Dumb things you've overheard customers say at the LFS
- Thread starter TANGBOY5000
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Mud Shrimp Moe
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It's nuts to sell somebody the makings of a goldfish bowl for a clownfish. It's just bad business.
But, OTOH, sometimes an attempt to spot educate a customer will be met with a defensive reaction, no doubt driven by the suspicion that the store is trying to up-sell the customer to an expensive tank that is not necessary.
So while I think somebody trying to buy a goldfish bowl, some salt and two clownfish is an idiot, I can just a little sympathize with them if they don't trust the salesperson who then tries to sell them a better tank and filtration that is worth (at least) several hundred dollars. The salesperson is totally correct, mind you, but people have a suspicion of salespeople that is often good to have.
But, OTOH, sometimes an attempt to spot educate a customer will be met with a defensive reaction, no doubt driven by the suspicion that the store is trying to up-sell the customer to an expensive tank that is not necessary.
So while I think somebody trying to buy a goldfish bowl, some salt and two clownfish is an idiot, I can just a little sympathize with them if they don't trust the salesperson who then tries to sell them a better tank and filtration that is worth (at least) several hundred dollars. The salesperson is totally correct, mind you, but people have a suspicion of salespeople that is often good to have.
Saltz Creep
New member
Timebomb88
New member
I was at the LFS a couple of days ago, and this guy was being helped out by the owner. He was telling the owner how he recently lost all of his fish due to high nitrates. The owner asked him what protein skimmer he had and said he had none. The owner told him he had to stay on top of water changes then and the guy said he didn't change the water very much.
About 10 minutes later after I'm buying some hermits, and there happens to be 2 clownfish and some anemones to the tank next to it. The son likes the clownfish so they buy it after losing all of their fish a couple of days before, and on top of that, the guy buys a long tentacle anemone out of spite. He had no idea how to take care of it, made me kind of mad how some people can be so dumb.
About 10 minutes later after I'm buying some hermits, and there happens to be 2 clownfish and some anemones to the tank next to it. The son likes the clownfish so they buy it after losing all of their fish a couple of days before, and on top of that, the guy buys a long tentacle anemone out of spite. He had no idea how to take care of it, made me kind of mad how some people can be so dumb.
Mud Shrimp Moe
New member
Timebomb88 said:
What do you mean "out of spite"?
Timebomb88
New member
What i meant to say was he just bought it for the hell of having an anemone.
slave-of-rock
New member
i was talking to one of the workers at a LFS that i frequent often the other day, he is my age (only 17) and we were talking about another fish i should put in my tank, me and this kid are friends, and hang out with each other so we were talking for a while, but not about anything else but fish. a lady comes up to us (and i was wearing a slayer shirt here!)
and says "i think its terrible that you 2 just go on and on blabing about fish when high paying customers are waiting for your help"
i said "i don't work here ma'am, but ive droped well over a grand here, if you need help ryan or i will gladly help you"
she said "no i dont need help" and grabed a package of frozen food!!! that agrivated me to no end that she got angry at me because we were discussing a fish i should put in my tank, and didnt even appologize, just gave me a nasty look.. some people!
and says "i think its terrible that you 2 just go on and on blabing about fish when high paying customers are waiting for your help"
i said "i don't work here ma'am, but ive droped well over a grand here, if you need help ryan or i will gladly help you"
she said "no i dont need help" and grabed a package of frozen food!!! that agrivated me to no end that she got angry at me because we were discussing a fish i should put in my tank, and didnt even appologize, just gave me a nasty look.. some people!
LOL great post.
not a LFS employee, but one day while i was doing a double at my work, I took my extended lunch and jotted up to the LFS still wearing my name tag. All I really needed was food for my critters, but saw they had some new corals so I went to check them out and see if i could have them hold any till i could come back for them (if they had something I wanted) while i was inspecting the tanks, this lady comes up to me looks at my name tag:
Lady: Mike, what do you guys put in these tanks to make the fish look so beautiful.
Me: I am sure it's just that they have clean water and good lighting.
Lady: oh
few minutes later she walks back up to me
L: Why does that (points at yellow watchman) look so sad?
M: it's just how thier mouth is shaped.
L: oh, do you think I could make it smile?
M: prolly if you gave it a nice tastey snack he would be happy, but it would be impossible for him to smile
enter the chuckling employee
L: do you think that it would look like he was smiling if he swam upside down?
