Not everyone of us gives BAD advice

[aintaho]

Hi, I just wanted to put my two cents in. I understand that PET STORES have a bad name, and most of them should. But not all of us give bad advice,and we are not in the business of just getting the sale. I have been very offended by some statements and I just have to remind myself that not everything is directed to all of us. We try and give customer service first and then think of the fish second ,then come the sales. Its been hard trying to give advice to people who feel because they have read something on the internet that it is to be true. The inch rule is a standard that we go by , but it is also explained as the fish grows, the rule changes and not all fish apply to this and every fish is different, just like people. Not all fish get along , even if they're suppose to, every fish has a different temperament. I just wanted to speak out for all the good pet store people, which is not allot I know, but there are some of us. I never claim to know everything but what I don know I try to research, because I do not want to be the cause of bad things happening to someones tank, just to make a buck or two. Thanks for reading.   Chris

[Shaner]

fair enough

[mduros]

Most of us do stress that we have good trusted people and places that we trust. The key is recognizing where and who you get good advice from.
Take care,
Mary.

[Belinda]

I do know and trust most of the staff at the Lsf that I go to ...
It took me along time to find that place and those people though....

But not all of us are so lucky and their only place to go may not be trustworthy...
 take a good look around your area ...Just how many would you trust???

Good, knowledgeable,caring staff are a treasure....for the store and the customers......

Do not take personal offence Chris.... I commend you you for doing research before you give out advice....
now only if your customers did their research first before purchasing anything...things would be perfect....

[BottomFeeder]

Sorry if you took some of the statements personally.  You can never apply a general statement to a whole group of people or businesses.  I have some pretty good stores by me, with some people that have very good experience.  Some are better than others.

[russ]

I would like to commend Chris's objective comments. There are some operaions in which the folks who work there are better off in another hobby, such as chewing gum or stamp collecting. However, I truly agree with other comments that there are shops and employees that are absolute treasure chests of knowledge and customer service.

I would like to remind everyone that there is a pet shop directory on this site. It not only lists it's location, but anyone can also post comments about their experiences with this particular shop. there is also a place for 'products of merit'.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/pet_shop.html



Thank you. May you all have a wet thumb  

[BottomFeeder]

Thanks for the reminder and the link Russ, I went looking for the list once and came up empty.

[gomezaddams]

Absolutely.But it takes some knowledge to be able to tell who the good ones are.But it is great when you find a reliable lfs or one that has a good employee.

[superpap56]

here here! I agree with the above sentiments one and all.

[MeatLover]

I am a pet shop worker, I am also a store manager, one of the most important things in my role is reaching budget. HOWEVER, it has ALWAYS come second to animal welfare. I have been int eh animal industry 8 years, pet stores onlya total of 2, and in those two years i have turned down 7 expensive dog sales, (these are like $1000 dog sales) due to not beleiving the home is suitable, wherever I can, I send a fish customer away with only what they need to set up the tank, NO FISH, and tell them i'll see them next week to buy fish, as long as everything is running as it should at home. i regularly have customers coming back a week later to buy their fish. I make sure that my staff and myself attend regular courses in aquarium management and animal nutrition and care in general, to learn more and to be reminded of things we have learned before.

and after all those mice, rat, dog, fish, bird, reptile sales i have turned down in the past two years, i still exceed my targets on a regular basis! because the cusotmers love our advice and WANT to buy from us.


One of my pet hates is to walk into a pet store and have the staff tell you something and you know its not accurate or safe, and you wonder how many people he has told that too and how many fishies have died??

When i have customers who don't think it's neccisary to put so much effort into a tank and their goldfish have lasted 'a good 3 years' in the past, I inform them that the expected life span for a healthy, well kept Comet is 20 years, yet the average lifespan in a home is currenlty at 2-4 years, Due to environments not fit enough. This gets them listening and next thing you know they want to do all they can to understand how to take care of their pets my henry the goldfish lasted 15 years i was so proud of him my precious fella... R.I.P

So, I am very open minded to the fantastic work that goes on in some pet stores, I am horrified by others, and I am constantly offended by comments people make abot pet store staff, even though i know myself and the girls at my store are the exception, as are many others.

