radiolunatic
New member
I think so and I think they close every Wed. Anyway call first.
2443 Lombard St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 346-3322
2443 Lombard St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 346-3322
Bay Area: the Worst aquarium store experience
- Thread starter flamehawkfish
- Start date
But you are missing that he was not the only one to post a neagtive review in this thread. That is enough to prevent me from even bothering with that store.
Perhaps if they go out of business a reef store with better customer service accumen will move in. Now wouldn't that be nice ?
carpus
New member
Hey just wanted to offer my take on bad experiences. I had a bad experience with a local fish store and wrote review on reefcentral. Some of you might remember that thread.
As with any store, there are those who are loyal customers and swear the store's good customer service. And there are those would agree with you.
The store owner can run his store however he likes and you are within your right to write as many reviews.
I encourage you to return to the store agian and see if customer service is better. The reef comunity is small and someone probably has already informed the owner about this thread. I myself returned to the store I wrote about and the owner confronted me about the thread. First thing when he saw my name on the credit card was "So you are the one writing the bad review on that website. how did you like it backfiring on you." he goes on later and says how i was "not a good human being."
I didn't argue with the store owner. I just used my store credit and left. I thought it was funny how he contradicted himself. he said I costed him hundred of dollars of business but then he said my plan backfired. If word got out about my experience, then it didn't backfire and it didn't backfire if i cost him business.
I was within my right to write a review. If you're review documents you're experience than its is within your right and not slander. I suggest you return to the store and express you're concern. IF he bashes you like the owner did to me. Just walk out and write another review.
Thats how I see things
As with any store, there are those who are loyal customers and swear the store's good customer service. And there are those would agree with you.
The store owner can run his store however he likes and you are within your right to write as many reviews.
I encourage you to return to the store agian and see if customer service is better. The reef comunity is small and someone probably has already informed the owner about this thread. I myself returned to the store I wrote about and the owner confronted me about the thread. First thing when he saw my name on the credit card was "So you are the one writing the bad review on that website. how did you like it backfiring on you." he goes on later and says how i was "not a good human being."
I didn't argue with the store owner. I just used my store credit and left. I thought it was funny how he contradicted himself. he said I costed him hundred of dollars of business but then he said my plan backfired. If word got out about my experience, then it didn't backfire and it didn't backfire if i cost him business.
I was within my right to write a review. If you're review documents you're experience than its is within your right and not slander. I suggest you return to the store and express you're concern. IF he bashes you like the owner did to me. Just walk out and write another review.
Thats how I see things
Al G Blenny
New member
One rule of business is there is no such thing as bad publicity. Now a lot more people know about this store. Personally I wouldn't write the review. It just gives the store advertising and now people that didn't know it existed will go there when they are in the neighborhood. They might not have a bad experience and they will buy something. Just my opinion.
Another one of my opinions is that some people are too quick to take the side of the bashers. Anyone can have a bad experince and blow it out of preportion. I see it happen all the time. Someone has a beef with a store and they come here to try to smear the place. I am not saying flamehawkfish is lying but please be carefull believing everything you read here. I find it hard to believe that that is exactly how the conversation went. I'm sure it was somewhere in a shade of grey. Not that the store didn't act poorly but it seems a little like one of those sitcoms that has two conflicting stories. The flashbacks are totally different and each one paints themselves like an angel. I used to work in stores and I have had customers try to sell xenia for like $50 to the store. When we tell them it isn't worth very much they get mad. No doubt they tell all of their friends that we were trying to rip them off.
Another one of my opinions is that some people are too quick to take the side of the bashers. Anyone can have a bad experince and blow it out of preportion. I see it happen all the time. Someone has a beef with a store and they come here to try to smear the place. I am not saying flamehawkfish is lying but please be carefull believing everything you read here. I find it hard to believe that that is exactly how the conversation went. I'm sure it was somewhere in a shade of grey. Not that the store didn't act poorly but it seems a little like one of those sitcoms that has two conflicting stories. The flashbacks are totally different and each one paints themselves like an angel. I used to work in stores and I have had customers try to sell xenia for like $50 to the store. When we tell them it isn't worth very much they get mad. No doubt they tell all of their friends that we were trying to rip them off.
650-IS350
Active member
Just putting my .02 cents here...
Just putting my .02 cents here...
I was just there a during the weekend. Nice store.. Parking though really sucks in the busy street.
For the store, its clean and all fish are priced clearly. ( some decent some a bit high ). This stores seems to cater only to saltwater fish which is great. All the fish seem to be healty except for 1 green manderine ( might be popeye or something ). The folks that were working there were nice to my wife and I. They took the time to answer questions and overheard them abit dealing with other customers that were coming in. ( all the customers at that time that I was there were all treated right and they were friendly ) Had to make sure about that since after reading this post. Some of the equipment was on a bit of the mod to high side. Nice corals and fish.
