to read some of the tales of woe on here. What a lot of people don't realise is that anyone can set up in business as a groomer - they don't need any special qualifications, often they don't even bother to go on a grooming course, just read a few books, buy a set of clippers and scalp the lot! I say this from experience, having groomed for many years and having had my own business. There are a lot of people grooming who don't take the trouble to understand the breed, gain knowledge of how the breed should be clipped, and wouldn't know how to use a pair of grooming scissors properly if they jumped up and bit them!
A good groomer will get to know your dog, listen to how you would like your dog to be clipped/scissored etc, and act on those instructions. In the past, I have often been asked to clip dogs who I knew would look absolutely ridiculous, and have discussed compromises such as scissoring, etc. If I thought that what the client asked me to do would not look good, I would not do it, even if it meant losing business, because at the end of the day, a groomer's work - and reputation - is judged by results. The girl who took over when I gave up grooming is a case in point. I have seen some shocking examples of her 'work' and just feel really sad for the owners who pay out good money to see their dogs come back scalped. Best advice I can give is ask around, ask other dog owners for their recommendations and if you are not happy, get yourself a good grooming book, a pair of clippers and a decent pair of scissors and have a go yourself. Aside from the benefits of paying out for equipment that you can use over and over, it will also strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
