Why oh why do I keep shopping at petsmart?

[MeCasa]

Ha! Yup....I'm really confused about why they still do it. I've never LOST a sale, that I can think of, by turning someone away from mondo grass. I just explain that the Vallisneria we sell has a similar look. Usually, people go for the Red Ludwigia (which costs more), because I grow it in my own tank and can share my experience with them. Ain't that a surprise - a better-educated employee can make better sales?!

Anyways, I'm leaving the store in a week to start a full-time job. I think even a bunch of young kids could do a fantastic job, in the right environment. I've printed out fact sheets on plants and cichlid compatibilities, and they seem to enjoy flipping though them, between texting on the job They just need to invest more in good training....and stop false-advertising.

Buuuut I'm sure they've done some sort of fancy research on it and found poorly trained employees, and customers with buyers-regret make them more profit

Not all employees know that it's not aqauatic. The girl that waited on me was nice (in all ways) and she would have told me had she known. I saw a yellow striped sword in one of the tubes and mentioned that I never saw a yellow sword before but I loved it and she told me immediately it was not aquatic. When I looked harder I saw it was a Dracena (I have Dracenas in my greenhouse).

My point all along is that the supplier knows and corporate knows but Mundo Grass costs half a cent and sells for a couple of bucks,,,good profit.

Lots of luck in your new job. Despite everything, you have to admit that working at Petsmart was a fun job as jobs go. I like animals and working in an animal store would be interesting although I'd go broke buying things.

Take care

 

[enrgizerbunny]

For employees that don't have aquariums themselves, these things don't help. These depictions are horrible.
Tank manufacturers are partly to blame in my opinion, but at the same time I understand their conundrum. Some people who purchase fish/tanks are not going to be fish keepers, most of them will have the tank for 6 months to a year, get bored of it and then sell it- that's assuming the fish survive the cycle. Most people are going to have dead fish within a couple weeks.

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[treemanone2003]

Well good sir, I would very much appreciate that when you get to a full blown computer you give your best effort.

Please PM me so that I can reply. I don't follow threads

Sorry but you'll be lying in wait for quite some time.

You can pm me anytime you have something to discuss. Always available for anyone and everyone.

 

[jglover]

Just my two cents worth, for basic, everyday run of the mill fish, my local Petsmart is a decent place. Their tanks are clean and kept free of dead fish and they have four employees in the fish department that know their stuff. three of them are kids but they all keep multiple tanks and know what they are talking about and they try to educate their customers. I've had good luck with the fish from that store. There have been a few that have died but they have always honored their replacement policy. Typically the fish deaths I've seen have not been from disease but likely from stress of being moved into my tank or maybe just a weaker fish.

There's another Petsmart a couple of miles away and there tanks are just scary, there's always dead fish on their fish tank wall and the staff does not seem knowledgeable at all. I think the bottom line with a chain store is it depends on the manager and the regional management to make it a good store. Granted, their stock and sales policies are dictated by their corporate office but my local store, the knowledgeable fish keepers will try to steer you away from things that are going to fail....such as a betta in a vase, a goldfish in 2.5 gallon minibow or a tropical plant being sold as an aquatic plant.

The local Petco's are the same way, I've found one that is really good and the staff cares about selling their fish, the others are hit or miss.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Just my two cents worth, for basic, everyday run of the mill fish, my local Petsmart is a decent place. Their tanks are clean and kept free of dead fish and they have four employees in the fish department that know their stuff. three of them are kids but they all keep multiple tanks and know what they are talking about and they try to educate their customers. I've had good luck with the fish from that store. There have been a few that have died but they have always honored their replacement policy. Typically the fish deaths I've seen have not been from disease but likely from stress of being moved into my tank or maybe just a weaker fish.

There's another Petsmart a couple of miles away and there tanks are just scary, there's always dead fish on their fish tank wall and the staff does not seem knowledgeable at all. I think the bottom line with a chain store is it depends on the manager and the regional management to make it a good store. Granted, their stock and sales policies are dictated by their corporate office but my local store, the knowledgeable fish keepers will try to steer you away from things that are going to fail....such as a betta in a vase, a goldfish in 2.5 gallon minibow or a tropical plant being sold as an aquatic plant.

The local Petco's are the same way, I've found one that is really good and the staff cares about selling their fish, the others are hit or miss.

