Pink zoos-Tulsa Aquatics
- Thread starter okiebones
- Start date
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I really didn't want to get too mixed up about this, but the stories just keep rolling in. I think we should look at this from a serious point of view. For the most part, he is really doing the hobby a disservice. Should we, OMAS members, as ambassadors of the hobby do something about this? Is what we are doing enough? At the moment, we mainly only educate current members. But should we find a way to reach out to others in a more public educational program?
Travis L. Stevens
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6996537#post6996537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by okiebones
There's really nothing else for us to do Travis...he has a right to open and run any business any way he sees fit....I was just venting more than anything else.....done formy mental health than any other reason
Doc
We don't have to do anything directed directly at him. I respect his right to do business as he pleases. But our goal as OMAS members is should be to educate people about the hobby. And a well educated person often finds that Tulsa Aquatics often gives poor advice and information. Now, if we could find a way to educate the masses and not just our members, we can accomplish two goals. Increased membership and decrease the bad reputation that the saltwater hobby gets as being "hard" and "expensive" that a few stores and failed aquarists inadvertently give the hobby because of misinformation. Word of mouth is the strongest form of advertisement and one negative word is worth ten in positive. Therefore, for us to change this hobby to a hobby known as an enjoyable past time and help people not make discouraging mistakes, we need to work ten times as hard to debunk misconceptions.
phetish
New member
note: cross-posted here as well: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=6997189#post6997189
well, if OMAS has no intention of endorsing a list of "good" LFS's, then OMAS should not be considering a list of "bad" LFS's.
let the market decide who the good ones are and who the bad ones are.
Having said that, I agree that OMAS should be working toward providing good, solid information to the new people entering the hobby. you can't reach everyone, but you can make the group's existence known and anyone that wants help can use OMAS as a resource.
the question then becomes how do you make the group's existence known? in my opinion, the best way to do that is to partner with the LFS's. The problem there is that the LFS's tend to have love/hate relationships with hobbyist groups.
Several months ago, i started a thread asking what the LFS's needed to make the relationship workable between OMAS and the LFS's. I can't say that much came out of it.
I think that until there is a strong relationship between the LFS's and OMAS there will be a struggle on both sides. OMAS needs the LFS's in order to reach new members and provide good solid advice to hobbyists. LFS's need OMAS as a support group for the people in the hobby.
Here are a couple ideas:
1 - OMAS could offer to provide an in-store liason to customers. (i doubt this is an idea they would jump on, but it's an idea)
2 - OMAS could offer to provide a class to a store's customers on 1 or 2 Saturdays each month. perhaps a fragging class, or a sump/refugium class, etc. ( i keep hearing stores say they want to provide these classes but i've yet to see one do it... why is that? lack of demand, lack of resources, or lack of follow through?)
enough from the peanut gallery on the left coast...
derek
well, if OMAS has no intention of endorsing a list of "good" LFS's, then OMAS should not be considering a list of "bad" LFS's.
let the market decide who the good ones are and who the bad ones are.
Having said that, I agree that OMAS should be working toward providing good, solid information to the new people entering the hobby. you can't reach everyone, but you can make the group's existence known and anyone that wants help can use OMAS as a resource.
the question then becomes how do you make the group's existence known? in my opinion, the best way to do that is to partner with the LFS's. The problem there is that the LFS's tend to have love/hate relationships with hobbyist groups.
Several months ago, i started a thread asking what the LFS's needed to make the relationship workable between OMAS and the LFS's. I can't say that much came out of it.
I think that until there is a strong relationship between the LFS's and OMAS there will be a struggle on both sides. OMAS needs the LFS's in order to reach new members and provide good solid advice to hobbyists. LFS's need OMAS as a support group for the people in the hobby.
Here are a couple ideas:
1 - OMAS could offer to provide an in-store liason to customers. (i doubt this is an idea they would jump on, but it's an idea)
2 - OMAS could offer to provide a class to a store's customers on 1 or 2 Saturdays each month. perhaps a fragging class, or a sump/refugium class, etc. ( i keep hearing stores say they want to provide these classes but i've yet to see one do it... why is that? lack of demand, lack of resources, or lack of follow through?)
enough from the peanut gallery on the left coast...
derek
Add me to the list of people who won't go into Tulsa Aquatics anymore. I used to shop there until some of the other stores opened around town. About 6 months ago, I needed to buy some saltwater and Revolutions just ran out so I went to Tulsa Aquatics to get some. When I go in, John was arguing with the lady about something and both looked really pi$$ed. Well of course she sees me and puts on her best happy face and fills my jugs up with water. (She's always been very nice BTW) I give him the money for the water and he still has this pi$$ed off look on his face the whole time. That overwhelming uncomfortable vibe was going on. I hand him the money, he doesn't say a word, he gives me change and I say, "thanks, have a good day," in a polite geniune tone because I meant it and he gives me a "go to hell" look and says nothing. So immediately think to myself, "yeah, well this is the last time you will ever step foot in this store". I then left the store in a bad mood. Even though it isn't really that big of a deal and I have no idea what he was so mad about, it had nothing to do with me. Letting your personal crap spill over into your customer service will get you nowhere. There's too many other good choices of LFS in this town now to have to put up with that crap. I never go there again and I've told other people not to go there after that happened.
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