Store Frustrations
 

What frustrates you about our local fish stores?

I have 2 gripes first thing on a Monday morning

Fish - being sold a fish that isn't what you are told it is. Checking pricing and because its not the same fish, being overcharged. Ya ya on the research - when buying wrasses, there is great variety. But if the store says its one fish, check pricing and sell it and you don't get what you paid for its a bit frustrating.

Corals - Was at Big Al's over the weekend and they are selling red mushrooms at $89.00 - WTH???? I sell them out of my tank for $5.00.

I know these store forums pop up every now and again and this is a repeat subject......Just needed to vent.

/Rant

Im with you, its nice to vent sometimes, Big Als and Pisces both seem to have crazy prices on coral, and low survival rates. I usually buy from wais, still pricey but at least it lives, and your dealing with the guy who owns the place so you can always try to bargain. :)

Big als sells to the beginner so anythingvbig and bright sells for a lot things that move also appeal to the beginner so Xenia sells and so does gsp

I love J&L, probably wouldn't shop (physically) anywhere else, but the store, and the website could use a renovation.

$150 for a Ushio 250W MH bulb at Big Al's cheeses me off. No guarantees on marine fish makes me angry. $12/lb for live rock makes me red in the face.

Then there's the whole Calgary retail thing of avoiding customers and never having an item in stock "we can order it for you". Thanks if I wanted to wait for an order I could order it myself...

So true lol

Our local store currently has 2 moorish idols in their tanks. There are ZERO people here that have the ability to keep these fish successfully long term. Theres also a panther grouper in the tank that I'm sure will be in and out of the store repeatedly over the next few months/years as it grows (if it lives that long). Not sure why the owner likes ordering these fish in.

I typically do not buy livestock from the big box stores. We were in the area so stopped in. There's another one who receives gorgeous fish, but they always look so sick and unhealthy. I'm not sure who would spend $100+ on a fish that needs a lot of work to get healthy, if it even survives the trip home. I know people QT their fish, but it seems like such a risk. I bought 2 fish from there once, wiped out my tank. Never, ever again.

We do have great stores here, some that go above and beyond so we are lucky that way.

The only place I will buy fish from is Gold's , or another reefer. I still go to the other shops but usually do not buy so I get treated crappy , this also helps keep me from buying. To me a LFS should be aware that some people that have been doing this a long time might not have room for new addition's. Im at the point where Im just looking for really specific piece's, so there will be times I go to look and not going to buy if they do not have what Im looking for. The employees/owners should still be friendly with you.....

There's no one in Nanaimo that could keep a Moorish Idol? Seems strange, I would think that there would be quite a few people that are serious marine aquarists.

There's not alot of people around period that can keep a MI alive.

Thank you. And yes, with only one store that carries saltwater in town there's not a lot of "serious" aquarists around period. In all my time on Canreef I have seen/heard less than a handful of people that have kept them past 5 years.

I knew they were difficult but I thought that had to do with feeding specifically. Either way if there's a high mortality rate then it's better to leave them in the ocean. People can go with the Heniochus butterfly fish, pretty similar in appearance and pretty easy to take care of.

The most difficult marine fish I'd consider is the Copper Band Butterfly, which I've had for a few weeks and seems to be doing pretty well. He's fattening up nicely.

The point about feeding Moorish Idols brings up another frustration with LFS. Inconsistency of frozen/live foods available. You get used to feeding one thing and then they run out for weeks at a time.

Agreed +1000. I just picked up 3 packs of Pacifica Plankton for that reason.

Running a business is not easy and I am not a business owner and have zero experience, but I do have huge respect for small business owners overall. Not easy to cater to a hobby that is filled with many different opinions on how things should be done, old school reefers, new school reefers, equipment improvement and product development. But, they should know what they have for livestock, they are the ones ordering it and should be responsible for confirming what they ordered is what they received.

What's the store in Nanaimo that carries salt water supplies?
Been here almost a year and haven't figured out where anything is.

I find getting customer service at most of these places is like pulling teeth. Maybe because you guys all know everyone its all fine. But it seems if you're not a common face at the regular stores like J&L or King ed, you're nothing to them, and chasing down an employee to get a fish caught or grab a piece of coral can take forever. Ive been purposely passed by 6 times by the employees at J&L one day so they could go chat up somebody they knew that came into the fish room. It's been better more recently... Actually getting greeted when I walk into the fish room to ask if I need anything... but I don't know if theres anything I want right away... I have to look! But after that, again I'm back to trying to hunt somebody down as they help everyone else but never come back and see if I'm ready to grab some fish. It's gotta be just me... everyone else seems to get service LOL

As someone who has to make a minimum 200km round trip to even get to an LFS, it's extremely frustrating when you rarely ever see anything different. I've been searching for a specific item for 9 months. Every time an LFS brings one in, I try to make it to the city on the first weekend available only to see it already sold. I keep getting told by various LFS's will order one in for me, but then expect me to be there the day it arrives to get it. I see there side of this issue as well, but if the item keeps selling that fast, maybe they should bring a few more in.

