Say one thing

[JDogg]

If you could say one thing to a Petco/Petsmart associate what would it be?

 

[FastFly67]

If you could say one thing to a Petco/Petsmart associate what would it be?

please clean the dead fish out of your tank
although the petsmart closest to my house must have really good associates because there tanks are always clean, fish look very happy and have a very good variety

 

[black hills tj]

If you could say one thing to a Petco/Petsmart associate what would it be?

I'd say...Hi! I'm Mike, and I talked to you on the interwebz

 

[runninwoof]

I WOULD SAY

 

[Vikesfankevin]

I would say why do you sell non aquatic plants as aquatic plants?

 

[runninwoof]

I would say why do you sell non aquatic plants as aquatic plants?

agreed i have never seen a picture of an aquarium with bamboo in it

 

[marchmaxima]

Would you believe my bamboo is thriving since I put it in the tank? It is the kind that is grown in a spiral that you're supposed to keep in a vase. I put it in my tank and the off-shoot has taken off!

 

[plecoperson]

"A dozen large crickets, please", then hightail it outta there.

 

[Taelen]

"If you don't know the answer, don't make it up."

 

[haykay]

Hmm,i would rather talk to their managment about training them better... so they don't feel like they HAVE to make things up, although, im not sure they would care enough...

however I must say that the petsmart by me has some knowledgeable staff..
For instince they wont sell you more than 3 fish if you have a tank in your cart.. AND they will try very hard to talk you out of those 3 fish. (better than nothing really)

most of them wont let you mix;
If you by and african cichlid they wont let you pick fish outside of the african section

Kinda fun for me to sit there and listen to people argue with them about buying all the fish their hearts desire, and you can tell they know nothing at all.. at least they don't give up THAT easy..

sorry for the tangent

 

[JDogg]

as you might guess i have have recently taken a weekend job in the fish department of my local Petco. but for years have been the "smart ***" who stood in the fish department telling customers that everything the associate said was more or less wrong.

i have talked to the mangager about the non-aquatic plants in the plant tanks, she will not remove them so i warn people when i sell them. i as questions like...

what size is your tank?
how long has it been set up?
what other fish do you have in it?

sometimes stuborn people still put oscars in with their neon tetras!

i also try to teach people about cycle their tank, and if possible to do it without fish!

i am really curious what else you all think i should be doing to make Petco a better place for we true hobbiests.

p.s. did you know the fish come Fedex! i did not until i started at petco!

 

[fearlessfisch]

Stop selling dwarf gouramis from Southeast Asia. The breeders over there will NOT take steps to eradicate dwarf gourami virus until you start refusing to buy their diseased fish.

Find a US supplier who has healthy stock.

Aquarium trade may have spread gourami virus | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

 

[JDogg]

Stop selling dwarf gouramis from Southeast Asia. The breeders over there will NOT take steps to eradicate dwarf gourami virus until you start refusing to buy their diseased fish.

Find a US supplier who has healthy stock.

Aquarium trade may have spread gourami virus | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

that would explain why we have so many dwarf grourami "un-sellables"

 

[Taelen]

Even at my limited knowledge level (others here know way more than me), I have to stop myself at the Petsmart from correcting the employees. I would probably be there all day.

I'm sure there are some that do know and make the effort, but for the most part...

 

[Jchillin]

One thing that would help is to advise customers that your display tanks are just that, display tanks, the purpose of which is to sell fish. The novice walks in and observes heavily stocked LFS tanks and convince themselves that what they are seeing is normal.

 

[Tommy Gun]

I would and always try to say "Thanks but no thanks. I don't need your advice because I already researched this fish/invert before I came here".

 

[fearlessfisch]

Taelen said: "If you don't know the answer, don't make it up."

Excellent response.

 

[JDogg]

"If you don't know the answer, don't make it up."

i guess i personaly have yet to get a question i don't know the answer to

it helps that i have some experience in the hobbie, plus being a ex-science teacher i have alot of general "science" knowlege i can apply.

there there is just being an overall "geek" and "know it all" that helps to

i guess i only work weekends, so i do not know what my co-workers are telling people durring the week, but on the weekends i rule the fish department and everyone know to send customers with questions my way.

they have even told me they have told people to come back on the weekend to talk to "the fish guy" lol


but there is alot of things petco does that i am trying to fight.

for example i will not put aquarium salt in the tanks, and even though we have signs up saying we recomend it, i openly do not.

i also refere customers to the lfs in town when we can not meet there needs

i try to adapt a clear, knowledgable and honest aproach to helping the customers, even if it costs petco a sale.

 

[Taelen]

You are rare JDogg, I can say that from my experiences at least. But good on you for being one of the good ones. =)

 

[FishyLuva]

i would ask why there prices got higher