Originally Posted by FireFish21
Do you realize how hard it would be to find a teenager who knows everything there is to know about all pets?
I think most places expect the customer to check into their hobby before they begin buying all they see.
Before I comment on the quoted part, I would like to congratulate you on being a responsible employee of what seems to be a good lfs. Not selling animals for the reasons you mentioned costs the company business, but a company that supports the employees decision to save the animals lives from maltreatment deserves praise.
Now, about hiring a teenager who knows everythign there is to know about all pets. No, that can't be expected. However, it should be expected that a sales associate for a particular section of a pet store does know everythign there is to know about the animals they are selling. If they don't, the company should provide them with proper training so that they are knowledgable on the topic. If someone isn't qualified for a job (and being knowledgable on the topic is a seriously needed qualification), they should not get the job, period.
On the topic of customers being expected to do their own research...yeah, that would be ideal. If people always did their research before buying anything, the pet business would be a better place. It would mean responsibility, which would mean few if no stray dogs/cats, no animals purchased for being cute and then released into the wild when they get too big, and no animals killed for being placed in improper conditions. Unfortunately, the average customer knows very little, and it is the job of the sales associate to make sure they know what they are getting into and be responsible with sales.
It's not even that customers don't know anything, because many do. Its more that many many many lfs give BAD and WRONG information, confusing the customer who has done just enough research to get started, and who needs a push in the right direction for more information. Being directly told by someone that masquerades as an authority on fish that the hippo tang will fit in your 20g tank and won't outgrow it is just not fair, to both the fish and the customer.
Sorry, that rant kind of took off...