what makes a good lfs ?

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

i'm going over a few ideas to make the denman pet gallery better,we have already added another 150g for soft corals and will be setting up a q/t system in the back ,but if anyone one has any ideas please feel free to post..thanks john

[kuatto]

Maybe having a weekly"manager's special" on easy to care for coral frags,or fragging demonstrations for beginners.Small samples of new products such as dry foods,etc.If you do something that people will remember,they'll talk,and thats the best kind of advertising.

[Willow]

knowledgeable staff (that doesn't mean cocky), reasonable prices, good in store selection (it irritates me to no end to hear a retail store say yeah we can order that for you.. guess what so can i off the web for cheaper), quality advise and in your guys case free parking. that stuff seems pretty obvious but is pretty lacking in most retail environments these days.

its also always great to go into a place and see a really nice show tank to inspire people, then leave the guts of the cabinet open and label everything so we can see how you made it all happen.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

No BS. Don't ever sell a coral or fish which will not survive in the customer's tank setup just to make a sale because in the long run, you'll end up losing that customer. No dyed corals that will lose its colour & often its life within a few weeks.

Its a good habit to post your specials & new shipments on this website so we'll know when to make the trip d/t.

Keep up with tank maintenance. There's nothing like a tank with dead or dying creatures (corals/fish) to turn off a customer & make them go elsewhere.

And in your location, it really is nice to have free underground parking.

PS. Glad you guys are still around.

Anthony

[Murminator]

1. Starter packages when I was starting out I had the glass so I was buying everything separately :frown: everyone has a f/w starter package, not until a couple weeks ago Big Als has a s/w starter it's bigger than my tank and cheaper too :mad:. eg 29gal light, salt, hydrometer, test kit, live sand, 10lbs live rock, and a coupon for a couple mushrooms. Do it for around cost and make your money with repeat patronage when they come back for coral and livestock. Hey cause once your hooked your hooked. I found out starting up was half the battle so make it too easy for someone to start.

2. Open ear....listen to everyones experiences, it is easier to learn from 200 people experiences then from 1 yours!!

3. ADVICE !!!!....good and bad can go a long way the best way to give good advice .....see #2
:mrgreen:

[Nemo]

Well being someone who has just been in the hobby for a few months, I can tell you what would have made my life easier and bought my loyalty.

When looking to get in this hobby I found nothing but conflicting information, even from the LFS. What would have made me want to buy from 1 LFS instead of searching the net for an alternative is the following.

1. The LFS should be upfront about all costs and potential costs when someone looking to get in asks. (The 2 LFS I went to for info both neglected to tell me about items)

2. Be willing to spend a great deal of time with customers who would like answers to questions. If the store is busy offer to set up a time to go over all questions without being rushed.

3. I would have paid to have some one come help me set up my tank for the first time. This would have given me piece of mind that my investment was off to the right start, and allowed me the oppertunity to ask questions to understand why hings needed to be the way they were. (I fully understand that everyone has different ideas, but it would gives us a good solid starting point)

4. If asked a question, please say I am not sure or you do not know, if you do not. I am putting alot of trust in the people I buy from, once again if I am new to the hobby it is not possible to walk in informed, with all the conflicting information out there.
eg. :arrow: I was told tha my tank could cycle in less than a week.

5. If you have an item in your tanks that is not healthy please be up front about it. I give Ocean Aquatics full marks for this. I was in there one day and Jack told a customer that a coral was not doing well and not to buy it until was back to health. He lost the sale that day but in my books will be a place to buy from.

Sorry for the long winded post


Robert

[StirCrazy]

one big point would be for the store to admit freely when they have a problem such as red bugs. this alone is a slight inconvenience as you have to treat the new corals in a small tank be for you put them in to yours but it is nothing that should stop a sale if the coral is nice.

not pointing out a problem is totally irresponsible and dishonest weather it be flat worms, red bugs or what ever.

having a staff that actually has a clue or at least knows how to find your answer would be another bonus. Have the staff read recent books as well as older ones so they are current with different setups and methods, also the requirements for them.

not selling stuff that isn't needed for the sake of a sale. One way to help with this is do not have commissioned sales persons.

not selling fish/whatever to some one with a tank that is to small for it.

educate people who say "I will just get a bigger tank when the fish gets to big" that it will take more than the cost of a new tank, other possibilities like rock, sand, new skimmers, ect that may be needed along with the work required to change all that over.

you don't need to have every employ a salt water guru, but have at least one on at any given time you are open so the less experienced ones can ask advice when needed, also make sure that the staff isn't scared to say"I am not positive about that sir/Mame but "Tom" know quite a bit about that so let me get him over here so we can answer your question". then have both staff members stay for the discussion so the first can learn also.

