Top things someone in Pet store Retail should know?

[Bonessurf]

I just started working at a lfs about a month ago. Now I'm learning freshwater fish and plants everyday from the people I work with and I even ask the knowledgable customers who come in ( you can tell the knowledgable ones from the not so much). And I have no intentions on giving wrongful information and pretty much everybody that works there is extremely knowledgable. It's unfathomable to me the amount of information they know. I know my reefs and my salts, believe it or not, but I don't know my freshwater. I don't know where you guys shop, but not all shops are out for $. The owner where I work would much rather us not sell a fish than to have a dead one come back.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I just started working at a lfs about a month ago. Now I'm learning freshwater fish and plants everyday from the people I work with and I even ask the knowledgable customers who come in ( you can tell the knowledgable ones from the not so much). And I have no intentions on giving wrongful information and pretty much everybody that works there is extremely knowledgable. It's unfathomable to me the amount of information they know. I know my reefs and my salts, believe it or not, but I don't know my freshwater. I don't know where you guys shop, but not all shops are out for $. The owner where I work would much rather us not sell a fish than to have a dead one come back.

Do u work in a chain or a local "family owned" pet store?

 

[RabiedRooster]

I run a lfs in a new UK chain, we have the right to refuse sale if the customer doesn't have the right size tank or a new one. We always ask for tank details and recommend a free water test before buying fish for new tanks. This is obviously not the standard in the US from what you guys are saying. But we do still get those same type of customers. I find educating them rewarding

 

[Jlsardina]

Maybe the issue is that people still go to these big chains. Obviously the big chains most of the time could care less and know even less about the hobby. My LFS is nothing like this! I've even been to the owner's house and seen his tanks! He even helped me set up my tank after I bought it of of Craigslist. They require a water test before they will sell livestock. I think everyone should. That might also cut back on impulse buys as well.

 

[Bonessurf]

Do u work in a chain or a local "family owned" pet store?

I work at a local place. Got the job by just hanging out there all week.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I work at a local place. Got the job by just hanging out there all week.

If its family owned its nit usually a bad pet store to go to because the employes they hire are very knowlageable and smart.

 

[mfdrookie516]

This thread has gotten way off topic. Lets get back to the original topic at hand... what pet store employees should know... not anything else.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I thought we were on topic...?

 

[maxwellag]

I thought we were on topic...?

We were talking about whether people worked at chain stores or family owned stores.... that has nothing to do with the things someone should know when working in a pet store with fish.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

We were talking about whether people worked at chain stores or family owned stores.... that has nothing to do with the things someone should know when working in a pet store with fish.

Um ok..

 

[Bonessurf]

One thing I see is how people who buy fish from petsmart or something like that don't get told how to acclimate a fish. And when they say "I usually just dump the whole bag in the tank," they look at me like im an idiot.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hahahahaha ya!

 

[MonsterfishGuy]

The thing you should all know is to do some recherch an go to the LFS without having to get information from them...

The LFS is a store with someone to put the fish i did inform myself on in a bag for me to bring it back home!!

Thats a business and if you get there without information you have 10% chance to be with someone that can really help you...

When someone help you ( its right here on the forum to) and dont ask any question to make sure what is your situation and setting, then dont listen to what they say!

LFS know what to do, they sell!

 

[MonsterfishGuy]

And i know that some small fish store are great but everyone know we dont go to only one store....

 

[MonsterfishGuy]

And in a good atore there is not only good sellers!