When do you chime in at LFS

[reefrider]

Where I live we have very little in the way of a good LFS. Today I was browsing at PETCO, and they were floating bags of fish. I overheard the sales person trying to sell a green mandarin with a sunken belly and a flasher wrasse with a chopped up tail. The customer made the comment that she should buy the fish and sell them back to our only reputable LFS because of his prices. I chimed in and said, "He quarantines all his fish for a minimum of 2 weeks, whereas this guy is selling you a starved mandarin and wrasse with a chopped up tail." I get so ****ed off when I am at a store and I see this crap happen. So here is my question...When do responsible reef/fish keepers step in and inform the customer, because we are not in it for the sale?

I have been sold trash for many years before I did my own research. This is yet another reason why it is hard to support LFS's that only care about the money and not the livestock.

 

[ggrillo]

When the sales rep is blatantly lying to a customer. i.e. Tangs are perfect for nano tanks! Angelfish won't eat your corals. Of course 4 year of CF bulbs will be enough for a hadonni... I could go on...

 

[CHSUB]

imo, you should mind your own business. if you want to help people, than help someone that really needs help, not someone at petco.

 

[Khemul]

The question should really be "Is it proper for reef/fish keepers to step in and inform the customer?" precisely because we are not in it for the sale.

I know it is hard for a lot of people to sit back and ignore bad/horrible advice given to customers without saying anything. But it really isn't your responsibility, and it is extremely rude from the store's perspective. Basically you are openly attacking the store's very purpose for existing. They aren't there to educate the customer. They aren't there for the ethical treatment of fish/corals. They are there for the sale. That is their purpose and their business.

 

[skidoctor]

I came acrros the same situation today. My friends own a LFS, and the only competition in town is a Petco and a seedy, dirty store that offers horrible advice and attempts to sell aptasia informed and newbs alike. Petco is Petco, and some of their employees are actually informed and as a result I would not bash them although I wouldn't buy livestock there. This other store, the dirty, dingy, algae filled, dead fish floating in tanks sorry excuse for a pet store has actively gone on the offensive against my friends by telling their customers all of the usual- their livestock is unhealthy, they don't know what they are doing... Well, this couldn't be further from the truth. Their store is immacualte, they are very knowledgeable, prices are more than reasonable to the extent that I sometimes don't believe they can stay in business, they almost requir a customer's list of livestock before selling anything, and they are available almost 24 hours in the case of emergencies.
So the question is- how do I or my friends defend their store? I know bad mouthing this store is not the right thing to do, but don't customers deserve the right to know the truth, whether it be from an advice perspective or just general business practices standpoint?

 

[williewilliams]

If you really care to do so, Wait til the person is away from the sales person or outside of the store before you start to tell them the store or seller is bad or lying. You would hate it if someone stood right inside the door to your store and told potential customers how much you suck. Its hard to hold back sometimes, I know.

 

[syrinx]

No it is not proper to get involved. If you want to pass them a card with your fish clubs information on it, and try to help with his education that way- great. Doing anything inside the shop is not ethical. You are a guest in the shop, and should behave as one. Your knowlege of fish gives you no dominion, right or responsibility for the care of the worlds fishes.

 

[reefrider]

What if you were that person who didnt know the difference and the sales person didnt inform you? I think as hobbyists we should always be ready to inform others of what we have learned both positive and negative. I also believe if people selling fish are telling someone a tomato clown is an oscellaris, and a customer corrects them, it lets the sales person know others are listening to what they are telling others. It just sad to see this numerous times, and to have been on the other end.

 

[ReeferBatman]

if you really care to do so, wait til the person is away from the sales person or outside of the store before you start to tell them the store or seller is bad or lying. You would hate it if someone stood right inside the door to your store and told potential customers how much you suck. Its hard to hold back sometimes, i know.

+1

 

[Cahooligan]

If they are wrong, then they are wrong. IMO, say whatever you want as long as your correct. I don't care whose store it is, nor do i care what they have to say. If they are wrong, then they are lying.

http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus35-advertising-faqs-guide-small-business
"-Advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive
-Advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims; and
-Advertisements cannot be unfair"

-Telling someone a fish is easy to keep is advertising the product. The product in this case being the fish. Telling someone a mandarin is easy to keep is false advertising.
-They have no evidence to back up their claim that a mandarin is easy to keep; and
-Advertising that a mandarin is easy to keep puts any knowledgable LFS at an unfair advantage because they know the truth.

of course this is all based on individual context and interpretation, but it is my 2 cents nonetheless.

 

[nommarune]

I agree with some of this and disagree with lots. I highly disagree that the fish of this world are not our responsibility. These fish and corals are living creature that we should hold high regards as a living breathing thing. Now do I agree that we should jump in in the middle of the store because of a price or a fish looks unhealthy... eh depends highly on the situation.
I have been to several stores and i am still really new to this hobby, but i've read and I have made mistakes and learned from them. At my local fish store if a customer asks a question and the employee doesn't know they will ask me if i am there. So I often speak my mind.

