Best LFS Story

[demosthenes]

Okay, I recently read the post about the Worst LFS Stories, and frankly, I feel sorry for everyone who has LFS like these around them. I have 2 excellent LFS in my area.
One, G&M Pet and Garden, has the most educated sales staff I know of. Any purchase cannot be made until they have asked 5 questions. What size tank? Water parameters? Other inhabitants? Lighting? And how much experience you have. Since I've been going there, I have seen only two fish die, and they were both Yellow Tangs in the same shipment. The supplier had placed them in tiny little bags, and the Yellow Tangs were almost dead when they got there. They asked me if I wanted to try and save either of them, but they died before I got out of the store.
The other, Mr Fish, is just as good. It recently came under new management, so a lot has changed. The owner, Jim, doesn't know much about SW, so he doesn't keep them. He won't sell SW until I start working there. Plus he is always giving people deals. Anytime I buy something, he'll take $4-5 off, just to be nice. I was already making the purchase, and he still gave me a deal. I just wish you guys could come see the LFS in Muncie.
Anyway, I would like this thread to be a chance to post about your favorite LFS or best LFS experience. Like a great piece of advice, or a very good deal. Let's see some positive LFS stories.

 

[j21kickster]

good idea- i work at the lfs, and frankly, was getting depressed on all the LFS bashing but i dont have one for ya- the only close lfs that is any good is the one i work at and i dont want to brag

 

[demosthenes]

Doesn't anyone else have any good LFS stories?

 

[slick]

I do this one time when I went there .........................................
oh wait they tried to screw me over that time too.

 

[blennybabe]

I work at a LFS and I have seen some of the other employees make some good saves as well as myself. This one woman came in wanting to get some new bulbs for her sons tank. I asked her what kind of tank it was and she said that it was saltwater. this got my attention (its a pet store so I have to answer a lot of questions. I like the saltwater customers because it doesnt feel like I'm working) I asked her what she had in it, so i could tell her what kind of bulb she would need (fish only or reef) she said that her son had a clownfish and an anemone. I walked immediately to the power compacts (the most intense lighting we carry), assuming thats what she had. I then asked her what size tank. she told me it was a 5 gallon!! I was shocked. I almost started yelling at her. she insisted i help her find the right bulb and then she would being her son back to hear my spiel. she said it wasnt a PC or a flourescent. She told me that it was red and it screwed in. It was an incandescent lamp!!! with a colored bulb no less!!! I was so angry. It took all i had not to scream at her. But i calmly explained to her what an anemone and clownfish need. I offered to take the fish and anemone in and keep them until she got the prober equiptment. She agreed and came back that afternoon with her son and her husband. they bought a 58 gallon tanks, stand, sand, filter etc. I told them of a another good LFS that caries metal halide and VHOs. the anemone made it and so did the clownfish. they brought in a picture to show me a few months later. I was so glad that i was there when she came in, otherwise someone would have just pointer her in the direction of the incandescents and she would have been in later that week asking why everything died.
another thing I saw while shopping at another LFS, was this couple that bought a wrasse. I think it was a dragon wrasse. anyway, they were about to purchase it and the guy says "this is salt water right? how much table salt do you have to addto the water for this guy to live in it?" the employee snatched the fish up and put it back and proceded to sell them three beginning saltwater books.
I was happy to see that. that was the same week I heard about some clams that were being sold at walmart in their freshwater section...

 

[jillian ayers]

In Houston, there is a nice lfs called Aquarium World. I've been there once and loved it! When you walk in, the first thing you see is the 7000 gallon tank (or wall) containing lots of beautiful fish and one very large moray eel. In the center of the store, there is a large pond, filled with koi of all colors and sizes. Over the pond is a small bridge of sorts, where you can stop to look down at the fish in the pond. Next to the pond (if I remember right), there are benches to sit on and watch the fish. The store sells everything from fish (fw and sw) to equipment, to t-shirts and books. An entire shelf of books is located along the wall for the novice aquarist. ALL of their tanks start at 50 gallons (the holding ones for fish), so that none of the fish feel cramped. One entire side of their store is nothing but fish tanks, ranging from 30 gallons to 300. And all are reasonably priced. The whole time I was there, I never saw one fish in distress or looking cramped, and they had well over 100 tanks worth of fish. When I approached the staff with a question, a very nice woman came and helped me and spent over an hour with me, just telling me the ins and outs of sw. The whole time, she never tried to sell me a single thing. And I never bought anything either (no money), but her help was more than appreciated. She took me from one part of the store to the next and showed me each and every thing that had to be bought, from salt to filter, and explained in deatil what each thing was to do for the tank and why I needed it. She even got a small card and wrote down on the back of it the names and prices of everything I needed. If there is a better fish store out there, I know not of it. Good staff, good quality, and good selection = one customer that already knows where she wants to get most of her sw stuff!

