Banned from the LFS

[Ghostshrimp55]

Agreed. Be a professional with your complaints and you'll be more likely to get a positive response.

Hmmmm....I think professionalism didn't even have a chance here. Maybe you missed this part:

He told me I was crazy

Or this:

He retorted with a "what do you know?!" under his breath and I heard him

If I were in this situation, I would have immediately asked to speak with a manager. I probably would have done so, anyway, regarding the lack of knowlege of how to handle fish, since it was obvious this guy wasn't going to listen to a customer. I probably would have had a very loud conversation about the improper treatment of customers and fish...just loud enough for surrounding customers to hear. That way, I could have either, A) gotten a free fish to shut me up or, B) gotten thrown out.....which wouldn't have mattered to me anyway since I probably wouldn't have spent money there after that.

I agree that you (twig) probably should have taken your business elsewhere. Like I said, hit 'em in the cash register.

 

[Germanman]

I had an awful experience yesterday at the LFS. I went there to look at the plants (i rarely buy fish from anywhere but the local big als) and they had d. puffers... so I HAD to get them =)

they were very young, starving but healthy beyond that (and are doing fine now).

I bought three for my 20 (one will be moved to a 5g when they get a bit bigger) and got into an arguement with the local bloak on how to fetch them. I told him in my most commanding sales voice (I am a sales person so I can be very assertive) that these fish were not to be netted. They were to be scooped up with a cup.

He told me I was crazy and I told him i knew what I was doing and offered to get the **** fish myself. He retorted with a "what do you know?!" under his breath and I heard him so I went around his store and started telling customers what they were doing wrong =(

one person was buying a pacu for like a 20 gal tank and i told them the fish gets huge and it will probably break the tank. ANother couple were buyign like 20 fish and i told them to keep ther eceit because they were going to die.. moving onto my third customer who was buying an expensive puffer fish (under the label fresh water when i know they are brackish) the guy finally got a cup and scooped them out and then told me not to come back. =\

I guess I finally lost it with regards to improper fish care. I see stuff like that on a daily basis but ive been looking for dwarf puffers forever (6 months about) and the fact he wanted to risk their lives out of laziness and stupidity just got me so upset.

Just thought i'd share with you guys.

sounds like my old work wher is it that u live? lol im so glad i got fired for telling my boss that he was killing to corals now i dont have to see things suffer and die when im not there to save them

 

[jojo22]

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fishlover420]

You can't take them out of the water. If they puff up while in the air, the air might not all come out and they'll die.

just wondering if u knew about green spotted puffers. Is the net thing about them to.

 

[Sammie7]

All puffers. http://www.fish-forums.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=6958

"I find that most puffers are very hardy fish, provided that you start with a healthy specimen. You must be careful when moving your puffers into their new homes, because of multiple reasons. If a fish has been stressed during shipping, or if it didn't receive the proper care in the LFS than it might have shed part of it's poisonous slime coating (read below for more info on Poisons), which is now mixed into the water. If this poison should get into your QT or even your Main Tank, then it could possible kill off parts if not all of your tank. So, "an ounce of prevention" is needed here, and you will have to keep with the rule of never mixing the LFS water in with your tank. Pouring off a majority of the bag water and mixing in water from the tank 3 to 4 times over a course of 30 minutes can dilute the poisons. This should acclimate your puffer nicely to it's new water parameters. Then simply pour the now-diluted water and puffer into your tank, AVOID netting. Netting can be harmful, and possibly fatal to your puffer. Puffers’ ability to inflate their stomachs is not limited to water, when raised into the air; you run the risk of the puffer inflating himself with a stomach full of air. Which is not a good thing, many puffers have difficulties expelling trapped air. Those puffers that can't release the air can actually become stressed enough that they perish. If your puffer does become inflated with air, there is a method of helping it release it. Which needs steady but gentle hands. You will have to hold the puffer with your hands, with it's head facing up, then begin to gently massage the belly of the fish upwards to it's chin. This will help the valves release and the air to escape from the upward facing puffer's mouth. Another issue with netting your puffer is that if the puffer should inflate while in the net, it can harm itself from the constrictive net. Or, with the spiny varieties, the net can become entangled on the puffer’s body making it near impossible to remove the fish. I once had to assist a store employee that had a Porcupine puffer caught in a net at the store. The only way to save the puffer was to cut the net off in little pieces... Waste of a good net and stressed the fish more than it should. A simple way to avoid this problem is to use a larger net with finer meshing, as well as placing a clean bag inside the net to catch the puffer. Once the puffer is partially in the net, simply grab the bag and lift it out of the water. This ensures the puffer can not become entangled in the net, while it also prevents it from ingesting air if it should inflate"

 

[Malefic23]

I agree that you lost it there. Being more polite and formal in your complaints is the best way to get results. Getting kicked out of the fish store and banned for effecting the guy's business puts him in a belligerent stance, and nearly guarentees that things will not improve. It's not about being right, it's about the fish after all.

When I went into one of my well known highly popular fish stores locally, I semi got into it with a salesman who was attempting to net and bag some fish for me. When I saw how he was chasing a queen arabesque pleco around with a net, I asked him to stop at once, or I'd not purchase the fish. He insisted he could get it, and I told him the sale was over, I was'nt buying. He looked at me and said, "well why not? I've got her right here." And I said, "Look closely at the Arabesque. She's died of shock." He got big eye'd and looked at the dead $30 fish in his net. After some startled comments from the salesman, I asked him if he'd like to learn how to catch small, delicate, easily stressed plecos. He did, considering the dead Arabesque was coming out of his paycheck. So I helped him hand catch two juvinile sultans and a baby gold nugget. Gently. He taught a few others in the store, and for the next six months, I saw fish sales people hand scooping plecos, and gently removing them with thumb and forefinger.

It's your money. Be polite, but be firm. You don't spend your money in places that don't satisfy your needs as a customer. Explain your needs first, tell them how to satisfy them, and then follow up with compliments when they handle fish the way you want them handled. If this does'nt happen, then your money stays in your pocket, and they lose sales. We're not normal fish keepers. We're the dedicated. Let's spread that around some.

 

[5xevy]

I'm wondering what impact you think you may have had at the LFS? I mean, was that one small moment worth it to you with personal satisfaction only or were you trying to affect the way they run their business? If the latter, do you think it worked?

 

[kuhliloach]

see ya!