No it's not the first time - but it is the 'most recent'. Stores around here are pretty good except for the big boxes, so if a customer goes to another niche store he's likely to be asked questions and a sale discouraged if he's moving too fast.
But like Dr. House says - people lie. That's usually when they get caught up in their own mess. Knowing the store he went to, that customer probably got caught up in his own mess.
Jenn
But like Dr. House says - people lie. That's usually when they get caught up in their own mess. Knowing the store he went to, that customer probably got caught up in his own mess.
Jenn
I wish I could say the same for my area, but honestly I can't. The majority of stores around here have the 'take the customers money first, ask questions later' attitude. It puts the burden on the new hobbyist...who seem to be willing to spend money as if they were at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving.
SeanF":2jf8rlhk said:
I had a new truck driver call me not to long ago wanting directions to the store. I was the next stop on is rout. He was about 5 to 10 minutes away. I gave him clear instructions, telling him to go south on the highway. About 1.5 hours later I get a call from him asking me if he is driving north or south. 8O So I asked him where he was, and he told me what town he was in, and I told him he needed to turn around, as he was driving north.
Well that's one more truck driver that won't last a week.
Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]
Rascal":3jhna7er said:
Yep, that's why I tell them the truth, but I won't argue with them. Loose too much money arguing with the customers. I tell them, and if they want to be stupid, I let them.
Running an honest business in this industry is dificult when the other stores will tell them anything to make a sale.
Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]
Wayne -
That's my business philosophy as well. Unfortunately, good ethics does not equal brisk sales. I would rather have a customer with a willingness to learn, not those types are the exception. 'Point me to your Nemos, or your sucker fish'. It has been an upward battle for me for 13 years and I don't believe that is going to change. If anything it is getting worse, as internet sales and group buys seem to perpetuate it.
That's my business philosophy as well. Unfortunately, good ethics does not equal brisk sales. I would rather have a customer with a willingness to learn, not those types are the exception. 'Point me to your Nemos, or your sucker fish'. It has been an upward battle for me for 13 years and I don't believe that is going to change. If anything it is getting worse, as internet sales and group buys seem to perpetuate it.
A few years ago I had that conversation with a fellow LFS owner here in town - who is no longer the owner (sold the store).
I'd heard the store being slammed by hobbyists for them selling "Nemo and Dory" setups - 6 gallon Eclipses with Hepatus and Ocellaris...
His attitude was that if a customer asks advice, he gives it and gives honest, reasonable (in his opinion) advice. If they don't ask, he doesn't tell.
I don't know - I just can't knowingly enable somebody to do something incredibly stupid. Yeah there comes a point where you might as well be the one to sell it to them if they're going to buy it anyway - I just hate that part of the 'business' aspect of the business
Jenn
I'd heard the store being slammed by hobbyists for them selling "Nemo and Dory" setups - 6 gallon Eclipses with Hepatus and Ocellaris...
His attitude was that if a customer asks advice, he gives it and gives honest, reasonable (in his opinion) advice. If they don't ask, he doesn't tell.
I don't know - I just can't knowingly enable somebody to do something incredibly stupid. Yeah there comes a point where you might as well be the one to sell it to them if they're going to buy it anyway - I just hate that part of the 'business' aspect of the business
Jenn
JennM":1fanmop9 said:
To be honest that's about all I really want my employees doing. They wipe all the profit on many sales being too long winded. For some reason it always seems to be the internet shopper types that have the most questions to ask, and the ones that don't mind tying up an employee for extended periods of time. An hour's worth of employee time to make a $20.00 sale and you lose money. Not only that, but sometimes other customers are walking out the door because an employee was telling some dead beat all the facts of aquarium life. Of course we want customers to be successful and not do stupid stuff, but I don't know where you draw the line. Some employees have more common sense than others in this regard. You have got to work the entire crowd that comes in. It can be frustrating at times.
PS
After 20-years I can't hardly force myself to wait on customers anymore. Not unless they are old customers and I like them. You get to the point in this business that you cringe everytime someone asks: Do you work here? :lol:
Piero":ycwlrpjy said:I don't know how you all do it...
You don't know how we do what? tell the truth ? :lol:
Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]
I always try to inform customers when they first come in and if they are people that will listen to you I treat them very well and offer good advice and their tanks do great and they always come back to me when they need stuff. However on the flip side of the coin when I give someone advice a couple of times and they go ahead and buy stuff at another store anyway I just go ahead and sell them what they want. I figure there is nothing I can say to change their minds so I might as well get the money for the things that they are going to kill because those customers always have to buy more stuff.
I still have to put food on my table and gas in my vehicles. No reason for the other stores to get it just because they want to be dishonest. I at least will tell them it won't work before I bag it up for them.
I still have to put food on my table and gas in my vehicles. No reason for the other stores to get it just because they want to be dishonest. I at least will tell them it won't work before I bag it up for them.
Well there has got to be some practical limit to how much time you can allow employees (or yourself) to spend talking people out of buying stuff. I mean if you really wanted to, you could make a pretty good case convincing people that they would probably be better off not setting up a tank in the first place. Ain't that right Piero.
my girlfriend used to work for a LFS, she left when the owner got in a Morish Idol to sell........
fortunately, she managed to get a job at the local aquarium, she gets really big tanks to play with now!
oh, speaking of Morish Idols, i found this on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Live-Marine-Moori ... dZViewItem
made me cry
if selling fish on ebay weren't bad enough, they do that..........
fortunately, she managed to get a job at the local aquarium, she gets really big tanks to play with now!
oh, speaking of Morish Idols, i found this on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Live-Marine-Moori ... dZViewItem
made me cry
if selling fish on ebay weren't bad enough, they do that..........
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