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#21
11-19-2003, 02:27 AM
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The best experiences I had with local LFS was at Petland about five years back. Of course, they have long since fired off the people who took a stand on things, and eliminated their SW section, I believe across Canada.
Those were the days. They sold me a book first.   One lone employee from those days remains there, and will always try to order in what I want so I don't have to drive across town for it. He also provides bags as needed....probably since our dogs keep their dog food section in business. But let's face it. Have you ever tried talking to 'Mike' for example? I had him here to deliver a tank. Talked to him extensively about nori for tangs. Lettuce there on Sunday.  Why can't we have a store here with the mentality of J&L ? Are those guys rich or something......    
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#22
11-19-2003, 04:51 AM
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Come on
AS someone who has worked his way through school, and supported himself at a LFs, I am dissapointed with some of the things I have heard.
One thing I think you all need to do is to not always look at the store, look at the employees you talk to...and see if you can trust them, test them, and if you dont, and they give you bad info, tell them, and help them learn, and learn with them, and maybe next time this happens to them, they will know the answer. There is a @#%load to learn out there and there is always something new to know Learning is part of the hobby, making friends is a big part of the hobby (look at this site), what is so bad about that guys that is selling fish to feed his family, or what about that kid that works at a store, so he can spend every dollar he makes at the store, and towards the hobby. I have seen them all. Stores are in it to make money and help people learn at the same time, and as far as I have experienced, I have never seen someone intentionally misdirected, and I have been around...worked several places. Dont look at them as the enemy. I am not trying to change your opinions, I am only giving you mine, and have respect for many of your opinions, I have talked to people at several other stores, and your website is known about, and read, and thingss, opinions actually are taken into account. (I am quite sure of this, as I have some close friends at certain stores) I hope I have not killed the mood, or started a huge debate, but I have just wanted to say sometihng for a while. Thankyou all for your time, Good luck in your reefkeeping PS I do not check this E-mail account
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#23
11-19-2003, 04:51 AM
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I went in to shop with a brand new shiny credit card The shop may have something to with astology sympols or something. I was gonna buy my tank stand canopy Every thing Salt Chemicals everything. Every intention on cleaning out this card. Discussed what I needed We where up to almost 3 grand. Asked him if he could deal at all. Nope he can't budge at all I left. You going to tell me he can't even give me the taxes. Oh well I got nothing there. I agree the store here are not much on service. I got better service in Regina.
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#25
11-19-2003, 05:39 AM
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Re: Come on
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Why is it that LFS' seem to always stock the gear that most of us Canreefers agree is low-end. Crappy protein skimmers, rarely metal halides... I'm not sure I really know, but perhaps it is because they know they can get a better markup on stuff they can buy cheap from the wholesalers. Better to sell more for less than less for more right? There's more money to be made selling Big Mombasa skimmers or whatnot than Euroreefs. Regarding employees, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling them what I think they are doing wrong... first off I'm not that aggressive, even though I am fairly outgoing, and secondly I'm rather young, and ageism against youth is rampant in our society. I have a feeling if I told any of them how I feel I'd just hear a bunch of BS back. I would also be willing to hypothesize that most LFS staff would be perfectly happy to give an enquiring customer a BS answer rather than admit they don't know and will check into it... after all, checking into it takes time, and time is money. Sorry, but I've worked in retail, and even in the computer industry, I was essentially told to lie to customers on a daily basis ("this product is perfect for you, there's nothing better or cheaper", even when the same product is half the price down the street). You can't tell me the majority of LFS' aren't the same way. I think it was Canadian Man who went into a local store when he was getting into the hobby, and walked out with a quote on everything he'd "need", for a measly $6,000 as I recall (55 gal tank or something as well, and you can bet it didn't include halides or a CA reactor). That's the way to get people into the hobby. It's not that there are no good, honest, intelligent LFS employees out there. But I'd venture to guess that they are the minority. Sorry, had to get all that off my chest. 