I couldn't agree more with this. My local petco has at least two staff members that are knowledgeable if you get them talking, and I was warned about the maximum size when I bought my kissing gourami by a dog trainer who helped me. There is one guy there that seems to be the most knowledgeable, and I see him doing most of the maintenance on the tanks. I stopped in today because I had the dog on for a ride. Part of their tanks actually had signs "under observation, temporarily not for sale" and it appeared to be all the tanks in that system.

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[CPryor]

Yeah, I think my location is great....for a chain. But chain stores, of course, are more complicated than many locally owned stores, and complications can lead to problems. I give major kudos to my co-workers, who are either highly knowledgeable or eager to learn.

And OH MY WORD, I won't even get started on those stock recommendations on tanks! I'll be ranting forever. I believe if you had rotated that box in the second pic, it would have had "stocking recommendations" on one side.....including TIGER BARBS and GOLDFISH. ::screams:: The fish food is the same way..."feed twice a day, as much as the fish can eat in THREE MINUTES"! Agh! No wonder there's so much confusion in the hobby.

 

[lectraplayer]

Seems like I find dead fish in the fish tanks of most Petsmart locations I have been to. Fortunately I see the employees jumping all over them once I or they notice them.

Yes, the way the products are labeled does not seem to be all that truthful. That may be why many (most?) people only keep fish for about six months.

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[Just Another Fish Guy]

I have been extremely happy with the Petsmart that I go to; in fact, it's the only place I will buy fish from. For me, you can't beat the sales they run, coupons offered and their prices. On top of that, you can return a fish for a new one if it dies within 14 days.

It really is just hit or miss when it comes to getting a knowledgable staff.

 

[Fishfanboy]

There are four chain stores around me and there all good 90% of the time

 

[MeCasa]

the knowledgeable fish keepers will try to steer you away from things that are going to fail....such as a betta in a vase,

My granddaughter felt so sorry for those betta she tried to talk me into buying some just to get them out of the vase.

FREE WILLY!!!

 

[enrgizerbunny]

As much as it pains me, I've seen a goldfish that is living in a bowl that's about a gallon, and it's been there for a couple years-surviving.

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[elephantnose]

I've had terrible luck with private owned fish stores. There is two near me and both I have noticed some of their fish had ick. My local petsmart isn't great but Their prices are good and besides a few dead fish in the tanks their isn't much disease visible.

 

[MeCasa]

Owning a pet store is non stop work and it's hard for small owners. There's not always enough money to hire conscientious employees and when you try to do everything yourself you eventually get tired

Nature of the beast

 

[PhelanVelvel]

I wish there would be more responsibility on the part of tank manufacturers and PetSmart itself. I honestly don't think it would be that much of a sacrifice to put appropriate fish on the packaging...people will still want fish. It's just a matter of telling people the truth about what will work in their tank. Wouldn't that result in more sales in the long-run, anyway? You'd have people with successful tanks in which their fish thrive, rather than their fish dying in a couple months and making them feel aquaria are too difficult for them.

They're living animals, I have no idea why it's taken for granted that employees should smile and nod without asking any questions in passing. It just seems stupid to assume that people know what they're doing, and that's the most aggravating part. Something has to be done about not telling people about the nitrogen cycle. There needs to be a pamphlet on it available in the store, just like there are pamphlets about the fish. It's incredible, even ludicrous, that people can purchase tanks and fish without someone even asking them if they know about cycling. I've seen like, a million threads online with people saying "Oh, I wish I had known about cycling first, no one at the store told me. :[" What, is it more profitable to have people go home, have all their fish die, and never come back to the store???

I don't know if it's just because they see that I work at the vet's and they assumed I know stuff, but no one ever asked me if I knew what I was doing, what kind of tank I had, whether I knew about cycling, whether I knew X fish belonged in a school, or whatever. It just made me feel like I could buy practically any combination of fish and be asked no questions, which I just feel is insanity. Because of course I research things beforehand, but not everyone does.

And of course they're all very nice people, and I know a lot of them are just high school/college kids, but is it too much to ask that they at least know about what they're selling? I don't think it's rude to show interest in a customer's tank and give them advice about what to stock it with, in fact I think it's very friendly.

