local fish stores...

[n_sarno]

When you are at your LFS do you ever hear the employees lying 2 customers? I do ALL the time and I laugh.. its so horrible.. I always want to say something, but its not really any of my business.. Just curious if anyone else ever listens in to the employees w/ their horribly wrong info..
I was - my LFS the today and there was this little asian woman and her family there.. they were walking around looking at various fish... I could just tell they were new to the hobby.. anyway.. I was just browsing their stock for a long time and I overheard the woman tell the employee her tank has been running for a couple months.. LR and LS 12 gallon nano cube.. she started w/ damsels.. they all died.. so they reccomended a perc clown and it died.. so she asked for something else that would be very hardy and last in her 6 gallon nano... You will not believe what the guy sold this poor woman..
A LITTLE HIPPO TANG
I was disgusted..

How could these people be so cruel???
Anyone else have any horror stories?

 

[phixer]

Man thats just wrong to take advantage of someone like that place did. There has to be a voice of reason and wild claims need to be challenged, this forum has a lot of common sense folks who know the facts. Id like to think it helps to prevent that scenario on occasion. Folks get mad when they have to prove it.

 

[n_sarno]

yea.. it was like $79.. and the poor thing is doomed.. very sad and wrong I agree.. I walked out right after that.

 

[mikeyjer]

I would of said something to that lady cause that is just wayyyyyyy wrong!!!!
Here's what happen at the store one day. There were a couple of guys buying a nano cube, live sand, salt mix, live rocks, and corals. They insisted that they know what they're doing. They kept bugging the guy that works there, he's actually a very good guy and he's always honest with me about everything. He end up selling those to them cause they wouldn't leave him alone about it. So sometimes it's a customer's fault as well!!! Those guys bought over $2000 worth of stuff, what a shame.....

 

[phixer]

Thats because you have guts to do the right thing. But many times people dont want to make waves so they turn the other cheek. I have made a few enemies by mustering the fortitude on occasion to challenge folks like that. Felt better afterwards though.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Phixer
Thats because you have guts to do the right thing. But many times people dont want to make waves so they turn the other cheek. I have made a few enemies by mustering the fortitude on occasion to challenge folks like that. Felt better afterwards though.
My LFS knows me quite well and they know that I will spend money there as I am their long term customer. As they also know that I will NOT accept crap from anyone so they usually back off when I have a comment to make. As far as I know, they rarely give bad advice, not intensionally anyway. Most of them that I deal with give excellant advice and will tell you what you can or can't have. The owner even personally delivered my new tank to my house and commented on my reef tank. It was some nice comments from a guy who's been doing this for years. His shop is the biggest one around and the most popular one as well. He says some of my corals are the best that he's ever seen anywhere. I guess I must of done something right....

For those other LFS that I don't visit, there's reasons why, they give bad advice and sell you stuffs and tell you everything will be ok. A friend of mine believed that LFS and end up with ich problem causing all his fish to suffer. I just told him that I told you so..... :happyfish

 

[n_sarno]

My response to what I heard was simply that I will not go to that store again.

 

[murph]

I hear some pretty weird things on each and every trip to most of the LFS in my area.
Unfortunately like many pets there is a "fad" factor that is in place here. Many people set up tanks on a whim because they saw one at there doctors office, airport, wherever and get smitten with the idea of having a show tank in there home to impress company. They fail to understand the work and research involved and in many cases do neither and relies solely on what ever LFS they walked into first for there information.
Often times the fad wears off, amount of work gets realized, some expensive fish die and within a years time the tank gets broke down and its next appearance is in the classified section of the newspaper.
Many LFS are quite aware of this and the revolving door of people in and out of the hobby is how they stay in business so honest advice gets replaced with going in for the kill as far as sales are concerned so money can be made for whatever period of time there unfortunate victim keeps coming around. This is bad business practice in the long run and by no means are all LFS like this and it should be pretty obvious which ones are and people honestly interested in the hobby usually end up doing business else where.
As far as sales weasels in general; I am sure everyone has heard the joke. How do you know when a salesmen is lieing?........ His lips move.

 

[halo_frk03]

nick what lfs was this? coral paradise?

 

[merredeth]

My LFS has refused to sell certain fish in front of me because he takes the time to get to know his customers and set ups.
As a matter of fact, he calls me when he is either placing and order or has placed an order and lets me know what is about to come in.
That my friends, is how a store can stay in business and continue to get MY business.
Denise M.

