New Job At Petsmart - Want Advice

[Truck]

ive got a job in my LFS and i give out honest advice, i even got the manager to stop selling dyed fish and sign up to PFK's dyed thingy, and i got the shop to stock ammonia suitable for cycling

 

[matchstickman47]

ive got a job in my LFS and i give out honest advice, i even got the manager to stop selling dyed fish and sign up to PFK's dyed thingy, and i got the shop to stock ammonia suitable for cycling

glad to know ther is somone who actualy cares in a fish shop mpst layabout doin nuthing

lol one tried to sell two male siamese fighting fish knowing that the customer was guna put them in the same tank
i advsed them not to once he had gone

 

[stang1]

Spend time with customers and make sure you listen to what they have to say. Always give the best advice you can and if you don't know the answer to something, ask another member of staff to help you out. A customer will have more respect for you if you are honest.
Everybody has pretty much covered the basics on here but be aware of the other side of the job.

1. Don't tell customers what they want to hear, tell them what they need to hear.
2. Be prepared for rude customers who have no interest in what you have to say. Always be polite but don't stand for abuse.
3. Always ask the most important questions:
How big is your tank?
How long has it been set up?
What other fish do you have in the tank?
What type of fish do you like?
4. Explain why a fish is suitable/unsuitable for a tank.
5. Share your knowledge but don't be patronising if they have made mistakes.
6. Be prepared for forum members to say things like "the lfs are only after your money", "lfs staff have no idea what they are talking about", "lfs staff don't care and will sell you anything" etc.

I've worked at my lfs for nearly two years and keep all these points in mind. I make sure I ask the questions needed even though some customers find it offensive. I won't sell unsuitable fish and I won't sell to anyone without a filter. My colleagues are exactly the same.
We have now brought in a subtropical section for people with smaller tanks to try to discourage goldfish sales.
I have been sworn at and shouted at for refusing sales and had people storm out for not selling them fish on the same day that they set the tank up.
I sometimes wonder why I do the job until one of my regular customers comes in and tells me how well their tank is going. Then I remember why I love the job so much.
I'm not in it for the money or the sales, my last job had better pay and more sociable hours. I do it because I love the hobby and want other people to have the same joy.
Keep all this in mind, don't let it put you off, enjoy getting paid for your hobby and CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[matchstickman47]

hey stang do you get discount fish?

 

[stang1]

hey stang do you get discount fish?

Why do you think I own so many fish!

 

[matchstickman47]

i take it thats a yes ! lol

 

[stang1]

i take it thats a yes ! lol

 

[Honeythorn]

We have now brought in a subtropical section for people with smaller tanks to try to discourage goldfish sales.

I could Hug you! Few things annoy me more than people who want to buy a goldfish to dump in a small unfiltered tank to amuse a small child who won't care about it after a few months (These are the ones I seem to come across most frequently which is why I use them as an example )

 

[stang1]

We have now brought in a subtropical section for people with smaller tanks to try to discourage goldfish sales.

I could Hug you! Few things annoy me more than people who want to buy a goldfish to dump in a small unfiltered tank to amuse a small child who won't care about it after a few months (These are the ones I seem to come across most frequently which is why I use them as an example )

Glad someone appreciates it, takes some customers a lot of convincing!

 

[Ficious]

the obvious first must do thing is figuring out if theyre experienced or just a noob wanting every fish that looks cool, with the new aqaurium and accesories in the shopping cart

 

[Honeythorn]

We have now brought in a subtropical section for people with smaller tanks to try to discourage goldfish sales.

I could Hug you! Few things annoy me more than people who want to buy a goldfish to dump in a small unfiltered tank to amuse a small child who won't care about it after a few months (These are the ones I seem to come across most frequently which is why I use them as an example )

Glad someone appreciates it, takes some customers a lot of convincing!

This is why I don't work in a fish shop ! . I'd end up getting REALLY wound up and would never sell anything! It seems to be a problem for some people to understand that these are live creatures, not pretty ornaments and toys.

