Pets At Home

[Kribster]

Ok, i work in a PAH store - Uttoxeter, the smallest "general" PAH store in the country.
We only have 10 people working there.
I have been reading around and am horrified at the general opinions of people about the company - what they have seen etc - so i am going to try to raise a defence.
The below is how it is done in MY store.

1) Fish delivery - we get our fish from JMC aquatics. I do not know how long the fish have been in the bags for when they get to us, but they get a 30 min acclimatisation phase. If the manager on duty (we only have 3, and the staff get on very well with them, they know what they are doing) or a member of staff is not happy with the state of the fish in the bags then it gets sent back.
We add pro-med to the tanks before the fish are released in their respective tanks, and at 5 hour intervals over the remainder of the day & the next to help the fish recover.

2) We keep a meticulous record of fish ilness's and deaths, and if a tank has a disease then it will be cut off from the other tanks (we have a column filter system - all the tanks in 1 "bay" run off the same HUGE filter) & treated. The fish will then be sent back on the next delivery day.
If there is a disease in the tank then we do not sell the fish from within them. If the record of deaths rises too high then we will not sell fish from that tank.
Dead fish are removed, and the tanks scanned every 30 mins - 1 hour, depending on how busy we are.

3) i was taken on for my knowlege in fish, as the only other really "fishy" person is linda, and she only does weekdays. I had to undergo a long induction phase training me on the basics for all the animals, shop work etc, but i did not need to undergo a time on the tills before being allowed to see to the fish & animals (i would like to know who had that problem, and in which store please)

We offer a 10 - 15 day garuntee on any fish we sell, and (at managers descretion) if we accidentally introduce a disease to the tank we may re-imburse you. all fish undergo a health check before we sell them, and we let you check & choose the fish yourself before purchase.


If anyone has any comment on any PAH store please say so, and mention the location of the store too, so i can mention it to Head Office. Hopefully we can crack down on poor fish maintenence.


Thanks

Kribster

 

[5teady_2012]

Pets@home in hull (stoneferry road) - they need reporting..

Would they re emberse you for all the fish that could possibly die in your tank of a disease that was brought from the store? i very much doubt it..

I hate fs that have a one filter system to run all tanks, in my opinion its just pure laziness and greed..

I know some places have lots of tank but im sure it would be a lot more sucessfull way to have thier own filter systems

My lfs i usually go to all have undergravel filters and are waterchanged and cleaned by 2 people that work thereand they have over 100 tanks in the shop... i take my hat off to them, and know that when i buy from there, im getting good stuff

Its not often they have a tank being treated for a disease, my llocal p@h has less tank than this.

P@H = disgrace in Hull

 

[Kribster]

Right - Hull is down.

My store only has 23 tanks - 21 20 - 30L tanks (never really measured them lol) and 2 100L tanks. Each "Bay" consists of either 8 or 9 tanks, and there is a huge filter running each "bay". It isnt really possible with our time restrictions (we are not a fish store, we are a Pet Supplies shop that happens to sell fish, as well trained as we are on them they are not our main priority im afraid) to run each and every tank on its own filter. We do clean out the filters once a week (not nessessary) and "strip down" 2 or 3 tanks a week to give them a thorough clean. This way every tank gets a regular clean & maintenence chck.

I am sorry if the store in hull does not meet your satisfacion, i will mention it to my regional manager.

 

[helterskelter]

Well if you want to tell you area manager then you risk it......

PAH have a terrible reputation all over the UK, Poole and Christchurch in Dorset have a small section, and i dont ever recall going in to either and thinking "Dont the fish look good"............
2-3 tanks are always skinny, and shimmying around yet their still for sale!!!!!

I'll never buy from PAH and I buy loads of stuff for my aquatic serviceing job i do.........

Sorry.

 

[5teady_2012]

just to add, i had a argument with one of the staff there... it went something like this....


Me: you just sold that tank to that guy and told him to fill his tank with water, leave it standing for a week and then if water tests show up ok, then we can sell you fish.. what did you give him to cycle the tank..

p@h worker: What do you mean?

Me: well is tank aint going to cycle on its own is it.

p@h worker: it will cycle in a week of been stood.

