People really do whatever it takes to get what they want..

[Spiritofthesoul]

that......

is probably the most dumb tactic I have ever heard to aquire a fish.

And yes, . LOL!!

 

[MonsterMinis]

I say more power to the OP... its staff like the OP that actually end up bringing in more business in the long run, especially when the customers (at least serious ones) learn that you are actually helping them try and setup a better environment for their pets...

Like theres one shop over here i always frequent that sells plants and small fish, the owner is always very honest and will tell you things as they are, and i have to say, his shop is pretty much always packed unlike a lot of the others on the same street...

Couldn't have said it better myself.. as a LFS employee as well.. and a privately run one.. repeat business is where we make our money.. not the people who pop in to stuff a goldfish in a bowl who don't care after hearing the truth. Customer relations are 10x more important for us then "makeing the sale" OUr Customers depend on us to help them.. not take their money and kill their tanks off. As we all know.. Tanks are an investment... and if you spend even 50$ on a set-up and can't keep fish alive... the tank is gotten rid of.. not upgraded.. or added too...

OP I woulda done the same thing.. 'cept I woulda warned my co-workers about the couple before they could coerce another employee.. and you can bet when they came back to get their free replacements.. they wouldn't get a guarantee... Sometimes you do have to suck it up on the business end of things..

I know I wouldn't drop a few hundred dollars at a store if I didn't trust it's employees for their input. Why should I expect my customers to?

 

[CClump]

if it makes anything better about that.. oscares ARE pretty hardy fish and likely will live past that 14 day period so chances are they likely wont get a refund

 

[Richie_ELP]

good to know that you'd fire somebody for trying to convince somebody to buy a $4 fish instead of 2 $5 fish that will probably come back within the next week dead for a full refund. lol.

I wasn't rude to the people, in fact i've been informed to start refusing refunds by my manager specifically. I just found it sad that they obviously knew the fish would potentially die and instead of listening just went and found somebody else and basically spewed all the information i'd just given them to get what they wanted.

They barely feel the pinch as it is. The turnover rate is already high, if it were a real problem, that guarantee would be similar to petlands 48hr. The petsmart near me requires water samples now, and you get only one exchange if something was off with parameters.
I'd have fired you for the near hour you wasted on a sale that was made anyway, your out there to make money. You said it yourself, you are allowed to refuse a refund, so make the sale.
The attempt at educating the public just does not belong in the chain shops. Especially if it lasts 45 minutes, it is hard to believe anyone would sit though a lecture on cycling for so long. I'm surprised you weren't hushed.
If you worked at a local place, it is more appropriate there, but not by much.

Don't get me wrong, I would've spent some time giving my two cents as well, but I learned the hard way no one want to be told "they shouldn't". Long ago, I worked for that chain but with the herps mostly, no one else would enjoy moving snakes.
I was fired for talking too long to customers,even though I never spent more than ten minutes recommending what the customer should look into.
Of all the sections of petmart, the fish are cheapest and less cared about, second to the candies.

 

[baby bass]

HAHA

 

[valderi123]

some times you can only do so much