Petsmart caring too much????

[gthiele]

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[krzr3000]

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

At least when i worked at petco it was all about customer service...funny that they have no training. How do you provide good service with uneducated employees?

 

[DinosaurMeag]

Most of the Petcos and Petsmarts in my area ask you 101 questions before giving you a fish. It is quite irritating. They ask you all these questions about your tank, and then decide if you are going to get the fish based off their horribly inaccurate "company training". All this for fish sitting in their ammonia bath, peppered with ich.

Uhm, I'm pretty sure that if you don't like it, you wouldn't shop there. Especailly if the fish are "peppered with ich" like you say.

It's PetSmart policy to ask what they're buying for, and its better to get an idea of what customers are shopping for, rather than sell them an arrowana for a 10 gallon (for example), then having it die, then mad customers. Maybe the employee was new? Usually newbies learn what goes together, and until they're there for a while, they don't know what all goes together.

Just calm down. What if someone sold you a fish that would have killed all your other fish? You'd be here berating the store that didn't bother to ask.

 

[shamrock]

I've only been questioned once-tinfoil barbs and a GT I was buying-I simply explained how large my tank was and why it would work and how I would probably lose more fish if I bought 5 other cichlids (more competition)-and everything was cool. I know the ownere of a LFS and he sells TSN and RTC cats all the time and not once has he asked a customer what sized tank you have-and here in NE El Paso very very few people have anything over 55 gallons.

 

[woodyoz]

i saw threads abt ppl moaning abt petsmart/walmart not caring abt fishes.....now complain about them caring too much
what's next? complain about them not caring less or more than usual ?

 

[Lupin]

I was in petsmart the other day looking for some new fish (after having no luck at the nicest lfs) and after waiting 20 minutes for someone to help me i told them i wanted a green terror and a bala shark they told me no...and i said why not? and they said because the green terror was labled as "aggresive" and the bala shark as "semi aggressive"....they were small fish going into i large tank..i didnt see any problems...maybe you guys do? i was so mad...i should have said "did the same people who told you that also tell you that pacus max out at 24 inches??????" (thats what the tag said on the pacus)

I wouldn't classify the bala sharks as really semi-aggressive. They're actually peaceful although their experiences may have differ from what we had. As far as pacus, well, weren't they at least correct in their statement? They were only trying to help in the first place and minimizing the possible criticisms they received from customers dissatisfied with the way they handle their business. If anyone can remember, some of our fellow aquarists made a lot of efforts trying to convince chain stores to improve their fish database so we have to be glad they were trying to ask.

They did that with me.. a couple years ago I was picking up a Syno. eupterus to use as a bottom feeder in my cichlid tank and i was just chatting with the lady. She asked what else was in the tank and I said an Oscar, then she put the cat back. I was like.. ummmm.. So after talking to the manager I got the cat but had to sign a waiver saying they did not have to take the fish back if it died since the Oscar would definitely kill it. It's a bunch of crap but I didn't care.. I knew more then they did about compatibility and it all worked out.

Oscars are cichlids so we expect cichlids to behave differently. Once again, the store was only trying to help. You could actually have explained it better that with fish behaving different, no two experiences is very same. We may think we know better than somebody else but we also learn plenty of new things everyday. Share your experience to them and they may at least open their mind a bit to the possibilities.

I think its good that they care, because petsmart here don't seem to care at all. They just want to make the sale. Even if you know what you are doing, ppl who don't know you doesn't know if you are experienced or not. I am sure they deal with ppl who think fish are just fish so it doesn't matter if they die or whatever. I am not saying you are one of those ppl by any means. It's just that ppl who don't know you, just simply don't know if you are a good fish keeper or not.
I would be some what irritated too if that happened to me, but I would rather they car than to act like how they do at petsmart here.

Very valid point. We are just strangers to their doors so you have to understand the situation they are in. They try their best to ensure the fish ends up into a good home and not in another home where the fish gets plenty of abuse due to negligence.

yeah but like i said i had live fish in a hot truck so i didnt havetime to put up with all of that....but i guess it all comes down to loss prevention incase im a noob and try to bring it back and blame them

well i made a weak effort to do that.. i said that the tank is big, gt's arent that much more aggressive, the bala shark is a fast grower/swimmer...but she just looked at me like i was stupid

I understand your situation. You could perhaps try to plan it out and give some time to talk to them until they get to know you better. It never hurts to interact with them and share them your experience. Once they gain your trust, you won't be into the same trouble knowing they are confident their fish will be in good hands.

Amen

Bala sharks and green terrors even in my mind could be a bad combo. Some cichlids can be real nasty where as ive never seen a bala pick on anything it can swallow. I say this thread is the first evidence redeeming petsmarts morals. If you really wanted them you could have demonstrated your advanced fish keeping knowledge.

I agree with you completely. Like I said before, cichlids behave very differently thus we are not able to predict if our planned combination will work well or not. It's a matter of trial and error. And indeed, this is the first time I heard Petsmart like that.

You could have just said they where going in different tanks. Be prepaired to lie, as they are idiots in that shop.

Steve, I do not believe this to be a good idea. By lying just to get what you want, you also fail to give them confidence their fish in good hands. Once the fish dies, we still end up blaming the shop in the first place because they chose to sell you the fish you want thinking you were telling them the truth. I do not agree either that the persons in reference are idiots. They were trying to make a good impression in the hobby. Calling them idiots is in my opinion a very poor judgment. Be glad they were doing their part well compared to the other stores who will sell you anything without question.

 

[Fishes33]

Most of the Petcos and Petsmarts in my area ask you 101 questions before giving you a fish. It is quite irritating. They ask you all these questions about your tank, and then decide if you are going to get the fish based off their horribly inaccurate "company training". All this for fish sitting in their ammonia bath, peppered with ich.

Petsmart sell the fish a lot more expensiver than my other lfs...

I dont even bother asking or buying from them ^^

Eg. Oscar $13.99 (with tax) ~ petsmart, Oscar $6.99 (without tax) ~ other lfs

 

[krzr3000]

I wouldn't classify the bala sharks as really semi-aggressive. They're actually peaceful although their experiences may have differ from what we had. As far as pacus, well, weren't they at least correct in their statement? They were only trying to help in the first place and minimizing the possible criticisms they received from customers dissatisfied with the way they handle their business. If anyone can remember, some of our fellow aquarists made a lot of efforts trying to convince chain stores to improve their fish database so we have to be glad they were trying to ask.

Thats where they go wrong. IME from working at and buying fish from a chain store they rely too much in bad training and generalized classification. When i was at petco it was all about "peaceful" or "semi-aggressive" or "aggressive." i.e. tinfoil barbs were classified as semi-aggressive so they could not be mixed with any cichlid.

 

[JoeyCraig3]

The petsmart and decent lfs are in a nearby city that i only go to 3-4 times a year all the lfs here are crap and i was actually imressed by their stock...the nice lfs didnt have any gt's or balas and petsmart had them cheaper...o, well i just meant to share this story for a change of pace,not to make controversy

 

[shamrock]

GT's are the Chihuahuas of Cichlids all bark and no bite-I have had Balas with my RD, Trimac, and even Dovii-Target Fish.