Too young for the hobby?

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Most management takes complaints on customer service pretty seriously - just make it sound like they may lose a customer. And of this person treats customers like that they don't belong in a service job. And Philly, cussing in front of customers is a big customer service no-no. Never know who you might deeply offend so you just don't do it! (And this is from someone who has been told that she cusses like a sailor.) And yeah, the glass tapping gets to me. I've told kids in Walmart off for tapping or banging on the tanks, haha. Good thing you got that filter though! Would have sucked to miss out on it.
 
Most management takes complaints on customer service pretty seriously - just make it sound like they may lose a customer. And of this person treats customers like that they don't belong in a service job. And Philly, cussing in front of customers is a big customer service no-no. Never know who you might deeply offend so you just don't do it! (And this is from someone who has been told that she cusses like a sailor.) And yeah, the glass tapping gets to me. I've told kids in Walmart off for tapping or banging on the tanks, haha. Good thing you got that filter though! Would have sucked to miss out on it.

Oh, yeah! My Dad has a short fuse, and for sure a sailor mouth. His stroke from around a little over a year ago too makes it worse because it affected his personality! If we wouldn't have gotten that filter, it would have been bad! As far as the customer service, I agree! Thankfully I was t a customer that doesn't get that offended. (Because of my Dad. Haha!) The guy working with me was very opinionated. I felt like I knew as much as him if not more. The same with another Petsmart that's about 45 minutes away from in another direction. I asked him to help me compare the Fluval cannister with the Marineland cannister. He started talking about their HOB filters. I was like that's awesome and all but I was talking about the canisters! Haha! They are only human though!
 
Oh, yeah! My Dad has a short fuse, and for sure a sailor mouth. His stroke from around a little over a year ago too makes it worse because it affected his personality! If we wouldn't have gotten that filter, it would have been bad! As far as the customer service, I agree! Thankfully I was t a customer that doesn't get that offended. (Because of my Dad. Haha!) The guy working with me was very opinionated. I felt like I knew as much as him if not more. The same with another Petsmart that's about 45 minutes away from in another direction. I asked him to help me compare the Fluval cannister with the Marineland cannister. He started talking about their HOB filters. I was like that's awesome and all but I was talking about the canisters! Haha! They are only human though!

I meant, thankfully I wasn't a customer that does get offended.
 
It was like the other day for me. I called a Petsmart to ask them if they have a Fluval 406 for a 100G tank and they had one more left. So, me and my Dad made the trip which is about 45 minutes to go pick it up. When we got there, which was just bad timing, there was a group of people standing around it with a guy knelt down next to it writing on a piece of paper on it. My Dad's first reaction was "If she sold that filter I would cuss her out." I said, "No, Dad. These are people with feelings. They are humans, like us. We don't do that." Hahaha! Turns out she didn't sell it but I have no idea what the people were doing.

By the way, since I brought up Petsmart, does anyone else ever get a little frustrated when he employees there smack he glass the fish are in and they make the fish scatter? The guy helping me did that like 10 times. They use test strips to test water too? Isn't that quite inaccurate. Plus, I saw a couple of tanks with what looked like Lemon tetra in it and they couldn't tell me what fish it was! Then the guy told me he would fill my tank with Oscars and Cichlids because the rest of the fish ( Some of which I liked) looked girly and not as manly. I thought to myself "Just because that tetra is pink doesn't mean it can't be loved!" He also cussed in front of me too, which is kind of unprofessional but that honestly didn't bother me to bad. There was also a snail in the tank floating, and he stuck his hand in the tank and tried to forcefully stick it to the substrate. I'm really glad that I was fortunate to learn everything I have about fish from y'all here on AA! I've learned so much that I was actually able to help a customer out with some suggestions on their tank!

I don't have a petsmart anywhere near me so I can't comment on that one, but I have seen numerous people tap and shake on the plastic containers that hold betta (because they barely move in there). That and my sister likes to tap on my 10g -____-
Honestly, if an employee cussed at me, I'd probably go all out. I can handle disagreements on my end, but if they can't handle being in an appropriate matter, heck, why should I? Kinda immature but that's me for ya.

