# should i warn them about what they're getting into?



## soco1125 (Jan 5, 2007)

ok, guys, i need a little advice. i work at petco, primarily in the aquatics department. we are mostly geared towards beginner aquarists and i get lots of customers who all they know about fish is that they live in water. i not only follow petco's code of ethics, but i also adhere to my own. i ask new customers buying fish what size tank they have, how long they've had it running, and what types of fish they currently have in it. i warn them against incompatible, agressive, or very large species and urge them to buy more appropriate inhabitants for their tanks. i don't b.s., i give it to them straight. most customers seem to appreciate this and i have developed quite a following over the past 3 months. however, there have been some customers who were put off by my nosiness and a couple of coworkers criticized me for not moving customers through fast enough and not pushing sales as much as possible. i believe that being honest and straightforward builds customer loyalty. if i give these people genuinely solid, beneficial advice, they will not be going to walmart down the street but will come back to petco every time to buy their fish and products.

so am i wrong? am i being too nosy? i figured this would be the best place to ask since everyone here was a beginner at one time. thanks.


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## Nudist (Oct 19, 2008)

i say keep up the good work that your doing. most people will appreciate it and continue to come back to you. dont do anything to jeopardize your job but in my opinion your doing great.

Steve


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## Chrisseh (Aug 24, 2008)

I work for PetSmart. What I do is direct them toward fish that are more suitable. If they are very intent on a difficult species I warn them about it's death and threaten not to honor our 14 day return policy. (Empty threat, unfortunatly). I find that it's all in the delivery. "hmmm, well Tigar Barbs don't really go well with guppies, they have a habit of eating them. Are you attracted to them because they are larger? Well, okay how about. . ." I can't actually come up with a fish that is bigger than guppies that won't eat the guppies, but you get the point. 

When it comes to spending too much time with the customers, I suggest up selling everyone. If you can get half your customers to buy something that they didn't come into the store to buy, then that is time well spent.

I hope I helped


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## Nudist (Oct 19, 2008)

Chrisseh said:


> When it comes to spending too much time with the customers, I suggest up selling everyone. If you can get half your customers to buy something that they didn't come into the store to buy, then that is time well spent.


if i have a sales person that keeps trying to sell me something i didnt come in for, i let them know quick that i can and will take my business somewhere else. today i might go in there and only spend $5 but my next trip i might spend $50 and use the same amount of the sales persons time both times. years ago i managed a retail store that sold tv's and stereo's and the 1st thing i let all my sales people know was i would fire them on the spot if i ever heard them trying to push something on a customer that they really didnt want or need.

Steve


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

its apparent your doing more meets your job requirements. i say bravo to you, as i avoid petco and petsmarts as ive had bad experiences.

if you get fired for dishing out the right information and provided good customer service, it sounds like that company is at a loss. 

i say job well done


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think it's great to go into a petstore and find someone who is willing to spend time with customers, answering questions and who knows what they are talking about. I know two people at my Petsmart who are always willing to talk to me and who are knowledgeable about fish.I went in one time to get something for finrot and the girl wouldn't recommend any meds. She said it was too hard on bettas and recommended daily water changes. She could have sold me all kinds of stuff but didn't.


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## Chrisseh (Aug 24, 2008)

Nudist said:


> if i have a sales person that keeps trying to sell me something i didnt come in for, i let them know quick that i can and will take my business somewhere else. today i might go in there and only spend $5 but my next trip i might spend $50 and use the same amount of the sales persons time both times. years ago i managed a retail store that sold tv's and stereo's and the 1st thing i let all my sales people know was i would fire them on the spot if i ever heard them trying to push something on a customer that they really didnt want or need.
> 
> Steve


 
no - no, I didn't mean to be pushy. I guess, I ment to show the products. They sell themselves. For example, we talk about doing "water changes", however a lot of customers do not have a python/hose. So, I show them where they are and how to use it. I suggest they get one, but it's up to them which one they buy. Or even if they get one (today) or not. A lot of customers just don't know that some of the products exist or how to use them. Other things, like water clarifier, I warn against. I think I have only sold water clarifier once in the year I have been at PetSmart. I hate the stuff and think that it just covers up the "real" problem(s).

