I just joined, and I'm so relieved to see this thread... I have so many stories like this, and it's good to know I'm not alone!
A couple of my favorites...
One woman came in wanting a bunch of not-for-beginner cichlids. My first response was to ask her how big her tank was, to which she replies, "Oh, it's BIG." So I inquire as to HOW big. The woman replies, "20 gallons."
Another woman came in with her daughter. They told me that had a "slithery thing" and wanted something pretty to go with it. They really wanted "those pink ones" and some of the "yellow ones". It took forever to figure out what they were talking about, but it turns out their "slithery thing" was a dojo loach, the "pink things" were pink kissing gouramis, and the "yellow ones" were yellow labs. They weren't very happy when I had to turn them down.
An older woman came in with her grandson to buy a pet. After picking up one of those tiny little Kritter Keepers (the smallest size, which would MAYBE hold a can of pop), she asks me to bag up a 6" oscar for her. I don't even think she could have crammed that big fish in that container if she had a crowbar!
Of course, the majority of customers I deal with have 10 gallon tanks or smaller. I'm constantly dealing with frustrated customers who don't understand why they can't have any of the "big, colorful fish". Is it that hard to do some research BEFORE buying a tiny little 10 gallon? Then there are the customers who ask for a "sucker fish" or "bottom feeder", and when I ask them "What kind?" they look totally stunned to find out there's MORE THAN ONE KIND!
Phew, thanks for letting me vent. I've had to hold all those stories in for too long!
A couple of my favorites...
One woman came in wanting a bunch of not-for-beginner cichlids. My first response was to ask her how big her tank was, to which she replies, "Oh, it's BIG." So I inquire as to HOW big. The woman replies, "20 gallons."
Another woman came in with her daughter. They told me that had a "slithery thing" and wanted something pretty to go with it. They really wanted "those pink ones" and some of the "yellow ones". It took forever to figure out what they were talking about, but it turns out their "slithery thing" was a dojo loach, the "pink things" were pink kissing gouramis, and the "yellow ones" were yellow labs. They weren't very happy when I had to turn them down.
An older woman came in with her grandson to buy a pet. After picking up one of those tiny little Kritter Keepers (the smallest size, which would MAYBE hold a can of pop), she asks me to bag up a 6" oscar for her. I don't even think she could have crammed that big fish in that container if she had a crowbar!
Of course, the majority of customers I deal with have 10 gallon tanks or smaller. I'm constantly dealing with frustrated customers who don't understand why they can't have any of the "big, colorful fish". Is it that hard to do some research BEFORE buying a tiny little 10 gallon? Then there are the customers who ask for a "sucker fish" or "bottom feeder", and when I ask them "What kind?" they look totally stunned to find out there's MORE THAN ONE KIND!
Phew, thanks for letting me vent. I've had to hold all those stories in for too long!