Negative LFS feedback

[pdbrady]

So based on this should the OP keep trying to give advice or just shutup because people will just ignore him anyway. You tell him to keep doing what he's doing but you yourself ignore employee's because you are positive they don't know what they are talking about. This is why you never find any knowledgable people in the chain stores. They have to deal with so many self-righteous know-it-alls that most eventually stop trying and just bag up whatever you want because you're not going to listen anyway.

BINGO. Every person that walks in to buy fish seems to have their own ideas of what should and shouldn't work. Trust me, some people just don't want to accept that certain tanks won't work.

The petcos that I have worked at have been more than happy to deny a sale to anybody that they felt was unfit. But that is based on mangagment, judge each individual store on it's own merits.

and BINGO

I see too many 10 gallon tanks for sale at garage sales coz of misunderstandings! I defenitley dont know everything but i know enough to help these first time fish keepers! I just want them to get as much info as possible before jumping into the hobby!

No. Too many 10 gallons are at garage sales because the owners don't care to take the time to learn about them. Would you buy a car, jump in, and take off.....not knowing how to drive? No, it's just stupid, as is buying a tank and not caring to take the time to learn a little ON YOUR OWN before throwing it out. Believe it or not, you may be just as much the problem as you are trying to be the solution. You admit you don't know the most, but you want to give out lots of advice. About what? If you don't know about all your fish stocked, how can you advise on them? I'm not pointing fingers, just trying to open up the view a little. Also, employees should take a little incentive to learn a little themselves, as you are.

 

[Swiftwater]

Oh well, what can we really do? its human nature to put the dollar ahead of diligence.

 

[Footballref50]

Brady i agree and totally disagree with that. As we are we are inclined to research before diving in but there are people who want to please their kids and get some fish. They dont know diddly. I feel they deserve proper guidance by stores such as my own. Its like comparing Pop Warner coaches (Dont know a damned thing about the actual rules and think its the NFL) to very good HS Varsity coaches, everyone needs to be informed IMHO.

 

[xxsuperpersonxx]

Yes I know what you mean, I bought 7 koi fro petsmart and asked the petsmart employe what i should do to get the pond ready. he tested my water and said it was "A okay", so i bought the fish and brought them home. I out them in the water and they seemed okay..but not long after 6 of the seven had went belly up, I went back to the store(with the dead fish) and told them what had happend, they said that it must have been the water quality, i told them that the last guy who helped me told me that it was fine for fish. They asked if i hade put water conditioner, i told them taht i didnt know i needed to because the last guy didnt tell me that i had to. he said that was the problem, i got the money back for the fish. it was just so sad for me to watch them die ; ;. one fish lived tho and hes still doing good today so i named him Lucky. But i dont advise getting fish from petsmart because the employes are uneducated and cant help there custermors. At least luck is still alive

 

[Druu]

Hello all! This post is in regard to a few personal experiences and wondering if any of you have experienced similar situations. I am currently employed at a local Petco as an animal specialist (specifically birds, reptiles and aquatics) but I've had some concerning events come up as i've become more emersed in the hobby. I find that large corporate controlled companies (i.e. Petco and Petsmart) don't really care about educating new hobbyists in aquatics. Basically what I've seen is a "who cares" attitude. When I started anew in this hobby i was quite inexperienced and went to a Petsmart to stock my 55 Gal tank. I bought an Oscar and 20 neon tetras, asking the AQUATICS SPECIALIST if they would get along. Well as you all know, they didn't! This just angers me (now more so than at that time). It's this kind of disregard to informing a consumer that results in how many tanks for sale in garage sales and unnecesary fish death! That isnt my only complaint however, in my area here i find most dedicated "hole in the wall" fish stores have employees who happen to be quite arrogant and almost demeaning! I dont know if you all experience similar issues but i just wanted to vent to some that understand my position! As i said im currently employed by Petco and my boss gets mad at me for talking as much as a i do with my aquatic and bird customers. IMO id rather annoy and give too much info than to give too little info!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean i used the incorrect water conditioner with a gourami and he died and the guy told me "it was your water quality" when i tested it it was perfect! That same guy sold me a water conditioner that contained a slime coating and he didn't warn me whatsoever!!!!!!!!! I'm trying to better our name but its a lond mountain to climb LOL!!!!!!!!! Have any of you experienced any of this?

