Bad advice from pet store?

D

decambla

New member
Joined
May 27, 2011
Messages
59
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Melbourne
Country
Australia
I had a bit of trouble with my filter last night, so decided I would return it as I had only brought it on Saturday. The lady I spoke to was less than helpfull and really quite rude. When I told her the problem - worked fine over weekend, whisper quiet, came home last night and it was chugging. Switched it off, then back on, didnt start. Took it appart, cleaned the propeller, got it working but its making a really loud noise and vibrating the tank. Her first response was "All filters make noise" Umm well yeah I know that. I said to her again that it was fine saturday/sunday but started making the noise monday night after it stopped working. She put it in one of her tanks and said "No, I cant hear it. Its fine" My repsonse was "I couldnt hear my car engine over the 10 industrial filters you have running in here. Doesnt mean it doesnt make a noise" :p Eventually after 40 minutes she agreed to swap it over, they didnt have any of the one I had so she swaped it for a cheap inferior no name brand. Got it home, its even louder and made the tank heat up. Its now in the bin.

Some of the things she said to me have lead me to believe she shouldnt be selling axolots. They were
* Why have you got it on sand instead of gravel?
I replied "So he doesnt swallow the gravel"
She said "Thats a common misconception. They are not that stupid. They dont swallow gravel. "

* I said I wanted a filter that "just" did the job as he was very tempermental and didnt like currents. He gets stressed very easily. I want a filter that is big enough to cycle the water 4 times an hour.
Her reply "You need a bigger filter. He is not getting stress by currents, it doesnt worry them. It must be something else you are doing"

* Told me its fine to feed him mealy worm all the time. I asked about the chitin being undigestable and also how they can cause internal damage to axies. She said she'd never heard of that.

* That I should only be doing a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks even though the filter isnt cycled yet. I have been doing 10-20% every second day to keep ammonia down until its fully cycled.

All her comments were very contridictory of everything I have read on this site. It left me very disheartened and confused. I had to come home and re-read what is on this forum to make sure I am doing the right things. What are you meant to do when a pet store gives you totally wrong information?
 
Do your own research, and from a credible source and use your common sense. that is the best advice anyone can give you when keeping any animal for the first time.
 
iChris said:
Do your own research, and from a credible source and use your common sense. that is the best advice anyone can give you when keeping any animal for the first time.
Click to expand...

Very well said, Chris.
 
Its lack of knowledge about axolotls that causes most of the problems in pet shops but that woman cant even recognise a brocken filter so your probally onto a loser by trying to reeducate her.
 
Yeah, I'd go with the masses that CARE for their animals + have learned the best ways from iunfo that has been passed down precisely because it works! A common complaint on here is the patheitc condition of pet shop axies, because they are kept like fish or the pet store people just haven't got the interest to find out why such + such happens. It always happens to the axies they get, so might not even realise something is wrong, but as business, they want to keep costs down + when an enthusiast gives advise, they just see it as an extra expense - generalisation there, obviously!!!
It sounds as if she wanted to sell something to you, rather than just replace the filter, hence the "you need a bigger filter" part (+ possibly was aiming to sell you some "pretty" gravel too) :(
 
most pet shops are out for profit! most people on here and forms like this are not here to make money but to love and care for their animals. that being said i would take any advice i got from here way before i took advice from a pet shop that has poorly kept pets. I hate going to buy fish and the one i want is in a tank with a bunch of dead fish.

so think for your self. if you think she has good advice then follow it but if your like most people that visit this form and are willing to take peoples advice that have been keeping axolotls for a long time then do that.

good luck!
 
People like that who work at pet shops really make me mad. When i didn't know something about an animal i wouldn't say things that i think would apply to another animal that was similar (a fish it seems like in this case). I would tell them to go home and do research. I couldn't, do to i was working but still. People like that shouldn't be working at a pet store. I don't work at the pet store any more but when ever anyone came in with an axolotl question everyone in the store knew who to look for and that was me.
 
This angers me so much! Honestly, I would go back and ask to speak to the manager. Tell her about the horrible customer service AND the lack of kowledge. Then give them the correct information.

:mad: <-- me right now.
 
I would call the pet shop and ask to speak to the manager too. You shouldn't get hosed on your filter at least.
 
....they should replace your filter with something of like quality or better not the other way around....

if its a retail chain you would be well off to contact their corporate offices.... if not then go in and speak to the manager in person...
 
:lol: I just noticed I misspelled knowledge. Serves me right being on here in class! I just wanted to add that I have had a few experiences like that in pet stores too. Such a shame.
 
Thank you all for your replies.

I went back to the pet store yesterday. It is a small independently run store. I asked to speak to the manager. Well, it was her! And I dont think she was happy to see me.

I told her about the filter being unsuitable as it was heating the tank. To which her reply was "So you expect me to give you another filter when I have already accepted one perfectly good one back and exchanged it for another" I said no, I threw it in the bin because it was useless, and the other one wasnt working perfectly fine. I went to another pet store and brought a suitable filter. She stormed out the back, and brought the original filter out. Put it in a tank, plugged it in and ..........................nothing!! It wouldnt start!! Absolute gold!!:D I handed her some information I had printed about axolotl care explaining that I wasnt trying to put her down, I was just concerned with the information that customers recieve when they take them home. She tossed the papers at me, told me that when I had been in business for 20 years then come back and tell her how to keep her animals. She banned me from the store, as if Id ever spend a cent in there again anyway! During her little outburst 3 customers walked out of the store shaking their heads. It was so unprofessional. At least my conscience is clear, I did what I could.
Doesnt make me feel any better about the poor axies still in the shop though :(
 
she sounds like a jerk, your better off not going to that place anyways... i would review it online though so everyone can hear how she keeps her animals and treats her customers
 
Sounds like there was no getting through to her, shame when its a family run/small shop as well, because its customers like you who keep them going... ounds like you did the right thing though, trust caudata.org! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top