Lfs, What Should Their Priority Be?

[cheeky chappie]

i'm not going to mention LFS names as this is only my opinion but i'd be interested in what other forum members think. it's a tale of 2 quite different LFS. i used to go to a LFS that has shut down, they always had a good selection of tropical, marine, cold water fish for sale and the usual accessories, tanks, substrate, meds, food, decorations etc etc. shop was also spotless and the numerous tanks likewise. one thing i always noted when i shopped there is you would be asked a few questions e.g. 'what size of tank do you have?', 'what other fish are in there already if any?' that kind of thing. if you said or requested something that was basically wrong from a fish welfare point of view e.g. wanting to buy x amount of fish when you'd already stated you had quite a few in there, or wanting to put agressive fish in with timid they weren't shy to say 'no you can't do that' even if ultimately they didn't get the sale.

now i frequent another LFS (as i said the above one closed down) and they also have a wide selection of fish but truth be told the place isn't nearly as clean as the (now closed) LFS and the numerous tanks not quite as well kept, always see more than a few dead fish here and there as you walk around. where they also differ is they appear to be quite happy selling you x amount of fish with little or no questions about the 'home' the fish will be going to. last time i was in a dad was walking around the shop with his young son, it appeared that anything the son was wanting the dad was buying so all i heard was along the lines of '2 of those please ... what are they?? oh yeah and 4 of those things there. what's that jimmy (son's name changed for legal reasons ) you want some of those as well? can i have 3 of those please ... what are they?? and emmm 5 of those ...' and so it went on. now i grant you the gent possibly has a massive tank or numerous smaller ones but tbh he didn't strike me as being in that bracket. and not once did the assistant question if he had tank space for the numerous fish he was buying, and i mean numerous! granted the assistant maybe knows him and his setup but again i kind of doubt it. when i buy not once do i get asked anything however in their defence a bit if you ask a direct/indirect question they will answer e.g. i asked about a particular fish last time and the assistant said 'it grows BIG so you need a big tank' although i don't know if they'd have stopped me buying it.

so as i say it's a tale of two different approaches to the business of selling fish. the one we'd maybe consider better / more professional has closed down and the other remains open and has been for years. perhaps the former sealed their own fate by being too picky over what and how many they sold whereas the latter doesn't appear to care as much.

in short, maybe fish welfare doesn't always create a successful revenue stream so, from a business perspective, who has it right? the (now closed) LFS that cared more or the still open LFS that doesn't? remember i mean from a business not fish welfare point of view. would be interested in your thoughts.

 

[Skins]

All i'm going to say is that the wrong one has closed down.

Keith.

 

[codheadjohn]

They're all the same from my experience. I know of a shop that someone told me was really good as he wouldn't sell him just anything and always made sure they were disease free before selling to him. He was refused to be sold plecos several times as they would outgrow his tank, then a few weeks ago, he comes back with 2 gold nugget plecs as the owner said they would be fine in a 125l tank!

1 fish would outgrow it massively, and they're one of the most territorial plecs.

 

[scotty]

unfortunately the top priority usually for a fish shop is to make a profit

 

[Skins]

unfortunately the top priority usually for a fish shop is to make a profit

+1

 

[Bignose]

unfortunately the top priority usually for a fish shop is to make a profit

correct. and until people are willing to pay for the "more professional" or more knowledgeable staff or anything above and beyond the cheapest fish and supplies they can get -- you're going to get shops that sell fish as cheaply as they can and not spend on extras. It is a vote with your money -- and the votes have come down squarely on the cheap side.

I think that it is easy to forget that forum members comprise maybe a few percent of all fish owners. To the vast majority of people, fish are a cheap way to give little Sally a pet without having to go as far as getting a puppy or kitten and all the work that goes along with it. Because most people don't do the work that a fishtank takes, really.

And because the majority of people only want the fish as cheaply as possible -- that's what stays in business.

 

[snowflake311]

It's a business. A grocery store that would not sell ice cream to very over weight people would close down too. The grocery store is just trying to help but it make people mad. And your not making as many sales as you could.

It's not good business to not sell a product to someone even if there is good reason. A store should try and educate people but should never refuse a sale if they want to stay open. To us fish keeping is a hobby these are our pets. But to a store it's inventory and money to be made. You need to look at in a different way.

If I had a store I would have an educated staff that was friendly. Clean tanks with healthy stock no dead fish left in tanks. I would tell my staff to educate the costumers on how to cycle a tank, and try and help people get the right fish. But in the end if the person wants the Oscar for the 20gal sell it. But I would have a huge tank for unwanted fish that would show people how big these fish can get. We would take fish back that were in good health. I would also sell fish online and ship them that expands your costumer base and there for increase sales $$$. I could even sell people's unwanted fish that I take back for free. Then Sell them online. Selling online is key to keeping a good aquatic store going in today's market.

In the end all a store should do is try and educate people in a nice way and keep clean tanks with healthy stock. Don't keep big fish in stock. I would never sell a red tail catfish at my store. I would have limited supply of oscars and other large fish.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

my lfs doesn't know, so they'll give me bad info! "this 14 inch long pleco is actually a bristlenose with no bristles".

 

[Squidward]

It's a business. A grocery store that would not sell ice cream to very over weight people would close down too. The grocery store is just trying to help but it make people mad. And your not making as many sales as you could.

