[Chaloupa]

My Ideal Store;
I would like to walk into the store, see some nicely set up tanks with them lit up like our own tanks at home are (or could be with your help), using the products that they sell and recommmend, and CLEAN...that means glass inside and OUT, substrate, ornaments, and floor area around the tanks, I also want the right fish or animal on the glass so that at no point do I have to ask the price (to some people asking the price is embarassing)...I should be able to see it on the glass. Lets face it, if we see a beautiful setup online, and then go to the LFS and they have a beauty set up...we want to mimic THAT tank...we want to own that....provide us with the stuff to do it!

-I want a store that the employee just says HI so that I know someone saw me whether they have people in front of them or not a quick "HI" is easy, and lets me browse uninterupted. I do like to see name tags and if you are a pet store that sells more than reef stuff indicate on the name tag which area that employee specializes in (a big thing for me so I can directly ask for someone) I don't like to be pestered, but I don't like to be ignored because I don't look like I have a ton of cash ready to spend..the person who drove up in the Lexus could have $10.00 to spend and the person in a T and shorts could have $1000.00 to spend as their grandma just left them some cash....every customer has potential and needs to be seen as such

-I am also big on selection. Some stores have really good stock levels and variety-that is important. I do travel to the South Island on a regular basis and don't want to have the trip wasted because there was nothing to see or buy....it is still an impulse sort of hobby at times...we know what we have room for in our tanks but we also know the fine line that would allow that extra Goby or such to come home with us...if there is no stock we can't buy it. Having a bit of information is very very handy too. A lot of us are newbies and don't know each behaviour or quirk that a fish may have so info on tank size, habits, reef or not, etc would help.

-pricing...well thats a tough one, some of us (myself included) would rather pay a few dollars more so that we don't have to travel to Vancouver to purchase things and we have a bit of a relationship with the LFS staff who can let us know how things are eating and behaving etc....but to not scalp us, I understand the extra shipping issues etc BUT if we reefers can bring in an online order for ourselves and onlyourselves and the shipping isn't horrendous why would it be for the LFS?

-a web site that is updated OFTEN would help so we can all see what arrived and how fast we have to drive to get there first! a good website says alot...I visit J&L often to just look at stuff

That is my 2 cents (ok with the length of it maybe my several bucks!)...I can't say the # of times that I have come back from a fish shopping expedition and am disappointed....give us service, give us stock and all will be well!