Ended up getting 2 female pink square anthias and 1 foxface ( stupid hair aglae ).
My overall experience with this store was good. A lot better than what I would say about 6th ave or other crappier warehouse stores out there.
Would I recomend it.. yeah , just watch for traffic and parking. The incident that happend with the author of this thread could have been an atypical occurance but who knows.. we were not present during the event so non of us can know what really happend or how it happend. But one this is for sure it's best to find out for your self about a store than follow heresay.
Just putting my .02 cents here...
I was just there a during the weekend. Nice store.. Parking though really sucks in the busy street.
For the store, its clean and all fish are priced clearly. ( some decent some a bit high ). This stores seems to cater only to saltwater fish which is great. All the fish seem to be healty except for 1 green manderine ( might be popeye or something ). The folks that were working there were nice to my wife and I. They took the time to answer questions and overheard them abit dealing with other customers that were coming in. ( all the customers at that time that I was there were all treated right and they were friendly ) Had to make sure about that since after reading this post. Some of the equipment was on a bit of the mod to high side. Nice corals and fish.
Ended up getting 2 female pink square anthias and 1 foxface ( stupid hair aglae ).
My overall experience with this store was good. A lot better than what I would say about 6th ave or other crappier warehouse stores out there.
Would I recomend it.. yeah , just watch for traffic and parking. The incident that happend with the author of this thread could have been an atypical occurance but who knows.. we were not present during the event so non of us can know what really happend or how it happend. But one this is for sure it's best to find out for your self about a store than follow heresay.
karlitosway
Premium Member
From what I've read the place doesn't sound so bad. Just make sure you don't ask them to "feed the fish" to see if it eats before you purchase it! 
Has any one else asked to "See the fish eat", while visiting that place to see if they go ape sh*t.
P.S. I would do it myself, except I am unable to exercise the same restrain as Flamehawk.
Has any one else asked to "See the fish eat", while visiting that place to see if they go ape sh*t.
P.S. I would do it myself, except I am unable to exercise the same restrain as Flamehawk.
smellyfish
New member
No dude, I think I'm just going to bring my own food in there and feed them and then ask the guy, "Hey, why aren't your fish eating my food, did you already feed them?" I'm going to do this with a straight face and maybe bring my posse with me to video it. Then we might just have to throw down.:bum:
This made me laugh out loud. Of course, I live at 21st and Mission, so I've been really looking forward to that store opening last year. :rolleye1:
As far as Fish Fish and More Fish, I had a reasonable experience the one time I have gone there. I went in all dirty after work in ripped up clothes and they spent time talking about corals with me. They took down my number when I mentioned I'd been looking for a certain type of coral. Of course, they never called, but I was asking for something rare anyway.
All in all, I was satisfied with my experience, but I'm easygoing.
Now if they could just pick up and move to the Mission. Or install a water spigot for catalina water in my neighborhood at least. :lol:
lego
New member
AlGB: One rule of business is there is no such thing as bad publicity.
I have to disagree. There is a very important rule of business - especially in a niche business - that a customer roughly tells only one person about a good experience and ten about a bad experience. If you business relies on word of mouth, and you get results like that, bad experiences can be devastating to your business.
The "any publicity is good" applies for people like celebrities that are trying to get their name recognized and generate interest.
Watch the stock market - bad publicity is not good for businesses.
This is why companies like Nordstroms and Costco will bend over backwards to make sure their customers are satisfied.
The only businesses that can afford to have bad customer service are low end commodity-type operations where their price is the only thing that matters or businesses that have a monopoly on a product that people really want / need.
Any business that wants to charge a premium and has competitors better take customer satisfaction VERY seriously since that is one of their only competitive advantages.
No one deserves to be treated the way flamehawkfish described.
At the same time, if the store was full of people looking to buy $100 fish and corals and one customer is insistant on seeing you feed a damsel maybe an owner does decide they don't need that customer - I still say thats a risky bet you never know who knows who and what affect making a decision like that will have. Telling someone to get out of your store is pretty damn extreme - unless they are insulting employees or other customers its hard to see how that would be justified.
With the large number of people and lack of competition in the city - the business may be able to get away with that, but elsewhere that would not fly.
I have to disagree. There is a very important rule of business - especially in a niche business - that a customer roughly tells only one person about a good experience and ten about a bad experience. If you business relies on word of mouth, and you get results like that, bad experiences can be devastating to your business.
The "any publicity is good" applies for people like celebrities that are trying to get their name recognized and generate interest.
