Why I No Longer Support LFS

T

TYC

New member
I'm all for supporting LFS however majority of them around here honestly makes me feel like I'm dealing with shady used car sales people... Too often its been my experience they have a "Mr Know It All" unfriendly demeanor :mad: ... They never smile and look like they'd rather be somewhere else. Perhaps it's the price of living too close to the Rotten Apple (NYC) where everyone has an attitude.

Looks like they have similar problems in the UK as per Finncole's thread "An LFS tried to charge me 1000 pounds for a 40 gallon" :eek2: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2637102

Is it just me or are u also dealing with lack of transparency and poor customer service at your LFS that you dont want to shop there? Never had such problems when shopping online so will not be going to LFS again.
 
There are good LFS and there are bad LFS. Perhaps you are just unlucky. The ones around me in CT are pretty good, and I liked the ones when I lived in North NJ as well.
 
I see its the twice weekly "bash your LFS for internet points" thread time.

I enjoy a visit to the LFS by me, they are always friendly and helpful, and all are very knowledgeable. But yes, there are bad ones I'm sure. There are good and bad companies in any line of business. I would like to offer a counter observation that I'm willing to bet some people that spend a lot of time reading here enter an LFS with a know it all attitude that may or may not be earned. All because they read something on the internet, and also read here the near constant bashing of LFS, so they go in "knowing" that because they spend time on RC, they know more.
 
I support LFS and B&M for that matter. Most helpers at LFS are not nearly as knowledgeable as some members here on the forum. I always do my research before making a purchase rather than relying on LFS.
Not everyone enjoys his/her job, and not everyone gets off the bed feeling blessed to be alive. So don't let those instances ruin your day/experience.
I like the LFS because I can get a anything without paying for shipping. I also get to see before I buy. Sometimes I run into local reefers at LFS and they LOVE to talk about reefing. I in turn, learn a lot more. If I have an emergency, I can always go to the LFS and get what I need.
Most importantly, they create JOBS.
 
When the bad ones go out of business, with luck a good one will see an opportunity.
 
sde1500 said:
I would like to offer a counter observation that I'm willing to bet some people that spend a lot of time reading here enter an LFS with a know it all attitude that may or may not be earned. All because they read something on the internet, and also read here the near constant bashing of LFS, so they go in "knowing" that because they spend time on RC, they know more.
Click to expand...

Very well said.
 
This is one of those double edged swords situations. I completely understand where the OP comes from. 95% of the stores around me suck. They are dirty. They don't stock good equipment. They don't watch for pests. The workers are either minimum wage employees (not a negative on its own) and don't care about the job or they are owners that know less than they think they do.

Finding the store that is clean, well taken care of and has a knowledgeable staff is very rare. Sadly, there isn't enough money (or hobbyists) in this hobby to attract the better workers. That's just business 101. So, IN MY OPINION, it is OUR responsibility as the hobbyists to know our stuff. Know what fish can go in your tank. Know what equipment to look for. Know how to look for and identify pests. That is OUR job in this hobby.

Thankfully, I have found a LFS here that seems reliable. The owner is nice. Doesn't lie to make a sale. Is knowledgeable but not condescending.

Because here is the issue of only going online...there will be a day when you have an emergency. Not if, but when. It WILL happen. You will need 50 gallons of RO right now. You will need a new heater, new return pump or even a new tank RIGHT NOW. Well, you're SOL when there isn't a LFS around because you sent all your money to another state with an online store.

So, find a good LFS. Get to know the owner. Don't be a Richard.
 
sde1500 said:
I would like to offer a counter observation that I'm willing to bet some people that spend a lot of time reading here enter an LFS with a know it all attitude that may or may not be earned. All because they read something on the internet, and also read here the near constant bashing of LFS, so they go in "knowing" that because they spend time on RC, they know more.
Click to expand...

The sad truth is we often do know more. Ever since I was a child renting out every book on fish/aquariums my library had, I knew more than most any LFS employee in my area. The things i've heard, and been told, are shameful.

Gems I've heard

- If you're dealing with algae in your reef, no problem, just run your rocks under hot tap water and scrub it off!