I think if you do not mention price or poor treatment then I would prolly speak up. no the tang cant fit in a 1 gallon tank with out a heater. Yes you need salt for saltwater.. lol

thats my 2 cents for what its worth.

 

[nommarune]

I agree with some of this and disagree with lots. I highly disagree that the fish of this world are not our responsibility. These fish and corals are living creature that we should hold high regards as a living breathing thing. Now do I agree that we should jump in in the middle of the store because of a price or a fish looks unhealthy... eh depends highly on the situation.
I have been to several stores and i am still really new to this hobby, but i've read and I have made mistakes and learned from them. At my local fish store if a customer asks a question and the employee doesn't know they will ask me if i am there. So I often speak my mind.

I think if you do not mention price or poor treatment then I would prolly speak up. no the tang cant fit in a 1 gallon tank with out a heater. Yes you need salt for saltwater.. lol

thats my 2 cents for what its worth.

 

[Anim8me2]

It is possible to offer correct information without being rude or insulting to the store or salesperson.
There is nothing wrong with correcting bad info as long as you are respectful about it.

You can always say things like;
"I have kept that type of fish/coral before and in my experience this works better..."

 

[OrQidz]

I think the hapless customer in the store has some responsibility here too. They should be doing their research and figuring out the requirements of their potential new fish/corals and not just asking a random petco employee. I would say the same thing of anyone who wanders into petco and decides to get a bird or gerbil without any good idea of what the care should be, and whether the pet is a good choice. It's not up to more knowledgeable, but fellow, customers to "rescue" the newbies.

There are also so many differences of opinion even among experienced hobbyists about many things. Example, "you need a 100 gal with tons of LR for a mandarin", "my mandarin is doing great in my 30 gal, eats frozen like a pig", "I have 2 mandarins in my 10 and they are fine", etc. There is a general consensus usually but backed with rigorous scientific research? Sometimes yes, sometimes not.

I too wince and want to chime in when I hear misinformation. I think this is more appropriately done by writing a letter or speaking with the manager (separate from the immediate situation) and showing your concern. Maybe providing them with some information and accurate guidelines for care. This would address the situation overall from the top down, and not just as an isolated event which gets you booted from the store persona non grata anyway.

 

[elmattador]

i work at a fresh and saltwater fish store, when im at petco if i hear one of the associates giving some b.s info i wait for the rep to walk away then fill the person in on that actual facts or let them know they need to do more research and really look into... or tell them to come to my store where they wont get raging illness from buying out of petcos awful tanks.

 

[KafudaFish]

Or you walk up as if you are interested in seeing what is going on and then you ask what is wrong with each fish. If you are told nothing then you point out the issues.

At the end you tell them that you were just concerned because you had a friend who bought similar fish and it killed everything in his tank costing him thousands.

 

[HumbleFish]

I used to speak up, but now I mainly just mind my own business. I've come to realize most people just have to learn from their own mistakes. Most noobs in a LFS are all pumped up about this cool new fish they've found; they don't want to hear any voice of reason. The LFS employee capitalizes on this, and in the end, you just look like an a-hole trying to be their buzzkill. So, I decided that I would rather spend my time on here helping those who are actually seeking help.

 

[gone fishin]

I used to speak up, but now I mainly just mind my own business. I've come to realize most people just have to learn from their own mistakes. Most noobs in a LFS are all pumped up about this cool new fish they've found; they don't want to hear any voice of reason. The LFS employee capitalizes on this, and in the end, you just look like an a-hole trying to be their buzzkill. So, I decided that I would rather spend my time on here helping those who are actually seeking help.

This is very true. I have seen some heated confrontations from unsolicted or unwanted advice. In the end it is the patrons money to do with as they want. If they decide to purchase something without doing the research that is their problem. being new is not an excuse to be ignorant.

 

[channingd]

It's hard because lives are at stake. We've all been thru the "uneducated" times and paid the price. We have a pet store here that is just in the worst condition you could ask and the owner is just waiting for newbs to bite. I was in there for the first time and this lady whom my wife ran into at the Petco 2 hours previously, was going to buy some aiptasia, green hair algae infested live rock for $8.00 a pound. I couldn't let her do it. I told her she needs to go see a real LFS that caters to our kind. She fortunately didn't buy anything and hopefully took the right steps for her education.

I felt I had done the right thing, but then later, thought what if that was a used car lot and I'm standing in the middle of it giving my mechanics view of every car and sending that lots customers to somewhere else? Probably not right. In the end I guess people need to research and learn. There's no excuse in todays world not to know.

Still, I don't like bad business at the sake of living creatures.

 

[dan1789]

Responsible reef keeping. Don't buy fish that are in bad health it only promotes more sales and imports of said fish. I think you absolutely should say something to the customer to inform them of the purchase they are considering.