Not choosing fish because they're not "manly" is ridiculous. Lol
 
Oh, yeah! My Dad has a short fuse, and for sure a sailor mouth. His stroke from around a little over a year ago too makes it worse because it affected his personality! If we wouldn't have gotten that filter, it would have been bad! As far as the customer service, I agree! Thankfully I was t a customer that doesn't get that offended. (Because of my Dad. Haha!) The guy working with me was very opinionated. I felt like I knew as much as him if not more. The same with another Petsmart that's about 45 minutes away from in another direction. I asked him to help me compare the Fluval cannister with the Marineland cannister. He started talking about their HOB filters. I was like that's awesome and all but I was talking about the canisters! Haha! They are only human though!

Haha, sounds like me sometimes... My fuse can be pretty short too. I'm pretty good at keeping my head and keeping a smile on my face when I have to, though. Even when I am just raging inside... I work as a server, so I have to stay all calm and friendly even when people are getting on my last nerve or being really rude to me. I'm surprised I haven't snapped and got myself fired yet. I tend to shock friends and coworkers when they realize I'm nowhere near as sweet and calm as I seem. Ugh, and I hate dealing with LFS salespeople who know nothing about fish but seem to think their customers know less. That's one of the big reasons I love my LFS - it's family owned, and they know their stuff. The only people that work there are the husband and wife owners and their grandson helps out sometimes.
 
Oh I would have gone off but my lfs is alright they can get kinda uppity with trying to sell me crap I can make for half the price and they gave my tank some sort of crab looking thing that's impossible to get ride of ugh
 
Today I went to my lps again because its Sunday and they usually hold cat and dog adoptions at the store. I went to check them out then went to the fish section.
I decided I wanted to get frozen food for the platy, because I didn't get anything but a heater the previous day.

Man, this cashier was pissed. Red in the face. I was a little intimidated; she yelled "I'm here!" In a way that she wanted me to hurry and get out. And then she was eyeing me out, saying "oh you look too young to be getting this, are you sure you know what it's for? I don't think I wanna be selling this to you. You're too young to be owning fish." WHAT. It's frozen fish food. I'm not going to eat it. I just stood there and said "I know what it's for and I have fish". Response..:"Well I need an adult with you to buy this. You look 13." Im 16. I didn't even bother arguing and just left. I always seem to get the female dog employees. Bad luck probably.

What is "too young" in this hobby? I feel embarrassed to be honest, this type of thing never happened to me.

No your not to young... Was it a small pet store? That's asinine that some one treated a customer not a kid but a customer that way. I started fish wen I was 10-12 I did not know a lot but went from a 2.5-10-36-55 it took probably 5 years to do that and now I'm geting a 2nd 55 for cold water fish... I say have some one (or yourself) call the store and ask for you manager and make a complaint... Go back to the store get her name (so some ones not wrongfully accused)
 
I started the hobby at the age of 4. I learned a few scientific names and bred many guppies.
 
No your not to young... Was it a small pet store? That's asinine that some one treated a customer not a kid but a customer that way. I started fish wen I was 10-12 I did not know a lot but went from a 2.5-10-36-55 it took probably 5 years to do that and now I'm geting a 2nd 55 for cold water fish... I say have some one (or yourself) call the store and ask for you manager and make a complaint... Go back to the store get her name (so some ones not wrongfully accused)

No, it was those big chained ones. Yeah, I should do that. Lol
 
My mom hated it when I picked up my first 10g, and told me I was wasting my money. I was really sad and tempted to take it back, but I didn't. 3 years later I own 4 tanks, 1 45g FW, 1 25g SW, 1 2.5 beta fish tank, an 1 g shrimp tank lol. All in my bed room (cough, can't walk without running into them, cough)

Haha! I'm 15. Got my first 10 gal a few months ago. My mom wasn't thrilled with it to say the least. lol now I have a 2gal, 10gal, 15gal, 45gal, and two 55gals :p I'm getting a new 20 or so gal and then I'm done til I need another grow out. My mom is surprisingly ok with the fact that I have 5 tanks and a 2g bowl in my room...
 