M: suppose so
L: do they make good pets
M: yes I have one in my tank and it is pobably the fish that causes the most conversation
L: good I'll take one
At this point I politely informed her that I was not an employee, and that i was sure the employees would be glad to help her out. (this stre has great employees who care about a quility sale)
10 minutes later I was admiring a lionfish when the lady comes back up to me.
L: ohh thats pretty
M: yep
L: hey look at that one (points to a puffer) it's so cute, do you think it would let me pet it?
It took quite a lot not to laugh at her, I did my best to explain that if it did, it would probably be the last time she got to pet one.
not a LFS employee, but one day while i was doing a double at my work, I took my extended lunch and jotted up to the LFS still wearing my name tag. All I really needed was food for my critters, but saw they had some new corals so I went to check them out and see if i could have them hold any till i could come back for them (if they had something I wanted) while i was inspecting the tanks, this lady comes up to me looks at my name tag:
Lady: Mike, what do you guys put in these tanks to make the fish look so beautiful.
Me: I am sure it's just that they have clean water and good lighting.
Lady: oh
few minutes later she walks back up to me
L: Why does that (points at yellow watchman) look so sad?
M: it's just how thier mouth is shaped.
L: oh, do you think I could make it smile?
M: prolly if you gave it a nice tastey snack he would be happy, but it would be impossible for him to smile
enter the chuckling employee
L: do you think that it would look like he was smiling if he swam upside down?
M: suppose so
L: do they make good pets
M: yes I have one in my tank and it is pobably the fish that causes the most conversation
L: good I'll take one
At this point I politely informed her that I was not an employee, and that i was sure the employees would be glad to help her out. (this stre has great employees who care about a quility sale)
10 minutes later I was admiring a lionfish when the lady comes back up to me.
L: ohh thats pretty
M: yep
L: hey look at that one (points to a puffer) it's so cute, do you think it would let me pet it?
It took quite a lot not to laugh at her, I did my best to explain that if it did, it would probably be the last time she got to pet one.
slave-of-rock
New member
:lol:, i have a 6" puffer and my friend always wants my fish to bite him, and i let them, but no i have stoped, i have a niger trigger along with a few other fish that will bite our hands 
, including a chain link moray, i had to explain to him that if he lets this guy bite him, he wont have a finger tip anymore :lol:, ooo how i love this hobby!
, including a chain link moray, i had to explain to him that if he lets this guy bite him, he wont have a finger tip anymore :lol:, ooo how i love this hobby!when I first started out I was at the LFS and I was looking at the marine fish and I was telling an employee that I was thinking of getting one. I was asked "are you sure you have a SALT water tank"
well I assured them that I did but I didnt get anything and through out the week I went back a few times and each time i got asked if I was sure I had saltwater, I kept thinking to myself why dont they believe me, after reading these posts now I know why!!!!!!
well I assured them that I did but I didnt get anything and through out the week I went back a few times and each time i got asked if I was sure I had saltwater, I kept thinking to myself why dont they believe me, after reading these posts now I know why!!!!!!
acropora1981
New member
When I worked at the store (head office now) we basically asked anyone we didnt recognize if they had saltwater before bagging anything up. I know that at one point someone didn't ask and some very nice and very large fish died(Blonde Naso, purple tang)...she wasn't a happy camper.
Me: Do you have a saltwater tank set up for these guys? They need saltwater.
Customer: (vacant stare)
Me: Or do you have a freshwater tank?
Customer: Whichever one comes from my sink. I'm pretty sure it's salt.
:strange: :lolspin:
I told them they needed to get a good book and READ!!!:reading:
Customer: (vacant stare)
Me: Or do you have a freshwater tank?
Customer: Whichever one comes from my sink. I'm pretty sure it's salt.
:strange: :lolspin:
I told them they needed to get a good book and READ!!!:reading:
swashbuckler
New member
Timebomb88 said:
lol- as soon as that anemone starts to break up- he's in for one big smelly surprise!
acropora1981
New member
i wonder why he wants revenge againt that LTA so bad?
KDodds
New member
Customer: Can I put three of those in?
LFS: How big is your tank again?
C: Huge.
L: How many gallons?
C: Oh, 55.
L: And what do you have in there?
