The last time I was at a Petco, I noticed how clean the tanks were and I commented on it to a clerk. She proudly told me it was her doing and she was learning as much as she could to do a good job. I said, "That's great!" Then she asked me if she could help me find anything, and as I had just arrived, I said "not yet, I want to look around a bit first." So she bowed out and let me look. I decided on some plants to buy (I'm perfectly stocked with fish at this time), but when I tried to find her, I couldn't. I saw her brief way up front, leaving an office -- then scurrying back in. No one else was around to help me, and as the purchase was on a whim, an impulse buy, nothing I really needed, which I suspect a lot of fish purchases are -- I took their failure to spot me (an older adult and probable paying customer) as an omen and I slowly left, just waiting to be asked if I needed help... but no, they didn't get any money from me. This was rather irritating as it was a nearly one-hour bus ride to get there. Petsmart is just as far and has just as blind sales folks. And people wonder why businesses are suffering...
Working for Petco.......
- Thread starter DCOWBOYS
- Start date
I went into petco a couple months ago to just look at the saltwater livestock. They normally have a couple dead fish floating around, so I don't go a whole lot. Today was different, a new shippment. SPS,LPS, and Soft corals all under florescent light(not T5, just plain compact). The sales guy walks over and starts talking me into buying a carpet anemone. I tell him my tanks pretty new, and I'm afraid to get one do to them being known for eating small fish. He tells me they're fine with small fish, and would be great in my tank. I bought it not knowing any better, got home and acclimated it to my tank, then googled carpet anemones. Well guess who was right? Not only will they eat small fish, guaranteed, but they also WILL DIE in an unestablished tank. All They Care About Is SALES. After that ordeal, they lost my business for good!!!! I'd rather spend an extra 20% than give them my business. I should get a job there just so I can tell the manager off, and quite. You Did Good
FYI, I have never had better luck with petsmart than petco. Both should not have live animals, IMO. Petsmart used to be the place I could be sure I'd see large parrots like macaws on display for twice what they're worth even though they're already plucking.
I have had multiple incidents with both companies in several states where animals were not only neglected but DOOMED from the get go and none of the staff cared..
If you write to corporate about staff basically arguing with for an hour to do something that will KILL your pet, you get coupons, BTW.
Coupons for stuf like, 10% off your next purchase or a certain item.
GRRRR, I hate them..
These stories mirror my Petco experiences too. We have a Petsmart here as well, but I've never shopped there.
Every fish I have ever bought from Petco has died, and one time I made the error of not properly quarantining Petco fish, resulting in a massive ich outbreak. No fun at all and many deaths during the cure.
I will give them credit on three things, however. 1) Our local Petco works with the humane society and displays kitty cats of various ages, trying to find adoptive homes for them.
2) Our Petco does adoption drives for humane society dogs several times a year, and gives adoption incentives like discount coupons for immunizations and such.
3) Once per year they do a 'dollar per gallon' tank sale. That's how my wife and I got our 40g breeder. We ended up getting the tank and all the accessories for $100, which is what the tank normally retails for by itself. The only other reason I shop at Petco is for test kits. I use API brand, and I get a master test kit for $30 at Petco.
I only buy fish from an independent LFS in our area. The owner has had the business for something like 23 years, and he and his staff know their stuff. The fish are well cared for, healthy and disease free. The staff is also not afraid to tell a customer that certain fish won't work together, or that the customer's tank is too small.
They still want to make a sale, but they try to educate the new or inexperienced customer into making sensible choices that they'll be happy with in the long term. That's something you've got to applaud.
Unfortunately, as wonderful as the independent LFS is for fish, their chemical prices are sky high. We're talking over $100 for a master kit. I simply cannot afford that with a family to support.
Every fish I have ever bought from Petco has died, and one time I made the error of not properly quarantining Petco fish, resulting in a massive ich outbreak. No fun at all and many deaths during the cure.
I will give them credit on three things, however. 1) Our local Petco works with the humane society and displays kitty cats of various ages, trying to find adoptive homes for them.
2) Our Petco does adoption drives for humane society dogs several times a year, and gives adoption incentives like discount coupons for immunizations and such.
3) Once per year they do a 'dollar per gallon' tank sale. That's how my wife and I got our 40g breeder. We ended up getting the tank and all the accessories for $100, which is what the tank normally retails for by itself. The only other reason I shop at Petco is for test kits. I use API brand, and I get a master test kit for $30 at Petco.
I only buy fish from an independent LFS in our area. The owner has had the business for something like 23 years, and he and his staff know their stuff. The fish are well cared for, healthy and disease free. The staff is also not afraid to tell a customer that certain fish won't work together, or that the customer's tank is too small.
They still want to make a sale, but they try to educate the new or inexperienced customer into making sensible choices that they'll be happy with in the long term. That's something you've got to applaud.
Unfortunately, as wonderful as the independent LFS is for fish, their chemical prices are sky high. We're talking over $100 for a master kit. I simply cannot afford that with a family to support.
well in sales, all the "make the customer happy," or "the customer is always right" is what matters most!. managers wouldnt give two ****'s about a customer leaving with information, rather, a customer who was greatly misguided, but happy because they herd what they wanted to! so you did an excelent job on your part. the manager was lucky he listened to you!..if it was me..oh..he would never hear the end of it! so thats why if i see info being inaproporitely handed out by employees, i ( a random customer) would just intervine and tell them strait!.. dont loose any job, and..they have profound info now! 
good job!
good job! Why would you want to work at a large format retailer? Surely, you're not shocked at the corporate mentality of, "Profit before morals." Did you think that you would get away with costing them sales?
I used to work for petsmart a few years back and I was actually impressed by the knowledge of the entire staff. They seemed to only hire employees with previous knowledge and who actually cared about animals. We routinely refused to sell animals to people with inadequate set ups. That was actually company policy when I was there. I was hired as the reptile guy since I was experienced in keeping and working with reptiles. We also had the fish experts, a bird woman, and a few small and furry people. Everyone had their own area of expertise and it worked wonderfully. I'm not sure how much these things have changed in the last few years though.
DCOWBOYS;4682232; said:
Me and my friend have, on several occasions, called chain stores and asked for Carrassius auratus by scientific name, and after being impatiently told "no", we go "oh, no Goldfish? We'll take our business elsewhere then."
....most fish enthuisiasts avoid working at chain stores like Petco petsmart...so wat do u expect