Need a job? Help wanted!

[Twisted]

I'm glad to hear there is a Petco that has good management....but...

This is still a Petco, a Petco that will refuse to set up tanks properly to maintain the products that they sell. I supported my petco for a long time, until I started watching them kill anemones, clams, and corals that they can not hope to maintain.
My very long and thought out letter to the company was responded to with basically "We are a store, and we are here to make money, it is not our policy to increase our power useage by installing high intensity lighting, and the proper filtration and equipment to maintain some of the more demanding stock"
That ticked me off more, if they were killing cats, or puppies at the rate they kill saltwater fish and inverts they would all be arrested by now.
I refused to buy anything from Petco ever unless doing so put my tank in risk, such as needing something in an emergency, untill they upgrade thier equipment.

I am glad they are looking for dedicated and experienced employees, but you can hire marine biologist and your "products" are still going to die, untill you upgrade your equipment.

 

[badpacket]

Well, you knew someone wouldn't be able to resist going PETA in the topic.....

Uhmm, you've got a reefer managing a corporate store. He comes to RC and the BAR forum to potentially recruit someone with advanced marine aquaria knowledge to benefit his store, his livestock, and perhaps someone who could use a job.

I would expect he has a fair bit of latitude in what he focuses his attention on, and from that, any additional funds he is authorized to spend.
Instead of slating someone who's doing pretty much the best he can while working from inside the system, you might consider that a year's experience in the hobby and a letter to the company still doesn't mean you're allowed to go all PETA on someone else who -is- trying to do the right thing.

Pesonally, I love my corals, fish and inverts. I also love their breathren boiled, broiled or breaded. Puppies and kittens, not so much.

Its really very simple, http://www.dogbiz.com/dont-eat-dog-meat.htm or
http://www.redlobster.com/homeflash.asp

I think a letter to the Red Lobster company is in order.....

Now, its time for my time out

 

[Twisted]

I said nothing bad about this person, or about his field, or what he was attempting to do.

I am only stateing that the store that he is working at is not equiped to handle the merchendise that they tend to offer at times.
As I am sure he is very well aware of.

I stated my point of view on a subject that was brought up in the forums, if you feel I am in error, then that is your point of view.

As for my experience, don't take everything at face value, or believe everything that you read.

Red Lobster sells dinner not pets, and actually from what I understood the people that used to supply a large chunk of the Red lobsters was busted and fined for destruction of protected reefs at one point.

but I guess all the blame doesn't go to Petco, it also goes to the suppliers, when watching a clam slowly perish under thier flourescent lights not too long ago, I asked if I could buy it at cost and give it a chance to survive, the refused to do so, claiming that they can return the dead clam to the vendor for a full credit.

So what does Petco stand to lose if thier livestock dies? nothing.


There is nothing PETA about me, and or my comments. Perhaps this person can make changes in thier store and show Petco a better way of doing business.

Keith claims they will only buy ORA leathers and xenia, because of thier equipment.

My Petco carries BTA's, carpets, clams, anything they can get thier hands on, with flourescent lighting, and poor water conditions.
When discussed with the manager at our location, who is also a really nice guy, he said this is the Petco set up, and they are not allowed to change it or modify it in any way.

 

[dzhuo]

Keith, i think you are in the right track but i think there is a much bigger and deeper issue with management in petco. the philosophy of petco seems to be "sell fast for quick profile". with this philosophy, equitments don't matter as the animals in petco won't be staying very long there. this is very short signed. it seems to me that they don't have a long term commitment and a lack of understanding that there is in fact a much bigger market open for them to take. if they don't realize the opportunity for a much bigger profile with improved equitment, healthier animals, repeated customers, high end corals, etc, you won't get the funds required to run a successful store against the smaller (but more efficient run) LFS.

if your goal is to simply run a successful marine section in your petco, yes a knowledge staff there would be sufficient for the job, but if your overall goal is to turn petco's image around and compete with the LFS, you should start with convince management that things have changed in the last 10 or 15 years and the reef market is now a big enough sector for some serious profile.

either way, good luck and i do thank you for what you are trying to do!

