Alright everybody. This is everyone's chance from the island to let their LFS know what they're looking for in a fish store. Don't leave out any details and try to be as polite and open as possible. Keep in mind that prices will and should be slightly higher than the mainland due to additional shipping costs and the inability to do mass orders because there are less consumers on the island than the mainland. If you don't mind, I'll go first:
I would like my LFS to be polite and helpful when I walk through the door. I want a knowledgable, trustworthy staff that asks questions about what I'm buying and my setup so they can offer their opinion if they think I could be doing something differently or making a wrong decision. I realize that most stores only have one, maybe two, employees who know enough about the topic to give a proper answer. If you're not one of those people, simply say "I'm sorry, I'm the wrong person to answer that question and I don't in any way want to give you a wrong answer so hang on and I'll go get someone who does know the answer".
SELECTION - Now this doesn't mean I want every item that's available on the planet, but I want the option to look through an order book or something similar and special order things that a store doesn't normally carry on their shelf. I don't expect a store to carry a $1500 skimmer because if they get stuck with it for a while, that's a big hit to take. I'm particularly more interested in the high end stuff and eventhough most stores will order this stuff for you, most people don't know that and most stores will jack the price when doing so. Which brings me to my next point...
PRICE - Like I say, if we all don't understand that prices on the island are always going to be slightly higher then I pray none of us open up our own business because it's going to be a struggle. However, what most LFS don't realize is that by jacking the prices on high end stuff, they are losing a lot of business on the little stuff too. I know that if most of us buy something expensive from a Vancouver supplier then we're usually going to add a few extras into the order while we're at it. Most stores make their money on fish, corals, food, supplements, etc. If you can bring locals into your store with attractive prices on high end stuff (slightly higher than the mainland due to additional expenses to the store) then they are going to buy everything else from you too.
ADVERTISING - I love the idea of having a monthly special. Maybe just to Canreefers, maybe to everyone, but I know that if I saw my LFS name every month, promoting their company and what they have to offer, they're going to be one of the first places I think of when I'm looking to buy something. I know advertising is very expensive and I don't believe in radio advertising. Canreef however, is a fairly inexpensive method of advertising and everyone that sees my tank or I even have a related conversation with, I always recommend going to Canreef to check it out. I've given out this address hundreds of times. Nothing speaks to a person more than a visual display too. Whether it's in a newspaper (must be colour of course), in a brochure or setup in someone's front window in an office, nothing's going to attract someone more than an achievable setup that they can see in their own place. And get involved with your community! Hold frag swaps, hold seminars or clinics for your customers, explaining the hobby better to them so they can ask questions and you can answer for everybody to hear. Just a thought.
The only other thing I'd like but is kind of hard to ask for is a chargeable transaction for someone who can come out to my location for a consultation or assistance if needed. You want something to help you pull away from the competition, there it is guys.
Well, that about sums it up for me. I just want everyone to know that this is my polite opinion and in no way is it meant to criticise anyone or their way of doing things. Everyone is welcome to agree or disagree with my statements but please don't bash me if you feel I'm wrong in any way. If you disagree, don't use quotes from me to point out things I said that are wrong, just say you disagree and type how you would like things. And don't single out any store using names either. Just say what you want in any LFS. I really hope that everybody from the island posts on this because I've got a pretty good feeling that all the LFS monitor this site. I look forward to seeing everyone else's opinions.
PS - Be Polite.