 

[ags]

I have to second Jillian Ayers' comments on Aquarium World. When I lived in Houston I went to Aquarium World because of the customer service. I would have to disagree on the "reasonable price" thing because the place has a lot of over head and the customer pays for it but aside from the slightly higher prices they were well worth it. They keep track of every visit, every water test they do for you and would not sell me any live stock until my tank was cycled and "safe". The log they kept on each customer had tank size, lighting, filtration, etc. Supposedly every member of their staff has or is getting their marine biology degree. There were many choices of LFS in Houston and many members disagree about the knowledge of Aquarium Worlds staff but I for one drove from downtown Houston to their store (good 30-40 minute drive) because of the success I had running SW under their guidance. The only questionable thing they did was put a Kole Tang in a 30 tall but for those skeptics I had a large Coral Beauty, jewel damsel, six line wrasse, CB shrimp and urchin all living happy for over a year. The only reason it did not go longer was due to the fact I moved back to Florida. And I still call them from time to time for advice which they willingly give.

 

[jonthefb]

my hometown of pueblo only has two lfs that selll sw, one that is any good at it, but they have a very limited selection(thank god they are expanding this next year) anyhow i used to drive up to denver (about 3 hrs from pueblo) to this one little sw fish store called aquaria. they only dealt with sw stuff. the manager, named joe was a very nice guy, he wouldnt sell anythign to anyone without knowing exactly what type of set up they had, and would actually keep all his customers info in a database, so that he could track water params, additions deaths, etc, and then make speculations based on this info. anyway, whenever i went up there he would send me bazck home with a ton of free stuff, just for making the drive up to see him. he was awesome and would even ask us to call him once we returned so he could check on all the livestock. talk about a cool guy. now that i am employed at a local lfs, i try to do things just the way he did, w/o stepping on any toes. sad part of the story is that the owners never paid any of their taxes, and because joe was just hte manager, he had no idea. i guess teh gov. reposessed the sotre, closed it down and sold everyhting in it to the public. thier 600 gallon show tank went for 200 dollars. i about had a heart attack after hearing that and wish i coulda gotten in on that deal. anyway, now he is a rep for us. aquarium which is located in denver, and he still frequents lfs's and i saw him at the one i am now working at awhile back. good guys!
good luck
jon

 

[ophiura]

Thanks for the Aquarium World comments. I worked there over the last year. All of the staff have had quite a bit of experience with fishkeeping (but I was the only employee with the university training; one of the owners- and there is always one there- has graduate training in fisheries biolgy). My education wasn't anything compared to the practical experience my coworkers had. I always asked their advice, since book learning in a university (marine bio or not) is a far cry from actually trying things out. My only claim to fame was talking to the brittlestars The learning curve there was intense and I loved it.
The big display tank, for people keeping tabs, is 40,000g. It has been redesigned recently...lots of colorful fish (and a whole heck of a lot of sand, which made quite a mess!). Nice to see things like Naso tangs with room to move! The store also gives tours to local school groups, ranging from preschool to high school. A perk that I loved to be involved with!
Thanks again, it is great to hear people approve! There are so many negative threads out there that it can make an LFS employee feel terrible- especially after a long day with a lot of, um, less informed hobbyists!
Ophiura
aka Susan

 

[fishtails]