- A flame angel will be fine in a small biocube

- You should use our water, it's much better than salt you can mix yourself

- I've never heard of angels eating corals


A lot of these are 18-20 year old kids who frankly aren't half as knowledgeable as they should be given their position. There are a couple great LFS in my area (So Cal, the land of LFS/Wholesalers) -- But for every good one there's 4-5 bad ones.
 
sde1500 said:
I would like to offer a counter observation that I'm willing to bet some people that spend a lot of time reading here enter an LFS with a know it all attitude that may or may not be earned. All because they read something on the internet, and also read here the near constant bashing of LFS, so they go in "knowing" that because they spend time on RC, they know more.
Click to expand...
Perhaps however my experiences have been with staff who are unfriendly as soon as you walk into the store and condescending when you ask basic questions about their inventory, i.e. where r the Live rocks from, what is ur quarantine procedure for new livestock etc. Unfortunately around here where there are too many people to whom $ is no object unless you're spending a ton of $ without asking questions, they don't treat you nice. Again I think the biggest issue around here is the rude big city attitude. :sad1:

This weekend I bought a fish and here's what transpired: 2 weeks ago I had inquired about a Flame angel. When I called the next week, LFS said that angel sold but new delivery is coming by Fri. So when I showed up on Fri to check out the fish, no one greeted me and the workers acted like they were too cool to offer any help with crabby expressions on their faces. I had to keep looking for them to help me with the purchase.

When it came time to pay for the fish, they rang up 14% higher price than what was quoted on the tel. I politely said to the clerk the store had quoted a 14% less price on the phone last week. The worker said "That wasn't me who spoke with you and besides last week's fish sold and this one is a new arrival. We have different vendors with diff cost for each fish"... REALLY? I said it would've been nice if this was conveyed to me on the telephone so it doesn't feel like a bait-n-switch scam. The guy couldn't care less and made me feel like I shouldn't complain about paying 14% more... I left the store with a really bad taste in my mouth.:angryfire:
 
I've found it to really be a hit/miss situation. In AZ, we've seen several stores come and go recently. They are frequently started by hobbyists with insufficient capital and insufficient business experience. The resulting 'going out of business sale' is almost an inevitability.

In my experience, the best LFS are owned by someone with real business acumen (and a love for the hobby but not necessarily an expert). He or she hires a couple of knowledgeable reef keepers at lower pay but with some cool hobby benefits. Most importantly, the stores that thrive almost always have an aquarium maintenance business that provide steady cash flow at a reasonable profit.
 
Stolireef said:
But did you leave with the fish? If you did, they made the sale and thus the cycle will continue.
Click to expand...
LOL, yes I had to bc my family's been complaining why I dont stock more fish in the tank and I had promised them I was getting a nice Flame angel that day!!! :debi:
 
my family doesn't know what I went through for that fish to make them happy so I'm venting here with other reef keepers...hey, sharing is good!
 
I consider myself lucky to live in northern New Jersey and have access to a few very good LFS. Absolutely Fish in Clifton will blow away most stores on the East coast. They always have at least 8 sales people on at any time of day. Often carry tank raised fish which I bought a few of such as YellowTangs, White Bar Maculosus, Bali Coral Beauty. Well worth the hour drive for me to get there. Sea level Aquarium in Parsippany; small but great for coral frags. Sure Your local store is priced higher then online but it is worth the extra $ to see the fish before buying it IMO.
 
There's three LFS near me. One is FW/SW and I don't like going there anyway. The other two are strictly salt. On busy days they're not real chatty but people are in there buying stuff and being helped but when I stop in on slow days they love to talk about fish and reef stuff. I guess since I live in Florida it's basic southern hospitality.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
Many of the LFS shops in CT SUCK too. Yes, there are a few halfway decent ones but that's about it.
 
I have a great lfs I go to.they tell me if a certain coral or fish is good for my tank,I saw a guy that wanted I think a yellow tang for like a 29 gallon tank and my lfs refused to sell one to him even after he argued that it was none of their business and he wanted one so bad he offered double the money for it and they still wouldn't sell one to him!
 
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