Working At A Pet Store

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Well, I'll go ahead and play devil's advocate. Refusing sales, as much as it pains me and you to see the pet fish mistreated, is a very, very poor strategy for long-term health of the store.

Customers do talk, to corporate complaint lines and amongst one another. There was a recent survey I read that the average person tells 6-9 people when they get good service somewhere, but tell 15-25 people when they receive bad service. And, in these people's minds they got bad service, so they will tell people.

If they convince others to not go to the store, the store closes, you lose your job, etc. At the very least, if fish are refused to sell to a lot of people, the market on fish becomes much tougher to justify. Your $1.00 guppies will have to sell for maybe $5.00, $10.00 or as much as $15.00 to compensate for keeping them. Now, the high prices will drive away all but the most serious fishkeeper, and correspondingly, the prices would probably have to go higher to keep them around. Something has to pay to keep the employees in the store, the tanks up and running, rent/lease on the store, etc. because you have to refuse 9 out of every 10 people that come up to you. In the limit of this thought experiment, there are almost no fish stores around at all, and those few still on business will be charging like 10 times what we pay now.

So, unfortunately, in terms of business, you have to sell to these people. You can try your best to educate and urge them to act compassionately, but ultimately, it is a business. Many LFSs are really operating on the verge of going under at the moment, many many cannot afford to turn away customers.

I agree, but there are other better ways to make money.
For example, many lfs look at fishkeeping liks this- if you sell a common pleco and 10gal tank to a customer, you probably won't make much profit. But hey, won't they come back for a bigger tank once
the plec has outgrown it? Not nesarsarily so, the customer may have been completely put off fish keeping by losing there fish to crampt conditions, or may not even want to upgrade its tank after been told it will do fine in there.
Surely then, its much better to sell that common plec with a 100gal tank, and make loads of profit, and know that the customer will come back over and over again because their fish has thrived in more gallons and that a larger tank will obviously hold more fish so they will come back to buy more?

Plus, if you tell your customers how do to good fish keeping, they will want to buy more things like water quality testing kits, dechlorinator, many types of fish foods, expensive substrate, Co2 kits, expensive plants, breeding nets and tank decor etc on a more regular basis?
Because you have told them how to do fish keeping properly and successfully, they will chose your lfs over the one that tried to sell than a tiny tank stuffed with fish that only lasted a couple of weeks, or that lfs that tried to sell them those two fish which then continued to kill all their others, or that lfs that sold them ph boosters saying thats would save their fish when it reality it was because a particular desease that killed their fish, and a good med could have saved them instead?

I think many lfs just try to buy cheap tanbusting or agressive fish in bulk that no one else wants because they will believe they will make more profit on them by lying about their size or temperment to unsuspecting customers.

 

[Rediahs]

I think you should post real-size pictures of typical adult sizes of the fish, tape them up next to or below the holding tanks. As well, post the minimum required tank size, reccomended tank size, and incompatibility list (of fish that they cannot be housed with).

If any customer complains or says they want to do something bad, show them the chart and the list. They might feel more confident about it when it isn't just a person's word, and there is an actual page showing them "This is what this fish requires" rather than being intimidated by the workers in the shop.

Some more info you could add is, if they prefer to be in shoals/alone.

 

[madmom]

Two of the LFS's here List basics under their tanks, max, size, Good for beginners etc, peaceful etc., and have a few fact sheets. These are generilized, Livebearers and goldfish mostly. They don't have special requirements like temp or pH tolerance listed. Most people I've watched don't even read the little notes under the tanks. If they are lucky they will get a salesclerk that will tell them this fish is not right for your tank because...... Most of the time though they just net up the fish and sell it nevermind it is totally wrong for the tank. I've seen people buy a tank gravel fish etc. and the clerk tells them just set the whole thing up and there you go (basically) the fish will be just fine. Quite a number of clerks just don't care they just want to get their time in.
I'm glad that I made my daughter study quite a bit before I even went with her to get her first tank. She at least knows the basics and will tell the clerk no that fish looks sick . She really loves it when there is a clerk that will take the time to explain to her why her choice is not right and will help her to find a great fish.
I'm glad there are a few clerks out there who try to inform people and really care about what they do .
Thanx fish_fetish65

