Do you interfere?

[Nina51]

I try to gage the sitution and the knowledge of the lfs employee

i have access to only 1 LFS unless i wanna drive 2 hours to st. louis. i can't even count the number of times i have heard an employee give some of the worst advice to somebody just starting up a tank. these are people who have been there for years, have their own personal reefs. it's all about the sale.

 

[amccann]

Let's say that you're shopping for your aquarium. You overhear an employee talking to a customer, and notice that what's coming out of the employee's mouth..is absolute nonsense. Maybe it's really outdated information. Maybe it's something you know will be bad (like keeping mandarinfish with anemones). What do you do? Do you interfere? Or do you just keep shopping? Do you secretly talk to the unknowing shopper and tell them what to do like Robert Parr does with the old lady at Insuricare in The Incredibles?

I always like to play dumb at the lfs and act like a newbie to see what kind of stuff they tell me. Although I do keep a mandarin in a tank that has a bubble tip anemone. That's a first for hearing that one, never experienced any kind of issue there, especially since my maroon clown doesn't let any fish near his anemone anyways.

 

[malira]

I always like to play dumb at the lfs and act like a newbie to see what kind of stuff they tell me. Although I do keep a mandarin in a tank that has a bubble tip anemone. That's a first for hearing that one, never experienced any kind of issue there, especially since my maroon clown doesn't let any fish near his anemone anyways.

It seems that is the issue. There are facts and then anecdotal info based opinion.
Yes a tank must have the the whole cycle set up. But how we get there and the best way is preference, opinion. Yes tangs need space to swim but how much? How many tangs? What fish with what corals?

I think if you stick to facts and keep your opinions to a bare minimum more people will and want to listen to you. Find a way to tell people without them realizing they are being told.

 

[Patchmty]

It's been my experience that most people keep asking for advice until they find someone who will tell them what they want to hear.

A few weeks ago a guy at a local lfs had his fowlr set up for a whole 72 hours and already was wanting to buy tangs and clownfish. The owner told him no. But the owners wife said it wouldn't be a problem, he walked out with 4 tomato clowns. I even tried to help out the owner telling the guy he had to wait a few weeks for the aquarium to cycle, but he wouldn't listen.

 

[johnike]

i have access to only 1 LFS unless i wanna drive 2 hours to st. louis. i can't even count the number of times i have heard an employee give some of the worst advice to somebody just starting up a tank. these are people who have been there for years, have their own personal reefs. it's all about the sale.

Exactly the same here, I'm dead in the middle of Chicago, Rockford, Quad Cities, and Peoria.
Sounds identical to the LFS that I mentioned.

 

[KafudaFish]

Such irony.

 

[reefwiser]

I generally don't have any issue at the LFS's in town as most of the owners will ask me what I think about something. I don't have to but in on any conversations. I respect the LFS's and work with them as most where hobbyist before they became shop owners. If I see a new hobbyist I always introduce my self and invite them to join our club. This year we hope to start a new hobbyist training class based on German aquarium club classes. This will be offered at LFS in town.

 

[johnike]

Such irony.

Yep, that's the place.

 

[centrix]

I would just say "before buying do some research" no harm just to put it out there.

 

[Shawn O]

A few weeks ago a guy at a local lfs had his fowlr set up for a whole 72 hours and already was wanting to buy tangs and clownfish. The owner told him no. But the owners wife said it wouldn't be a problem, he walked out with 4 tomato clowns.

Sometimes it's the person just doesn't know better, sometimes they just don't care about the animals and sometimes the only thing they care about is the money.

I can imagine, as new LFS owners, they usually do care about the welfare of the animals as much as they do about keeping the business afloat. Over time, between trying to feed themselves and grow the business, they will see their share of people who think they know better than everybody else and those who want instant gratification regardless of advice given. I'm sure many of them learn to; gauge the customer's budget, and gauge a customer's attitude toward wanting to do it right or if they just wont to listen to reason and want to recreate Finding Nemo in a 20 gallon to shut their kid up.

I guess I can't fault an LFS owner for taking someone's money, knowing it's going to be a disaster, IF they first try to suggest to the customer the proper way to do something and the customer refuses to listen. I can easily fault a LFS for just trying to milk a customer for every cent they can using the person't ignorance as a sales tool regardless of the well being of the livestock.

 

[snorvich]

It's been my experience that most people keep asking for advice until they find someone who will tell them what they want to hear.

There is a lot of that, sometimes on here. I just walk away.

 

[kegogut]

There is a lot of that, sometimes on here. I just walk away.

Does that mean you get up and walk away from your pc? Or do you just close the top? :spin2:

 

[johnike]

There is a lot of that, sometimes on here. I just walk away.

No way, where?

 

[snorvich]

Does that mean you get up and walk away from your pc? Or do you just close the top? :spin2:

Depends if I am hungry. But the original post was a metaphor so in the famous song:

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run

 

[gone fishin]

No way, where?

I see what you did there

 

[johnike]

i see what you did there

:d

 

[BFG]

Lfs is a business entity, it is offering a niche service for a small group of the community. Its success depend on the patronage of the said group. That said, profitability is their aim and with increase profitability comes more stocks and wide range of equipment and accessories.

The success of this lfs depend on the community it serviced. Successful reefer are the best return customer. Newbie need to seek more information from the forums and such than from lfs as they are asking question that lfs owner cannot answer on the spot accurately. Newbie to the hobby who fail are the worst PR the lfs will have to encounter, they do not understand that it is not the lfs job to advise newbie on what to do as the variable is just too wide to cover in the few times customer and business owner/staff meet.

The best thing if any experienced reefer encounter this situation is to have a piece of scrap paper on hand and write down this forum address on it and pass it to the newbie, thats it. If you are on friendly term with the lfs, try asking if they are willing to spare a space, an A4 size space and place this forum address on that paper and stick it on a prominent place, ie cashier counter or the entrance/exit door.

And for me, no, I do not interfere. You do not want to research it, its your problem, not mine. I have experienced colleague calling me at the oddest hour to spoon feed them, I always insist to them to join Reefcentral and read all the info here. Those who dont, quit, those who do, realised what I have gone through and repeat the same advice, join Reef Central.

 

[billdogg]

I worked at a pet store that specialized in marine fish many years ago and learned a whole bunch. As much as I enjoyed making a sale, I often refused, but explained why. Almost every time, the customer became a loyal spender because they knew we wanted them to succeed.

I have been to a couple LFS around here where I have overheard what can only be considered to be very bad advice. I will wait for the employee to walk off to get a net or whatever, and then strike up a conversation with the potential customer. If they want to listen to what I am suggesting, great. If not, it's their money and their lesson to learn.

I always test the new places/new people by asking them a few "newbie" type questions. If they get them right, I'll getting tougher with the questions. If they still answer correctly, I'm a happy customer.

And like John, I have been asked to leave a store or two in my time.