chain store in Calgary...

[Dwarf Puffers]

I just finished my trip to chain stpre on my vacation, and of course, the first one I've seen will give me reason to give them a bad rap.

So, I go over with my sister-in-law and my nephews, and I immediately see the infamous "Fish need aquarium salt in their tanks" and "A Pacu gets 24" and can live happily in a 30g aquarium" signs. Also were signs that said that brackish fish need aquarium salt. There were 3-4 living 1/2" feeder goldies, and 12-15 dead ones (food). They have dead "live" plants. They have these little "fish jars" that are 3.5" long, 2" wide, and 3" tall. They also have DEAD BETTAS. That's right. Even Walmart only did that once, and that was when they had some !@#$ little girl who didn't do anything running the fish department. The female bettas were in a large tank and dieing. Clown Loaches in a 10g. Cories and DPs had a recommened 1G BOWL!! Many of their birds were wounded!! They had 12" long 6" wide 10" tall reptile cages for large reptiles and amphibians. The guy who worked there hadn't a clue why it said a pacu would be just peachy in a 30g. I love sarcasm when talking about this foul chain.

And people who will scold me because they have the "perfect" stpre and think most are fine, you're lucky. Anyone who has one of the very few good stores is lucky. I hadn't liked the place before seeing it, and now I feel like sueing them :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

 

[Featherfin]

okay, wow.


wounded birds? wow. call PETA or something, PLEASE.


you know, i have to say this:


im the crazy person who, when she has a free hour, stands around in chain stores trying to very non-offesnively educate people and tell them the truth.

i mean, I'm shopping, too. I can't help it - sometimes they have good, cheap stuff.

 

[Lupin]

wounded birds? wow. call PETA or something, PLEASE.

Oh no! Not them please.

 

[Hooked Newbie]

I feel your pain, but on the other hand have seen different. Don't blame everyone for the store you visited. I have one REALLY bad store in my area, but the other one is actually quite good with the fish, birds, Small animals, and even reptiles and advice. There are good and bad. I actually (at the "good one") heard the young girl working in aquatics tell a customer that "I can sell you that, but it won't live long in your tank" when speaking to a guy that was getting a Sm. Common Pleco for an Oscar tank which she also told him was overstocked. I loved it!

I've seen the other side too... it's a large corporate chain and they obviously can't pay enough to keep and cultivate really experienced people. I choose to visit the one I like and ignore the closer, bad one. I hate it, but such is the nature of business. I do respond to every receipt survey I receive and commonly send messages to their "Contact Us" link with my observations and request that they improve the quality and management of aquatics... it may be futile, but it's something that I can do beyond just venting about the bad.

 

[severum mama]

The chain pet store here is ok. Not great, but ok. There are certainly worse places to buy fish, and regardless, this is just beating a dead horse.

 

[yonsu]

I've seen the other side too... it's a large corporate chain and they obviously can't pay enough to keep and cultivate really experienced people. I choose to visit the one I like and ignore the closer, bad one. I hate it, but such is the nature of business. I do respond to every receipt survey I receive and commonly send messages to their "Contact Us" link with my observations and request that they improve the quality and management of aquatics... it may be futile, but it's something that I can do beyond just venting about the bad.

Exactly what I was going to say. Nothing constructive comes of ranting on an online fish message board. Let the management know how you feel. chain stores has extremely strict policies and procedures; it is just a matter of how closely the store manager follows them. Better yet, let the district manager know, and something definitely will be done. Had I seen injured animals, I would have immediately notified an associate within the store. But, maybe that is just me..

 

[spirals]

Yes please, sue them, then they can cut the pay of all the good workers out there and reduce the budget for animal care and we can have to go find another job and they can hire more teenagers to work for minimum wage. If you see a store in those conditions call the corporate hotline. Believe it or not they really take the hotline seriously (at least in America). We've have been pulled in the office and @#$ed out by our Regional Manager before over a misunderstanding with an animal who was returned hurt by a customer and another customer called the hotline thinking we did it. Sounds to me like this store was having a particularly bad day, or maybe there just aren't any vets in that area to treat the birds? I know if we ever have an animal who is sick or injured they immediately go to a vet for treatment ( I know, I drive them) so unless something was majorly wrong it had nothing to do with the store itself but rather the workers at the store. Before doing anything like saying all chain stores are horrible, go check it out again, talk to a manager, call the hotline, etc. Don't lump us all into one experience or one store or you'll be missing out on a lot of good information and some pretty nice animals.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

no need to call them out on it. if you have a problem talk to someone in charge.