Irony within a LPS

[tttnjfttt]

Ok, so the LPS near me has VERY unknowlegable staff. I have seen a comon pleco being sold to a father who said it would die because of lack of food (um...alge tablets?). I have spotted sick fish then had the employees ask what to do. I have found expired meds. Most of the employees that I have talked with can never answer any of the basic questions that I ask before buying fish. Essientially, I had written off this LPS for everything except frozen blood worms, mainly because the next closest store is 45 min away.

Then I meet the manager of this store. She knows about fishless cycling, and even offered me some bio out of their tanks when I had to restart my fishless cycle. She is diligent about taking care of the UV sterrilizer. She seals off tanks when fish are sick so they can be medicated (there is bio within their tank). She refuses to buy genetically altered, painted, or dyed fish. She tries to keep only smaller community type fish in stock because she knows that not many people have tanks that will support a large fish. She wishes that she didn't have to sell the pH altering chemicals. I was very impressed with her, to the point where I will buy fish when she is there.

What I don't get is how most of the other employees dont become educated about even basic things, probably because of the I don't care attitude. I know when I talk with her, she is definatley willing to educate people, and completely believes fish are pets, not decorations. How can someone work in a LPS with a knowledgable boss and not learn?

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

why does she empoly them more to teh point ask her for a job

 

[tttnjfttt]

I'm gonna be starting there soon...she has to clear something wiht her new district manager first, but once she gets the ok, i'm in.

 

[Teelie]

The reason most people don't know is they are just working a job. It's minimum wage and the hiring people who know their stuff usually means paying more money. Occasionally you find an LFS/LPS with staff who know more than the typical person but it's mostly due to economics.

 

[masterfishes]

i know how u feel....my lfs(petsmart) has hired some new people so i rarely see the people u know me anymore....anyway one guy is so bad at it(hes been there for like 3 weeks already) he doesnt know what fish r what(u have to show him where it is) and he doesnt even know how to seal the bag right

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

The reason most people don't know is they are just working a job. It's minimum wage and the hiring people who know their stuff usually means paying more money. Occasionally you find an LFS/LPS with staff who know more than the typical person but it's mostly due to economics.

This is exactly true. Because the current economic situation is run by corrupt corporations and government people are forced to get jobs that are meaningless to them in order to support themselves. There are many knowledgable aquarists out there who would probably love to work at an lfs, but must have a meaningless paper pusher job to support their family (or their fish habbit). Then you have the people with no 'trade skills' who are hired because they're willing to be exploited and payed a measley wage. These people took the lfs job because it was an opportunity to make money, not because they like fish. I'm sure the lfs job is just as meaningless to these people as a paper pushing corporate monkey job is to those with intelligence.

 

[Synirr]

I definitely know where you're coming from, it's the exact same way at my LFS. The owner and one of the oldest employees both really know their stuff, but the others are clueless for the most part. I had to tell one of them what the o in "o-cats", as they label them, stood for (I asked for an oto and she didn't know what I was talking about... otocinclus woman, duh! )