 

[Rafael Dilone]

Well this makes me sad There are people out there that dont really care about fish. They just buy the fish that they like upon appearence alone and buy a tank that is only large enough for the fish just to fit( I know I sometimes overstock but when the fish are getting to big or are too much of a problem I sell them or give them away). I have a situation like that around were I live. I have a Petland around were I live. But I would never consider buying fish from there. That is because the people that work there dont really know anything. They sell fish that are full of diseases. They dont even know how to tell the difference between a male or a female on any fish and dont know what water the fish thrive and dont know there diet. They just sell the fish because they know that the ignorant customers would just come back and buy more and more. I know people who would spent around $500.00 on fish they have bought so many times because they die time and time again. But they wont spent that money on having the proper equipment to avoid the fish from dieing. That is why I dont buy from the petland near my house. That is why I rather go to the store were I get all my fishes which is about 1 hour and 30 minutes were I live. It is worth the trip beacuse they have a knowledgeable staff and they treat there fish with much care.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I have Five different local pets stores, and seven in total.

2x petco
1x petsmart
1x Plano pets
1x Exotic aquatics
1x Aquatic DEsigns
1x Dallas North Aquarium - haven't been yet

One of the petcos are HORRIBLE. out of five times i've gone to measure tanks and look at fish, there has only once been a person in the tank section, who left halfway while i was there...

The otherpetco, AMAZING for a petco. The dude really cares for the fish. Asks what tank you have, and even cleaned out the entier selection this month for the tanks and made it all look great. Puts salt in for things like guppies seriously. It's cool what that old dude does for the petco.

Plano pets - they have some pretty uncommon stuff for america. They have clown loaches, roseline sharks, and a large freshwater selection, as well as decent sized salt water. The guy who works there doesn't say things like "oh, khuli loaches ned to be in fours". But the Teenage dude who works there does. Real outgoing and cool dude. Seriously, enthusiastic. has his own tanks. Suggust tanks. He knows his stuff. I ask about a fish, he instantly say "HO no. You don't want that one. It'd tear apart everything in your tank" Instead of smiling and nodding.

Exotic aquatics - A tad pricey, but a good store. Labels max on fishes. has bichirs, knife fishes, and some of the cooler freshwater, as well as dealing in marine. Plano pets and This place are the only places i see cardinal tetras come in. Good plant selection, great display tanks, ect.

Aquatic Designs - Horrible service for teens. They treat you like you have 0 cash. They go for adults who want big tanks. They don't care about the kid who wants the 39 gallon tank and you have to wait 20 minutes just to ask a question. But reasonable prices onj tanks, as well as some of the best. Great saltwater selection, and freshwater exotics like rare discus and such. (rare for here)

PetSmart - fairly impressed by the selection. their cups are 3x as big as the usual betta cups i see at petco or anywhere... Have everything that seems exotic to a beginer. Dragon goby, raphael catfish, more intresting fish than just the norm. bala shark/guppy/neon tetra setup you see at petco.. but They still assume you know everything just by looking at the tag on the tank though.....

 

[fish_fetish65]

thankyou, everyone. it's nice to hear some appreciative and encouraging comments. makes what i deal with on a daily basis worthwhile.

i do my best to alter a customer's mind whenever possible, since i can't refuse a sale. (by the way, i am in the USA). for instance, today a woman and her sons came in wanting to get a couple oscars for their 29G tank. despite a lot of persistance on the boys' part, i managed to convince them to downsize to three balas, two tiger barbs, and a dojo loach (yes, i am aware that tiger barbs, balas, and dojo loaches all prefer to be in larger groups, but i did the best i could under the circumstances...and i don't think that the fish will suffer too much in those conditions, in comparison with the poor oscars...)

an associate of mine was telling me that earlier that day, she got yelled at because she told a man he couldn't put 3 four inch oscars in a 10 gallon tank as a permanent residence.

