anyone else "geek out" at pet stores
- Thread starter philhawk
- Start date
I "geek out" all the time. The other day I stopped some incompetent petsmart idiot from selling a lady a midas for her 20 :O
I do it sometimes too. I refrained today about helping someone who was taking about 10 minutes to read a label on a ph buffer. I knew he needed help but I was in line with about 15 other people. Sometimes the people at the lfs get mad when I help out. They turn their back on you and you get terrible service from then on.
the store nearest me's workers are either lazy or they need more help (im sure its lazy) so it takes about 15 min just to get some feeders (thats after i ask for them) and to get someone to ask questions about fish is near imposible. so when im in their fish section and i see a person wandering i know that they probably have a question. and i say to myself, if they ask me i know they are going to get the right answer so why dont i just go up and ask if they need help.
since then the service there has frustrated me so much that i drive an extra 20 min (round trip) to go to petsmart. because even if i have to drive the extra distance it still takes less time to get anything.
since then the service there has frustrated me so much that i drive an extra 20 min (round trip) to go to petsmart. because even if i have to drive the extra distance it still takes less time to get anything.
Unfortunately these pet stores hire just about anyone, just like going to a electronis store (ie, circuit city, best buy, compusa..etc.) Most of these employees are just that, employees..its a job where they collect a paycheck. Everytime I go into those stores, I always brush off the salesperson because they're a waste of time to deal with.
Usually the smaller shops (mom & pop) type are more personable and knowledgeable in that they are probably into the hobby themselves and want to make money off of that skill/knowlege.
Petland is probably one of the worse out there. Most of them that I went to have a lot of people there that are in it for a paycheck. I forget what I was looking for, something for my dog and the employee said they don't carry the item, but I looked around and found it in the store.
That's why when my tank is set up, I'll order it online from That Pet Place or Dr.Fosters, this way I don't have to deal with these people. If anyone is in NYC/LI area, another good fish store is FISHTOWN USA on Northern Blvd, very helpful and knowledgeable.
I guess the owner of the shop only hires people with some background in the fishkeeping and are willing to learn.
Usually the smaller shops (mom & pop) type are more personable and knowledgeable in that they are probably into the hobby themselves and want to make money off of that skill/knowlege.
Petland is probably one of the worse out there. Most of them that I went to have a lot of people there that are in it for a paycheck. I forget what I was looking for, something for my dog and the employee said they don't carry the item, but I looked around and found it in the store.
That's why when my tank is set up, I'll order it online from That Pet Place or Dr.Fosters, this way I don't have to deal with these people. If anyone is in NYC/LI area, another good fish store is FISHTOWN USA on Northern Blvd, very helpful and knowledgeable.
I guess the owner of the shop only hires people with some background in the fishkeeping and are willing to learn.
thats the sad part the store closest to me is a privatly own one, and the owner does care but happens to employ about 10 people that dont give a d@m about fish keeping.
but back to the topic at hand.
can you recount the most outrageous moment you've had at a lfs. correcting an employee helping a customer. im sure that there is some great stories out there
can you recount the most outrageous moment you've had at a lfs. correcting an employee helping a customer. im sure that there is some great stories out there
It’s all well and good to slag on employees.
But when you are trying to help/sell a product to customers and there are other people there who are obviously just either bragging about how their mate has a Piranha when in fact it’s a silver dollar or 2 different people give their input about a fish which eats other fishes turds there for eliminating the need to clean your tank
I was serving a lady, she asked “is there a fish that can clean up the tank, cleans up the mess etc.”
I simply said no, there is no fish that eats other fishes poops. You will still need to do regular water changes and maintenance”
Then all of a sudden a 2nd person said, “No, that’s not correct I have a fish that a aquarium sold me which cleans up poo”
I looked at her like she was on crazy pills and continued to explain how important aquarium maintenance is. Then a man got involved stating that he also has a number of his fish in his aquarium and he has never done a gravel clean because they keep it spotless.
He then proceeded to point out the poo eating fish in one of our tanks, Pointing at the bristle nose catfish I was amazed that I have never noticed that this fish kept such a clean aquarium. Doing all the water changes in our aquarium room, I have always thought that the Bristle nose was one of the more dirtier fish.
She purchased 6 of these poop eating fish and who was I to argue after adding my 2c in. I mean what would I know over these other people, I’m just a kid. These other people are adults!
But when you are trying to help/sell a product to customers and there are other people there who are obviously just either bragging about how their mate has a Piranha when in fact it’s a silver dollar or 2 different people give their input about a fish which eats other fishes turds there for eliminating the need to clean your tank
I was serving a lady, she asked “is there a fish that can clean up the tank, cleans up the mess etc.”
I simply said no, there is no fish that eats other fishes poops. You will still need to do regular water changes and maintenance”
Then all of a sudden a 2nd person said, “No, that’s not correct I have a fish that a aquarium sold me which cleans up poo”
I looked at her like she was on crazy pills and continued to explain how important aquarium maintenance is. Then a man got involved stating that he also has a number of his fish in his aquarium and he has never done a gravel clean because they keep it spotless.
He then proceeded to point out the poo eating fish in one of our tanks, Pointing at the bristle nose catfish I was amazed that I have never noticed that this fish kept such a clean aquarium. Doing all the water changes in our aquarium room, I have always thought that the Bristle nose was one of the more dirtier fish.
She purchased 6 of these poop eating fish and who was I to argue after adding my 2c in. I mean what would I know over these other people, I’m just a kid. These other people are adults!