And the final kick to the berries is when the people in place to make changes at the shops being discussed read these posts and nothing improves.

My LFS continues to bring in run of the mill leathers, red or green brains, and brown euphyllia and wonder why it never sells.....

I hate when I ask for room for cream and the barrista gives me about 1cm of room. Seriously? Hate that!!

Or they serve coffee that's been sitting in one of those canister thingys that aren't heated and you get luke warm coffee that won't even disolve the sugar. :twised:

My pet peeve is when yhe tanks are covered in algea and bubble aglea. Like really? Does that come free with purchase? I don't need that thank you. Clean your tanks please.

Easy to say what we would like from our LFS (or any retail store) and customer service. But a little friendly respect and patience on our part can help as well. If we try to be nice to them, chances are much better that we will be treated in kind. And I am sure they would appreciate any gratitude or compliments we can give them as well.

Just ask yourself, how would you like to be treated if you were in their shoes. And what would they like to see in a customer (or not)? If you can keep that in mind, you will have a much happier and productive store experience, I'm sure.

When there are no prices listed and you always gotta ask how much it costs and they just randomly spit out a number.

When you go in for something and they dont have it and tell you its gonna be in next week and so you wait and go in a week later and they tell you the same thing. On and on and on

When you have an issue with your tank and you go in to buy something and they try selling you some bs that you know damn well isnt going to do nothing just so they can make a buck.

Browned out sps (seems to be norm nowadays) and when you ask what kind it is they dont know.

I can go on lol I try to support lfs but its hard to when they try to sell you dry goods and livestock thats are rediculously overpriced and get crappy service while your at it.

What I'd really enjoy reading is a "Customer Frustrations" thread by all the stores :)

That would be interesting...

Haha…your subtle suggestions were overlooked :)

I am happy with my FAVOURITE local fish store, I bet they wish we lived closer, so we could be there more...right Denny, Matt, and Dave ;)

I hate going in to stores with gorgeous display tanks, but the actual livestock tanks are covered in algae, half dead corals, and at least one corpse stuck in a overflow.

How about, instead of spending all your time keeping your display tanks immaculate.
You spend a little time on the tanks I'm buying out of.

It really makes my blood boil when I walk into a store and see beautiful healthy livestock. Seriously, don't they know I'm trying to save up money for more Starbucks?!? The nerve.. :twised:

:pound: agreed! Only in my case (at the moment) it would be star wars stuff not Starbucks

sour on service
 

being in the service industry I know the ups and downs of retail. I am going to Calgary this week end and thinking I should be prepared I sent not one but two pm's to a store looking for equipment last week. This wasn't for a lookeelou when I get to the store this was to purchase the pieces. I leave tommorrow for Calgary and not a reply from the vendor REALLY!!! It is very easy for myself to ship items from large stores state side as we go to the border weekly and have a US postal box. That does not help the small retailer nor support the local economy. If you want to playin the electronic age do so do not just pay lip service and ignore the people that will support you!!!!

Rant over

Really grinds my gears when stores get shipments in when I'm broke lol. Sorry kids your getting kd

I found out today, after driving there, that KE's is closed stats
Nothing on their site about holiday hours, and a message on their phone from last year's Family Day weekend :twised:

Stat? BC has a stat holiday today?

BC thinks its special.... we get Family Day a week before everyone else.

KE has always been closed on Stat holidays.

After all these years I only find out now ...

Yup, and your's is next Monday

Went out to ocanick corals in aldergrove and its closed well my falt for not checking but damit lol

Frustrating.....hmmm....getting pricing on something that is supposed to include shipping, then being told shipping is not included.......interesting "Concept" from an "Aquarium" store in Calgary. Then being told the misunderstanding is because of the customer?

no the miscommunication was totally on our end and i will apologize for that but when i receive an email demanding we refund the money back onto your credit card or you will be calling visa to start a file on the store

I did as what you had requested


you can come out and just say, it was us:redface: we are not perfect. we have issues that we are trying to work though as any company but there was not even a chance that was given to me to try to fix the misunderstanding before demanding a refund


Thanks Dave

I will chime in here as I had a tank built by Concept that had to be shipped and all I can say was great service and with anything from time to time there could be a glitch sorry about your experience