 

[Keith Le]

Thank you to all that have stuck up for me.


I knew that once I posted here and mention my affiliation I was going to get slammed. I had a feeling I was going to be blamed for the death of a dragonet in Ohio, I guess I was kind of asking for it. These forums are often just a haven to flame people and/or
stores. Some of the comments I've read here about Petco are simply just lies but I didn't feel it was right to call anyone on it.
I don't own the chain and I can't change everything that I'd like to change. I make changes here and there, I've made a lot of suggestions. I've spoken with directors, VPs, senior VPs and even the CEO regarding some of my concerns. I have made some huge changes. How many types of butterflies do you see in our stores?
When was the last time you saw a Mandarin in a Petco? Did you know that the new stores use HO T5s in their marine system? Have you asked to look "under the hood" in a new MARS unit?
Everyone just wants to grab a pitchfork or a torch and come after me. I've had people try to "school me" when I've been at this a decade longer than they have. I started in this hobby when sand was ALL bad, Custom Sealife started making compacts and we all used trickle filters. I've been around the block, back off.

...and no, we don't get any credit for returning dead fish. Wholesalers allow all stores petco or LFS to claim DOA within 24hrs of receiving.

-K

 

[kttsf]

Seriously!!! A corporation would never change standard corporate equipment simply because one local manager has requested it. No matter how good the manager's intention is or how knowledgeable he is about reef, he simply has no authorization to change or modify standard corporate equipment. That is why I can't wait to see this particular PETCO store.. ..Better equipments for the benefit of the fish, clams, corals and anemones from PETCO the corporation???Hard to believe but we'll see...
Otherwise, if you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk

 

[Twisted]

Okay, I don't understand why people are claiming I am flaming Keith, or why Keith thinks I am flaming him or his post.

As I said in both my post, I think Keith is going to be a great manager, just as I mentioned our local Petcos aquatics manager is great.

But as I said, our local manager refused to sell me a half dead clam because of thier lighting, and claimed it was because the supplier will give them credit on it, I offered then $20 dollars which in a typical LFS is about wholesale, and for a Petco is probablly well above wholesale due to the quantity that they would be buying.
Perhaps this manager did not know what they were talking about, it was not the usual manager I deal with.

I have asked to see the lighting in the tank that the clams, and corals, and anemones tended to be in, and it is regular flourescents.

I can not tell you how old our local Petco is, but it has been here for more then the 6 years or so I have been working with aquariums. So it could very well be, and I hope it is true, that all of the new Petcos have started useing better equipment, and I hope that in the near future they will allow the older petcos to improve thier equipment.

So I do apologize to Keith if he took anything I said as a personal attack towards him, or his attempt to hire a knowledgable employee. I would never deter a person from working at Petco, especially one that knows what he is talking about.

We were in a Petco a couple years ago when a lady was in the store complaining about the fish dieing shortly after she brought them home. The guy at the aquatics area was getting frustrated because checking the water, and the health of the two little dead clown fish, he could not figure out the problem.
After about 20 minutes of watching this the aquatics manager was called over from the back area, and she walked up, asked the employee what he had already checked, he went through the procedures, and she nodded, she looked at everyone else in the room, and stuck her finger in the bag then stuck it in her mouth, she with held her laugh long enough to tell this lady, "I take it you were not aware that these are saltwater fish?" .


So as I said, I am sorry Keith if I gave the impression that I thought you were a bad guy because you work at Petco, but I don't think that, it is people like you, and the people you are intending to hire that will be able to make those changes.

I will however change my stance on Petcos, if it is true that they are trying to improve thier equipment to maintain the live stock that they intend to sell, than I guess I can not complain about them anymore.
But that is the first I have heard of any Petco putting in T5's.