 

[CPryor]

I wish there would be more responsibility on the part of tank manufacturers and PetSmart itself. I honestly don't think it would be that much of a sacrifice to put appropriate fish on the packaging [...]

They're living animals, I have no idea why it's taken for granted that employees should smile and nod without asking any questions in passing. [...] There needs to be a pamphlet on it available in the store, just like there are pamphlets about the fish. It's incredible, even ludicrous, that people can purchase tanks and fish without someone even asking them if they know about cycling. [...] What, is it more profitable to have people go home, have all their fish die, and never come back to the store???

[...] of course I research things beforehand, but not everyone does.

I'm....conflicted on this. Many, MANY customers don't know about cycling or stocking parameters, believe that small tanks will be easier to maintain than large tanks, and believe bottom feeders will clean their tanks for them etc....if the customer does no research before coming in, it's impossible to cover it all with other customers waiting. Petsmart actually DOES have a pamphlet on setting up a tank, including info on cycling, located in three places at my store: with the other pamphlets on aquatic pets, and on each end of the tank isle. But about 80% of the time I put it into someones hands, they tuck it away and don't bother to read...

Of course, this is no excuse for trying: those 20% who will read or listen deserve to be told the truth. I am of the opinion that it is the customer's responsibility to research - but as you point out, it IS about living creatures, and I do try my best to help people. Many see fish as decoration and won't listen; there's no excuse for it, but the truth is many long-term employees get burned out trying to explain, and getting blessed out by a customer for their troubles After being reported to corporate for telling a customer his 5 platys might smother overnight in his 3 gal, I'm getting leery too.....fortunatley, I just finished my last day there.

And I agree 200% on your comment about tank manufacturers. I really don't understand how advertising a 5 gal. as being suitable for platys and angelfish will make them money. All the tank manufacturers that I know of sell water treatments and foods too...why wouldn't they want customers who return for "consumables"? It's a mystery to me

 

[NinjaTetra]

I've gotten bettas to live a few years from Petsmart, but time and time again I've had their fish die within three days- except for an ich-mottled bath of black neon tetras I cured and have had for three years. I've seen five dead fish in a tank and the others eating them and then someone buys them- if a fish dies, theres a problem since all the fish there are fairly young. My favorite lfs, on the other hand has multiple display tanks with "under treatment- check back in two weeks" or similar signs when ONE fish dies, or a fleck of velvet disease is spotted. They quarantine for a week first anyways, and all my fish from there have done good (besides 2/8 pygmy corys, and i think they died from overall stress). I recomend supporting an lfs.

 

[treemanone2003]

Owning a pet store is non stop work and it's hard for small owners. There's not always enough money to hire conscientious employees and when you try to do everything yourself you eventually get tired

Nature of the beast

Owning any business is non stop work. I know. I own my own business. There's only 168 hours in the week. No more, trust me I've looked. From March to November I spend about 70-80 hours a week outside the house for work. Then another 30 between school and my volunteer FF/EMT activities. At home there's a wonderful girl, 2 awesome dogs, and 4 fish tanks. If it was supposed to be easy, we'd all be aliens living on Pluto.

 

[jglover]

I wish there would be more responsibility on the part of tank manufacturers and PetSmart itself. I honestly don't think it would be that much of a sacrifice to put appropriate fish on the packaging...people will still want fish. It's just a matter of telling people the truth about what will work in their tank. Wouldn't that result in more sales in the long-run, anyway? You'd have people with successful tanks in which their fish thrive, rather than their fish dying in a couple months and making them feel aquaria are too difficult for them.

They're living animals, I have no idea why it's taken for granted that employees should smile and nod without asking any questions in passing. It just seems stupid to assume that people know what they're doing, and that's the most aggravating part. Something has to be done about not telling people about the nitrogen cycle. There needs to be a pamphlet on it available in the store, just like there are pamphlets about the fish. It's incredible, even ludicrous, that people can purchase tanks and fish without someone even asking them if they know about cycling. I've seen like, a million threads online with people saying "Oh, I wish I had known about cycling first, no one at the store told me. :[" What, is it more profitable to have people go home, have all their fish die, and never come back to the store???

I don't know if it's just because they see that I work at the vet's and they assumed I know stuff, but no one ever asked me if I knew what I was doing, what kind of tank I had, whether I knew about cycling, whether I knew X fish belonged in a school, or whatever. It just made me feel like I could buy practically any combination of fish and be asked no questions, which I just feel is insanity. Because of course I research things beforehand, but not everyone does.