Me: how do you work that out?

p@h worker: well, the filter will mature after a week or two..

me: oh so its a week or two now, you told him 1 week... and the filter aint going to mature at all as the cycle cant start..

p@h worker: of course the cycle will start, thats why you leave it standing so it matures the filter

me: omg you have a the inteligence of a 5 year old

p@h worker: i beg your pardon?

me: The cycle aint going to start without ammonia, you have to add the ammonia to the tank whilst cycling it.. i dont know the 100% way of doing it off by heart, but i have it logged on my pc..

p@h worker: well i have not heard that before, can you explain how the cycle works..

me: well to the best of my knowledge, ammonia turns to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate, this is the nitrogen cycle.. the bacteria build up in the filter whilst this process goes on in your tank whilst cycling

p@h worker: ohh, well do you have to keep adding ammonia when you add fish to the tank

me: no

p@h worker: well then you have just contradicted yourself

me: and how does your 5 year old brain work that out? (with a smile on my face)

p@h worker: well you said you need ammonia to start the cycle, but when you add fish you stop adding ammonia, that dont make sense

me: omg how the hell did you get this job?

p@h worker: why you say that

me: what do fish do in a tank?

p@h worker: what do you mean

me: well they eat dont they, and then they poo..

p@h worker: and your point is what exactly

me: well fish waste has ammonia in it, all the wasted food in the tank ends up rotting and producing ammonia, this is how the cycle continues, all you do is basically start the cycle so its able to break down the ammonia etc so that your fish will eventually produce once you add them.. then they continue it themselves but are under no threat of high levels has you have already cycled the tank..

p@h worker: oh yeah i see what you mean, well i never knw that, we didnt get learnt any of this..

me: have you got a home pc?

p@h worker: yes

me: why dont you just do some research when you have time? join fishforums.net its a good forum with very helpful people.

p@h worker: i will, im curious to learn more about this..

me: im sorry if i sounded nasty towards you but it really winds me up.

p@h worker: its no problem, you have opened my eyes to a few things..

me: ok well i better get off, il send the cheque in the post lol

p@h worker: laughed***



lol, i know my info might not have been 100% accurate but i did my best lol..

Goes to show what goes on though dosent it..

 

[Kribster]

Yup we get some real no-brainers in all stores - EVERY shop in the world has ppl like that. There are 3 in my store that the managers just stick on the tills or get them to do back stock, because they can't be trusted near the fish or animals not to do something stupid.

We are trained that when we sell a tank, explain to the customer about de-chlorination & filter start/aid (whatever it is called in its various forms).
We also show them where it is on the shelves...

My "set up" procedure for selling a tank goes something like this;

Explain about the different sizes of tank & the fish that could be kept in each
Explain how easy/difficult it is to keep different fish (tropical or coldwater)
Explain on the filters & heaters required for the tank
Explain on substrates
Plants - fake or live - & tank layout
How to set the tank up - either fill with water & then add equipment or add stuff 7 then water
The chemicals required to set up the tank & secure fish safety
Common fish diseases
The community / species side to the types of fish - what is compatible with what.

I then go over all the above to make sure the customer understands.

(i have proberbly missed somethings out but it is late, i have been doing schoolwork for ages now and im very tired)

Does that sound good for a pet store?

Kribster

 

[guppy_man]

CRAP!

I would only purchase fish foods and meds from there.



You are guaranteed to find atleast 1 dead fish in one of their tanks.

 

[Kribster]

Yup, proberbly.

But if the death toll rises too high in a tank then we don't sell fish from it until we have either a) found out why or B) sent all the fish back to the suppliers & re-stocked.

 

[Snooks1!]

It sounds extremely general.

 

[littlest]

I complained about my local Pets at Home to the council (its the Blackheath Hill branch) because seriously (abd obviously) ill fish were in tanks from which other fish were being sold, and there were numerous dead fish (I know that some fish will die. I don't judge a store on having a couple of dead ones, but there was one in nearly every tank and the fish were feasting on them)

this is some details from the letter from the council: (Not everything is included, only things which contravened the Pet Animals Act legislation)

"Fancy goldfish tank 1 : near-dead red cap, upside down, sbd, couldn’t swim. White fish covered in ich, skinny. Two others swimming erratically, sign of parasites.

Goldfish tank 2 : two fish bottom sitting.

Common goldfish tank: remains of goldfish in plant. One bottom sitting.

Tropical tanks:

Dwarf gourami dead, floating at top.
Platy dead and inpaled on filter tube
Betta splendens kept with neon tetras, which are known to nip and harras bettas. Betta had very little finnage left because neons had eaten it.
Cory catfish tank, one dead cory being eaten by other fish.
Numerous other small fish in tropical tanks were dead.

No single tank appeared to be free of diseased or dead fish."

I am pleased to hear about how things are run in the Pets At Home you work in, because it seems to be a world away from my local one.
Also, I'd like to point out, that the above refers only to one visit. It was due to seeing the same kind of thing over and over again at the branch that I complained.