I would say that were I live(Chattanooga,TN)has the best ever fish store. Its called Captive Bred Corals.I've only been there twice since they relocated somewhere else(still here).Well anyways they have the hugest facility I've ever seen.Lemme tell ya 20,000(yes)plus gallons of saltwater only stuff(some freshwater but mainly salt).At their old location they had like 100+tanks with fish,and frags in them and they had like 10 2500+gallon tanks with superior filteration and every single tank had Mh's over them.And the big tanks have like lots of fish and corals here and there and everywhere.I love that place.Oh yea the do have a website too and the ship worldwide!Check out their site!If you ever come down here check out Captive Bred Corals.Oh yea they also have the best employees' in the world.They will always give you a discount no matter what the price is.And they have a propagation room,breeding room,and anything else.Its like youre in fish heaven.You'll love it.Oh yea,all their display tanks equal up to like 5000 thousand gallons

 

[benj420]

This past weekend I made my first trip to Pruess' Animal House in Haslett Michigan (Lansing) and was totally blown away. I will admit that I am a novice+ and it doesn't take much to blow me away, but I was really impressed by their setup and more importantly, customer service. It was Saturday afternoon around 1PM, so you know it was busy. I first took a walk around the store to see what they had. Many SW and FW tanks setup in several different configurations. Several tanks displaying corals, and several large tanks offering coral "babies" for sale. I walked around looking for a new powerhead and was soon approached by a devilishly good looking girl that asked me if I needed any help. I told her I was looking for a powerhead for my SW tank and that I was a novice. She told me that she worked in the FW area, but took me over to the SW area and said "Hey Steve, is it just you and so-and-so working today?". He said yes. I waited for a few minutes for Steve to finish up with the customer he was with and then he helped me pick out a new powerhead, a Maxi-Jet 600. Now, this is where the fun begins (for me at least). I must have spent the next two hours talking to Steve (he's one of the top dogs there), with him answering all of my questions, from books, lighting, coral, algae, fish, QT tanks, you name it. He graciously answered all of my questions in a manner that I could understand. He took me on a tour of the entire fish section, even in the back room where the have all of their LR and QT tanks. During our tour he snagged Jeff, the owner, and introduced him to me. Jeff is also a nice guy and extremely knowledegable about just about everything. I guess what I'm saying is I was really impressed that he was willing to spend so much time with my when they were obviously busy.
Now, I can't really look at this place from an expert's eyes, because, like I said, I'm not one. I can say that even though they are 1.5 hours away, they are my new LFS.
BTW, RockingAR - I like, or should I say liked your signature..... until it disappeared ........ hmmmmmmmm

 

[ophiura]

RockinAR,
Why do you bother going to Aquarium World? The 7 day warranty when you kill something?
Most people are ticked off at LFS who don't bother to ask any questions. Yes. We ASK questions. I tell everyone that when they are looking into getting a tank. We'll ask every time just to make sure what you have, equipment, livestock, etc. Not everyone is a god like you. Not everyone knows certain animals can't be mixed. To get a seahorse you have to pass an exam. One of the owners has said that we would rather keep them here and never sell one, then sell one to a bad situation just to get the money.
BTW. Our "junk mail list" is sending out 2 coupons a year....except for the mailing that went out the night before the big flood hit. Oops.
Thanks for saying we look so young (12). I just turned 30, so quite a compliment. Those 10 years in university getting my Biology BSc and Master's (left my PhD to actually live with my husband) must not have aged me too much. And the other staff, who have been keeping tanks for far longer than I have, will also be pleased that their slave master Dave has not aged them badly either. All those days of crying and living under the whip have not diminished their childlike glow.
You are a prime example of one of the customers LFS employees complain about. I think your post is a pretty clear example of what it must be like to work with any given customer at an LFS. It is really great to get a customer who knows there stuff and has an intelligent conversation with us about this or that...who can answer our questions and ask others. Try it sometime.

 

[coral boy]

Rockinar
It sounds like they are doing there job very good if they are asking you questions I wish i had a lfs that did that

 

[ags]

I would have to agree here. My biggest complaint is not that an employee asked me too many questions but cared so little as not to fully inquire as to my entire setup. It serves multiple purposes the most important of which, IN MY OPINION, is to weed out a poorly educated employee (on the topic of SW tanks of course). When I first started keeping tanks, salt and fresh, many of my intitial mistakes weren't necessarily my fault. Sure water chemistry disasters and the like I take full credit for but I sure as hell blame the store for allowing me to place certain species of fish in a tank that are not compatible. As a "newbie" why should I be expected to know this. And keep in mind that when I started keeping tanks I was 11 years old (I was born in 1974) and learning was not as simple as hopping online. In fact it would be safe to say my knowledge of keeping SW tanks has exponentially increased over the last 8 months merely from hanging out at SWF.com. So as many have attested places like Aquarium World, though slightly over priced (again my personal opinion) are worth it BECAUSE they go above and beyond what your typical LFS would in customer service. It is that extra touch that distinguishes quality. Don't misplace quality customer service with annoyance.

