# I don't get it



## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

It seems lately that some of the local reef stores aren't what they use to be. Every time I talk to someone these days they are always telling me stories about how they went into a local shop and didn't get good service or even any service.

You would think that with all this competition around that you might want to focus on service...

In my personal experience, I have waited twice this week for shops to open on time and have eventually left empty handed and bitter. Also there is one shop I am now just basically fed up with since they have yet to answer 2 PM's, emails, and me calling the store just to hear "sorry that person isn't here today." 

I will frequent the shops that have good service and don't mind taking a few minutes out of the day to chat. I would rather drive an hour out of my way to buy snails than drive 20 minutes down the road just to have a shop owner treat me like garbage. 

In the end it is my money.


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

I agree 100%. Some shops just do not deserve a penny of my money. Some of the things that have been pissing me off lately: No prices on items especially livestock, when one employee asks the owner for a price they get asked for whom. The price should not depend on who the person is. Not being open when posted. So many stores are guilty of this one. Being ignored and never asked if help is wanted. Supposed sales which turn out not to be sales. The list has a few more buttons but oh well. I spend a lot of money on my hobby and drive great distances to do so and I expect good service.


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

I had a similar experience with the store down the road. They are not "customer safe".


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## lloydj (Apr 10, 2009)

I too over the years seen LFS come and go. Some of the original ones that are still around have gone downhill but I see they are more concentrating on wholesale than customer in store sales. There is alot of reef selection stores in the general GTA than before and some I havent even had a chance to visit yet. I think forums and reviews are a big help to us who venture out on a weekend to spend some of our hard earned money on the 
Love of our hobby. To be honest I tend to lean towards the little guys now who are online and sell great select frags or fish. Not meaning chop shops but a couple of places I have been to are way cleaner and I am a first impression guy like most and you can see they take pride in what they have to offer and are pleased that you chose them to purchase from.

Trade or share a frag is what I prefer to do.... just my nickles worth


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## Marz (Mar 1, 2014)

lloydj said:


> Trade or share a frag is what I prefer to do.... just my nickles worth


+1
I am new to the SW hobby and have relied heavily on the people in forums. I have purchased my hardware from LFS that have come recommended from here as well and have yet to experience any of the situation that others have described . I don't have a "marker" to gauge how they were compared to now, but from my perspective, the greatest asset to this hobby are the members. Most of my purchases have been from members who have been very willing to not only help me decide but also answer questions I have after I purchase. This may not bode well for LFS based on how I like to purchase.
I also think that some of these shops bring in frags, etc that are desirable and may not be available through forum members. But I don't have the knowledge yet to understand collecting in this hobby.


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## kamal (Apr 21, 2009)

I always take peoples reviews into account but I do like to try all the stores myself and make up my mind. But knowing ahead of time I might not get great service helps set the expectation bar for me


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## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

Being a habitual spur of the moment shopper, I avoid places with sketchy store hours. These stores are better off staying closed more days of the week to get organized, to rest and enjoy regular life...so then they'd be bright and bushy tailed when they open to us finicky buyers. But stick to those hours!


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## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

What service do people actually need?

As long as there is good livestock at a reasonable price that's all I care about. I can bag it myself if they're busy ect. All they have to do is take my money. If the floors wet or it's hotter then hell who cares as long as its safe. 

While there certainly are nicer shops now then in years past prices have also increased despite a much greater supply and perhaps with many places doing wholesale meaning it's going through one more place before coming to us. A store being closed can be really annoying especially if they are advertising a shipment, but if it's in the middle of a random week when they haven't gotten any stock lately whatever you're looking for the next place is just as likely to have it.


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

corpusse said:


> What service do people actually need?


Are you a store owner or you don't go to often to LFS?

Attitude, my friend. This is the key word. 
With increasing prices and LFS, I am looking for one where I can buy stuff and receive good advice. Not get attitude for asking to many questions.


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## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

I don't go every weekend like I once did, but still frequent R2O, AK, SUM, sometimes NAFB, and been to a few other newer stores like Canada Corals. Other then a couple bad experiences with ORG. I don't think I've ever experienced anything complaint worthy. 

Most stores are close to other stores so if they're closed there is another one down the street. It seems the hours problems of the past are mostly gone, how many years did RR have the same sign closed for flood or other emergency..

Any advice at any store I'll take with a grain of salt if even that. If you want advice post here, or Reef Central you're still going to get 100 different views, just because someone is selling something doesn't mean they're an expert, and even if they are different things work for different people.

All I want from my shopping experience is quality livestock and good prices. If it's something super colourful or rare sure it will cost more, but if its something common then the cheaper the better with so many stores these days you do have the advantage of shopping around for the stuff that everyone carries. Again other then Tom I never really experienced anything bad, and I'm always surprised Ken at sum remembers my name even if I'm not there for more then 6 months but it's his livestock that makes me go back not the fact he is friendly. If he was a jerk I'd still go buy what he has if someone else doesn't have it.


