LFS that lie.

[blacknife]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

It is easy to take care of....

so you would gladly give pieces of it away to noobs and expect them to live eh?

oh well .. but just think of all the $$ i have spent trying to make things better in my tank to keep it alive.. hah.. thats what the salesperson is thinking..

[brickwood]

I have been told many times by my LFS that certain things should not be put in my tank. I have also been told many times that they would have to go ask someone else because they weren't sure about something. I also believe that sometimes we don't hear what they are telling us and only hearing what we want and then tell everyone we have been lied to. I personally do not believe that these LFS's are intentionaly trying to pull one over on us. Here in the Lower Mainland we have many fish stores to go to. The ones I go to all have knowledgable staff and I have never been lied to. It just realy ticks me off when we throw all these stores under this category that they are out to rip us off. I also work in retail and deal with people all day long and it just drives me up the wall when someone accuses me of ripping them off. Yes, the stores are trying to make a buck. Yes, the stores are going to try what they can to get a sale, but intentionaly telling someone a lie to make a sale in such a tight knit hobby just doesn't make sense. Most people who go to these stores generaly know what they are talking about or have already researched their purchase. Maybe I'm just ranting for nothing. I support my LFS fully. If we keep bashing these stores and driving new people and old away, they will not exist. Then where are you going to go? Instead of hating, try supporting. Times are tough. Lets keep them alive so I can continue to hang out at these places. Keep up the good work guys!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I guess one of the advantages of knowing most of the people who work at the LFS in the Lower Mainland is that they know NOT to try to BS me about fish stuff. Of course, I'm referring to the independent ones, not the chain stores.

I LOVE going to LFS and hanging out for hours, just talking fish stuff with the staff if its not busy & maybe helping to bag some fish/corals if it is.

Still, it is OUR responsibility to do the research first. If I'm not sure, I ask, but I also look it up myself. Lots of these shops carry good reference books that you can ask to look through. Worse comes to worse, I put the coral/fish on hold and go home to surf the net about the species I'm interested in. While the salesperson may help me make the decision on whether to buy or not, ultimately, it is MY responsibility on how I spend my money and what I put in my tanks.

Anthony

[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

[fishoholic]

I've been lucky in the fact that most of the workers in the LFS's in Edmonton know who I am and they know that I am knowledgeable in this hobby so they have been very honest with me. I've also noticed that for the most part they are fairly honest with others as well, more so about info on fish then equipment but over all I like to think they wouldn't out right lie just to make a sale, but obviously it does happen.

I will say though that the two main stores I support: Marine Aquaria and Blue World, have very knowledgeable staff and I can't see either store lying about anything just to make a sale.

[Haloreef]

I've been in this hobby a short time, (7+ years give or take) and I don't profess to know it all by any meens but to say LFS's all lie is a crapy statement to make. I live in the Fraser Valley and as already stated we have quite a few stores to choose from. I have purchased stock from all of them. I do tend to support one more than others ( because I have a good relationship) with not only the owners but the other customers that frequent the store. I do not feel that I have been lied to by any of thease stores. As a matter of fact when I was really new I had times when I was told certain things would not be sold to me because I (my tank) was not ready. It was hard to take at first but now I am thankfull for the advise. Nothing would have gotten me out of the hobby faster that putting out money for dead stock. With the way the economy is now it is a hard for them to stay afloat I think it will be a sad day in our hobby if/when we loose them. All you have to do is look on Canreef to see all of the tear downs going on.
Support your LFS. and Online vendors. I for one do not want to do all the CITIES doc's it would take to bring my own Acro's in.
And all those who know me know I read my Ass off before I purchase anything, do your home work and educate yourselves.
My 2cents
Keith.

[Zoaelite]

Ken you have good point,
No way on earth I would come on here and start bashing LFS in general as I help out at one ever so often (and there are tones of amazing ones in Calgary). It would be nice if all LFS conducted themselves in the manor that Blue World does but it is the sad truth that sometimes that line between service and profit is smeared. Going on your point though, I think naturally bad LFS weed them selves out as people will always need supplies. Good service is rewarded by return business, which in turn is profit. Keep up the good work !
Levi

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by blacknife

so you would gladly give pieces of it away to noobs and expect them to live eh?

oh well .. but just think of all the $$ i have spent trying to make things better in my tank to keep it alive.. hah.. thats what the salesperson is thinking..

Umm, yeah, I would actually, but I know that if they were MY customer, their tank would be kickass.

But I digress, I'm not trying to sell anyone any Goniopora...

[Slick Fork]

I have a bit of a hard time with the image of the big bad retailer picking on the poor sweet honest consumer.

Most of the bad advice I see in LFS's is just that. Bad advice from employees who have great intentions but limited experience. No single person can know it all and ultimately the onus should be on the consumer to check several sources and make an informed decision. I think the actual instances of something more sinister going on, like deliberate misleading of a customer, are very rare.

So, do your own research... take everything ANYBODY says with a grain of salt because everybody has their own opinion even if it's not a particularly qualified one. Give the sales guys/employees the benefit of the doubt, 99 times out of a hundred they're just trying to be helpful and yes, they should know when to say "I don't know" but sometimes pride does get in the way. As for the rare occasions when someone is deliberately mislead, those are unfortunate, but the stores are digging their own grave.

And really, when we hear a story like Sharuq's about a woman who dropped $1000 on a strip light and cannister filter we all shake our heads and curse the LFS that sold it. But when you give it a moments thought, any waterhead who will drop that kind of money without doing even the most basic research, probably shouldn't be keeping fish in the first place. They should maybe stick to hamsters or sea monkeys or something like that.

[fkshiu]

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

I have a bit of a hard time with the image of the big bad retailer picking on the poor sweet honest consumer.

Most of the bad advice I see in LFS's is just that. Bad advice from employees who have great intentions but limited experience. No single person can know it all and ultimately the onus should be on the consumer to check several sources and make an informed decision. I think the actual instances of something more sinister going on, like deliberate misleading of a customer, are very rare.

So, do your own research... take everything ANYBODY says with a grain of salt because everybody has their own opinion even if it's not a particularly qualified one. Give the sales guys/employees the benefit of the doubt, 99 times out of a hundred they're just trying to be helpful and yes, they should know when to say "I don't know" but sometimes pride does get in the way. As for the rare occasions when someone is deliberately mislead, those are unfortunate, but the stores are digging their own grave.

And really, when we hear a story like Sharuq's about a woman who dropped $1000 on a strip light and cannister filter we all shake our heads and curse the LFS that sold it. But when you give it a moments thought, any waterhead who will drop that kind of money without doing even the most basic research, probably shouldn't be keeping fish in the first place. They should maybe stick to hamsters or sea monkeys or something like that.

+1

Two words: Caveat Emptor.

No one is putting a gun to head and forcing you to buy something.