Some sales staff really need more training!!!!

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The Reptile Outlet

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Shop stories

I had a customer in our shop (Scales & Tails Reptile Outlet at Oxley) this afternoon asking me for help with her hatchling bearded dragon that she'd bought at a different shop. Her bearded dragon wasn't eating, and hadn't eaten since she bought him a week ago. I asked her a few different questions to try to figure out the problem, and finally asked her what size enclosure she had him in.......... She described the tank to me.......... omg!!!!!!! it's huge!!!!!!! She told me that the people at the shop she had bought him from had told her to buy this flaming big tank as he'd need that size when he was fully mature and it would save her buying another enclosure if she just bought the biggest one she could now!!!!!!! what the!!!!!! Poor little hatchy bearded dragon...... Poor customer as well...

If you work in the pet industry, please think about the welfare of the animals! I know that you have to think about sales too, but please, please, put the animals welfare first.

Maybe I'm just naive!
 
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how big was the enclosure she bought? its sad she got riped off, but if she had done some research she would have known. Fault on both sides I reckon
 
I can tell you some funny stories too......... like the guy a few weeks ago who was looking in our frozen food freezer at all the frozen rodents........ he opens it up, reaches in and checks out the rats, mice etc all sealed in nice plastic bags, and turns to me and says......... 'Are they still alive'????????? How I kept a straight face I have no idea!!!!
 
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LOL, thats a funny one. poor beardie too. i have had staff at pet shops tell me i need this and that, all i hear is blah blah blah. they know less than i do and all they want is a sale. but i have met a few nice ones that order stuff in for me and even delivered my snake enclosure to my house even though they did not do delivery that day.
 
how big was the enclosure she bought? its sad she got riped off, but if she had done some research she would have known. Fault on both sides I reckon

People actually go to pet shops thinking that they actually do know what they are talking about. Don't think she got ripped off, just maybe didn't need the big cage for a year or so...
 
That's right Fay.... She just didn't need such a huge enclosure..... not even for an adult Bearded Dragon in this instance.

I guess I'm from the old school....... if I don't know something I'm more than happy to say that I don't know and then check it out, find out the right info, and get back to the person, rather than offer wrong advice.

I honestly believe that most shop staff wouldn't deliberately try to rip people off either.

Regarding funny stories though and not sad ones::::: another person (obviously not a reptile person), comes in and is looking around... I'm sitting in the office behind the shop and can hear him saying....... 'oh no, snakes! I hate snakes! oh no, another snake....... I hate snakes! oooo!!!! I hate snakes'.... he kept on and on. Eventually it got the better of me..... I walked out of my office and walked up to him and asked if I could help him with something..... He said to me 'No, I hate snakes'.......... I couldn't help myself,,,, I said to him,,,,, 'Well, you're probably in the wrong shop then'! However, I did say it with a smile!

Everyday there's so many stories I could tell......... maybe I should write a book. lol
 
You would hate IT then.

Good on your for still looking out for the interests of your clients and customers. The world would be a better place if there were more like yourself and the Scales and Tails team
 
I'll play devils advocate here for a bit. :)

I'd suggest the size of the tank wasn't the problem, more so that it wasn't set up properly.

And there is some logic in buying one tank instead of two.
 
You could be right Wally....... hopefully she'll be able to get the little hatchy up and feeding and the story has a happy ending
 
I agree with Wally. I have kept Agamidae hatchlings in large enclosures before without the above problem.
 
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I will agree that some staff in stores that sell reptiles do at times leave a lot to be desired though.
 
Not all staff in pet stores are bad :) I have two different casual jobs, one at a pet store. All of the other staff at the store know their stuff as well, and if anyone doesn't know something, they either ask one of the other staff members or find out for the customer. And, for example- both myself and one of the other staff members at my store both have university degrees in our appropriate 'areas.' The others have all been in the industry for years, and keep their own menageries as well. We're all there for the sake of the animals and actually providing sound advice for customers. And if anything I'll actually deter some customers from buying certain things if they don't need it, or of they could use something better. e.g. someone came in saying their juvie childreni hasn't eaten since they bought it (was apparently eating perfectly beforehand) so they were going to buy a heated hide, and a larger enclosure for it. I deterred them from this and encouraged them to keep it in the smaller tub it was in, don't handle, dont offer food too regularly and to go with a heat mat for heating instead. After all, they did say they didnt have it on any heat.. Sure, making profit is important, but so is keeping the animals safe and as happy/healthy as possible- so quality advice is vital. Not everyone researches enough, unfortunately.

Some people do amaze me though, with how little they know...

But I do definitely see where you're coming from Joy- Some staff in pet stores are just shocking. They're certainly risking the wellbeing of the animals, unfortunately

On a side note.. I'll have to come visit your store when I can!
 
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Not all staff in pet stores are bad :) I have two different casual jobs, one at a pet store. All of the other staff at the store know their stuff as well, and if anyone doesn't know something, they either ask one of the other staff members or find out for the customer. And, for example- both myself and one of the other staff members at my store both have university degrees in our appropriate 'areas.' The others have all been in the industry for years, and keep their own menageries as well. We're all there for the sake of the animals and actually providing sound advice for customers. And if anything I'll actually deter some customers from buying certain things if they don't need it, or of they could use something better. e.g. someone came in saying their juvie childreni hasn't eaten since they bought it (was apparently eating perfectly beforehand) so they were going to buy a heated hide, and a larger enclosure for it. I deterred them from this and encouraged them to keep it in the smaller tub it was in, don't handle, dont offer food too regularly and to go with a heat mat for heating instead. After all, they did say they didnt have it on any heat.. Sure, making profit is important, but so is keeping the animals safe and as happy/healthy as possible- so quality advice is vital. Not everyone researches enough, unfortunately.

Some people do amaze me though, with how little they know...

But I do definitely see where you're coming from Joy- Some staff in pet stores are just shocking. They're certainly risking the wellbeing of the animals, unfortunately

On a side note.. I'll have to come visit your store when I can!

Jesus Christ, how many gallery photo's do you have?
 
Lol very few.. its a glitch, though that is off-topic
 
The upsell is encouraged but...sometimes what the customer is told and what they repeat is very different. On the other hand sometimes what the customer is told isn't exactly correct or useful either! I remember one lady who told me she'd been informed to buy baby/pinhead crickets...for her new ADULT beardie! (And yes, i do wish people would do at least a lil research before they buy a new pet! lol)
 
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Agree with you totally Kitah........ You must have some hilarious stories to tell too! lol

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Yes Kitarsha,,,,,,,,,, a little research would go a long way with some of them
 
I agree with the above. Dragons (hatchie or not) are not like snakes where they would go off their food in a large area. If set up correctly, they would strive in any sized enclosure.

However, the intentions of the pet shop staff member in this scenario was to sell her something expensive as opposed to beneficial.. The staff definitely didn't suggest it because it could accomodate the beardie for the rest of its life...
 
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