And of course they're all very nice people, and I know a lot of them are just high school/college kids, but is it too much to ask that they at least know about what they're selling? I don't think it's rude to show interest in a customer's tank and give them advice about what to stock it with, in fact I think it's very friendly.

The bottom line for these stores is business and money. The corporate side is beholden to the stockholders to maximize the store profits, generally in whatever method that entails. It is something you see everywhere, nit just in the pet business. Look at the cutrent issues with GM and Toyota on their recalls. Delaying and/or hiding safety issues to avoid recalls which will impact on corporate profits. A business is about a profit, especially a publicly traded one. Locally owned private businesses have some leeway there but they still have to pay the bills and make payroll.

I've got a couple of local pet stores near me and both are places i would never buy fish from. Their tanks are dirty, algae infested and likely disease ridden. Granted these are not fish stores but pet stores. Aquaria seems to be an after thought to them.

The nearest locally owned fish store to me is another story. It is well maintained and the tanks, though sparse and spartan, are generally clean. Unfortunately though, the owner elected to retire and sold off the store to one of his best clients, a physician. The store went rapidly downhill from there as the doctor tried to run it like his practice, maximizing customer throughput while cutting costs on inventory. The livestock became very poor, and within a year, it was bankrupt and closed.

Running a fish store is catering to a small minority of pet owners and is probably really hard to do without a substantial budget for advertising and education. I imagine the profit margins are quite small and it takes a very dedicated owner to make one work.

 

[allysonwonderland]

CPryor beat me to it, but Petsmart does have a pamphlet on "Setting up an Aquarium" that I'll include a picture of. The information is also on their website. Yes, there are flaws, it says nothing about fishless cycling existing and it uses the inch per gallon rule, but it's something. And YES, Petsmart understands that a 10 inch oscar can't go in a 10 gallon tank. There are minimum tank sizes on each fish price tag. Never understood why people always bring that up online, I've never heard anyone in real life think that's okay.

I understand that many of you have negative experiences, I just can't see the point of telling people on the internet across the country not to shop there. It always depends on the suppliers, managers, and employees. I've seen horrible chain stores and good ones. I'm lucky to work at a Petsmart with knowledgeable staff and decent stock. All you guys are doing is hurting the little guys. Some Petsmarts can be good, and it's not fair to those ones to be avoided like the plague because other Petsmarts are bad. Should the corporation change? Of course. There are always going to be things that they do for money rather than the sake of the animals. It's retail. But it's my hours that get cut when the store doesn't make enough money because we're such an evil place, me getting yelled at for not selling enough live animals because my manager was in trouble from his manager, and his manager, etc.

 

[PhelanVelvel]

I'm....conflicted on this. Many, MANY customers don't know about cycling or stocking parameters, believe that small tanks will be easier to maintain than large tanks, and believe bottom feeders will clean their tanks for them etc....if the customer does no research before coming in, it's impossible to cover it all with other customers waiting. Petsmart actually DOES have a pamphlet on setting up a tank, including info on cycling, located in three places at my store: with the other pamphlets on aquatic pets, and on each end of the tank isle. But about 80% of the time I put it into someones hands, they tuck it away and don't bother to read...

Of course, this is no excuse for trying: those 20% who will read or listen deserve to be told the truth. I am of the opinion that it is the customer's responsibility to research - but as you point out, it IS about living creatures, and I do try my best to help people. Many see fish as decoration and won't listen; there's no excuse for it, but the truth is many long-term employees get burned out trying to explain, and getting blessed out by a customer for their troubles After being reported to corporate for telling a customer his 5 platys might smother overnight in his 3 gal, I'm getting leery too.....fortunatley, I just finished my last day there.

And I agree 200% on your comment about tank manufacturers. I really don't understand how advertising a 5 gal. as being suitable for platys and angelfish will make them money. All the tank manufacturers that I know of sell water treatments and foods too...why wouldn't they want customers who return for "consumables"? It's a mystery to me

I didn't know about those pamphlets, I'll try looking for them. Though they should be more visible if I haven't seen them yet. O_O I know what you're saying about corporate B.S. My job is the same way and I disagree with so many things they recommend. :/

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