C: One of those Yellow ones [Yellow Tang], something that looks like that, but not exactly [Lunare Wrasse], one of those Lionfish [Volitans], and some others I don't know the names of.
L: How many others?
C: 6 or 7, but there were 10 before 3 died last night. [yes, I know the math is wrong, it's what she said]
L: I don't think so. They get pretty big.
C: But only as big as my tank, right?
This is where I stepped in.
Me: No, they're Golden Trevallies and they'll get over 2' easy, or die trying. You're also going to have a lot more fish die on you whether or not you put them in. I'm not looking for your money, and I don't work here, but if you want to invest in something, have this gentlemen show you TCMA and Marine Fishes.
She rolled her eyes at me, the clerk's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped, but she walked on, and, as I was checking out, she WAS buying Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium AND TCMA AND Marine Fishes.
Worse, when I worked in an LFS:
C: I'd like to buy a fish.
M: Okay, which one?
C: Over here.
She leads me back past the displays to a hospital loop, where we had just gotten a shipment that had been left overnight in a van, during a heat wave, and was over 95Ã"šÃ‚ºF when we got it.
M: These fish are not for sale, they're ill, and they just came in.
C: But I want that one [an albino Cory laying half dead].
M: I'm sorry Miss, I can't sell you these fish. And that fish is not going to make it at all.
C: I can try to save it.
M: We ARE trying to save it, that's what this hospital section is for.
C: Well, I can save it and you even said you can't, that it's going to die, so I want to buy it.
The conversation went back and forth in the same vein for another 5 minutes and customers started lining at the register and I was alone so...
M: Fine, I can't give it to you, because I can't account for it, so if you want it, I have to sell it to you full price, with no warrantee, and no refund.
C: Fine.
Guess who came back the next day, wanting a refund, with a dead fish, that she "saved" by keeping it in the same bag she brought it home in the whole night. Nope, she didn't even have a tank. Not even a bowl.
LFS: How big is your tank again?
C: Huge.
L: How many gallons?
C: Oh, 55.
L: And what do you have in there?
C: One of those Yellow ones [Yellow Tang], something that looks like that, but not exactly [Lunare Wrasse], one of those Lionfish [Volitans], and some others I don't know the names of.
L: How many others?
C: 6 or 7, but there were 10 before 3 died last night. [yes, I know the math is wrong, it's what she said]
L: I don't think so. They get pretty big.
C: But only as big as my tank, right?
This is where I stepped in.
Me: No, they're Golden Trevallies and they'll get over 2' easy, or die trying. You're also going to have a lot more fish die on you whether or not you put them in. I'm not looking for your money, and I don't work here, but if you want to invest in something, have this gentlemen show you TCMA and Marine Fishes.
She rolled her eyes at me, the clerk's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped, but she walked on, and, as I was checking out, she WAS buying Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium AND TCMA AND Marine Fishes.
Worse, when I worked in an LFS:
C: I'd like to buy a fish.
M: Okay, which one?
C: Over here.
She leads me back past the displays to a hospital loop, where we had just gotten a shipment that had been left overnight in a van, during a heat wave, and was over 95Ã"šÃ‚ºF when we got it.
M: These fish are not for sale, they're ill, and they just came in.
C: But I want that one [an albino Cory laying half dead].
M: I'm sorry Miss, I can't sell you these fish. And that fish is not going to make it at all.
C: I can try to save it.
M: We ARE trying to save it, that's what this hospital section is for.
C: Well, I can save it and you even said you can't, that it's going to die, so I want to buy it.
The conversation went back and forth in the same vein for another 5 minutes and customers started lining at the register and I was alone so...
M: Fine, I can't give it to you, because I can't account for it, so if you want it, I have to sell it to you full price, with no warrantee, and no refund.
C: Fine.
Guess who came back the next day, wanting a refund, with a dead fish, that she "saved" by keeping it in the same bag she brought it home in the whole night. Nope, she didn't even have a tank. Not even a bowl.
He unhappily went back to the LFS, after he ate most of the zoos, polyps, and all of the mushrooms. I actually wasn't too upset until he started hitting on the frogspawn. On a plus note I had to take most of the rock out of the tank to catch him, and it went back in much nicer. Plus I fragged a bunch of my acro so I got to glue a bunch of new pieces here and there. The racoon was pretty fat when it went back.
