Petsmart employees

[into]

I'm just ranting here, but went to the local Petsmart today (because they are cleaner than the local Petco) and noticed 2 dead fire bellied toads in their tank under the water. I told the cricket lady and she shrugged it off and seemed annoyed that I told her about it (i was polite). People that don't care about animals shouldn't be working at pet stores. It's weird, the store is the cleanest in town but the animals don't seem as healthy.

[John]

Most people don't think of animals like frogs as mattering in any way - they're not dogs right? That's probably the case here.

[John]

Good Lord by adding the word dogs to that message I changed both of the google ads completely...

[into]

I actually said that to my girlfriend... if it was a dead dog, it would be different. I understand that frogs to most people are icky cold blooded display objects, but it still looks bad for the store to have dead animals laying around.

[adawinters]

I'm sure she would have cared more if it was an animal she could sell for $200 instead of $2. To be honest, I have largely lost my ability to be outraged when petstores mistreat animals. I am, instead, overwhelmingly stunned and surprised when they don't.

[JeffX]

I'm sure she would have cared more if it was an animal she could sell for $200 instead of $2. To be honest, I have largely lost my ability to be outraged when petstores mistreat animals. I am, instead, overwhelmingly stunned and surprised when they don't.

I know how you feel about that one.

Its not just the employees but some of the customers as well. I had many customers come in and I'd refuse to sell them an animal due to them not having the proper setup. They wouldn't even care and even some would actually say it's only 5 dollars. I don't really care.

[Rat The Unloved]

About two years ago I walked into a Petco in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. I explained that I was looking for a job, and gave my laundry list of experience with everything from commercial rabbit raising, to rats, to iguanas, turtles, snakes, frogs...etc. The Manager seemed really eager to hire me, and handed me an application.

I asked : "So, is there any specific training for the reptile area or..." - he cut me off "Oh, you won't be handling the animals, you'll be working cashier."

Through a few minutes of conversation it became abundantly clear that they do not hire people with ANY kind of knowledge for the special care areas, because those people "cost too much in supplies". I.e. medication and treatment for the animals.

I said a few very vulgar words to him, and did not return.

[John]

Sadly, that sounds like what I would expect from them. I try my best not to buy things from the big chains.

[Kurt]

Except Wal-mart.

[bshmerlie]

Everyone is knocking the big box pet stores but you have to realize Petsmart can't be going out paying top dollar to hire experts for each department (frogs, fish, snakes, birds, dogs, cats, rabbits, ect.) For stores that size they have a "HUGE" corporate overhead to pay for and still try to be profitable in a major recession like this one. If it was your business you too would find yourself having to pay entry level wages for sales positions in such a store. Next thing you know your hiring some 17-18 year old and I'm sorry but the kids of today are just not that bright. Any training you do with them they just say, "yeah yeah" and it goes in one ear and out the other. I don't know about the rest of you but I started in the frog hobby buying a couple of firebellies at Petsmart. The saleman didn't really know anything about them, but as a repsonsible pet owner I did my own research to make sure I cared for them properly as they were to become "my" pets. The real problem is people don't take responsiblity when purchasing a pet to do a little research. With today's internet there is no excuse for the uneducated.

[Rat The Unloved]

There's no need to hire "experts" when they have perfectly good advanced hobbyists walking in the door begging to work for minimum wage (so that they can feed themselves... which is always fun). Hobbyists like myself.

When a store actively turns down placing the appropriate person in the appropriate section of the store, because they use stock to treat/care for the animals (and using stock costs money), that is absolutely ridiculous. They wanted to stick me on cashier, and have all of the uneducated kids run over to ask questions rather than placing me in the reptile department and risking that I might open a UV bulb for the Iguanas. - Ridiculous -.

I refer specifically to one of the PetCo's in the DFW area. And also to one in Oklahoma. I have not named locations but if a friend asks I'll say "Yeah, don't." Other stores? Who knows.

[goreptiles]

The problem is ignorant and uninformed employees create uninformed and ignorant customers who buy the animals without proper knowledge or care to do further research.

I used to work for a pet store. Our reptile specialists knew nothing about reptiles. Well, one did but she got fired. One of the other two thought she knew info and care but knew nothing. the third person didnt even have a reptile; she killed her bearded dragon bc she didn't do proper research. I was stuck in small animals, but had more experience with reptiles. I was chastised everytime I walked in the fish/reptiledepartment to help a customer.

[Deku]

The problem is ignorant and uninformed employees create uninformed and ignorant customers who buy the animals without proper knowledge or care to do further research.

I used to work for a pet store. Our reptile specialists knew nothing about reptiles. Well, one did but she got fired. One of the other two thought she knew info and care but knew nothing. the third person didnt even have a reptile; she killed her bearded dragon bc she didn't do proper research. I was stuck in small animals, but had more experience with reptiles. I was chastised everytime I walked in the fish/reptiledepartment to help a customer.

