This really steams me.

JMes · #1 09-20-2011, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoaElite

Funny, said store in question sold me this yellow colony for a WHOPPING $20.00 out of there brown bin. Threw common sense out the window on that one!

I would like to buy a fish. Anything that is blue. It has to be blue because I just decorated,and I want the fish to match my nice blue wallpaper. All your fish have velvet or Ick. Whats that? Oh,its normal in healthy fish. COOL,
thanks for clearing that up with me. Ok,I want a blue fish,Preferably velvet as the word velvet sounds sexy.OMG!! I will name it velvet Revolver!! Size? DAmn right size matters. Always say Bigger the better. My tank? It's one of those cube things. Biocube 14? Doesn't matter as velvet Revolver will fit right at home with the other 10 fish in there.
Oh,I will also take one of those dying or dead stick corals. Do those 1000 little flat things covering it cost extra?

Big deal,obviously someone you know sold you the coral at discount price. Fact of the matter these guys sell alot of unhealthy fish,dead or dying corals to inexperienced hobbyist at premium prices. I have seen this first hand. I wouldn`t put any of their corals or fish 10 feet from my tank. Go BS someone else

Madreefer · #2 09-20-2011, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMes

I would like to buy a fish. Anything that is blue. It has to be blue because I just decorated,and I want the fish to match my nice blue wallpaper. All your fish have velvet or Ick. Whats that? Oh,its normal in healthy fish. COOL,
thanks for clearing that up with me. Ok,I want a blue fish,Preferably velvet as the word velvet sounds sexy.OMG!! I will name it velvet Revolver!! Size? DAmn right size matters. Always say Bigger the better. My tank? It's one of those cube things. Biocube 14? Doesn't matter as velvet Revolver will fit right at home with the other 10 fish in there.
Oh,I will also take one of those dying or dead stick corals. Do those 1000 little flat things covering it cost extra?

Big deal,obviously someone you know sold you the coral at discount price. Fact of the matter these guys sell alot of unhealthy fish,dead or dying corals to inexperienced hobbyist at premium prices. I have seen this first hand. I wouldn`t put any of their corals or fish 10 feet from my tank. Go BS someone else

Man that sounded like me when I first started. Alot of people wont admit that but pretty sure alot were the same. I used to think that those guys at the fish store were sooo smart. After reading several books and hours researching on the net my attitude has totally changed towards this rewarding hobby. I regret to say I have killed alot of fish and corals and wasted tons of money over the years. I do my own research now and it has paid off and there really is not alot of people working in fish stores that I trust. None in my town at all.

Proteus · #3 09-20-2011, 03:25 AM

We all make nube mistakes. Heck I'm still a nube. But I've learned that there are people willing to help and even this site helped me out Alot. But honestly I never knew bout the better FS only the big box. Made my mistakes now I no

mark · #4 09-20-2011, 01:05 PM

so manager hears the employee telling the customer 'since you just setup your tank, come back in a month and I might sell you something then', wondering if employee still has a job?

shrimpchips · #5 09-20-2011, 02:21 PM

A lot of the smaller stores will sell crap to stupid people. Not everybody who buys at the small stores is getting super healthy fish and a great deal - and the opposite can be said for the big box stores. Not all the stuff they have is crap and over priced.

If you don't know what you're looking for, no matter where you go, you won't be getting what you want - it's not the LFS employee's job to fully educate each and every joe schmuck that comes through the door on every product they want to purchase; they just work there.

amoreira · #6 09-20-2011, 02:43 PM

There's always pressure on the LFS employee to be the "expert" - all in the interest of customer service. Good employers should tell their employees that honesty is the best policy. I'd appreciate it as a customer. I'd appreciate employers that encourage their employees to learn something about the hobby too. I suspect in a big box store, during off hours there's lots of opportunities for staff to read a book on it (say one of the Two Little Fishies books) or surf the web for information. They want to retain staff? Make the job interesting and pay better.

Maybe the type of customer that these stores get doesn't warrant knowledgable staff. I think the type that go there wouldn't be inclined to invest the $ or time to do it right. They stock up the tank, it crashes and they sell it in a garage sale or kjijji. Ultimately, perhaps we need regulation of the industry. You need a CITES permit to export livestock. This is in interest of protecting the species... Why don't we license hobbyists and LFS's? Take a certification course, pay a fee and get your license. Just some random thoughts on the subject. Might save a few clownfish from doom.

reefwars · #7 09-20-2011, 02:53 PM

[quote= Ultimately, perhaps we need regulation of the industry. You need a CITES permit to export livestock. This is in interest of protecting the species... Why don't we license hobbyists and LFS's? Take a certification course, pay a fee and get your license. Just some random thoughts on the subject. Might save a few clownfish from doom.[/quote]

id like to know whos going to pay for this course?? this happens you can say goodbye to the little lfs and all you will get is big box stores that now hire teenagers still who have done a course but are still told to sell sell sell

its not that difficult people.....research what you buy.....how many business's are gonna go educate people and read books in their off times? not many....you buy smokes you think the clerk is gonna tell you the bad stuff? you buy deep fryer fat you think the grocery store cares? walmart and buying bullets or a gun and how its wrong to hunt?? sometimes people just dont want to be told what to do its up to us this for just about every type of business

grow up were not 4 yrs old then its mom responsibilitie, buy what you like when you like take responsibilitie for your own purchases

kien · #8 09-20-2011, 03:16 PM

I have been to LFS' where the owner did not know the answer to some of my questions. I know, ZOMG right?!?!?

bignose · #9 09-20-2011, 05:07 PM

It should be a priority for store owners/mangers to have a quality control program which should include training. The store should have someone with adequate training for the group of employees to learn from from. A customer will most likely come back to a store that is honest to them.

I'm not saying the stores are responsible for uneducated customer purchases but someone should lead them in the proper path to what they want in their tank.

From my personal experience with "big box" stores is they DO have educated staff but not all of them.

globaldesigns · #10 09-20-2011, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kien

I have been to LFS' where the owner did not know the answer to some of my questions. I know, ZOMG right?!?!?

Nothing wrong with that, as long as they are honest and state they don't but will help you find the answer. I have much more respect for any store that operates this way. Noboday can know everything, just not possible!