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## loonie (Mar 29, 2008)

I do not see any issue with opening hours of stores, one need to understand whether its a one man operation or a store with many staff. Even a store with many staff sometime they open late since the person who suppose open the store on time got caught with a traffic jam etc. It is not like Big Als with so many staff.

I prefer a store that respect me as a customer and flexible with their dealings.

I will not visit a store that is clean, high tech, friendly but the answer is always negative when asked for flexibility with a deal. There is way of saying no and not a firm NO always.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*i dont get it ....*

I think the post made by dave was directed at a few stores who openly advertised that the store would be open at a certain time , and him driving and waiting in front of a store for some time only to be disappointed ... lets face it we don't go to a coral store that just advertised that they got a shipment in with no cash in our pockets .. 
we all have opinions of stores and they all vary from good to bad , some like the ones I dislike and vise versa , there is a a happy medium . i too agree with dave driving from scarb to the west end would totally suck to wait and be disappointed we are not talking about quality of fish or corals we are talking about etiquette on store o penings ..and yes we do relize that the smaller places do not have the manpower that big als has .just don't make a promise to open unless u can act on it completely ..
just my opinion as well .


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## PaulF757 (Dec 9, 2013)

I'm with Dave on this one. Like him I have young kids that would rather spend time with then be waiting for a store owner to show up. I'm new to this hobby so first impressions to me are huge, this weekend I visited three LFS, would only return back to one of the three for sure and maybe the a second. One store owner was easy to get into contact with, prompt with replies and went out of his way to open early for me, so I bought an extra coral off of him and he made a new happy customer.

I used to be a business owner and customer satisfaction was number one. With that said I want to support the LFS, but I've enjoyed buying off other members more, better experience, you make friends and get a better product.

JMTCW.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

The one true thing that bugs me is really communication.

You say you open at a certain time, then open at that time...regardless if it's 5pm or 8pm. Just be there.

Reply to emails!!!!!
Answer your phone when i call during business hours!!!


Other than that, most stores are pretty good. I know everyone is busy but c'mon...


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

It was my first visit to a LFS to see for myself the "buzz" everyone is saying. I got a "Hello" and "If you need anything, just let me know" within the first 2min of entering as the only person working there, went back to pricing a few items on the counter. 

For about the next 30mins looking at the corals going through my head which client would like what and planning a goodies drop off, I realized that I gotta make a fast decision to whether I start cherry picking or be on my way and back to work.

Although the only interaction with the person was within the first two minutes, a little chat-up would have made everyone a little "happier" . To be fair, I vaguely recall another request for assistance but noting engaging. 

If it was busy or was dealing with another client I wouldn't have thought twice but I was the only person there.

Would I go back? Yes, but not that I would go out of my way as I can get the same elsewhere and along my work route.


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## Ben J (May 18, 2013)

I agree that when store hours are advertised then the store should try their best to open at that time. But with the other customer service, don't we go to the stores for CORAL and FISH, not for interactions and conversations. If a store doesn't say hi or go overly out of their way to jump up to greet you, how is this affecting the corals that you are going to get? It seems like such a petty issue to me. If the store is dirty or the corals look like they are dying, then that is a cause to complain. If the employee or store owner isn't the most extroverted and enthusiastic person, but the coral and fish are good and reasonably price, the only one hurting by shunning that store is you. These employees and owners are people too. You don't know if they are going through something or whats going on in their life, so why judge them. If you don't like them, just make your visit quick. The stores don't have to jump to your every demand, most of the time there are multiple people in the store, so you just have to wait patiently. This whole issue seems ridiculous, if you don't like an owner or an employee, keep that between the two of you, don't make the store suffer, everyone is trying their best.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*off topic*

How does thus thread go from someone's opinion on posted hours 
to shop cleanliness and service ...the OP never mentioned 
Any of that stuff...just for them if they post there hours to open at the 
requested hours and to answer emails or phone calls...I think 
we went a little off topic here....


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Tom, people are lazy when it comes to a forum. They don't read the OP and try to figure out what is going on. They tend to just post whatever they feel like.

So anyone ready for football? And I mean real football, not cfl


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

tom g said:


> How does thus thread go from someone's opinion on posted hours
> to shop cleanliness and service ...the OP never mentioned
> Any of that stuff...just for them if they post there hours to open at the
> requested hours and to answer emails or phone calls...I think
> we went a little off topic here....


It all ties in to customer service, they are all related.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Shop cleanliness has nothing to do with customer service.


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## HOWsMom (Jan 3, 2012)

altcharacter said:


> Shop cleanliness has nothing to do with customer service.


We will have to agree to disagree on that point.

Everybody has different priorities, and that's okay.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

You can disagree all you like but that would be like telling a police officer "well the speed limit is just a suggestion"

Customer service has everything to do with how you treat a customer and how well the transaction goes. A company like godaddy.com has amazing customer service but I couldn't tell you how clean their office is...because that has nothing to do with the customer service they gave me over the phone.


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