Some people don't listen

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X the Outsider

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Messages
297
Location
Iowa
I have a regular customer who doesn't listen to a thing I say. For the last two weeks I've kept him from buying fish for his tank. He's got a 55 gallon with about 40lbs of LR in it. He cycled with four damsels; which I told him he should just use the LR. The week after the brown stage ended he came in and bought 160 dollars with of fish. One week later he came in, and bought a Longnose Butterfly. He doesn't buy anything when I'm there, because I won't sell them to him. He's got a coral beauty, blue regal tang, neon dottyback, longnose butterfly, four damsels, a clown, and two gobies which he didn't know what kind they were. Well he wanted me to get him a sand-sifter goby to clean the sand. I told him several time not to get anymore fish. I listed several inverts to get that would do the same job. He wasn't having it; he wanted another fish. I actually got very6 stern with him, and told him he didn't need another fish for his tank. I even went through the possiblities if something should happen, and his water quality drops suddenly. He told me "I'll buy the fish anyways." I gave him this website address, and he wouldn't even listen to me. He told me he trusted me, but he had made up his mind. But so have I, and I'm not going to order any fish for him.

Sorry, but I had to vent. I always think that the good majority of us know not to overstock our tanks, and we know what we are doing.
 
working in a fish store, i know exactly what ur going through, i had a customer with a 55 gallon and had already stocked it with 5 or 6 fish 1 week after setting it up after the advice of the local petsmart. I told him not to add anything else until his cycle is complete but he got mad and decided to add an anemone and clownfish anyways. Well two weeks later he comes back and apologizes for not listening because everything except the clownfish died.
 
I don't know what the problem is? He obviously knows what he is talking about and has lots of cash to spend. Maybe he will send me some as his chief supporter :wink: . I just feel bad for the fish... Some people ask for advice and then do the opposite which I find even more annoying...
 
He told me he trusted me, but he had made up his mind. But so have I, and I'm not going to order any fish for him.

Kudos to you!!! He'll get the fish somewhere, it's nice to see you stand by your principals instead of just going for the cash!!!
 
I hate customers like that. We get people that do that all the time, ask for advise, we give, they go arround that advice. Customers are weird. They'll look for what they have to say to get your approval, come back when you aren't working and buy everything. Then they get mad when you wont take their fish back b/c their water peramiters are off the wall.
 
Ahh it's frustrating isn't it. I find people in general don't listen to any advise you give them about anything. When they make their mind up well you can't change it. My guy (the one I am buying my stuff from) is good at advising me against what I can and can't have. I don't always like it but I listen. He has been cycling my tank for me. I am about to pee in my pants I want to bring it home so bad but he says it's to soon. So far it's been though the algae stage and he added a clean up crew I visit every week. I know I drive him nuts I stayed in the store about a hour the other day looking at my critters he put in there. Two more week I just can't stand it. I will say this much he has forced me to be patient. I may have been tempted to add sooner than he did. I am not so patient. It's been good that he did it for me.

Anywhoooo, I think everyone in your shoes goes through that my guy was so mad a couple of weeks ago. He was standing infront of a tank so I walked back there and said what's up guy.
He pointed at this beautiful blue fish (the kind like Dory in Finding nemo) the color was gone off the face. He said that's what happens when you don't give your fish the right vitamins.

They he said these people come in here and buy these fish then they don't want to take care of them right. What do you do? He then said you know that is about 150.00 fish. I felt his frustration.
I really did beause I see it with other things to. People jump up I want a dog yaaaa that's what I want. They search hell and high water to get one then after a couple of months the dog is old news and neglected.

What do you do?

Rachel Van Dyke
 
Hey Scatcat, sounds like you found a keeper in "your guy!"

Welcome to AA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :smilecolros:
 
well, good for you. I had to talk a women out of buying a pinatus batfish for her 20 gallon today. I don't work at the store, but I am sure that they would have just sold it for her.

"will my nemos get along with this guy?"

"Miss, I am afraid your CLOWN FISH! are the least of your worries."

I could never work at a fish store. People drive me nuts. The "nemo fish" thing especially drives me nuts.
 
A batfish for her twenty gallon!? It's a good thing you were there. That would have been disasterous.

The "nemo" thing you ignore after awhile, but it's still annoying.
 
grrrrr..... That "Nemo" abreviation is sooooooooo damn enoying! Last summer I whent to a little LFS and I asked them for the price of there Oscellaris Clown, a women working there said to me: "What???" and his work partner said back "Oh the "Nemo fish"..."
Grrrrr! :evil:
 
My local place has " Percula Clown (Nemo) Tank Raised" written on the tank.

Guy looked relieved when I asked for a perc. There were little kids running around going look its nemo look its nemo.

I guess its annoying...but I bet clownfish sales have went through the roof since that movie came out.

At a different store I asked then if they were going to get any percula clowns in...they were like what?? We have some clowns right there. They were tomatos...so I said a percula...."ooooo you mean nemo". Needless to say I do not shop there.
 
We can only thank god that the movie starred two Ocellaris clowns. Which are easily raised under captive conditions.

can you imagine what it would have been like had the movie starred two Imporator angels?

yikes!

this fish store is always ordering sharks, and rays, and batfish, and Moorish Idols, and TONS of mandrins. All of those fish should be available by special order only.

but thats just MHO
 
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