Watch the stock market - bad publicity is not good for businesses.
This is why companies like Nordstroms and Costco will bend over backwards to make sure their customers are satisfied.
The only businesses that can afford to have bad customer service are low end commodity-type operations where their price is the only thing that matters or businesses that have a monopoly on a product that people really want / need.
Any business that wants to charge a premium and has competitors better take customer satisfaction VERY seriously since that is one of their only competitive advantages.
No one deserves to be treated the way flamehawkfish described.
At the same time, if the store was full of people looking to buy $100 fish and corals and one customer is insistant on seeing you feed a damsel maybe an owner does decide they don't need that customer - I still say thats a risky bet you never know who knows who and what affect making a decision like that will have. Telling someone to get out of your store is pretty damn extreme - unless they are insulting employees or other customers its hard to see how that would be justified.
With the large number of people and lack of competition in the city - the business may be able to get away with that, but elsewhere that would not fly.
Well I live in the city and I still won't step foot in that store ever again. I'd rather pay shipping cost and incure a higher price then to deal with the stress of that store. They certainly don't have a monopoly on anything I want or need so fortunetly I have many options.
I certainly don't want to see them go under either. Heck we need more competition around here to drive prices down.
I certainly don't want to see them go under either. Heck we need more competition around here to drive prices down.
Al G Blenny
New member
First of all :
Not to mention the others that went into the store after reading this thread but didn't post about it. I understand and agree with you to some extent but when a store isn't very known a thread like this can't really hurt. You see the people that have been there have already made up their minds about the store. Some like the place and will go back, some don't like it and won't go back. Those decisions were made before they read this thread. All that this is doing is telling people about a store that they didn't know existed. People that said they won't go there now probably would have never gone there. They didn't know about it.
For the last part of your comments you are still assuming that Flamehawk is telling you exactly how it happened. Re-read this thread from the beginning. Check out how many people were quick to say BOYCOTT THEM!!!. No questions asked. Sounds like typical mob mentality to me. There is always another side to the story. Again I am not saying Flamehawk is lying. Just that you only have one side. Call the store and ask about this situation. I bet you will get a totally different story.
650-IS350
Active member
Those guys were cool with me and my wife. They took time to answer questions and there were a bunch of people window shopping and other people really buying stuff and all were treated the same way.
I was lucky that when I was there, it was the time that they were feeding the fish. The fish that I bought were pigs and looked good that is what made me buy em'.
I myself would rather see for myself than go by word of mouth as you know.. by the time word gets to the 10th person it's totally different. ( not saying anthing bad about flamehawk ). I just believe that there were certain circumstances that developed during that event. Could have been how things were percieved, how it was vocalized, how it was presented, how the worker looked and replied,.... this all equates to what might have happend... just my . 01 cent.. haahahha
I was lucky that when I was there, it was the time that they were feeding the fish. The fish that I bought were pigs and looked good that is what made me buy em'.
I myself would rather see for myself than go by word of mouth as you know.. by the time word gets to the 10th person it's totally different. ( not saying anthing bad about flamehawk ). I just believe that there were certain circumstances that developed during that event. Could have been how things were percieved, how it was vocalized, how it was presented, how the worker looked and replied,.... this all equates to what might have happend... just my . 01 cent.. haahahha
radiolunatic
New member
I wish all people have the same view/mentality as you are. This is precisely what I was trying to communicate earlier. Anyway, only time will tell, if in fact they have bad customer service as some other describe, they will not survive in 6 months, as some of you have said too. If they survive beyond 6 months (sometimes in Feb'07), then they must have done something right.
Vincerama2
Active member
Maybe they actually took note of the "bad review" they got and made an effort to change their approach to customers. In which case, they are smart and realized the importance of each customer.
Unlike a particular product (or movie, or whatever), I think it's hard to judge/review a store, since each person's experience is different depending on what they want from the store, who is in the store at the time, what is happening at the store, etc.
However, if many bad comments keep showing up, then it's best to stay away. Um, not that anyone stays away from 6th Ave or PetX (where X=Club, Co, Smart, etc) either.
In anycase, I think I'll be the last one to flog this dead horse and say "decide for yourself, but you've been warned".
V
Unlike a particular product (or movie, or whatever), I think it's hard to judge/review a store, since each person's experience is different depending on what they want from the store, who is in the store at the time, what is happening at the store, etc.
However, if many bad comments keep showing up, then it's best to stay away. Um, not that anyone stays away from 6th Ave or PetX (where X=Club, Co, Smart, etc) either.
In anycase, I think I'll be the last one to flog this dead horse and say "decide for yourself, but you've been warned".
V
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