A guide to getting good service at a Pet'smart

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You can shop at a place like Pet'smart for fish if you do two things, with success.
1. Ask the worker what tanks they have, someone who works in the fish department in a Pet'smart has to work with birds, rodents, reptiles amphibians, and fish. Many of the people there are skilled with one of the other fields but know little about fish. They generally will not be offended if you ask for someone with more experience. Talk to someone who knows what they're talking about, the fish department is ALWAYS the most busy so we can't afford to only have one employee there. If I were in charge I would make employees have reading material and tests on every variety of animal and only allow them to work on that animal but that would be impractical. The best idea by far is to find an employee that knows what he's talking about and deal with him/her exclusively. I have people asking me my schedule for weeks in advance.

2. Tell the worker upfront that you want success and are willing to be patient for it. I don't typically recommend cycling because I know that most of the people who come to Pet'smart want instant gratification and are willing to sacrifice a few dozen fish for it. I can't convince people to cycle, 99% of the time. I can tell, and believe me it's obvious, who is willing to wait for a better tank. I have had people tell me upfront, and this is no lie, that 6 koi and a 7 inch pleco would be just fine in a 10 gal and I didn't know what I was talking about. You know what you do then? You talk to them for an hour while 10 people wait and you get nowhere. You call the manager over and they don't believe her. You are told by the manager not to sell them fish, and they go away and tell anyone who will listen that they were wronged. And you turn around and start to help the ten people who were waiting. And then you notice that 6 out of those ten people are identical to the first person. cycling? I'll be lucky to convince them to wait 24 hours. This all changes if you tell the employee that you're willing to be patient.

I know it sounds hypocritical but Wallmart is typically a lost hope.

If anyone lives in cincinnati and is going to go to the Pet'smart in Hyde Park to start out, pm me and ask me when I'll be working next.

 

[Sati]

That's why I can't work at a pet store. After working at a quality vet and taking the very best care of patients and owners alike I can't stand to just ignore what's going on. I worked one day at my LFS and just couldn't stand to stay. After I saw another employee sell Cardinals for cycling I just said F it.

 

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It's worth it when you get one person who really wants to do the right thing. I love helping people who will be patient for a good tank. As far as I can tell in the last 5 weeks I've helped 11 people get started in a hobby that is truely great, I think of them. I don't think of the majority who leave me mentaly saying good luck to the fish in question. I lead those people to the barbs, which have at least a chance.

 

[mikemou]

just curious, Atlarge, i know petsmart doesn't sell it, but are you pro-bio-spira or against it?

 

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We do sell it, but I haven't used it and so don't recommend it. If people ask me if it's any good I say I don't know but products of that ilk rarely work. If anyone has experience with it I'd like some info.

 

[patryuji]

hmmm...they don't carry it at any local petsmart around here.

If you do a search you will find a very large amount of info covering bio-spira experiences.

 

[Allivymar]

It truly works Atlarge. I've used it 4 times successfully. You might want to give it a go next tank you set up; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Atlarge]

Sweet. My next tank will be discus, so not that one, but I'll start recomending it.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

I work at a petsmart here in IL. and agree with Atlarge 100%

This is true we have about 5 employees in the animal department some of us are fish nuts, some reptile, there are a few who know nothing, his advice is very good

JC

 

[Devilishturtles]

I can totally sympathize with ya Atlarge. I manage a Wal-Mart pet department...talk about stupid people! Well, not stupid, I shouldn't say that..but impatient..yes. I don't even bring up cycling with them anymore, it will be a complete waste of my time. I do get some gratification if a customer walks away with some newfound knowledge before they have come to talk to me. I don't know about Petsmart, but at WM, most of the people are extremely friendly. I have about 5-6 customers who I am on a first name basis with, all because I helped them successfully set up a tank. Some get impatient, yes. Some don't believe what I say because after all, I'm only a wal-mart employee, but I guarantee ya that I know more about aquatic animals than 99% of the people who walk in there sometimes!

But, I'm gonna stop now because if I keep typing, I'll go on and on forever! Haha, have fun with it is all I can say. I've been in the department for 2 years, managing it for about 6 months, and it really is fun. Don't get bogged down from the people!

 

[madasafish]

Wait, hold on. I'm confused. I always thought it was "Petsmart," not "Pet'smart." OK, but I suppose that brings up the question of whether it's (meaning-wise) Pets-mart or Pet-smart. Does it mean it's a mart for pets (not a pet's mart) or a place where you can be smart about pets??? ARG!

 

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That's the point.

 

[Christmasfish]

Ya know if it were not for the Walmart comment......
In my particular region, the wally world has the better water quality and better treatment and less crowded than our petOmart! Granted, they are a lesser evil and not a shining example.

(At LArge) He changes the name maybe because the same reason I do...? Petcomart is known to close down boards that have their corporate name bandied about too much where it crops up in searches. From PETA's foamy mouthed frenzied attacks to the WEbGuy's fish info page..they are democratic..and brutal. Petco, Petland and others do not. And they have been hurt far worse. They are one of the major disgruntled corporations closing down the consumer alert page that has been up for a good 12 years. That aside.....
Since this is not in the retail section...
I disagree with the chime ins about terrible customers. Specially with any who have posts to the contrary elsewhere on the board. The potential of terrible customers is ALWAYS there in retail... I also say good service has NOTHING to do with the name hanging on the shop. My Petsmartco in Lacey and the other two closest are TERRIBLE. No holds barred- awful. They just have clean LOOKING water and good lighting. And I will never have anything that good to say about these local stores except that aquarium heaters are 8 dollars less than elsewhere there.
And the fish dept alone has 7 employees that are supposed to be "fishy" only one does birds and the rats get what they get.

