# I think the employees at Petsmart are starting to hate me...



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Lol, I'm pretty sure they're starting to recognize me too. Whever I come in, they (especially this one man) get a look on their faces (I'm not sure what to call it... it's sort of a mix of emotions) that they never did before I started opening my big mouth. I feel sort of sorry for them, because they really must not like a teen showing them when it comes to fish... and small animals... and then some, but there's only so much incorrect information I can take.

For example, two families were running around the fish section, looking at this and that, and they had a betta in hand.... I try not to butt into their business and between them and the employee who is talking to them... I do, honest, in fact for the most part I try to ignore them even though the employee is giving them a load of crappy info. 

but then I overhear the man telling them about those plant tubes, and holding a semi-aquatic plant for them to see, and him saying "You'll need to buy plant food for this plant, but it'll grow very well." So, I open my mouth and say "It'll die, that's not a good idea." I point out some aquatic plants, and explain how the type he's holding would rot after a while. The man looks sort of guilty when the woman looks at him for assurance, and says something like "... yeah, it's only semi-aquatic..." When the employee starts to look rather annoyed, I shrug and say "Well, these plants *points to java fern and anubias* would do well with your betta, especially in the correctly sized heated tank..." and I leave to buy my stuff.

The funny thing is that typically I'm super shy, but once I interrupt and start talking, I'm not the least bit shy, I can look in strangers' faces and talk, and I can actually look at the employees and talk respectfully and calmly.

Anything like this happen to you guys?


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

I'm also shy and I don't go to the pet store enough for anyone to remember me that well. I try to speakup BEFORE the employee can get to them. Most of the time I'm to shy to say a thing.


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

Yeah this happens to me all the time.
The pets at home staff roll there eyes at me now and have a real horrible tone. In the voive when I tell them something about fish like "by the way the bettas tail is all destroyed , you need to move it it out the neon tetras tank. Them: no , no they supposed to lay at the bottom and there tail is supposed to look like that" at this point I walk off.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Yup this is EXACTLY how I am!


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Lol, I'm there frequently enough and I interrupt enough for them to notice me . I let the employees get to their customers, because I understand Petsmart is a business, and the employees have to sell to do well, so I let them talk... then I get miffed by the incorrect info and have to start talking

Weluvbettas: wow, talk about rude. The employees are actually polite enough to be quiet and to let me interrupt and tell the buyers good correct info before they get annoyed and start glaring daggers into my head.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Well, i'm sorta shy. I once told someone 1/2 gallon tanks aren't a good size, but they said OK and walked out with the 1/2 gallon tank. Once an employee told a customer aligator lizards can't live in captivity. Well, I had a couple back then (they are not dead, I released them) that I had for almost two years. I gave the guy PROPER care instructions, and he did what I told him.


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Yes I'm like you guys...Shy about most stuff, but when I see or hear something so off base (to do with animals that is), I have to say something...respectfully of course....Most of the time a calm & friendly tone make people pay attention.  I always try to gear toward the bigger tanks & mention how much more active and brighter they are with heaters,
and how water changes don't take up as much time as people assume.


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

I am for the most part a shy person too, but some times I just have to speak up. Like I was at Wal-Mart the other day and two women were buying a 3 gallon tank with no filter or heater for 5 neons, 4 platies, 1 betta, and 1 tiger barb. Not only that but they were buying the tank at the same time as buying the fish and the employee helping them was telling them that all those fish were a perfect match for eachother and other outragous lies...of course I had to speak up then.


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Aluyasha - Oh. My. Gawd. WOW :shock:...I wonder how soon all those fish would have been killed
if they had brought them all home!!! *shudders* Glad you saved em from that bloodbath. 


What goes on in some people's minds sometimes? How can they think cramming that many together
is humane? arrrrggghhhhhhhhhh

Logic train..crashing....!


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

I do not understand it either. It is like they are still getting their information from the pet care books of the 20s'. When people used to think all fish could live happily in a half gallon together.
Besides, from a financial standpoint if you are going to bother spending money on fish wouldnt you want them to live longer than a few days? Those woman probably had at least $100 worth of fish and fish stuff. Aside from the obvious moral injustice.


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

Those stores use a "hit and run" profit model, sadly...The customer's who get ill informed
probably rarely complain enough to warrant them changing it. But they should. 
It's like a drug maker putting the wrong dosage on their pills.
I also hate aquarium sets that have a "suggested species" list which is totally inaccurate for the size. :roll:


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## Comatose (Nov 7, 2010)

Honestly, this one employee reconizes me. We just mostly talk about fish nerd stuff. Oh, and I have talked to people for ten or fifteen minutes about bettas.


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

Oh like the 1 gal that suggests putting a group of rosy barbs in it.
I have also seen tanks and cages for other pets that give a species list that is horridly inaccurate, one was a little 1/2 gal critter keeper thing that said it would house 2 mice in it.


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## CrankyFish84 (Nov 5, 2010)

I guess they sell more making people think those enclosures are suitable...The fish or animal might live
for a bit, but won't thrive.  I think most people want to be good owners though...and if told right off the bat a bigger habitat is best, they would spend the extra $ to buy it instead. 

