Things customers told you that you knew weren't true

One woman came in with a water sample for testing. She kept saying "I love my fish, I want what's best for my fish"
I did the test - there was so much ammonia, the water in the test tube turned black. I told her to change as much of the water in the tank as she could with fresh, clean, dechlorinated water. As soon as possible. I never saw her again.

I got tired of people arguing with me about plecos "cleaning" the tank. I kept telling them that no fish or chemical additive will clean the tank for you, YOU have to keep the tank clean for the fish. Nobody believed me - probably because it was not what they wanted to hear.

Also with the dads that want (pick a number) goldfish in a bowl for their child. When you explain to them that it is an unhealthy environment and that the fish would die a miserable death, they get mad at you for implying that they don't know something in front of their own child. That kind of self-absorbed arrogance upsets me the most. :(

But there were nice customers, too. Maybe one or two a year...
 
Hurley said:
Wow...and here I was thinking I would get a part-time job at a fish store this summer...silly me. I know I have no patience for this kind of thing.
Click to expand...

maybe 10% of your fish customers are knowledgable hobbyists who you can converse with intelligently on the topic of fishkeeping.

The other 90% will ignore everything you say and be geniunely surprised when their fish kick the bucket.

So, working at the fish store requires dealing with lots of bullocks. And poppycock. Pumpernickel......and shenanigans. Ah, I love those words.
 
What is really nice is when the customer listens to you then comes back and thanks you for all the good advice. It doesn't happen often unfortunately.
 
i think that customers act like know it alls alot because they are afriad of getting ripped off. Looking back on some stuff, invloving different things, it helps to act like you know more and try to fool the sales rep so you dont get ripped off. People suck and do that. I suppose its the same thing with fish, people get ripped off all the time. Merchandise is sold in such a propaganda type way saying you need this and that and yadda further increasing the "knowledge" of the consumer.

I cringe at the things i used to to think, kind of scarey.
 
Oh I just read the entire 10 pages of this thread. I love it! Thanks for giving me tons of laughs in my day!
 
"I have a ten gallon tank with one 7 inch goldfish and a 3 inch koi, and the water keeps turning green. Is it because I need a new light?"

and

"I don't know how big my fish tank is, but I'm sure it's big enough for 3 more koi, it's at least 40 gallons"
 
i would get a job at one just for the enjoyment of asking
one of those "intellectually challenged adults" if their mommy or their nurse companion is coming back to pick them up in a few minutes . then show them how to count their money.
 
This threads great, even as a customer of fish stores you hear these kinds of stories.

i heard a good one in an lfs

cus: i had 6 neon tetras but they all died
staff: how long has your tank been set up
cus: 4 days
staff: your tanks not cycled yet and ready to take neons or any other sensitive fish
cus: ok ill take 6 of those ones that look like neons (the cardinals)
staff :im not selling you those fish
cus: fine then ill ask that employee to sell me them

i was amused when she stormed off with no fish and such a bad mood that she walked into the doors


although that i thought was a good one, in another branch of the same company the staff were all too willing to sell something to a guy who really did want the best for his fish but didnt really know all that much about them.

staff: How long has your tank been set up sir?
cus: only about 2 weeks
staff: how big is it?
cus: 40 gallon
staff: great you can add loads of fish to that
cus: well how many of these mollies do you think i could buy today?
staff: oh you could easily buy about 50 for that tank
cus: really?
staff: yes sir it wouldnt be a problem (staff goes off to fetch bags)
me: did you just say its been set up for 2 weeks?
cus: yes
me: i really wouldnt buy that many fish today then, you need to allow your tank time to cycle
cus: whats that mean?
me: explains about the cycle of a tank, and gave the web addy to ac and direction on where to find all he needs to know about cycling his tank. And how he would do better just adding a couple of fish in the earlier stages of a new tank to allow the filter time to adjust to the changes in bio load. And to get a decent drip test kit to keep an eye on whats going on in his water chemistry.
cus: thanks me
staff: returns with a handfull of plastic bags easily enough for 50 fish
cus: thanks staff for the help and explains that he will be back in a few weeks to buy a couple of fish once he has read about and cycled his tank. And leaves having only bought a master test kit and a gravel vac.

I cringe at the thought of a member of staff selling 50 mollies that are not even ideal to use to cycle a tank to a customer who has a 2 week old tank.


The most enjoyable one was the 2 little girls with their mom i got chatting to in a particularly busy store. (its always hard to get the staff as they are always busy, so helps to have an idea what you like before you drag the staff off)

they were looking at the various fish, when i got chatting to the girls, maybe 7 and 8
They told me mom had bought them a tank for christmas and had set it up that day (about 6 weeks before) the water tests all looked good. I asked is this your first fish for the tank then? yes and were really exited. How big is it, mom replies she thinks its about 30 gallons and describes a standard 4ft tank. The girls started to tell me what fish they liked and pointed out that they wanted a betta each as onle liked the red and one liked the blue. I told them they couldnt have 2 and pointed out a red/blue one i saw in another tank. They exclaimed that it was pretty and by just having one of those meant that mom would have to buy a different fish too as they were allowed to have 2 fish each. They asked me about a few other fish they thought were pretty, one being a baby pleco, i said that one will get to be huge. Showed them about 20 inches with my hands to which one said oh that may be a little bit too big when its not a baby then, are there any that dont get that big? I showed them the bn tank and showed them about how big they will get. Now the kids had found the fish they wanted mom went to get a member of staff. The girls told me at the checkout that they had got the betta, one baby bn and a male swordtail each and that they couldnt wait to get them home now and finally have some fish in the tank. I smiled at their mom and said you have some great kids there they seem really keen to learn about keeping their fish. She said that every time they go somewhere when someone has a tank they they always have a million questions to ask. I left thinking that its a shame more keepers dont think like that.


in the same shop on another occasion, there was a guy hogging the time of a staff member, when i heard him say that he wanted a fish that will get big as he wants to eats it when its bigger. The change of the staffs expression said it all. Im not so sure you would want to do that sir. Oh and why not? well sir i cant imagine they would be very tasty, and seriously you dont know if they have ever been treated for anything. pointing to the huge red tail cat in the big tank, i want something that will get that big it will feed the family. I see sir... (looks at me) oh you need my help do you miss? the desperation in his voice made me agree.. he told me he had been stuck with that guy for the last 30 mins and was feeling that he was about to get fired lol.
 
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