 

[dzhuo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9563845#post9563845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kttsf
Seriously!!! A corporation would never change standard corporate equipment simply because one local manager has requested it. No matter how good the manager's intention is or how knowledgeable he is about reef, he simply has no authorization to change or modify standard corporate equipment.

actually this sort of things does happen even in big corporation. you start with an idea to change something, got buy in from management, demonstrate what it can do in a smaller scale (this is required since funding can be kept to minimum) and then scale it up. sometimes this is easier said then done and it depends a lot on the manager's skill to convince and get the buy in from upper management. in keith's case, the point is simple: better equitment results in healither and more diverse live stock, which brings in more new and repeated customers thus resulting in better image and profile. in order to do this is a small scale (ie, one petco), it really doesn't require a lot of resource: one or two 100g frag tanks, 4 150w mh, a decent skimmer, a cal reactor and a knowledgeable staff to keep this running for a year. this set up goes along side of whatever existing setup you already have so you don't give up whatever is already making money for you. only the more delicate animals goes in the frag tanks. at the one year end mark, report profile in your petco compares to the others. if it works then great, slowly scale it up. if it doesn't work (always a possibility), you are fired j/k.

policy is made to be changed, nothing stays constant. it depends on your skill and passion to get the big boys to buy in. good luck!

 

[Thales]

Part of the benefit of chain stores is that they are chains - people know they can expect about the same thing from any of them anywhere in the country. Supporting one supports them all, good or bad. Working for one is working for all, good or bad.
Over the years there have been many threads from Petco employees talking about the changes being made and how their store is better than the others and that company wide changes are on the way. Sadly, they have all seemed to not pan out.
I wish Keith the best of luck, and as soon as I see company wide changes, I will be happy to shop at Petco.

 

[Keith Le]

Gloves are off. I'm tired of back handed compliments and PMs from crazy shut-ins.

I'm not asking anyone to shop at Petco, thats why my corporate office has a marketing department. I'm just trying to find an employee that has an idea of what they're doing an doesn't mind going home tired for $10.25 an hour. Hey my first fish store paid me $4.25 and I earned every dime. I just need and employee that has a good understanding of water chemistry and likes to do water changes. I need someone who can order livestock based on what is selling and the limitations of the system. This system will never see coral, clams, or anemones. I will carry some inverts (cleaner shrimp, mithrax, diadema and hermits) and fish that are known to be hardy. At this time I have been told that my lighting will NOT be T5HO but rather T8NO. I did get my pump upgrade, UV and I will install a functioning skimmer myself. If this employee knows less than me then I'll teach them, if they know more than I do then teach me. I'm still a little fuzzy on zeovit.

I don't have to justify myself or my business to any of you. I'll give you some facts, if you don't buy it and you wish to remain ignorant then that is your choice. If you support me, then thank you. I welcome also positive or CONSTRUCTIVE feedback. If you want to talk trash about Petco start a new thread and talk amongst one another. I promise I won't be a part of it.

Thank you too all positive RC and BARS members. To all of the unsupportive people.... get a date.

Keith

 

[KuanTi]

i sense a little hostility... if you knew you were walking into a lion's den, then why did you walk in with a fresh kill? Go to a highschool or college, find some one there in all seriousness. It'll help them build experience plus have fun working with fish and helping people. Although when i was younger, i applied to petco and didn't get hired, i was 16 and i knew more than that overgrown oaf, but whatever no grudges hah.

 

[Thales]

Keith,

You can't expect to come to a clubs forum and post about a contentious topic and not expect to get some responses about it.

Personally, I think you are doing yourself and Petco a disservice with insults and demands about how people should post in their local club forum. Calling people 'Crazy shut ins' because they don't agree with you should make anyone who was interested in working for you rethink that idea.

 

[GreshamH]

<eeks>

Now I know Keith and have more then a few friends in common. He is in fact a good guy IMO and IME

That being said, Keith, you know what Rich in his above post to be true

for a Petco is probablly well above wholesale due to the quantity that they would be buying.

They pay quartly which kinda displaces any major volume they do. Public aquariums do this as well, and the pay double + of what normal LFS pay. Trust me, petco's wholesale prices aren't much better, if not worse, then what LFS pay.

 

[Keith Le]

I would like to offer an apology to anyone that I may have offended in my previous post. I am a guest here, please forgive me. I just felt that there was a good amount of hostlity aimed towards me. This does not give me the rite to become hostile. You are all entitled to your opinions even if I am not of the same opinions.

Keith