Interesting chain fish store story...

Jova · 02/19/2009, 11:10 PM

Alrighty... Earlier this evening, I stopped by Pet Food Center, which is a chain pet store based here in the midwest. They have a decent selection of salt water livestock, and the employees at my local store are always high school aged girls... (never seen a male employee at this place... yeah...) So... tonight, I was at the store checking out the saltwater livestock, and one of the employees (a girl about 16-17) asks me if I need any help. I had noticed a small anemone, about 3", (and even though I knew it was a long tentacle anemone) I asked the girl what it was and how much they wanted for it. She told me that it wasn't an anemone at all, but a feather duster worm, and that it was $11.99. I thought: "Alrighty, this girl doesn't know the difference between an anemone and a feather duster, so let's have some fun..." I then pointed to a condylactis anemone in the next tank and asked her: "What is this one? What is different about it?" She told me that the condylactis anemone's, as well as the "pink haitian anemone (which they also had) were the best type of anemone for hosting clownfish. She said the anemone I first asked about (the feather duster/long tent.) would not work for hosting clownfish, but the condylactis were the best ones for keeping with clowns. At this point, I noticed a tank with a brown brittle starfish in it, and the next tank with one of the green fish-eating stars in it. So of course I HAD to ask the girl: "What is the difference between these two starfish?" And her reply was: "The green ones come from waters that are much farther away, and have to be flown in farther, so that's why they cost more." I gave her a second chance on this one and asked if either of the starfish were agressive and ate fish, to which she promptly replied: "No, they are exactly the same, the green one is just more rare, and has to be flown in farther."

I have spoken with many a misinformed highschool or college student working at a fish store, but what absolutely blew my mind about this girl was how CONFIDENT she was. She never paused to think, she never said "I'm not sure", she just KNEW all of the answers and she was so quick to respond to all of my questions, and she was 100% wrong every time. I can just imagine the reef newcomers who ask her about the 12" green starfish and then purchase it and drop it in their tank and wake up the next day to an empty tank and a fat starfish. I know that everyone here has dealt with salespeople like this, but after 10 years in the hobby, I've normally found the clueless salespeople to just tell me that they DON'T KNOW, and get me a supervisor, but this girl really thought she knew about all of these fish, but obviously was very very mislead. Sorry for such a long post, but this just blew my mind on how bad things can be in stores that pay no attention to their staff, and it really made me think about the damage that could be caused by employees such as this. I guess I'm just blowing smoke here, but I wanted to tell this story... because it was all that myself and my girlfriend could do to not bust up laughing every time this girl answered one of my questions

Good night!

Oh, and btw, I'm now the proud owner of a smaller long tentacle anemone that I bought for 12 bucks from a girl who told me that it was a feather duster.

OwenInAZ · 02/19/2009, 11:19 PM

I bet she just heard that information from someone else at the store, equally uninformed, and just parroted it. Sucks to be the person who buys something based on what she says

Good find on the anemone though

MileHighFish · 02/19/2009, 11:52 PM

I agree with you, but if your new to the hobby its also a very good idea to do your fair share of research before you ever step foot into a store to purchase coral at least you wont get took that way..

Jenisiz · 02/20/2009, 12:09 AM

^^ It's shame ppl don't take that approach....but they learn...

Dante_JoseCuerv · 02/20/2009, 01:29 AM

I would've just laughed and been like... you have no idea... funny story though

BuddhaKiss · 02/20/2009, 01:32 AM

Honestly, after paying for it, I would've just told her that it was in fact not a feather duster and thank her for the discount

Dante_JoseCuerv · 02/20/2009, 01:36 AM

I wanna know where this place is so I can go there and have a good chuckle.

02/19/2009, 11:10 PM	#1
Jova Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 201	Interesting chain fish store story... Alrighty... Earlier this evening, I stopped by Pet Food Center, which is a chain pet store based here in the midwest. They have a decent selection of salt water livestock, and the employees at my local store are always high school aged girls... (never seen a male employee at this place... yeah...) So... tonight, I was at the store checking out the saltwater livestock, and one of the employees (a girl about 16-17) asks me if I need any help. I had noticed a small anemone, about 3", (and even though I knew it was a long tentacle anemone) I asked the girl what it was and how much they wanted for it. She told me that it wasn't an anemone at all, but a feather duster worm, and that it was $11.99. I thought: "Alrighty, this girl doesn't know the difference between an anemone and a feather duster, so let's have some fun..." I then pointed to a condylactis anemone in the next tank and asked her: "What is this one? What is different about it?" She told me that the condylactis anemone's, as well as the "pink haitian anemone (which they also had) were the best type of anemone for hosting clownfish. She said the anemone I first asked about (the feather duster/long tent.) would not work for hosting clownfish, but the condylactis were the best ones for keeping with clowns. At this point, I noticed a tank with a brown brittle starfish in it, and the next tank with one of the green fish-eating stars in it. So of course I HAD to ask the girl: "What is the difference between these two starfish?" And her reply was: "The green ones come from waters that are much farther away, and have to be flown in farther, so that's why they cost more." I gave her a second chance on this one and asked if either of the starfish were agressive and ate fish, to which she promptly replied: "No, they are exactly the same, the green one is just more rare, and has to be flown in farther." I have spoken with many a misinformed highschool or college student working at a fish store, but what absolutely blew my mind about this girl was how CONFIDENT she was. She never paused to think, she never said "I'm not sure", she just KNEW all of the answers and she was so quick to respond to all of my questions, and she was 100% wrong every time. I can just imagine the reef newcomers who ask her about the 12" green starfish and then purchase it and drop it in their tank and wake up the next day to an empty tank and a fat starfish. I know that everyone here has dealt with salespeople like this, but after 10 years in the hobby, I've normally found the clueless salespeople to just tell me that they DON'T KNOW, and get me a supervisor, but this girl really thought she knew about all of these fish, but obviously was very very mislead. Sorry for such a long post, but this just blew my mind on how bad things can be in stores that pay no attention to their staff, and it really made me think about the damage that could be caused by employees such as this. I guess I'm just blowing smoke here, but I wanted to tell this story... because it was all that myself and my girlfriend could do to not bust up laughing every time this girl answered one of my questions Good night! Oh, and btw, I'm now the proud owner of a smaller long tentacle anemone that I bought for 12 bucks from a girl who told me that it was a feather duster.

02/19/2009, 11:19 PM	#2
OwenInAZ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Posts: 2,409	I bet she just heard that information from someone else at the store, equally uninformed, and just parroted it. Sucks to be the person who buys something based on what she says Good find on the anemone though __________________ Owen Professional Bacteria Geek "Ree... cy... cling?" "One day it's a bowl full of cherries, one night I'm suckin' on lemons and spittin' out the seeds" Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef

02/19/2009, 11:52 PM	#3
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	I agree with you, but if your new to the hobby its also a very good idea to do your fair share of research before you ever step foot into a store to purchase coral at least you wont get took that way.. __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

02/20/2009, 12:09 AM	#4
Jenisiz Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow... Posts: 235	^^ It's shame ppl don't take that approach....but they learn...

02/20/2009, 01:29 AM	#5
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	I would've just laughed and been like... you have no idea... funny story though

02/20/2009, 01:32 AM	#6
BuddhaKiss Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern Va Posts: 1,068	Honestly, after paying for it, I would've just told her that it was in fact not a feather duster and thank her for the discount

02/20/2009, 01:36 AM	#7
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	I wanna know where this place is so I can go there and have a good chuckle.