It's not good business to not sell a product to someone even if there is good reason. A store should try and educate people but should never refuse a sale if they want to stay open. To us fish keeping is a hobby these are our pets. But to a store it's inventory and money to be made. You need to look at in a different way.

If I had a store I would have an educated staff that was friendly. Clean tanks with healthy stock no dead fish left in tanks. I would tell my staff to educate the costumers on how to cycle a tank, and try and help people get the right fish. But in the end if the person wants the Oscar for the 20gal sell it. But I would have a huge tank for unwanted fish that would show people how big these fish can get. We would take fish back that were in good health. I would also sell fish online and ship them that expands your costumer base and there for increase sales $$$. I could even sell people's unwanted fish that I take back for free. Then Sell them online. Selling online is key to keeping a good aquatic store going in today's market.

In the end all a store should do is try and educate people in a nice way and keep clean tanks with healthy stock. Don't keep big fish in stock. I would never sell a red tail catfish at my store. I would have limited supply of oscars and other large fish.

Absolutely agree 100%.

On another Forum I am on, someone was moaning and complaining about their LFS that had given them bad advice, and had sold them an inapporpriate fish. I said that it was wrong of this fish shop to have done so. But ultimately the responsibility lies with the buyer. There is so much info on fish and fishkeeping out there. The internet, forums and books. So you can't blame the staff of a fish shop who may/could have/ should have known better.
But I got absolutely slated for saying so.

 

[moochy13]

i would rather my LFS' gave out bad info and wrong fish to lazy people who dont research, if it means they stay open so i can go down there and get the right fish for my tank.

 

[Monty-2010]

Ultimately the fish shop is there to make a profit, so that is what it's priority has to be. But at the same time they should behave in a responsible way by giving good advice and make sure that the fish they stock are well looked after. However the onus can't just be on the fish shop people must also do there own research to some degree and not solely rely on the advice of someone who most often gets just above minimum wage

 

[scotty]

[/quote]



On another Forum I am on, someone was moaning and complaining about their LFS that had given them bad advice, and had sold them an inapporpriate fish. I said that it was wrong of this fish shop to have done so. But ultimately the responsibility lies with the buyer. There is so much info on fish and fishkeeping out there. The internet, forums and books. So you can't blame the staff of a fish shop who may/could have/ should have known better.
But I got absolutely slated for saying so.
[/quote]


totally agree with you there,but i bet there have been a few people caught out,going to your lfs,seeing some unusual fish for sale,buy them on impulse,get home do your research and realise they won't do in your tank!

 

[Liamm]

I think you people are a little harsh on some LFS, to be fair I do think its right to quiz people on their setup, but at the same time some people / places just don't want the hassle of refusing a sale, i mean, just last month I honestly almost got into a fight with someone because I refused to sell fish to him, and routinely have to put up with little hissy fits when people don't get what they want.

I have a question for you all: Do you think its acceptable to sell a customer a fish that will grow out of their current tank (within reason, no oscars in a 30 ltr for example), as long as you explain to them how big the fish will get and the size of tank that it will require?

 

[Profile]

Hi,

Give me the first LFS any day. The only way to make the bad guys change is to stop spending your cash there, name and shame, and if you are in there don't be afraid to point out bad practice to the staff and other customers.

I go to quite a few LFS so that I get what I want and the best quality too. Bar the basics clean tanks, no dead fish in tanks etc... you can tell a really good LFS when they fix what you point out.

As an example a junior staff member at Watford Maidenhead Aquatics had put Threadfin Rainbows into a tank full of Angels, so all the Threadfins were being corralled into a corner and were getting very stressed. I pointed this out to one of the team that I know knows his stuff (Lance), and the porblem was fixed. Please give us more LFS people like Lance who know their stuff and care too.

 

[MBOU]

Like people have said, talk with your money! DONT buy ANYTHING from shops you dont like or respect. Every time you give a shop money, you are paying them to stay open.

Likewise with thoughts and praise. You all seem to love slating you LFS but I bet none of you have bothered getting details for head office to write a letter praising a member of staff for doing a good job!? Its a lot easier to critisize than it is to praise...

All staff have to start and learn by experience, training covers the basics but no member of staff can be really knowlegeable right off the bat!! Especially if you go into a shop on a busy weekend and take up loads of time asking loads of questions from a poor harrassed part time member of staff trying to work through a queue a mile long of grumbling customers and you expect them not to be a little stressed?

I have to say, customers are the bane of my life, some of them make the job worthwhile, they give my job meaning and i love sharing my experience and helping people.... but 80% of the customers that walk through the door drive me mad and some make me just want to pack the job in.

They are rude, patronising, dont bother doing research, dont listen, dont take advise and some are just plain.... stupid... i mean seriously... im sick of 'can i put a nemo and a dory in with my goldfish?' questions... and worse still... "whats the difference between freshwater and marine water?".

Cant believe people find it so hard to realise the its in the name, aquatic shops are just that... shops to make money. The more support you give them, the better they can be. If a shop doesnt make money, then they dont have budgets to buy in the following week/months stock... and if they cant buy more stock, they end up with very little to sell... takings going down spiral... then they end up having to shut the shop down.

So if you look at it literally, its partially the customers fault for a shop having to close down.