[BlueWorldAquatic]

I thought I would respond to this thread as someone that is on the other side of the fence. As an owner of a LFS I can tell you we are not all out to make the big money.

Ask my staff, this is not my "day job", but an extension of my hobby. A hobby I love, I have found a passion in the few short years that I have been dabbling with marine aquariums.

I have always been taught you can't know everything but can surround yourself with people/resources to fill the gaps. There is never a need to lie or bullsh*t anyone to make a sale. I teach my employees the same principles, there is nothing wrong in asking for help from someone more knowledgeable.

None of my staff are on commission, nor will they ever will. If the store does well in a quarter they receive bonuses.

The problem arises from lack of training, or someone that “thinks” they know it all. It is mostly ego, from both sides also.

I can personally attest to a situation where the customer wanted a very docile fish for his aggressive tank and I refused to sell it. Now I am accused of not knowing anything because the customer didn’t get his way? and when the customer goes to another the LFS that ends up selling the fish (that dies or get killed), is that store accused of lying by omission to make the sale by not telling the customer that isn’t a good idea?

I can also cite an example where the customer would accept help from one of my staffers (Taylor) because he was a kid, that "Kid" is more knowledgable than most people I know.

If you want to avoid salespeople, you can always purchase by online, but that is not the best way to get livestock. As most of you know, just because someone carries a certain species of fish doesn’t mean that it’s “personality” will be the same as all the ones you see locally.

Please don't lump all LFS together, as with all stores, there will always be good and bad apples, you may have just had a bad salesperson too.

Remember, online/mail-order you are just a number to them (credit card), it may save you money in the long run but is it worth it when the LFS start disappearing? What are online stores? Not much different than the box stores most people hate already except no lazy or pushy salespeople.

Ken - BWA