Up selling to me is having a customer buy something they had no intentions to buy. Like taking home three guppies instead of just two, or even a ghost shrimp. The actual cost of the item doesn't matter, just that you help people.

I hope you don't think that I am a big jerk out to get all the monies. :-?


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

I really can't give you an objective answer. I'm a fish geek. I take good care of my fish. I enjoy fish stores run by fish geeks who sell healthy fish and know what they're talking about. The only big box pet store I frequent is the one Petsmart with a decent staff of people who generally know what they're talking about.

But that's just me. When looking up different local fish stores in my area, I read a lot of reviews of stores. Those reviews told a different story - the average customer wants fish because they're a cheap, low-maintenance pet. They look pretty. They don't care about tank size requirements or compatibility. They practically expect their fish to die in a couple of weeks. In fact, they're _turned off_ by pet store employees that would dare to tell them that a certain fish is inappropriate for their community tank or that they need to wait until their tank cycles before adding fish. 

So, it's really a mixed bag. If I worked at a good LFS, I would be more inclined to be as helpful as possible and guide people in the right direction. However, if I was working at a Petsmart, I'd be scared of losing my job by not selling things to people. Maybe this is just a tirade against big box stores, but Petsmart doesn't rake in the dough by maintaining high rates of customer loyalty - they do it by being cheaper than small private stores.


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## Nudist (Oct 19, 2008)

Chrisseh said:


> no - no, I didn't mean to be pushy. I guess, I ment to show the products. They sell themselves. For example, we talk about doing "water changes", however a lot of customers do not have a python/hose. So, I show them where they are and how to use it. I suggest they get one, but it's up to them which one they buy. Or even if they get one (today) or not. A lot of customers just don't know that some of the products exist or how to use them. Other things, like water clarifier, I warn against. I think I have only sold water clarifier once in the year I have been at PetSmart. I hate the stuff and think that it just covers up the "real" problem(s).
> 
> Up selling to me is having a customer buy something they had no intentions to buy. Like taking home three guppies instead of just two, or even a ghost shrimp. The actual cost of the item doesn't matter, just that you help people.
> 
> I hope you don't think that I am a big jerk out to get all the monies. :-?


i'm sorry i misunderstood your other post, i thought you were saying you tried to push "junk" on people that they really didnt need but after reading your last post, i would enjoy going into your store and buying fish from you. thanks for clearing that up and keep up the good work.

Steve


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## Chrisseh (Aug 24, 2008)

Thanks Nudist. I feel for new employees and all thestuff/crap they are asked to juggle and I wanted to give an insiders opinion. It's what I do at work and my bosses love me for it. But I also will not sell a Pacu for a 10g tank. (It is actually against store policy to sell a fish for a tank that it will grow out of. The trade off is that PetSmart decides the minimum tank requirements, which for pacus is 75g. I personally say 125g, but that's cause people here have shown such great pictures of big guys)


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## SolaceTiger (Oct 4, 2008)

I say keep doing what you're doing. There are not to many honest people in the world today and it's quite sad. If you lose your job over it, fine. You will know that you delivered the best customer service possible. And you can always find another job.  And I know it's hard. I make under 900 dollars a month and live on my own. But, where there's a will there's a way.


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## Charlie (Aug 22, 2008)

As most people have said here. I really, really appreciate it when people in fish stores are genuinely interested to help me out. I still don't know EVERYTHING about every fish out there. Just, don't be rude. I went into the pet quarters near me, and started asking questions about cichlids (I know about cichlids in general, just not all the specific kinds they had). The lady there started being extremely rude to me. Every response to my questions was met with small, snippity remarks, ie. "AGGRESSIVE." when I asked about how a fish's behavior was. She just seemed very irritated and impatient, and turned me off. I left with a couple fish (upon which she yelled "YOU CAN'T PUT THOSE IN THE SAME TANK!!" or something... yes, I know, they're going in different tanks, calm down)... and I haven't gone back there again...

I know, pet quarters/chain stores sucks, but there honestly isn't any other store I know of around here, so I'm stuck with those (I have to drive out of state to go to them also).