[Shaner]

if we are talking about the box stores, then yes, they are in the business to make money, now, some of the people that work for these stores do know what they are talking about, however, as a person that has been the shopper, and a new shopper in the very start of this hobby, it is very hard to trust what they are saying, not all of them are bad, but it seems that alot of them are, and it is a treasure and a treat to find one that really does care, I have found that in a box store, his name is Justin and he is the store manager, he bends over backward to make sure that people are informed, however, he can not control his entire staff at all times and some things do get by for the "Sale" but on the average he does very well.

Of course on the other side of the coin you have people that do not want to listen at all and insist that a pacu can live his/her life in a 10g tank regardless of what the clerk says,

I have found the simple rule of buyer beware to be very true, research and research some more before you buy, there is an old saying, "if you enter a room and the subject is money, and you want to add to it, make sure you are the smartest in the room"  goes for anything in life, make sure when you buy something you know more then the seller, that way you are both coverd.

later

[MeatLover]

shaner, your post about pacu in 10g reminds me of a customer i had only today actually, he came in and said to me, "i bought a tank, about this big" *does hand signals* (aprox 3 litres - sorry i dont do gallons i'm an aussie!!) "and I want to put some fish in it for my son, can you please tell me what fish I could get?"

I took him straight to the Betta's, and basically told him its the only fish he could put in their that suits that size tank. he asked if there  was anything else and after repeating my answer he pointed to a little Oscar, saying he didnt like the bettas and wanted two oscars in there, so i showed him our big fella so he could se ehow big it grew, also telling me its silly that it would need a heater, it would adjust to the temp. Next he tried me for cichlids, ghost knives, pearl gouramis, and, finally, comets and fantails. He refused to leave without me naming another fish, so i told him that the only one i would sell him for that tank was a betta, and told him that even though one fantail MAY survive for alittle while in there, it would be a hell of an amount of work to keep ammonia levels down etc, which was a BIG mistake because then he tried to insist on selling him THREE fantails. I told him to go home and sit the tank as per my instructions and when he comes back and tells me the results of this i will offer him a betta again and if he doesnt want it, too bad

[Shaner]

just goes to show that some people just dont care and dont want to listen, you did everything right, some people just dont care

[eric_n]

Wells said Chris.....

I'm going to drink a beer in honor of all the great LFS people tonight!

Cheers!

[russ]

Staff Comment

So, can we safely assume that the misconception here is that 'all' petshop employees give bad advice or don't know what they are talking about? And another misconception is that 'all' big box stores have managers more concerned with bottom lines than the animals and fish they are charged to market?

A lot of the comments, especially those comming from another shop owner and manager is quite refreshing and good to know  

[MeatLover]

precisely russ, and i'm saddened to be made aware of peoples opinions, i certainly woudlnt associate my name with a pet store that 'didn't care', but furthermore, i am saddened that i am aware this is often the case, hence the reputation we have I want people to trust us because a lot of us are trustable and want to educate people.

Why have i registered to this forum?? so i can be kept up to date and learn more and more to pass on to my customers, you never stop learning. I have gone through past posts in all areas of this forum to soak up any information or ideas/suggestions that may help me to improve my customer service and animal knowledge. I may be in the industry long enough to be well experienced, but i am constantly learning more from those around me for the pure purposes o the welfare of the animals i sell. I spend hours every night studying brands of dog and cat food, diseases and remedies of all animals,  and anything that has interested me at work. I want to know everything so that i can make as many animals happy on the best diet and life regime as I can, i dont expect anything less from myself as my advice can put other peoples loved pets on the line. I simply won't be responsable for things like that.