Need To Rant About Work

[Curiosity101]

Just a note...keep your chin up. Tell the manager what he wants to see/hear when not infront of customers.

And then make sure you tell the customers what you know they actually need to hear.
In your situation, jump through the hoops. Once you have your job properly secured you can say what you like 'advice wise' to customers.


Glad to see one of us is on the inside

 

[ceecrb1]

I was a retail manager for a few years, and at the young age of 25. I got there from hard work and dedication to the staff as well as the store itself. (i took over the shop with its takings at -50% and turned them to 150% on target in 6 months. It was 4 years ago and my fromer staff STILL call me "boss" when I see them)
... This type of behaviour is COMPLETELY unproffesional and unnacceptable!

The thing that was worst for me was the fact that petty dealings with new staff are done infront of a customer!
I once or twice had to correct a voulanteer member of my staff, who was giving a customer adivce that would've been both costly AND seriously dangerous to them.. The best I could do at the time was send the lad off to do something else and I took over the customer and corrected the issue as politely as possible.

I have been known to deffend shop staff from useless "grown up school leavers who've been in stores all their lives so somehow trickle up to management level"... I used to work under one.. she was useless and extremely rude to the staff.. mostly because she was in way over her head, her ability level (physically and mentaly)..
I've been the customer in the OPs situation a few times.. and EVERY time always demanded a reason from the manager as to why he/she thinks its acceptable to interrupt my conversation with the person I was talking to. Usually they give some smart (edited) answer... and I'd let them know I was a store manager of (wont name the store).. and MY staff dont get treated like that... Mostly because in retail.. (and I LOVE reminding them this).. the staffs errors are usually down to bad training... training is the managements responsibility.. so in turn... its the managers fault...
hehehhee

P@H is a large outlet.. and all these large chains, be they selling livestock, clothing or food.. will ALWAYS be profit driven, its the only measure the people in a head office have.
Therefore, managers contracts, bonuses and pay rates will all be directly proportional to profits, losses and shrinkage rates within their store.
Its just a fact of retail. Sometimes, profit, and therefore keeping a large company open, and an even larger workforce employed, means that some young fish have to suffer.
Its not right by any standards... but I can see their point.

Edited by Bignose -- Please watch your language in the future!

 

[snowflake311]

i am sorry that sounds awful. Is this a little mom and Pop shop or a chain store? I hate it when people act like they know it all and really have no clue. Then they are so close minded they will not listen to you try and explain it.

I take it you are young? The manager is older? They think you don't know anything because you are just a young kid. WHATEVER... There are a few people on here that are much younger then me and I have learned a thing or 2 from them.


Don't let these people get to you. Do what you feel is right and see what happens. Try not to get fired but do the right thing.

"Ammonia is a bacteria" hahah Idiot has this person ever taken a chemistry class before.

 

[Assaye]

i am sorry that sounds awful. Is this a little mom and Pop shop or a chain store? I hate it when people act like they know it all and really have no clue. Then they are so close minded they will not listen to you try and explain it.

I take it you are young? The manager is older? They think you don't know anything because you are just a young kid. WHATEVER... There are a few people on here that are much younger then me and I have learned a thing or 2 from them.


Don't let these people get to you. Do what you feel is right and see what happens. Try not to get fired but do the right thing.

"Ammonia is a bacteria" hahah Idiot has this person ever taken a chemistry class before.

What's a "mom and pop" chain store? It's the UK equivalent of Petco or Petsmart. My opinion means f-all. If they say neon tetras don't nip fins, then that means they don't nip fins. Ever. They also had the nerve to tell me "I must have bad water quality, or fin rot" in my tank if my fighter lost his tail - even after I explained that I saw the neon tetras munching it! Grr.

I'm 21, older than a good number of the staff. The managers are all late 20s-40s. Some are nice, but apparently not the ones who tend to deal with aquatics (including the dedicated Aquatics Manager). I don't think they look down on me for being a kid - they seem to respect the 17-19 year olds more than me, but they have been there longer.

 

[indigoj]

Sounds like you've just got unlucky.

