# Proper Fish Store Etiquette?



## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

Good day and Merry Christmas!

Please chime in with opinions on this one when you get a second.

I was in a local chain pet store where an obvious newbie was asking some questions of the fish "expert" about aquatic plants. The answers the "expert" was giving were atrocious-- and I quote "there aren't many advantages to using real plants over fake ones" and my favourite, "real plants only live about 6 months in a tank before dying". She ended up convincing this guy to get some red coloured leafy plant for his (obviously low light) goldfish bowl.... 

All this just to ask the question: What is proper fish store etiquette when no one is asking your opinion, but your ears are turning red from the terrible advice being doted out around you?
Obviously much of your reaction will be situational (how bad is the advice, how respected is the fish store, how concerned is the customer that's asking, etc) but does anyone have some wise guidelines here?

I tend to be pretty decent at tiptoeing around people's egos (being a salesman by trade) but found myself at a complete loss about what to do. The "expert" didn't seem open to learn from my advice ("pearls before swine" as the good book says) so I kept my mouth shut, since I wasn't about to jeopardize my opportunity to grab a bunch of cheap plants from this same expert once the noob was finished especially since this guy looked like he was probably going to kill whatever plant he ended up buying even if it was plastic, but I digress.... 

any thoughts on protocol?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

This might be related:

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38773


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

It drives me up the wall, I usually end up leaving the store ranting to the poor soul that came with me lol


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Read the thread Darkblade linked


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## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

Thanks for pointing me to the other link. 
General consensus seems to be let people make their own mistakes.

I tried to help people when possible if they seem to want others' advice. Especially since I have a pretty different way of doing some things and i think it helps for people to know there's more than one way to skin a cat(fish). I'd just hate to hear someone say "no one told me". At least now they can't plead ignorance on the subject.

In the words of William Wilberforce:
"You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know."

However, you guys probably do much better to leave alone. In this day and age information is so easily accessible on the net that there's no excuse to not know the basics of ANYTHING you're about to try out.
As I was thinking about it more, It came to me that if I imagined people coming into my store and giving out unsolicited advice to newbies, I wouldn't be that comfortable with it either as you can't limit your customers to giving out only good advice to others, and this could easily result in a negative buying experience associated with my store that was completely out of my control. At least if its my personnel giving out advice the responsibility is mine...

Thanks again for the link. My mind is settled!


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Glad to see that I'm not the only one bothered by this!

Plants aren't that bad, as the customer will at most pay a few bucks for a learning experience. However, when I see someone buying fish and tank in the same day... That's another matter. What's worse, it's almost always some parent buying it for their young child.

I remember being in a Big Al's and seeing a mother loudly demanding a refund because she bought a 2 gal plastic tank and 2 aquatic dwarf frogs, and ended up with brown water and a stinking tank.


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## Sugar (Jun 26, 2012)

I have been in the Pet industry for many years and when Im in a store hearing the wrong info or something being sold that will harm other inhabitants or just die...I Will step up! Some people don't like this but if done right, the store worker an customer will thank you!

I turned a $1 sale into a 50$ sale at PJ pets over a gold fish in a bowl situation! That one pee's, me off!! I sold the customer a Betta and tank and explained why. Customer was thrilled and so was the employee  

I have also been on the receiving end of customer offering advise on fresh water (I was Marine section) and was thankful as I would rather lose the sale then mislead my customer.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

I worked at a Petsmart before.... It irritated me when others would say stuff like this, so once the customer had left I would correct whoever the staff member was usually. Mind you I worked at a decent Petsmart where the staff actually knew what they were talking about, because they actually kept the fish they were selling lol.

I don't know how many "reps" I've talked to that wind up telling me they don't even have an aquarium or terrarium as the case may be.


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## Zidartha (Nov 16, 2012)

As a newbie to the forum, I have to admit this has been on my mind for a while here. In a fish store, people have given me advice, and I have never been offended. I have thought, "How do I know that this random individual is even correct..." 

I wouldn't offer advice but have been tempted, especially when it comes to price. And have been aided by random strangers when it comes to pricing in fish stores. And that has always been appreciated.

Perhaps, when faced with this dilemma, before offering advice, ask if you can offer said advice. If accepted... continue. And then tell them about this great forum!

I understand the "MYOB" but what kind of society do we live in when we frown on random acts of kindness?

As for price on this forum, I am disappointed with a rule that was re-iterated last week. That people should not comment on prices in the "buy and sell." I like when people comment on prices. I think experienced hobbyists should comment on good deals and the opposite as well. It helps the noobs and helps to create a fair market.

my two cents...

k.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Well said about having thought weither or not the advice given was correct Zidartha.

It's very true that people should do their own research prior to making a purchase, unfortunately it doesn't always work like that. Impulse buys are a killer because most people think that the information provided on the spot is more than enough. Sadly, they don't research the fish and either their tank gets eaten by the new species, or the new species dies outright. (Tiger Oscar in a community tank of 10 gallons...) Had a customer at petsmart with that issue. I bought the Tiger Oscar from him that night, half his tank had already been consumed so the little guy had been put into a Gatorade bottle... poor bugger, he lived for about 2 years with me until I sold him back to BA's


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