Regarding the advice you give to people buying a tank, are you taught by Pets at Home about the advice on stocking? I was listened to advice a staff member gave to someone buying a tank and the stocking suggestions were awful (3 common goldfish in a 30 litre).

I also had a member of staff try to sell me Interpet Anti-Internal Bacteria medication to treat external crustacean parasites. When I pointed out the obvious, he admitted that he was expected (presumably by the managers) to sell a customer something if they don't have the product they are looking for, even if that something is useless to the customer.

I do think that a lot depends on the staff in these chain stores. A former local Pets At Home used to be pretty good for fish (and small animals) when this particular guy worked there (he was a supervisor or manager or something and had qualifications in animal care, think he was training to be a vet). After he left the store went downhill noticeably in terms of animal care and advice on animal care (both for fish and the small animals).

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

5teady, why would they give him something to cycle his tank? Almost all the cycling products on the market at the moment are complete trash...


I do not live in the UK, and cannot say that P@H is complete trash, but what I can say is that though a vast majority of the chain pet stores I have been to have been terrible (especially petcetera) there are always a few out of the bunch that are half decent. I haven't seen your store Kribster, but it doesn't sound terrible. Much like the store I work at, and thats a privately owned local business.

 

[bronzecat]

Hi Kribster

Truro P@H - Very helpful staff, a couple more knowledgable than others (to be expected). Never counted, but theres about 40 tanks including the fancy goldfish. The tanks are always in reasonable condition and the fish look healthy. We got my wifes vt betta there.

They always ask what tank you have, if its established etc....
They have just introduced a questionaire, like you do for small animals, where a sheet is filled in with all the details. The fish you're buying is fully explained with its requirements and whether its compatible with your parametres and other stock.

So, in my experience this one is good

Just to add, i recently bought 4 female bettas and a yoyo loach, at seperate times, without any questions or explanation from the vendor. That was at a dedicated lfs!

I also witnessed 4 male bettas perish over 4 days at another dedicated lfs!

Cheers

 

[rabbut]

My local P@H could be added to your list.

When compairing prices for new tanks, I went into the leeds branch of P@H. All their tanks were algea covered. Granted, in a shop environmet time is scarce and staff may choose to deticate time to mainanance rather than presentation. However, on closer inspection, I found bodies in most of the tanks. About 3 of the 40 or so tanks they had contained fish with obvious signs of disease, that were still on sale.

I inquired about discus tanks. The staff member I was talking to diden't know what I was on about, so refured me to a "fish specialist" After a short run through of my plans, they surgested a Juwel Record 60 for a group of 6 discus, 10 cardinal tetra and 6 corrys

Sadly, the store went downhill previously to this visuit, as they used to be quite good. When I complained, the manager was very non-helpful, clearly supporting the staff members surgestion of the Record 60 for my planned stocking They also stated that they diden't have time to sort the sales tanks at the moment, despite many staff standing arround apparently doing nothing

Hope you can make a difference
Good luck to you
Rabbut

 

[5teady_2012]

5teady, why would they give him something to cycle his tank? Almost all the cycling products on the market at the moment are complete trash...


I do not live in the UK, and cannot say that P@H is complete trash, but what I can say is that though a vast majority of the chain pet stores I have been to have been terrible (especially petcetera) there are always a few out of the bunch that are half decent. I haven't seen your store Kribster, but it doesn't sound terrible. Much like the store I work at, and thats a privately owned local business.

My point was, she did not even recommend anythig or give him any info about cycling... the whole what did you give him to cycle the tank comment was a way of getting in to my point with her hmmz

And not all are trash (as you say)

Think before you comment, cos if you not live in the uk, how can you comment on our products? (unless you have been here and seen them and tested them, then i appologise)

 

[andywg]

I hate fs that have a one filter system to run all tanks, in my opinion its just pure laziness and greed..

I know some places have lots of tank but im sure it would be a lot more sucessfull way to have thier own filter systems

This here shows just how ignorant you are of trying to upkeep a large number of tanks on a tight budget.

If having individual filters was the best way then the shops would have them that way. Look at most people who run fish rooms, do they have an individual filter on each tank, or do they find a way to centralise the system (through a common sump or large air powered system)?

Do you also hate fish keepers with a number of tanks who choose to create a larger, more stable, system with centralised filtration? I have two centralised filter systems, does that make me lazy and greedy, or just more sensible knowing that my 15 gallon frogfish tank is connected to a further 140 gallons of water?

Think before you comment

Stones and glass houses comes to mind