I think fish stores should keep a stash of those plastic magnetic fish that used to be all the rage. When people ask for a fish for their pretty glass bowl...hand over a few and smile politely. ...

 

[Honeythorn]

OP - I just thought of another one.

Instead of pushing for sales of useless things like bottles of cycle (which as we all know does nothing to cycle a tank at all ) could you maybe try to persuade management to allow some extra cannister filters on any large display tanks , and tanks containg large or messy fish on top of what is already running ?

The fish will get the extra filtration ( hardly a bad thing ) and you can sell portions of cycled filter media to customers with newly set up tanks to add to their filters and start their cycles.

Along with giving them a booklet/leaflet on the purpose of cycling and the nitrogen cycle, that would help their fish to better survive new tank syndrome, and the store would still make money from selling the media. You can just cut off sections of sponge or determine a portion of ceramic media for a price, and just replace it with a new piece which will soon become colonised in tanks with messy fish like plecs, oscars and goldfish.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

Ok, you need to be realistic. People want to buy their stuff (as cheap as possible) and they want to go home with some fish. Telling them that it will take 3-5 weeks to cycle their tank with ammonia (that I'm sure PetSmart doesn't even stock) before they can add any fish is a good way to lose a sale and your managers won't be happy. On the other hand unhappy customers that return with a lot of dead fish they want refunds on because their tank wasn't cycled doesn't do the company any good either. So once you start working I would ask management how they want you to handle tank cycling (again, newbie fish people don't want to wait weeks to put fish in their tanks). You may not agree with what they tell you but they want to sell fish and accessories. If you have issues with what they tell you to do then I would start looking for a job at a local private fish store

 

[FishGuest5123]

All the advice so far is good.

Make sure people know the correct tank size for a betta - one gallon is the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM. Two or three gallons is a comfortable size, and there is no reason whatsoever why a betta should not have a five gallon palace. You should make sure people who buy bettas to put in those tiny cups understand that it's cruel and they are reducing the lifespan and quality of life of their fish. You should also make sure people who buy bettas for communities know they cannot be kept with fin nippers (tetras or barbs), long flowing fins (guppies), or fast, dashing fish (danios). Or that you cannot keep male and female bettas in the same tank. EVER.

Tell them the correct level to stock their tank to, and explain to them that other pet stores will probably tell them they can put more fish in. Tell them that while it is possible to maintain an overstocked tank it takes more work (A LOT of work) and is not a good idea for a beginner to attempt.

Don't try to fix problems with broad spectrum medications. Broad spectrum = 'tip this in your tank when you don't know what's wrong to kill all the fish quick so you can start again'. They do have their uses but they are best used as alternative treatments for known conditions. Dispensing them whenever the 'fish are sick' doesn't work. Insist on clear descriptions, water samples and preferably photos.

The final thing and I would think the most important is educating the people you work with. Don't be pushy - just start conversations about this so that people who frequent your shop get consistent good advice.

Whoa! One gallon is entirely too small for a betta. A 2.5G is bare minimum but I wouldn’t put one in less than 5 gallons.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Ok, you need to be realistic. People want to buy their stuff (as cheap as possible) and they want to go home with some fish. Telling them that it will take 3-5 weeks to cycle their tank with ammonia (that I'm sure PetSmart doesn't even stock) before they can add any fish is a good way to lose a sale and your managers won't be happy. On the other hand unhappy customers that return with a lot of dead fish they want refunds on because their tank wasn't cycled doesn't do the company any good either. So once you start working I would ask management how they want you to handle tank cycling (again, newbie fish people don't want to wait weeks to put fish in their tanks). You may not agree with what they tell you but they want to sell fish and accessories. If you have issues with what they tell you to do then I would start looking for a job at a local private fish store

In this case, advise them to read on the aquarium nitrogen cycle and sell them some Tetra Safe Start +.