Great, another bash Petco/Petsmart thread.

Maybe you should have undertaken some research yourself first?

 

[jworth]

 

[Yanbbrox]

When we setup the oscar tank I was pleasantly surprised to heer, 'do you know how big they get', 'What size tank have you got' etc. First time I'd been to that LFS and would go again.

The biggest problem with selling fish in a big store is that it's still a retail outlet, overall the same rules apply to buying bread/milk, either the fish get too big to sell/house or the bread/milk goes off.

Just my 2 cents

 

[dragonfish]

Yes I know what you mean, I bought 7 koi fro petsmart and asked the petsmart employe what i should do to get the pond ready. he tested my water and said it was "A okay", so i bought the fish and brought them home. I out them in the water and they seemed okay..but not long after 6 of the seven had went belly up, I went back to the store(with the dead fish) and told them what had happend, they said that it must have been the water quality, i told them that the last guy who helped me told me that it was fine for fish. They asked if i hade put water conditioner, i told them taht i didnt know i needed to because the last guy didnt tell me that i had to. he said that was the problem, i got the money back for the fish. it was just so sad for me to watch them die ; ;. one fish lived tho and hes still doing good today so i named him Lucky. But i dont advise getting fish from petsmart because the employes are uneducated and cant help there custermors. At least luck is still alive

What was not long? If the water was not treated with dechlor then yes, that would have killed them quickly. If it was not treated then simple conditioner would not have stopped them from going belly up that quick. Possibly some research on your part might have also helped prevent these deaths.

 

[pdbrady]

Brady i agree and totally disagree with that. As we are we are inclined to research before diving in but there are people who want to please their kids and get some fish. They dont know diddly. I feel they deserve proper guidance by stores such as my own. Its like comparing Pop Warner coaches (Dont know a damned thing about the actual rules and think its the NFL) to very good HS Varsity coaches, everyone needs to be informed IMHO.

People wanting to please their kids with fish should do the proper research to make sure they can care for them, as they should a dog or cat. Buying pets should not be an uneducated impulse decision. Not to mention, if they have to buy a fish right now just to make their kids happy, they need to grow into their parenting roles.

Yes I know what you mean, I bought 7 koi fro petsmart and asked the petsmart employe what i should do to get the pond ready. he tested my water and said it was "A okay", so i bought the fish and brought them home. I out them in the water and they seemed okay..but not long after 6 of the seven had went belly up, I went back to the store(with the dead fish) and told them what had happend, they said that it must have been the water quality, i told them that the last guy who helped me told me that it was fine for fish. They asked if i hade put water conditioner, i told them taht i didnt know i needed to because the last guy didnt tell me that i had to. he said that was the problem, i got the money back for the fish. it was just so sad for me to watch them die ; ;. one fish lived tho and hes still doing good today so i named him Lucky. But i dont advise getting fish from petsmart because the employes are uneducated and cant help there custermors. At least luck is still alive

Chlorines/chloramines can't be detected by typical test kits, therefore, everything they were testing for may have been perfect. They cannot assume that every person that walks in the door is completely uneducated and walk them from step one. Some of the customers who ACTUALLY KNOW what they're doing may take offense to the "hassling", too. Don't tell people not to shop somewhere because you "feel" they don't know what you do not know yourself.

 

[Footballref50]

Totaly agreed brady! I just made this post to see if anyone had experiences like mine. Im not trying to bash petco/petsmart, in fact i feel they are a good place to shop. My main complaint is about small LFS's being condescending and know-it-allish! IMO it's OUR duty as educated fish keepers to pass on what we know to those in need of our knowledge. I find myself helping educate people shopping at an LFS while i'm shopping as well. I just always try to teach if i can (just the way i am!) And scince i work at a Petco i get a lot of feedback proving that by teaching a customer makes them a hobbyist and one of us!