don't get me wrong- there are those who are grateful for the advice and information... but then, more often than not, people refuse to listen to what i have to say.

on a more amusing note, we often get drunk customers who want to buy fish... they make for a good laugh.

and i don't mean to sound racist or anything, but the thing that bugs me most is when i get someone in there wanting to buy fish who doesn't speak english. there is no way to explain that five balas won't fit into a 2.5 gallon tank, and need at least a 55 gallon tank, without speaking the same language.

i've given up on trying to turn people into fish experts... basically, as long as the fish won't be utterly miserable and will have a decent life, i'll sell it. (for example, i'll sell an oscar if i know it's going into a 60G, though that may be a tad small).

anyhow, i apologize for blabbering on for so long. congrats to those of you who have read thus far!!! lol!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

fish, i am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but balas get to be 12" just as fast as oscars. but way to keep up the fight anyways! its ultimately the effort that counts.

 

[fish_fetish65]

fish, i am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but balas get to be 12" just as fast as oscars. but way to keep up the fight anyways! its ultimately the effort that counts.

oh, i know. and i told them so. but at least balas aren't quite as messy or aggressive as oscars. i tried to get them to take some small fish, but those boys were bound and determined to have a fish that got to be at least a foot long... which is why the balas came to mind.

 

[Gankutsuou]

well.... imo... that's 3 balas that will be misrable compared to two oscars that will be misrable....

3x 1ft + VS 2.... hmmm...

 

[invader]

fish_fetish65, I know how you feel. It's tough trying to explain that you can't fit a goldfish in the tiny .25gl hexagon betta tank to a customer "trying to save money"... Oi.

 

[JAY323]

Haha i keep 2 oscars and 4 bala shark in a 1 gal tank LOL thats funni

 

[juicebox]

the only stores i live by are superpetz, petsmart, and petco. superpetz doesn't really provide any service but there is one girl who knows relatively what she's talking about. i haven't bought anything from petsmart or petco, but i've noticed that the aquarium plants at petco were in poor condition; they had algae growing all over them. the plants at petsmart were in pretty good condition and seemed to be housed in good lighting and such. there's also this marine-only fish store. i've visited there and they seemed to be extremely knowledgable and helpful; i saw a few customers discussing fish with the workers there.

it's a shame pet stores don't qualify workers to have some sort of knowledge about pets or something. it's even more of a shame that some customers walk into a pet store thinking fish require less responsibility than, say, a dog or cat!

 

[Bignose]

I think many lfs just try to buy cheap tanbusting or agressive fish in bulk that no one else wants because they will believe they will make more profit on them by lying about their size or temperment to unsuspecting customers.

Well, I don't think in my post I advocated lying. In fact, I did say " You can try your best to educate and urge them to act compassionately, but ultimately, it is a business." All I was trying to say is that as an employee, you do your best to educate and inform, but if the customer doesnt want to hear it, shrugging your shoulders and letting 'em be can make the most business sense.

These are not the cusotmers that will be coming back for a bigger tank, improved filtration, fancier setups anyway, but they are the customers that make up a very, very significant portion of the income. To the original poster, what is the split? How many customers listen and/or educate themselves? 25%? 50%? Might be a fun way to pass a little time next time at work, just keep a tally.

 

[juicebox]

Haha i keep 2 oscars and 4 bala shark in a 1 gal tank LOL thats funni

that's not funny at all.

i hope you are either lying or planning to get a BIG tank (or several big tanks) very soon!

how do they even fit in a 1 gallon?

 

[fish_fetish65]

well.... imo... that's 3 balas that will be misrable compared to two oscars that will be misrable....

3x 1ft + VS 2.... hmmm...

they were wanting to put at least two, if not three or four oscars in their tank. oscars are extremely aggressive and territorial, as i am sure you know. past experience has led me to believe that balas are quite docile creatures, though they may get large. i feel like i did the right thing by changing the customers' minds. oscars need a minimum of 75 gallons to live ALONE. that is not the case with balas.