Just wanted to share two funny stories from work.

[Dylan]

To all of you who work at LFS's and are crying about the stupidity of the customers, think back to when you first started in this hobby, you were probably just as stupid about caring for fish. Our job (yes I work pt at a LFS) is to educate these people so that their experience with this hobby is a good one, and not a lot of wasted time and money and dead fish. So instead of getting on your soapbox and acting like a know-it-all ass you should spend time with these people and educate them. That's the only way that we can assure that this hobby we've all come to love so much will be around for our kids and their kids and so on.
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None of my stories where based on a customer who was trying to learn about the hobby. There is a difference. Someone who doesn't know if a clownfish is fresh or saltwater directly after seeing finding nemo isn't trying to learn about fish, hes just trying to appease daddies little angel.


Someone who thinks that spending the money for a fish to be in ADEQUATE living conditions is not worth it has no right to be swooned into the fish keeping hobby.. only those who care about fish deserve my knowledge. Im there to help, but trying to help someone who doesn't ever want to learn isn't going to do anything. I do educate people, every single day.

This isnt another thread about noobs at the fish keeping hobby making mistakes, this is simply a thread capitalizing on some of the funny/rude stories that I have encountered.

 

[andyjs]

To everyone that works at a fish (or even general pet) store...Are you heavy drinkers? How do you deal with this stuff on a daily basis? I would never have the patience to work at a LFS.

The manager and I always joked about going out and drinking heavily after work, but we never actually did. We normally just joked around about the customers a lot to keep ourselves sane. For me, it was just a summer job, and now it's only part time, but the manager swears (jokingly) he'll become an alcoholic if he doesn't get out soon

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

I couldn't agree more with Frostyone's comment. Not to bash anyone who has posted in this thread, but as an lfs employee myself, I find that many people, when told they need to buy more things automatically assume they are being taken for a ride. You just need to do a little convincing that the things they should purchase truly are necessary for the survival of their fish. Considering some corporate fish stores and lfs's I've been into, I don't blame them for making that assumption either. Some people truly are in this business to get rich, rather than doing what you love while making some money and educating people. You have to work to earn customers' trust. It can be a challenge, but once you've got a loyal customer, they will usually come to you and only you for advice and to make purchases.

 

[Frostyone]

I'm sorry, my post wasn't directed towards you or your stories, it has more to do with all the other threads about stupid customers, I've been keeping fish for 10+ years and still learn new things on a regular basis. I just think that too many LFS employees simply write off these customers as being stupid and therefore beyond our help, and that's just bad for the hobby period! I've seen my fair share of un-eduated people come in to my store, these are the people that I spend the most time with, and believe me they appreciate it, sometimes the things I tell them will discourage them from getting into fish keeping, but that's ok with me. I'd rather educate them and have them say "that's too much" and leave the store never to return again, then to just blow them off and have them take some poor fish home that will not be properly cared for. Some just plain don't know, and go by all the myths that they've "heard" from other people, it's not their fault.....it's just bad information that's out there that they are going by. Yes, there are some hard heads out there, but a few dead fish or a bad tank crash will humble them a great deal, and the next time you see that person you'll find them much more accepting of your advice.
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[Camshaft Ramrod]

To all of you who work at LFS's and are crying about the stupidity of the customers, think back to when you first started in this hobby, you were probably just as stupid about caring for fish. Our job (yes I work pt at a LFS) is to educate these people so that their experience with this hobby is a good one, and not a lot of wasted time and money and dead fish. So instead of getting on your soapbox and acting like a know-it-all ass you should spend time with these people and educate them. That's the only way that we can assure that this hobby we've all come to love so much will be around for our kids and their kids and so on.
Posted via Mobile Device

For me it wasn't the stupid people. It was the rude and ignorant people. The people that didn't care about what you had to say. Nor did they care about the fishes well being. They'd ask, "can I put this fish with this fish in this tank?" and you'd say, "no". Then they would say, " Ok, well I think I'm going to get them." Then I would tell them that I'm not selling them those fish because they wont go together. Then we would get into a huge argument. They would ask for my manager and would say," ok.." and stand their looking at them.......(I was the manager by the way). I was the youngest manager in the district, so not many people were expecting a baby faced 21 year old kid as the manager.

This would happen all of the time. Arguments about how they are just fish, who cares if they ear eachother or have room. I'll just buy another. I hated being an Aquatics manager at Petsfart......

I have too many stories. All of wich put me in a bad mood.

 

[Frostyone]

Maybe being in IT support has made me a much more patient person.......you want to talk about dealing with rude, stupid, frustrating people spend a week doing helpdesk phone support LOL now that'll drive you nuts!
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[Bottomfeeder]

yeah ppl who act like know it alls or like they wanna keep fish in the smallest living conditions possible for as long as it should are the guys underv the chainsaw (lol) not ppl who go in and ask questions, even if the questions are dumb

 

[frnchjeep]

The manager and I always joked about going out and drinking heavily after work, but we never actually did. We normally just joked around about the customers a lot to keep ourselves sane. For me, it was just a summer job, and now it's only part time, but the manager swears (jokingly) he'll become an alcoholic if he doesn't get out soon

Man...seems like you would need to to keep sane.

 

[jimmybling31]

my god I have to post this. I don't even work in a pet store or anything, but when I was getting a heater from petsmart the other day I checked out the fish and while I was there there was a woman bringing in a dead oscar to return it for another one. I asked the woman how big of a tank she was putting it in and she responded with "10 gallon it's big" I asked if she was joking and she said no it really is a 10 gallon. I told her she needed to go with a smaller fish and she responded about how big it was in the store and i had to explain to her that it would get to be 12-15 inches long she said it doesn't matter it'll be fine. I ended up telling the girl that was getting her a new one what she just told me and they denied her a new fish and told her to stay away from cichlids in that small of a tank.

 

[Knowdafish]

I think there should be an IQ test given at the door of every LFS!

And when a person doesn't pass the test......"I'm sorry, you don't qualify to keep fish"!