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LFSs': Up their own arse?

if i am looking for advice on a particular subject, i will generally ask at both my local lfs, sometimes 3 or 4 shops, and also ask here. Then based on the often wide variety of responses I get (i have to admit i trust the fish forum more then the shops in most cases as people often write from their own experiences) I take enverything everyone says, take it with a pinch of salt, think back on my own experiences and try to work out what i think would be right for me and my fish based on the information I have.

i wouldnt take what anyone says to you as truth, and if the lfs guys are being snobs, then ask us lot instead! :D

you might think that ever repeating newbie questions get ignored, but we all like to help, and give advice that maybe you wouldnt have got otherwise based on experience rather than just hear-say :)
 
Most people working in pet-stores resent their jobs, especially those working in fish stores because they really have to do a lot of work for little money.

... also the smell of pet stores are pungent enough to affect someone's behavior:).
 
Yes I was very fortunate with those blues but they look great now and I honestly don't usually consider buying fish there.

The LFS I recently started using, Wet Pets in McMurray PA has really been great. I only go there for fish supplies and fish. That is their specialty. The young man I talk to was not that easy to get talking but I think once her realised I was actually interested in the actual animals and took his advice about not getting certain fish for my Tetra, killi tank,he warmed up and he is willing to stop and discuss things like live foods and unusualy types of fish like Killies. He even told me of a shop that specialises in them and I hope to visit it sometime soon.
When I walk in there I feel like a valuable customer.

Compare this to the place I was getting my Dog's food. She eats Inova and it is hard to find a dealer. I always got the feeling like I was one of the peons making an attempt at being as good as the elite dog owners who only feed the best foods. I'm sure she was not intending to come off this way but after she corrected me like a child for opening a case off cans( the week before another person had just let me open the case, Inova sells fast) because she had open ones in a toatly unexpected place I just felt like not going back. Fortunatly I did find another shop that sells Inova though so all is well.

That shop also sells fish but I get the feeling they would do a background check on me before letting me buy them! :lol:

Anyway I hope your next experience is better and proves that it was just someone having an off day. B)
 
There are two extremes - lfs who don't give a stuff and will sell you anything, or the militant fish-rights activist who will do a criminal check on you before selling you a goldfish.

I was lucky enough to find Aquarium Treasures, Point Clare (for any Central Coasties here).

They have a simple strategy: hold the customers hand thru all the newbie errors, without being condesending, and you'll create a fish lover for life.

If any staff from A.T. are reading this, YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!!!
 
I like my LFSs. They tend to assume you know what you're doing and let you be unless you actually say something wrong, then they make sure to correct you. They do have the brains to warn someone when the little fish they're buying is going to end up a 14" monster, too.
 
If it really is that bad, perhaps you should write letters. If the store is a chain store,right to the manager and outline your problem and suggest customer service and fish training is undertaken with all staff. If it is just as bad when you go back in next, assume nothing has been done and ask for the address for their head office and send another letter to their head office.

Please excuse any typos, I'm quite tired.
 
Personally, I think the bottom line is this:

It has nothing whatever to do with LFSs. You will find in every single example of retail stores that sometimes you get jerks, sometimes you get nice people. It is my opinion there is no store that is "jerky" as a policy. They won't get return customers (many stores "bread and butter" by acting like jerks. Just because you have a bad experience doesn't make the store a bad store. It could be a bad day, a bad week or a bad attitude in general of the employee you spoke to. It could be resent at having to work retail (as a former retail employee, I can attest to the fact that there are probley more "bad customers" in the worl than there are "bad employees". When you deal with scores of people a day, all thinking they are right and with varying attitudes, it is very easy for retail employees to get upset and bitter. That is why I left retail. Too many customers with the attitude that they know everything, they are right all the time about all things, and who ignore advice. I am not saying that this is you, but many "bad" customers make it tough on the good customers.)

Don't take it personally, ignore it. You won't find a real difference in any segment of the retail world. It is simply an unfortunate reality of that world that many times employees will be crummy.

\Dan
 
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