Haha! I'm 15. Got my first 10 gal a few months ago. My mom wasn't thrilled with it to say the least. lol now I have a 2gal, 10gal, 15gal, 45gal, and two 55gals :p I'm getting a new 20 or so gal and then I'm done til I need another grow out. My mom is surprisingly ok with the fact that I have 5 tanks and a 2g bowl in my room...

I wish my mom would have been cool with that. My limit was a 10 gallon and a couple 1-5 gallons. I wish I still had all my old small tanks from when I was living at home though. They all got trashed during hurricane Katrina, although thankfully they were all empty in the garage at that time because I had just left for boarding school in the beginning of august. Living in a dorm was the only thing that has stopped me from having fish in the 17 or so years I have been keeping fish.
 
I figure this way if your old enough to read and research what you want and pay for it you never to young. My philosophy is if I earn it I spend it. Next time just complain to management for your benefit and other shoppers.
 
Haha! I'm 15. Got my first 10 gal a few months ago. My mom wasn't thrilled with it to say the least. lol now I have a 2gal, 10gal, 15gal, 45gal, and two 55gals :p I'm getting a new 20 or so gal and then I'm done til I need another grow out. My mom is surprisingly ok with the fact that I have 5 tanks and a 2g bowl in my room...

My mom wouldn't even let me keep 3 tanks. She will freak if i suggest another one, and I only have a 10g, about to buy a 5g for QT. Seriously lol! But I just remind myself that it's temporary and one day ill be able to get all the tanks I want hahaha :p
 
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I figure this way if your old enough to read and research what you want and pay for it you never to young. My philosophy is if I earn it I spend it. Next time just complain to management for your benefit and other shoppers.

I know, though sometimes fish keeping can get really expensive. We've already totaled to $300 just for the stand and basic necessities. Plus the tank which was $50? So $350. But I still need to buy live plants, lighting, and the rest of my stock. One at a time.
Lol, maybe I should go on extreme couponing.
If you don't know, extreme couponing is a show where these people buy like 2 or more carts of groceries and only spend less than $100 because of the coupons they collect in newspapers. It's insane. :p
 
Anyone in this forum can tell you that they have being in your shoes. I'm in my late 30's I haven't had a tank for like 20 years when I got back to fishkeeping I figured a 20 gl would be nice. Wrong I have a 20, 36, 45 BF and a 75, all with AC filters and a fx5. Usually just want bigger and better stuff
 
I started at a young age. Fortunately my mom was the one who go me started.
I won't get into the customer service treatment mentioned above but I will add that I do not interact with the big box staff much. My wife says I'm a fish snob. Not really; I do my research ahead of time so there is no need for Q&As.
 
I started at a young age. Fortunately my mom was the one who go me started.
I won't get into the customer service treatment mentioned above but I will add that I do not interact with the big box staff much. My wife says I'm a fish snob. Not really; I do my research ahead of time so there is no need for Q&As.

The only time I ask for staff is when I need assistance in getting something. Unless the person knows what she/he's saying, then maybe I will throw in a few questions now and then. :p I wish my parents were as into it as I am, I'd probably had start off with a 50g instead of a 10g! And I'm not even exaggerating haha
 
I don't think anyone is ever to young to start something they enjoy. Although at young ages parents do usually have to spend the money and help with things. I can always remember at some point and time having a fish tank. I know I had one when I was about 3 or 4, I don't remember much about it just remember it being in the living room as a kid. As I got older I had fish tanks growing up, I was always interested in the hobby just never had good advice. Now that I'm older and no longer live with my parents I have started learning. Although my husband thinks I'm crazy, I have a love of researching things and after I got my big tank is when I really started researching and found this wonderful place.

To be honest I would have asked for a manager and let management to make the decision. I've never heard anyone being denied an item for a pet because of age.
 
You sure they weren't flirting with you? Some people have STRANGE ways of trying to be friendly...
 
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