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## SolaceTiger (Oct 4, 2008)

Charlie said:


> As most people have said here. I really, really appreciate it when people in fish stores are genuinely interested to help me out. I still don't know EVERYTHING about every fish out there. Just, don't be rude. I went into the pet quarters near me, and started asking questions about cichlids (I know about cichlids in general, just not all the specific kinds they had). The lady there started being extremely rude to me. Every response to my questions was met with small, snippity remarks, ie. "AGGRESSIVE." when I asked about how a fish's behavior was. She just seemed very irritated and impatient, and turned me off. I left with a couple fish (upon which she yelled "YOU CAN'T PUT THOSE IN THE SAME TANK!!" or something... yes, I know, they're going in different tanks, calm down)... and I haven't gone back there again...
> 
> I know, pet quarters/chain stores sucks, but there honestly isn't any other store I know of around here, so I'm stuck with those (I have to drive out of state to go to them also).



That's terrible Charlie, that anyone would treat a customer that way. As soon as a store or employee starts treating anyone horribly for any reason, it's time for them to find a less stressful job.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yes, people at petstores can be very rude.I went into a Feeders Supply about 7 or 8 months ago and looked at the bettas. There was one lying on his side, floating at the top of his cup. I told the lady there thhat the fish looked sick. She picked up the cup and shook it, which caused the fish to move around, and then she said "oh, theres nothing wrong with him! " I haven't been back there since.


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## SolaceTiger (Oct 4, 2008)

dramaqueen said:


> Yes, people at petstores can be very rude.I went into a Feeders Supply about 7 or 8 months ago and looked at the bettas. There was one lying on his side, floating at the top of his cup. I told the lady there thhat the fish looked sick. She picked up the cup and shook it, which caused the fish to move around, and then she said "oh, theres nothing wrong with him! " I haven't been back there since.



That's really pathetic.


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## obakebaki (Nov 9, 2008)

I would say keep up the great work! Here in Taiwan, whether its local fish stores or chain suppliers in large malls, the fish are unhealthy, sick, and even dead and floating around the tanks... and the staff are always rude. They shout, they push, and it is almost a tradition to sell things that the customer doesnt need. That is why I never bother talking to the Store Staff here, that and quite a few of them have low personal hygene. =(

I do all my research online before I go to the fish store, so that I know what I'm looking for and what I need.


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## Roku327 (Oct 13, 2008)

The sad thing is that this is how a lot of chain stores are, If you ask me if you let an employee know that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with if thier responce is anything but thank you they don't deserve your buisness.


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## soco1125 (Jan 5, 2007)

i appreciate your input guys. i felt like i was doing right but i wanted a little assurance. i have customers that come into or call the store asking specifically for me because they know i won't b.s. them. i think some of them may have been singing my praises to my manager because she pretty much lets me have the aquatics department to myself and do what i need to do.

oh, and as a side note, we take any ill-looking betta off of the shelf and put it in our aquatics workstation to be monitored/medicated/etc.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

There are certain people I ask for at my Petsmart when I have questions.When you build up a good reputation, people will ask for you.


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## KarlS (Feb 19, 2008)

All I can say on this issue is that for the most part any experienced fish keeper will appreciate the person who led them down the right path when 1st starting out with their hobby. I went to one local store and spent close to $1800.00 on my initial set up. I was happy until I bought 5 Angels from them and they all died but one within 48hrs. I went back to complain and the store blamed me, and refused to even give me a better deal on new fish. In the end my water was fine and all my other fish previously in the aquarium were perfectly fine; they just had a bad batch of fish. For $30.00 of fish they lost a great customer and when I let it be known how much I spent in a matter of a month they changed their attitude damn quick and tried to offer me free fish food and a really good % of new fish. Too little too late; I thanked the gentlemen at the counter refused their gifts & now go to another shop near my house even though it’s about 15-25% more expensive. _If you're wondering why I refused it's because you should treat all customers with respect even if it's a one timer buying a single neon, the fact that I had to tell them how much I spent already in order to get respect is deplorable. _

 My point to this is you’re doing a *great job*, it takes allot of work to keep customers and next to nothing to loose them. Let your co-workers do as they please in the end someone like myself is going to come back completely peeved off and you can sit back smile and watch the show. 


All the best

Karl


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