 

[j21kickster]

Well- thats a nice little comment

 

[robchuck]

RockinAR,
I don't normally reply to posts that are off color, because they are usually funny for the most part; but your response here really infuriated (sp?) me. I don't mind reading threads that contain innuendos, but to read a thread that I though would be containing refreshing stories about good customer service at LFS, and then come across your post really struck a nerve in me; and I'm sure I'm not the only one here that feels this way. If people want a story with that kind of plot line, there's other places on the internet for that.

 

[ophiura]

1) Thanks again for calling us teenage girls. I believe we are all far from. However, the apparent desire to "have" employees you describe as in a post above as "looks 12" proves you are sick. I hope you do not come into contact with many young children.
2) Based on these charming posts, I can state with some confidence that Dave has a far greater chance.
3) A hint from an insider, be careful what you wish for.
4) Another hint: most customers who have made successful passes at the employees (and there have been some) are not SOBs. Again, Dave appears to have a better chance.
5) Most of these customers engage the employees in various conversations, typically related to their tanks. You seem to ignore this successful tactic, and resort to being obnoxious, much like your posts on this board.
This posts just demonstrates one more wonderful aspect about being an LFS employee that most people probably don't think about. Some employees have even had male customers hold their leg while their getting something out of an upper tank, using a step stool! Considering a few of those ladies own guns, and love to go shooting, I wouldn't try it. They're a tough bunch, bless 'em, and your likely to get a kick in the teeth if you try.
Clearly every LFSee needs to be pretty tough, if they give a darn about the job.
RockinAr is doing a terrrific job of demonstrating what sort of things LFS employees deal with (even those stores where they dare to ask questions!). How about some more Good LFS stories?
I don't have a local one, but I remember way back when I was (really) about 12. There was a local pet store that would tolerate me hanging around for a few hours nearly every day during summer vacation. They only had freshwater fish, and one woman who worked there all the time. But she was very patient, and taught me a lot about fresh water. I don't think there are many stores these days that would tolerate some kid hanging around (not much purchasing power!). Unfortunately, they were a small pet store and couldn't hack it when the big chains moved in. It was Ark Pets in Dutchess County NY. My parents are still running the tank they sold us, 15+ years ago! I remember it well, and tried to have the same approach when I worked at an LFS.

 

[j21kickster]

Well said- grow up rock-

 

[jonthefb]

very well said rob and ophi. there are many types of customers that come into our lfs, as its one of the only one's thats really good in the area(and this is from 3 years of being a customer before beign hired on as an employee) but the community we are in is very diverse, both culturally and financially, and we get people in all the tiem who are new to the hobby or dont really know how to approach somethign. i feel that it is then necessary to hit them with a barrage of questions so that i can ensure that when that animal leaves the store, it has the best chance possible to survive. at the same time we get regular customers who really know what they are doing, and if they truly love their hobby and their tank, then i will ask them how their tank is doing, or if im not farmiliar with their tank, i will ask them about the specs. i want to try to help people as much as possible, adn if it means spendign some extra time with a customer, even if hes a regular than i will do it, to make them happy!
good luck
jon

 

[ophiura]

I agree. I told people before I sold a tank that we would ask loads of questions, every time they came in. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of things; sometimes people buy things elsewhere. Of course they do. Sometimes they forget about something, or don't realize something might be starting to go wrong.
People often feel guilty if they buy an animal that dies. I had to go home everyday fearing that some otherwise healthy animal I sold might be dead. It was tough. Quite tough. A reason I only worked full time for a year. We're not all in it just to move the stock.
There were some customers that I would want to beg to buy a particular fish, because I knew they had a good tank. There were other customers that I would try and talk out of everything.