Talvari
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2011
- Messages
- 732
Work Rant.
The longer I work in retail, the more my faith in humanity is whittled away. I work at a semi well known pet store in the pet department, working with fish and reptiles. Unfortunately, for the most part, we are not allowed to tell a customer "no". Occasionally you get lucky and you have a manger that actually cares about the animals we sell closing and you can get away with it... But otherwise its a "well, you warned them, its their fault if it dies." mentality.
Stores from yesterday:
Gentleman comes in who has a 40 gallon tank. He wants an oscar and two convicts. I explain that the 40 is just big enough for two convicts, let alone an oscar. I explain how big the oscar gets and he brushes me off saying hes had them in there before. I asked him how long the fish lived "Oh a long time - two years! And they didnt get THAT big" I had to stop myself from laughing in his face. I tried to explain that Oscars can live more than ten years, and he just rolled his eyes again and told me to "just get the fish." UGH.
A couple comes in. They have a five gallon betta tank with live plants that has snails everywhere. Their brilliant solution? Buy a CLOWN LOACH. I told him it would get too big for that tank and wouldnt survive long. "Oh fish only grow to the size of their tank". No, actually, they dont. Their grow gets stunted and then they DIE YEARs before they are supposed to! Would you keep a german shepherd in a closet its entire life?! I tried to suggest a kuhli loach- at least it would do better in a five gallon than a clown loach- but he wouldnt have it. "They are ugly and you never see them".
A woman returns three oscars. They are only like two inches long... But she added them to a brand new 20 GALLON TANK. Im not going to even go there.
Seriously.... As much as I love my job sometimes (I really do enjoy teaching people who want to learn about taking care of animals, and I enjoy just interacting with the animals we do have) I feel that if I have to stay in this industry much longer, I am going to end up snapping at someone. Hardcore.
Its too bad that we really need the extra money from my job. That and I feel a little better knowing, at least, that I am helping out some animals by telling people the truth.
The longer I work in retail, the more my faith in humanity is whittled away. I work at a semi well known pet store in the pet department, working with fish and reptiles. Unfortunately, for the most part, we are not allowed to tell a customer "no". Occasionally you get lucky and you have a manger that actually cares about the animals we sell closing and you can get away with it... But otherwise its a "well, you warned them, its their fault if it dies." mentality.
Stores from yesterday:
Gentleman comes in who has a 40 gallon tank. He wants an oscar and two convicts. I explain that the 40 is just big enough for two convicts, let alone an oscar. I explain how big the oscar gets and he brushes me off saying hes had them in there before. I asked him how long the fish lived "Oh a long time - two years! And they didnt get THAT big" I had to stop myself from laughing in his face. I tried to explain that Oscars can live more than ten years, and he just rolled his eyes again and told me to "just get the fish." UGH.
A couple comes in. They have a five gallon betta tank with live plants that has snails everywhere. Their brilliant solution? Buy a CLOWN LOACH. I told him it would get too big for that tank and wouldnt survive long. "Oh fish only grow to the size of their tank". No, actually, they dont. Their grow gets stunted and then they DIE YEARs before they are supposed to! Would you keep a german shepherd in a closet its entire life?! I tried to suggest a kuhli loach- at least it would do better in a five gallon than a clown loach- but he wouldnt have it. "They are ugly and you never see them".
A woman returns three oscars. They are only like two inches long... But she added them to a brand new 20 GALLON TANK. Im not going to even go there.
Seriously.... As much as I love my job sometimes (I really do enjoy teaching people who want to learn about taking care of animals, and I enjoy just interacting with the animals we do have) I feel that if I have to stay in this industry much longer, I am going to end up snapping at someone. Hardcore.
Its too bad that we really need the extra money from my job. That and I feel a little better knowing, at least, that I am helping out some animals by telling people the truth.