So if all is unicorns and rainbows at PetSmarte tell me..how can I get the manger at my local petunsmart to tell me the latin name a common looking tetras.. since they are all pale and ill..how can I tell them apart? how can he approve of employees selling a mom and kid 5 fish of ANY species to go in your little sponge bob tanks? And say they will be fine and not to change routine (the lady asked if she should change more often).
They also told her the angels would not get very large very fast and are small fish anyway nor would the clown loach!!! They are always telling customers that the biggest their oscars will get is 8 inches. And I won't even go with they say on labyrinths like macropods and gourami.... They also steer people away from test kits.

I've seen you lamenting your stupid customers in other threads just as you have seen me bashing PetUnsmarte..but I am always clear it is these local and certain others. And I actually attacking retail practices being applied to things alive anyway. I have been in good ones also. Currently it is 10 -3 in favor of bad
Poor regular people that are your customers .. you have to understand if they talked to a group of expert employees here..they wouldn't heed a single warning from you.... and as far as they know, who said they should know anything anyway?If six fish have survived a year..their tank is FINE. No counting the ones that "mysteriously" died.

And retail is set up for the impulse buyer... plain fact. Don't try to sell it as anything else as far as the store itself goes in a corporate sense. And are you honestly expecting everyone (or even more than a third) who walks into your department with cash in hand to know jack shat about fish? The hard sell is always doing the right thing...you must stay calm yet stubborn about it. Tets kits are a good wake up call for your stubborn ones.. a color is worth a thousand words.

Don't get me completely wrong, I am very pleased that you care so much, are filling gaps on your species knowledge and promoting good fish care..... but don't try to create a false sense of trust. Just because there are maybe 12 petstore employees here at AA that care (one who works at a Wally world BTW) and if they don't know they ask.. that does not let off the 100's of thousands out there that are just making summer money and that is IT. Corporations did not get where they are by doing the right thing....they get there by cutting corners and marketing well. By knowing how to give the public what it clamours for. In fact I think it was even petzmart itself that kicked off the VERY evil waterbabies craze. :?

I am very sour against corporations..both as consumer and as employee who has seen being the scenes. Specially the 3 years in marketing. As far as retail pets chains, i don't want them "closed down". But there must be a law inacted to comply to that treats all animals sold as animals....not commodities. Less crowding, proper species information and species water kept separate to bare minimums as ph and temp. And a training of those who handle animals to get them all conforming in information and knowledge. I want to walk in a St Louis chain and see the same quality of care adn hear the same info on a given fish as a store in Arizona.

Bottom line?
It takes more than a pleasant demeanor and a pretty please to get good service. It takes a concientious and well traineed employee.

 

[Devilishturtles]

(one who works at a Wally world BTW)

I agree with most of what you say xmasfish. Personally, I don't like the petsmart around me because they are filled with kids who don't know anything, and are just there to get money. The tanks are always horrible, the fish always dead, etc. That is management problem though, so nothing can be done. But, isn't that the same with the majority of pet chains?

Bottom line?
It takes more than a pleasant demeanor and a pretty please to get good service. It takes a concientious and well traineed employee.

My point exactly. Some will say they hate wal-mart, some will say the love it. Some will say they hate petsmart, some will say they love it. I don't understand why people complain about a "store" in general being bad because it is the employees who work there that make it what it is. If they have a pleasant experience, they will come back. Some will hate me for saying it, but it is the truth. Maybe you'll get lucky and live by some of the few chain stores who's employees really do care about their creatures. (myself and atlarge included, and anyone else who does).

I love helping out customers who don't know. And those customers that fit this criteria, if you take the time and effort to teach them, will come back. I don't think they are stupid, just not knowledgable about the topic. That is why they come to the store, to learn. Nobody is born knowing all there is to know about fish or anything for that matter. They learn by asking questions, about listening to others. Don't take the time with them and things will happen. Their fish will die, they will blame the store that they got the fish from, they will tell their friends not to go there...and there the cycle begins. So, thats all I have to say... Sorry for the rant

 

[Atlarge]

It's not the customers who don't know anything that bother me, it's the ones who refuse to listen to me. I guess the mecca for Pet'smart is the midwest then.

One good thing, my manager makes the Specialty people read books on all of the animals we sell, so most of the people who work here know at least a little.

 

[quarryshark]

just curious, Atlarge, i know petsmart doesn't sell it, but are you pro-bio-spira or against it?

I've tried it. It didn't work very well. Of course I tried it in a qt tank.

 

[Andydg]

I work at a pet store too, and it's the same way. Our store flat out refuses to sell any fish to someone that bought a tank that day. The biggest thing on getting the best help is asking for people that have tanks, they always know more than the person that tried to memorise all the crappy training, because they really get thier facts screwed up badly.