I'm guilty of buying my first tank with the best intentions, trusting the petstore people,
who said 3 danios would be happy in a 3G eclipse...and it would be cycled in a day. 
Then of course, one died 2 days later while the others hardly moved...I searched online & was so
peeved to learn the truth.


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

That is how I bought a silver finned shark. The petstore people swore it could go in my 15 gal freshwater and come to find out it can grow upto 18 inches and was a brackish fish. I took it back once I found out and when they asked me why I was returning it I told them that it was because they gave me the wrong information, they didnt feel like commenting.


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## xswornxoffxjello (Mar 18, 2010)

Heh. I know what you mean, JKfish. 

You'd think they'd _want_ people to be better informed. I mean, really:

Tank: $40.96

Gravel: $3.19

Heater: $9.40

Decor: about $12

Food: $3.49

Water Conditioner: $6.56

Plants: $8.99

Betta: $2-15

Siphon: $6

They'd actually make _more_ money if they emphasized proper betta care.


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## eclover09 (Oct 1, 2010)

Ever since coming to this site, I never, ever, ever ask pet store employees about anything -.- Not my rabbits, dogs or fish, I just go to forums and look for the answers myself. I used to work at the Petshotel in Petsmart, and my supervisor would always go out on the floor herself or send me out to help customers with there dogs/cats, even though it WASN'T our job, because she would get so ticked that the people who actually worked on the floor were morons when it came to giving out info...

I'm pretty shy, the only time I'm not shy is when I was working at Petsmart and I had the Petsmart shirt on, gave me power to give people advice without being embarrassed lol. But now I really don't butt in, but I try to be sneaky. When I see someone with a Betta or going to buy a Betta, I usually say something like "They make really awesome pets" And when the person says "Oh, you have one?" I just casually say "Oh yeah, I have seven" lol and if there actually nice people, they end up asking me for advice, though sometimes I've just had people grunt or give me a polite smile before just ignoring me, because they just don't care : /

The other day though when I was looking at tanks on Black Friday, one of the people who worked there, like the assistant manager, saw me picking up a tank and asked what fish I had and told him I was splitting it for two Betta's. He asked me if I bred them and I said no, but someday I'd like to try it at least once, but only when I could get a really nice pair from Thailand. And you know what he does? Just laughs and brush's it off and says that I should try it with some store betta's because it's a waste to buy expensive betta's, that there "so super easy" to breed and I should do it for fun. I didn't say anything but I'm thinking "Ohhh myy Gooddd, I hope you don't encourage a bunch of people to breed store betta's...-.-" Especially Petsmart, all they ever have is veiltails and crowntails. At least Petco is getting some really super gorgeous ones...but still!


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## LikeDiscoSuperfly (Oct 18, 2010)

I, like most of you here, am also VERY shy. VERY VERY shy.. but I will say something to people in the betta section. At the Petco closest to me, I was looking at the bettas multiple times when someone would be holding a betta cup, and then trying to figure out what to buy to go with the betta. it would seem a employee would run over and help them, selling stuff they dotn need or that is bad, but they never do when I am there so I always jump in and help tell them what they need. helped save a lot of bettas from 1/2 gallon homes.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

there's my problem though, I try my best only to interrupt when I see or hear incorrect information. I can never seem to listen in when the employees are selling the 1/2 gallons to people. I know they are, but I can't catch them in the act. -_- It seems like when I step in as they're saying something, correcting the employees isn't that big of a deal. But talking to the customer after the employee is gone and as they're about to check out is really difficult, seeing as I'm really self concious and I think "ohmygod they're going to think I'm some sort of creeper freak and then they'll look at me with that face I seem to get from peers, and then I'm going to get all nervous and I'm going to want to melt into the ground but because I can't do that I'll start babbling and then..."


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Bah, I can't confront anyone...I wish I could, especially when I'm looking at betta in petsmart and there are people next to me looking at the little half gallon kits below. But I hate telling people how to do their jobs properly, even if they are wrong.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Really they're just making less money with the wrong information.

Betta Bowl $15
VS
2 gallon Critter Keeper $7
Small bag of gravel $4
Live plants $6
Heater $15
Betta Food $3
Water Coniditoner $7 (big bottle)
Corner filter with pump, tubing, control valve $20


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## BettaBuddi1221 (Jul 21, 2010)

When I went to get my first betta I did a lot of reasearch, enoughf to know that a 2 1/2 but when I got that size tank the guy said it was too big and that the bowl that he was in was adaquette and that I did not need a heater.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

BettaBuddi1221 said:


> When I went to get my first betta I did a lot of reasearch, enoughf to know that a 2 1/2 but when I got that size tank the guy said it was too big and that the bowl that he was in was adaquette and that I did not need a heater.


 Like I said above...they'd make more money with the correct info.


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## Neelie (Feb 18, 2010)

^^^ i think in many cases its just "i know everything, and im gonna tell you what to buy so i look smart" attitude too.... in my pet shop they really do know their stuff. all the employess have experience and love animals and always give the 100% correct advice. i love it. but i can really understand ye're points if an employee has no clue... sometimes i think they want your fish to die fast so you come back and they can tell you you need this and that next time lol....


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