No you can talk to the customer for hours. You can give them places to look into. You can even try giving them discounts. They will still remain ignorant and uncaring. I'ved delt with alot of these type of customers. You can try showing them the way. Most will just want to hear themselves talk and if you tell them they are wrong they will snap at you and will just go to another petstore that will suck up to them. I know what you mean though. But again its both parts. Customers because they dont give a crack about the animals enough to study them. Employees because they just give up and dont inform them. I know what you are talking about. I had to deal with that. But when I got chastised I would always make the other employees sound unintelligent. Also for the most part a petstore is a landmine of drama. You can't avoid it. So we adapt and try to deal with it the best way possible. But like I keep restating its not just the employees fault its also the customers. If companies hired "experts" the experts will not sell anything to anyone because most people that come in a petstore are dumb as a sack when it comes to animals asides from a dog or a cat.
I once had a customer call my petstore very angry because his newly bought rabbit and parakeet died. I asked him "how'd it die?" and he responded that it died two days later. That he kept them together next to each other but as well let them play together. Thats a nono. You do not put a rabbit with a bird to play. Rabbits can die out of fright very easily. I explained to him that and then he tried to save his toosh with "some employee told me I could" but indeed I was the only one working that shift that day. Infact I pretty much "Bagged" it for him(not really bag but like a box). Normally I would believe that because a few of my fellow workers tend to say untrue things. Theres also been many cases where the customers come in and want to buy their child a pet to shut them up. They don't give a squat. I remember having this one guy who mounted a 3gallon aquarium in his daughters bedroom. The guy wanted to put in some fish in that tank. I even butted in my friends sale just to inform them better. They were planning on a goldfish. I told them they couldnt do that. SO I tried to get him to look at betta fish and labyrinth fish(paradise fish) in general. The girl didnt want just one fish. SO I tried to stray him to minnows. To keep a minimum of two. In the end he bought 5minnows and 1 crayfish. I told him that the crayfish will eat the minnows the guy looked at me "better for me, then shell stop asking me".

[1beataway]

It's both sides, and it's something you'll find anywhere retail. Unfortunately, at a pet store you're dealing with living animals, and there's a lot more to lose. I've had lots of customers who will argue with you and want you to sell them the animal regardless of what sort of home they are providing. But I've also had plenty who have said to me, "No one has ever told me that before. Thank you." And they follow all my advice and recommendations.

Likewise, I have worked with people who are ignorant and remain ignorant, with people who think they know and end up giving really bad advice to customers (And this sucks even more when it's one of those customers who are truly trying to learn and follow the information given), and with people who, like myself, try to learn as much as they can on their own to give the right information.

Employees and customers both should research more. I believe that most of the responsibility lies on the pet store employees. Obviously, it would be fantastic if every pet store employee was able to give out a lot of good advice, but we have those who will refuse to learn and those who really, truly believe they know the answers to questions and just get it wrong. Some stores will consist of managers that support ignorance, and some will consist of managers that push their employees to be intelligent. And sometimes, employees do get frustrated when so many of their customers just argue with them about the best care. You have to fight yourself to not just give everyone an oscar for a 10 gallon tank.

[Deku]

It's both sides, and it's something you'll find anywhere retail. Unfortunately, at a pet store you're dealing with living animals, and there's a lot more to lose. I've had lots of customers who will argue with you and want you to sell them the animal regardless of what sort of home they are providing. But I've also had plenty who have said to me, "No one has ever told me that before. Thank you." And they follow all my advice and recommendations.

Likewise, I have worked with people who are ignorant and remain ignorant, with people who think they know and end up giving really bad advice to customers (And this sucks even more when it's one of those customers who are truly trying to learn and follow the information given), and with people who, like myself, try to learn as much as they can on their own to give the right information.

Employees and customers both should research more. I believe that most of the responsibility lies on the pet store employees. Obviously, it would be fantastic if every pet store employee was able to give out a lot of good advice, but we have those who will refuse to learn and those who really, truly believe they know the answers to questions and just get it wrong. Some stores will consist of managers that support ignorance, and some will consist of managers that push their employees to be intelligent. And sometimes, employees do get frustrated when so many of their customers just argue with them about the best care. You have to fight yourself to not just give everyone an oscar for a 10 gallon tank.

I know an it sucks. :/ You wouldnt like to know the horros ived seen at petstores. :/ its terrible and gross.

[1beataway]

I know an it sucks. :/ You wouldnt like to know the horros ived seen at petstores. :/ its terrible and gross.

You know I work at a petstore, right? I've probably seen some of the same things. :P

[goreptiles]

Not all petstores are like this though. I have worked at mine for 3 years and have never seen anything like what you've described. I've seen animals get sick and I've even seen some die, but this is rare and those that do get sick get taken care of. But I think often it's not that hard to figure out what kind of pet store you're walking into.

The pet store I worked at was brand new. I helped build the layouts and all. After treating too many sick animals, the boss said not to treat unless its really bad. He said none get to go to the vet for diagnosis unless its bad. Odd how it was promoted that all animals are vet checked...

I agree it's not always the employee, but if a customer asks for help and ab employee who doesn't know anything gives bad info, that customer is relying on that info to care for their new pet.

Now, yea some customers don't care, but you can't help that even if you try to give the best info you can.



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[Deku]

The pet store I worked at was brand new. I helped build the layouts and all. After treating too many sick animals, the boss said not to treat unless its really bad. He said none get to go to the vet for diagnosis unless its bad. Odd how it was promoted that all animals are vet checked...

I agree it's not always the employee, but if a customer asks for help and ab employee who doesn't know anything gives bad info, that customer is relying on that info to care for their new pet.

Now, yea some customers don't care, but you can't help that even if you try to give the best info you can.



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I agree. It just goes both ways. I just wish I could do something about it. But chances are I could make petitions, I can try getting laws passed and nothing will changed. Animals are and will be mistreated because of ignorance.