 

[fraggle_a]

Sadly, people saw a move called "Finding Nemo" and have the idea that a Clown and a Hippo grow to roughly the same size.
Some LFS just sell these fish for the profit.
If you search you can find Hippos for between $30 and $50.
The LFS will markup on those because of the popularity factor.

 

[nm reef]

The way I look at it the LFS is there to make money and in our society makin' a few bucks is all too often a vicious cycle. The employee has a duty I suppose to his employer.
But.....any customer has an obligation to be well informed. In this hobby research and knowledge should be a priority ... if hobbyists would educate themselves prior to walking into a LFS then situations of bad advice and questionable purchases could easily be avoided.

 

[saltfan]

I hear crap all the time when I'm at the LFS. I wait til the stor guy is done talking then I step in and tell it like it is. No reason why this guy has to kill fish or even spend that kind of money if its not necessary.

 

[unleashed]

thats the type of store you dont want to shop in unless you know exactly what you are looking for.the stores i use the most I talk to customers more than the employess do my hubby always says to the owners im sorry ill get her out of here and they tell him not to worry im the best free employeee they have lol. if i dont know the answers they ask i send them to the owners.I do trust my LFS but they are only human also and do make mistakes.as NM Reef explains they are also in the business to make a living.if you see them telling something you know is untrue or not as good as advice should be dont down the store to their customers you can offer your experience but do it a manner of tact not to make that store look completely irresponsable or unknowledgable.if your compelled to help out one of their customers simply state, i couldnt help but over hear what your asking about and then if they wish to know then tell them your experience but do remember your also in that store shopping if this store is that bad why are you there also.if you dont like the way things are handled by an employee or owner you have 2 choices 1 do your business and keep your oppinions to yourself unless its done without losing them customers.2 dont shop there and find a better reliable source for your business.

 

[n_sarno]

Which is exactly why I will not step foot in BEYOND THE REEF of Schaumburg again... There are plenty of other stores around me!!!

 

[halo_frk03]

Originally Posted by N_Sarno
Which is exactly why I will not step foot in BEYOND THE REEF of Schaumburg again... There are plenty of other stores around me!!!
o it was beyond the reef? i dont like that place either

 

[merredeth]

I went to the local McDonald's because I heard they were adding a tank.
I couldn't believe what I saw! Eight inches of crushed coral (I'm not kidding!) and before the cycle was complete guess what was in the tank? Several Yellow Tangs!
I asked one person WHO was taking care of the tank. They gave me the name of the person and believe me - I will NEVER buy from that guy. All he saw was a company checkbook and a new avenue to endlessly sell.
I'll stick to my local LFS that I know if he doesn't know something will even ask me for an answer before selling something that won't work in a person's tank.
Denise M.

 

[captainmj]

I am still new to this But.......you would think that a LFS would be more cautious when dealing with their patrons. I fell into this tank (not literally of course) and now am the keeper of it thanks to a family member (of course now am determined to make a go of it now that I am hooked) but when I was stocking my tank the sales girl sold me first a royal dotty then about 2 weeks later she sold me a black cap basslet, I even asked as aggressive as the dotty was, was she sure they would do okay? Of course they will be fine together. NO WAY, that dotty attacked everything but mostly attacked the black cap basslet. I hate that just sell for the sake of selling.

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by captainMJ
I am still new to this But.......you would think that a LFS would be more cautious when dealing with their patrons. I fell into this tank (not literally of course) and now am the keeper of it thanks to a family member (of course now am determined to make a go of it now that I am hooked) but when I was stocking my tank the sales girl sold me first a royal dotty then about 2 weeks later she sold me a black cap basslet, I even asked as aggressive as the dotty was, was she sure they would do okay? Of course they will be fine together. NO WAY, that dotty attacked everything but mostly attacked the black cap basslet. I hate that just sell for the sake of selling.

I dont beleive these store intentionaly say this just to sell a fish i truly beleive these workers just simply dont know .what i used to do when just beginning is i would take a compatibilty chart to the store with me and reference that before purchasing any fish.there are a few sites online that have this chart i found it to be very helpful.

 

[captainmj]

I am sure in most instances it is ignorance of course that would have been a good idea to take a capatability chart with me when I started this but I trusted this girl to know what she was talking about as she has been doing this for many years having a reef tank of her own.
Live and learn, right? :joy: