About The Reef (the store) rant

[TheScubaManiac]

My opinion is that no one should do business with this store. It was proven to me today that they care more about money than their customers or the reef animals. They would rather see me intentionally damage my son's tank and a fragile frogspawn than be reasonable about helping a newbie with a problem. I am in retail myself and how you treat the customer when there is a problem shows whether you are in it ONLY for money. This store has good stock etc. but f you ever have a problem they are inflexible, CHEAP and do not see the sense of giving back even an inch to a customer who has spent hundreds of dollars with them. Who wants to help someone in business that acts like that?? I will vote with my dollar and help someone more deserving with more intelligent business sense. Again I encourage you all to not do business with this store that cares more about money than the reef. Please add your own experiences to this thread. Steve.

 

[frontosa_man80]

well what happen? bad advise? sell you bad live stock?

-jesse

 

[jenn_jeffery]

Who did you deal with out of curiosity? I've really only dealt with Chris or Skip for 'serious' questions or on livestock. Never had any problems. This is actually my store of choice....I hate that you had a bad time....and would also like to hear more details.

 

[Philwd]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I have found ATR to be extremely flexible and helpful. It is my store of choice. Can you give us some details?

 

[Smokin Firebird]

ATR is really the only store in the valley that i think has the best live stock. theyre customer service is i think the best. i could walk in to other lsf and have to wait for 15 to 20 min before someone will ask me if i need help. sometimes i'll never get asked if i need help and i have to get someone to help me. i think that the guys and gals at ATR R GREAT!

 

[nbku3vm]

I have had no problems with them either! My wife was picking up some fish for me after work and the lady realized that she was not very experienced and gave her the 20 question quiz to make sure that somebody at home knew what they were doing before they sold her the fish. They even told her not to use the water from the bags because of the copper content. I would talk to the manager there and let them know about your experience. Store owners always want to know these things so they can address any problems.

 

[Helfrichs Chic]

I have only been in there a few times and while it took a little while to get some help the people were friendly and helpfull. I would encourage you to talk with Skip, he is a good guy and will make it right.

 

[CCall]

I have had wonderful service. I go in with questions and water to be tested. I even call for help. I will continue to go back. Thanks to ATR's staff for lots of help.

 

[Alto]

I went in there on my lunch break once just to check the place out and other then being a little over priced on live stock I thought it was a nice store, and the employees were willing to help out, and answer questions and just chat reefs with me, which is uncommon in many stores. Most stores its hard enough to get someone to give you an honest straightforward answer thats more then 3 words long at most shops.

I have never bought from them yet, and I have never needed them to "right a wrong" but I would certainly buy from them based on my experience so far.

 

[shaunj]

IME with ATR, it was great! I am sorry to hear about yours, but in fairness, before you post a thread telling a large group of people to stay away from a store, and potentinally damage the stores reputation and business, you should really try to get to the bottom of it all. It is a free country and you can say what you would like, but be a little more gun shy with this kind of stuff. They could have been busy, the staff member could have been new there, or just plain out having a bad day. I am saying this all with kindness and a smile on my face!

 

[azrednex]

I remember being irritated with them when the store was brand new and I was also brand new, but now I think they are the best place for livestock the prices are a little steep but the critter you are buying is unquestionable healthier, larger and, more ethically collected than most stores. They are also one of the lowest prices for a custom tank. I would also like to hear who helped you and other details.

 

[frontosa_man80]

i was there today at lunch. greeted with hello and was giving the "tour de acros". alot of bright pink zoos in too. still my store of choice.

-jesse

 

[Smokin Firebird]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10179846#post10179846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by azrednex
now I think they are the best place for livestock the prices are a little steep but the critter you are buying is unquestionable healthier, larger and, more ethically collected than most stores.

I dont think the prices at ATR are high at all.

 

[dream54ing]

maybe you should spent a few more thousand and join the vip club....hehe.
jk
sometimes i feel the same way and at time to time i dont get much help from them. i think its a bad timing thing....i always hear good things from others.

 

[Marsha]

I have been to ATR almost every week since I set up my tank. Sometimes they are busy and do not have a lot of time to talk but have had excellent advise from everyone that works there. I even got waited on by people who were not on duty one day. They were there to check on their own purchases.

 

[Alto]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10179920#post10179920 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kickboxer0213
I dont think the prices at ATR are high at all.

I thought their frag prices were a little on the steep side when I went. Most of them were like $45-70, for what IMO you would pay another reefer $10-20 for

 

[Doglover_50]

Even good stores can have bad interactions (I happen to be a fan of ATR) and vice versa.

I guess I had a reaction similar to shaunj in that you trashed the store but did not provide us any detail of what happened, e.g., there is no, "just the facts, ma'am" here. By contrast, there is a post circulating here on FRAG about "possibly ripped off by a fellow RCer." That poster included facts in detail. That allows the FRAG audience to draw their own conclusions, which I think is the fairest thing to do. If there are problems, I think most of us want to know--but the presentation here did not seem to me to be fair in that it included no description of what happened.

 

[Smokin Firebird]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10180162#post10180162 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alto
I thought their frag prices were a little on the steep side when I went. Most of them were like $45-70, for what IMO you would pay another reefer $10-20 for

u also have to consider that they have a huge over head and cant price match a member on this board but 45 is high for a frag

 

[Hifiguy]

So: TheScubaManiac

Please expound on your experience.

I know we would all be interested to hear what happened. I'm also sure if ATR messed up in some way that the Manager would definitely do what he could to make it right. If know we would all again love to know about it.

Please continue with what you were saying and let us all know what's happening. If its one of those things were you got home and posted and now looking back your thinking Humm well it really wasn't that bad, then let us know that also. Hey man I have been there Many a time.

Look forward to getting more info.

Thanks
Shaun

 

[Philwd]

Alto - those frags are the premo stuff that on line you will pay 70-100 apiece for. We are lucky here in town there are many generous people that will sell for much less than market value. And lucky those people were willing to pay market value and bring some of the good stuff into town. Few will sell big frags of the exotic or Limited Editions for $20. More common corals yes. If you want the really good stuff $45 is not out of line at all.