Our P@H is pretty decent, many times I've seen and heard the fish staff refusing to sell unsuitable fish - including recently convincing a woman that if she wanted Angels she needed a bigger tank than the 'oh it's just like that one' she pointed at - a 40l tank at most - then steering her towards the small community fish like neons.

I've seen them showing people the big plecs when they come in asking for 'a fish to clean the tank' refusing to sell them one and then selling them an algae scraper.

They also have a policy of only testing water once unless the customer buys a test kit on the second time.

As for the small furries, the rabbits etc have a solid bit at the bottom of the run and usually a few hutches stacked around so dogs can't get too close.

They are not ALL bad.

 

[Assaye]

Sounds like you've just got unlucky.

Our P@H is pretty decent, many times I've seen and heard the fish staff refusing to sell unsuitable fish - including recently convincing a woman that if she wanted Angels she needed a bigger tank than the 'oh it's just like that one' she pointed at - a 40l tank at most - then steering her towards the small community fish like neons.

I've seen them showing people the big plecs when they come in asking for 'a fish to clean the tank' refusing to sell them one and then selling them an algae scraper.

They also have a policy of only testing water once unless the customer buys a test kit on the second time.

As for the small furries, the rabbits etc have a solid bit at the bottom of the run and usually a few hutches stacked around so dogs can't get too close.

They are not ALL bad.

I don't think P@H is bad. A lot of the stuff in the training materials makes sense and is in accordance with things like OATA (although I do think some of it is pretty daft - but less than I expected!). The nitrogen cycle is well explained in the literature. However, my store seems to have some 'policies' that really don't gel with the manual - for example the manual says something to the effect of "suggested stocking and tank sizes for fish should always take into account the adult size of the fish" and yet my store sells goldfish into 10 litre tanks. I can't find any mention of this policy in the literature so I am left feeling that this is an invention of the store manager to sell more fish.

We do have a policy of "just keep the customer happy" which usually means if they want a fish and do have space for it as the size it is sold (so say, putting a baby sucking loach into 20L tank) then we will sell it.

Loads of the aquatic staff also sell neon tetras as starter/cycling fish. ARG! Even the assistant managers who work with the furry pets admit that this is absurd!

 

[coldcazzie]

Thats sounds pretty bad, I really feel for you.

The thing that's struck me the most (aside from the ammonia is a bacteria comment which, quick frankly, had me in stitches!), is the lack of respect your manager/s seem to have. At the end of the day, the manager is meant to back up his staff, even when they are wrong, and its completely unprofessional to tell off a staff member in front of a customer. Personally I'd complain about him just about that (although yes maybe wait til your probation is over! )

Stupid managers I can forgive (just!), rude and unprofessional ones I cant, and I've quit 2 jobs before over managers who I believed were incompetent - one of whom said she hadn't given me my holiday pay because I didn't tell her whether I wanted it or not (cuz holiday pay is optional! ), and the other who told me that she didn't care if there were children in the nursery after 6pm when we werent insured to have them there because it wasn't her shift so it didnt matter!

 

[Nyu]

Wow. You guys are soo unlucky! I'd hate to have to deal with those kinds of people! Fortunately over here, our petstores are rather good. When I was buying my fish, the assistant made sure that I knew that my tank was cycled and all this stuff (That I already knew) But I think it was really good that they try to give a good amount of info. But I do have to say those poor fish, it must suck having to see them in that kind of condition. I feel for you guys who have had to see fish in such bad conditions <3

 

[Assaye]

Wow. You guys are soo unlucky! I'd hate to have to deal with those kinds of people! Fortunately over here, our petstores are rather good. When I was buying my fish, the assistant made sure that I knew that my tank was cycled and all this stuff (That I already knew) But I think it was really good that they try to give a good amount of info. But I do have to say those poor fish, it must suck having to see them in that kind of condition. I feel for you guys who have had to see fish in such bad conditions <3

The sad thing is - I'm getting so used to pulling dead fish out of tanks that I'm not even getting that upset when my own die ='(

 

[Lil_Frog]

I am so sorry to hear about this. It seems like you CARE for the welfare of the creatures whereas they do not. As for yelling at you in front of custmers and demeaning you saying that you had gotten loads wrong, that is defimation of character and I think it is a violation of their work ethics...research it up a little, I think they can get in OMAGOUS trouble for that one.