Steve

[Willow]

ok when this fanasty store opens up somone let me know, im gonna drop some major coin there :razz:

[muck]

you don't need to have every employ a salt water guru, but have at least one on at any given time you are open so the less experienced ones can ask advice when needed, also make sure that the staff isn't scared to say"I am not positive about that sir/Mame but "Tom" know quite a bit about that so let me get him over here so we can answer your question". then have both staff members stay for the discussion so the first can learn also.

This is a must in my books to constitute a "good" LFS!! :cool:

[Tigger]

I like it when you post pictures of your new corals so that I have an idea of what you have. It saves a long drive for nothing.

[StirCrazy]

I like it when you post pictures of your new corals so that I have an idea of what you have. It saves a long drive for nothing.

In bigger stores they will be gone be for you get there anyways. Might even be gone be for they get them on the net. this is a nice to see thing but a waist of manpower in my opinion unless you are doing a lot of mail order business, but then you also need some sort of reservation system.

Steve

[Nemo]

No I agree with Steve pics would be great. If I want one I can call and ask them to hold it untill I get there.
If the LFS is worried about loosing a sale they can simply ask for a credit card


Robert

[Samw]

In bigger stores they will be gone be for you get there anyways. Might even be gone be for they get them on the net. this is a nice to see thing but a waist of manpower in my opinion unless you are doing a lot of mail order business, but then you also need some sort of reservation system.

Steve


They could take pictures of the entire tank. So if there are 25 corals per tank, you get 25 corals per picture. I know that seeing stuff I want online, definitely makes me take a non-scheduled trip down there. Happened many times.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Must agree with the positive pix comments. It's not wasted manpower because it's a good marketing tool & helps generate interest in your stock. Smart consumers will still call to make sure the coral is in before they come, but at least you've peaked their interest.

[StirCrazy]

unless you are doing a lot of mail order business,

Steve

let me rephrase this, "unless your doing a lot of mail order/ Internet business"

the problem with this is Most stores don't have a Internet page, some stores like OA never update it so you stop looking, and most that have one use it for sample pics (that don't resemble what the produce is but would it could be.)

the problem with showing actual pictures is that after you get an order in everything looks like crap from shipping. It is going to take 2 or 3 days for the corals to look good (maybe longer). So, by the time you take pictures and put them up most will be gone already.

Pictures will only benefit the consumer and not the store in most cases. If I run a store and put all my new arrivals up on the net if you don't see anything you like you won't stop by. A good portion of sales in a store are incidental sales, the ones where you stop by to see if there is any good fish/corals and you go "Oh ya I need some more food", or "that gizmo looks cool" so by not posting pics you have to come look around to see whats there. Also with the ease that pictures are doctored to look better than they are a lot of what you see isn't accurate anyways.

Steve

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

thanks guys for all the ideas that you have posted we will be working on alot of them in the very near future the starter kits should be done by next week,both myself and steffan are not saltwater gurus by any means but were constantly learning as mush as we can are main goal is to make a lfs that is friendly and has fair prices and can provide honest advice even if that means that we lose a sale repeat custermers that are happy with the pet gallery is a main focus please keep posting any other ideas..

[sumpfinfishe]

In my books customer service is what brings me back every time!
I have only a few favorite stores in the lower mainland, all of which thrive on customer service. In my opinion, customer service is on a decline at most retail levels in order to stay competitive. When I first started reefing and knew very little, it was the friendly, informative, and free advice that kept me going back again and again, and it still does to this day!

[Zerandise]

I agree. I will pay a bit more (at time much more) to a shop that treats me right. It is very much worth it.

Another thing is doing what you say you will. This is my big one. I am NEVER late and HATE when you show up to a store and they are not open on time. Or even worse they dont hold up on thier end of a deal. nothing worse than making a plan and then have it washed away.

[BCWolfen]

I've liked what I've read in posts not only from customers but also from the staff at Denmans. Its nice to see a store, dare I say, reverting back to the old ways of making sure customers are happy. I will be stopping in on Saturday for my 1st trip and will glady provide some feedback upon my return home. I'm VERY new to the SW scene (getting tank on Sat LOL) so I will be able to provide some input from a 'green' customers perspective.

Posting the list of new arrivals, even without photos, is a great marketing tool. You know that you are targeting a customer base of people that are actively seeking those products. I googled each coral to get a picture of what they would look like and started to read about them. Knowing at least whats available gave me a better direction to go seeking information. As we all know there is TONS of info on SW. This way I am able to educate myself on keeping the species that I know I can aqcuire locally.