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-Quinn Man, n. ...His chief occupation is extermination of other animals and his own species, which, however, multiplies with such insistent rapidity as to infest the whole habitable earth, and Canada. - A. Bierce, Devil's Dictionary, 1906
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#27
11-19-2003, 06:29 AM
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Re: Come on
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... you should be disappointed because you have worked < still work ? > side by side with pet store owners/employees that gave out bad advice Quote:
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... so does that mean that this is a new hotmail account to go with the new Canreef account ? ... jus razzing ya ... well maybe not .... na sure I am
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Steve “The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.” ― Voltaire
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#28
11-19-2003, 06:34 AM
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I have to add my 2 cents + GST
 I have always gone MO for most stuff (hardware) as it was way cheaper even with Shipping (sometimes even bringing in stuff from the US was cheaper) The markup the LFS have is high, they have room to move and still make money, but are unwilling, why because most people will pay what they are asking for a product because they do not know any better. The reason they do not know is because they have not yet found a "Reef" Board to talk with other reefers. I know when I first got into a SW tank, I used the net to look for what I needed, but did not find that many boards. So I did rely on "Al's" for advice and someone there told me the Seaclone skimmer was excellent and worked well.. Not knowing better I bought it.. It worked fine for a few weeks, then doing searchings for seaclone and WHOA did I found out otherwise.. (this was quite awhile after the fact year or 2) I then reseached my next skimmer (my tank is not drilled so I neeed an )HOB) for 6 months I settled on a Remora Pro (awesome little devil) Anyways I returned to Al's and asked again whats a good HOB skimmer, someone again tried to sell the seacrap err seaclone., I opened with both barrels and mention how could they sell something for $175 that did not skim? then he tried to sell me a Prisim. Anyways I am rambling here. The LFS are generally bad place to go these days, fish never survive for vary long, a lot look skinny and sick. Here is a true story.. before I was into SW tanks I was keeping discus (they can be very hard to keep) Anyways I bought 6 from Big Al's at about $30 a piece ) within 2 days all but 1 were alive ( I was smart I kept the bodies, frozen in the freezer) ANyways I happened to be talking to a lady who was selling off some of her Discus and I was over at her place looking to buy them. To make a long story short, she asked me what I had in the way of discus and I told her what had happened, she ask me of I got them out of tank such and such in isle such and such I said yes.. and then she says, You did not hear this from me but they had a disease go through that tank than wiped out 20+ discus in 2 days I promptly went from her place to Big Al's and inquired, they denied it, I said I have second hand knowledge that this was the case ( and that I had 5 of 6 die in 2 days) they were not going to give me a full credit. I said you better as this fish were diseased and I was not at fault for their deaths I got my full credit needless to say after stating I would mention this to everyone I talked to I have to agree with most of the peoples opinions about the LFS stores I do not buy alot of fish, normally just the (cheaper fish) damsels, and clowns as I do not trust buying the more expensive fish from an LFS. I have also not done a live fish order yet either, I have only done a cleanup crew from JL) In the spring I plan on trying the live fish from JL Anyways I think I babbled on enough. Jim
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Setup: 180G DT, 105G Refuge (approx. 300lbs LR, 150lbs Aragonite) Hardware: Super Reef Octopus SSS-3000, Tunze ATO, Mag 18 return, 3x MP40W, 2X Koralia 4's Wavemaker Lighting: 5ft Hamilton Belize Sun (2x250W MH, Blue LEDs) Vertex Calcium Reactor 2x Deltec Pellet Reactors
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#29
11-19-2003, 03:22 PM
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Thankyou
Rasta. Thankyou for speaking your mind.
I have been reading the past boards the last couple days and have come to realize that you have perhaps made it difficult for one to perhaps comment from a store as there have been many personal attacks on stores and it has even got into namecalling. I think that there are many good people at many of the stores...most have at least one, and what I was trying to say is that I feel you cannot complain about the service they have provided withouit irst testing their knowlege... At every store I have ever worked at, there has been training programs to a greater or lesser extent. At most, employees are encouraged to take books home and learn from reading. Training is expensive for a hobby that has/requires so much knowlege. All the stores have a pretty much "If you dont know ASK" policy with their fish employees. I think that it has been made hard for a store to come on this board as to some of the things that have been said. Yes We still sell Seahorses, and Sea apples...but people ask for them, and despite warnings, they still want them. If we dont bring 'em in someone down the street will and they will get the customers business. One thing I have learned is that it is very very difficult to be a customers best friend and to still have them be a customer. Do you guys try to get to know anyone at the petstores? The way you guys seem to talk is that they are not worth knowing When I worked at a shop, I had many people that would want your schedule so they could come in to see you, and only you...as you develop a personal relationship with them. A very difficult thing to balance (customer friend). Thankyou PS Rasta = detective rasta
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#30
11-19-2003, 03:58 PM
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Things very quickly turn into LFS bashing don't they
  ,And it might be worth remembering that the Canreef members are but a drop in the ocean in the total business of a LFS.
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Bob ----------------------------------------------------- To be loved you have to be nice to people every day - To be hated you don't have to do squat. ---------Homer Simpson--------
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