It's sad that WONDERFUL people like you get the crap end of the deal. The fact that you care about the well-being of the fish and that you are supportive at showing the best interest of the fish makes you a fishy guardian angel. Forget what they say, there needs to be more people on this earth like you. If there were, I'm sure that the world would be a much better place, for us and for animals

 

[Assaye]

Thanks for the supportive comments, guys =)

If the betta in isolation is still sick when I go back into work on Friday, I'm going to bring him home.

 

[Nyu]

Wow. You guys are soo unlucky! I'd hate to have to deal with those kinds of people! Fortunately over here, our petstores are rather good. When I was buying my fish, the assistant made sure that I knew that my tank was cycled and all this stuff (That I already knew) But I think it was really good that they try to give a good amount of info. But I do have to say those poor fish, it must suck having to see them in that kind of condition. I feel for you guys who have had to see fish in such bad conditions <3

The sad thing is - I'm getting so used to pulling dead fish out of tanks that I'm not even getting that upset when my own die ='(

Aww D: That really sucks. I know I cry like a baby when any of my fish die Dx

I'm actually going to another fish shop that I found out about around where I live, so I'm gonna ask if they have a saturday job for me or something

I do hope things start to go better for you

 

[Assaye]

Wow. You guys are soo unlucky! I'd hate to have to deal with those kinds of people! Fortunately over here, our petstores are rather good. When I was buying my fish, the assistant made sure that I knew that my tank was cycled and all this stuff (That I already knew) But I think it was really good that they try to give a good amount of info. But I do have to say those poor fish, it must suck having to see them in that kind of condition. I feel for you guys who have had to see fish in such bad conditions <3

The sad thing is - I'm getting so used to pulling dead fish out of tanks that I'm not even getting that upset when my own die ='(

Aww D: That really sucks. I know I cry like a baby when any of my fish die Dx

I'm actually going to another fish shop that I found out about around where I live, so I'm gonna ask if they have a saturday job for me or something

I do hope things start to go better for you

I did manage a bit of a cry when I realised that I must be a cold, cold hearted woman for not crying (I'm normally super emotional).

My man was really upset when I told him the little cory had died - he loved that fish. In some ways, it's a cackhanded blessing - I needed to get the little fellow some more friends (having bought several different corys on the assumption they would shoal together) and now I don't need to get more peppereds. Still sad though! Poor little fishy.

Getting a job would be great - just be careful that it doesn't sap your soul away!

 

[Gill]

I recently applied to my local store, but then lost my phone, so did not realise i had an interview. they have just hired someone so i am tempted to go in a quiz them on there knowledge

 

[Nyu]

Wow. You guys are soo unlucky! I'd hate to have to deal with those kinds of people! Fortunately over here, our petstores are rather good. When I was buying my fish, the assistant made sure that I knew that my tank was cycled and all this stuff (That I already knew) But I think it was really good that they try to give a good amount of info. But I do have to say those poor fish, it must suck having to see them in that kind of condition. I feel for you guys who have had to see fish in such bad conditions <3

The sad thing is - I'm getting so used to pulling dead fish out of tanks that I'm not even getting that upset when my own die ='(

Aww D: That really sucks. I know I cry like a baby when any of my fish die Dx

I'm actually going to another fish shop that I found out about around where I live, so I'm gonna ask if they have a saturday job for me or something

I do hope things start to go better for you

I did manage a bit of a cry when I realised that I must be a cold, cold hearted woman for not crying (I'm normally super emotional).

My man was really upset when I told him the little cory had died - he loved that fish. In some ways, it's a cackhanded blessing - I needed to get the little fellow some more friends (having bought several different corys on the assumption they would shoal together) and now I don't need to get more peppereds. Still sad though! Poor little fishy.

Getting a job would be great - just be careful that it doesn't sap your soul away!

Not crying over seeing the dead fish, doesn't make you that, it's just sad that you've gotten used to seeing the dead fish so much that it doesn't affect you so much. Not that you're a cold hearted woman so don't even think that!

It doesn't sap your sould away you silly, you just get used to it, and that's kinda sad. So don't think you're a cold hearted woman because you're not. End of story. >.>