Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee

MissPisces · 08-09-2011, 04:16 AM

Since coming to this forum, I’ve met a lot of really nice people. Some are experts, some are newbies like me, and we’re all very different. However, there seems to be a general agreement here that PetsMart employees are, well, scum.

I’ve read quite a few posts saying nasty things about people who work in retail pet stores. It’s the general consensus here that they’re not to be trusted, like they’re out to ruin your tank with bad advice and false advertising or something. Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this topic. As a former PetsMart employee, I’d like to discuss the largely reviled retail chain from the point of view of someone who actually worked there.

First of all, I do agree that as a general rule, advice from retail employees is not to be trusted 100%. Most of them are people who just needed a job, and they don’t necessarily have any experience with keeping pets. Because of the nature of American retail business practices, many stores go through employees like they do fish – new ones are always coming in, and you’ll rarely find one who’s been there for more than six months. It’s a sad fact that when it comes to keeping fish, most of them are just not qualified to give good advice.

That doesn’t mean they don’t care, or don’t want to help. I was one employee who did care, and there were quite a few of us who genuinely wanted to learn. Sadly, the management is dead set on weeding out anyone who will give any advice that contradicts the company’s goal, which is to make money. If there’s someone who knows about tanks, and who will advise a new tank owner to just scrub the glass instead of buying chemical algae remover, that person is automatically blacklisted. If an employee tells a person how to level out pH without mentioning the costly pH Up and Down products, then that employee’s days are assuredly numbered. Retail is a rough field to work in, and the ones who always catch the most trouble are the employees.

But managers aren’t the only people who show up to ruin an employee’s outlook on life. Customers can be nothing short of tyrannical, to say the least. When it comes to customers, an employee is caught between two groups. The first group, the first-time tank owners, look to them for advice. They put the pressure on an employee to know as much as possible. Naturally, the managers are ready and willing to help the employee learn, though most information is usually wrong in the hopes of selling more products. It’s not entirely the manager’s fault; they’re just doing what the company says to do, though maybe if they started rebelling they'd be able to change retail... but that's another topic. Anyway, the employee has no choice but to act confident in their advice. For one thing, they don’t know any better. For another, they get chewed out by the customer if they seem to be anything but experts. I used to always tell a customer if I didn't know the answer to a question, and more often than not the customer would get angry. Like I was supposed to know, like a coffee machine that's supposed to make coffee perfectly every time. Customers make it VERY easy to give false advice; a lot of my coworkers would give bogus advice just to make the customer happy for the time being.

The other type of customer is the experienced fish-owner. This customer comes into the store with an attitude of disdain, looking down on the employee as someone who isn’t worth his time. Some ask for advice just to ridicule the wrong answers the employees give. Others shrug off all help with an air of superiority and refuse to treat the employee even half as well as they would treat yesterday’s newspaper. If you’ve ever been into a PetsMart – or ANY kind of retail store – and encountered a listless and somewhat rude employee, have you ever wondered why? If you had to stand around all day listening to complaints from customers and demands from managers, if you were always told conflicting information, if you were treated like dirt from the start of your shift until you can finally shrug off your work clothes and become a valued member of society once more… How would YOU feel? How would you feel if everything that went wrong, from sick fish to lower sales counts, was your fault according to the managers and customers? Would you feel cheerful and willing to help? Or would you begin to hate people as much as they seemed to hate you? Working at PetsMart was the main reason I got into college. I’m getting my internship in the spring, and I am never looking back.

I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but that’s what it’s like. So please, next time you go into a store, try to talk to the employees as if they were real people. Try to see them as something more than mindless drones. Believe me, they appreciate it. Even if they don’t show it, it really does mean something to them to be talked to like a person. And the next time you hear of someone getting bad advice from a PetsMart employee, please don’t feel so inclined to blame them. Blame the system, blame greed, but try not to blame someone who can’t help it. Your attitude just perpetuates their mistreatment by customers and by managers…

Just a few thoughts.

susankat · 08-09-2011, 10:50 AM

Good thoughts for people to understand. I have worked in retail most of my life and most of the time no matter where it is, most people will look down on you as if your low life.

As to Petsmart. I have 2 that is near me. I go to one when I need supplies. There is a few people there that has been there since it opened. For the most part though most of the people that work in the fish dept doesn't know anything but what they are trained. But there is one person there that knows her fish and is very easy to talk to. If I am in the store and she doesn't know what advice to give a person she will ask me to explain things to the customer. If it is someone with no experience, most will say I don't care I want this fish for my tank, or I want this many whether they fit or not.

jrman83 · 08-09-2011, 11:11 AM

I've never thought of them as scum, and I'll be the first one to tell you not to listen to them. I've never treated any of them badly or been disrespectful. The problem is most lack the experience to speak from....only know what they have been told. Very few can even tell you the aspects of the nitrogen cycle.

foolintherain · 08-09-2011, 11:40 AM

Thanks for writing this up. I'm guessing this was partially inspired by my story? I sort of guessed that some of this was true as I recently set up my first tank, and this sort of brings all my observations together and explains things. First, I've had friends in the service/retail industries and I do understand how customers can be, and the situations employees are sometimes put in, so I try to speak to employees like people, instead of like employees. The Petsmart people were no exception in really appreciating that.

But importantly, now I think I can say I have first hand experience with this. For my first few fish, I got a couple recommendations from one employee (with the manager included in the conversation). I came home and discussed it here, and people told me they were bad choices (the red-tailed shark because he wouldn't have enough room to swim and likes currents, and the boesemani because they like to school). Sure enough the boesemani was scared and the red-tailed shark had no appetite and after a while just hung out by the filter intake. I went back, returned the fish, and replaced them based on recommendations here. I spoke to the same employee (no manager around this time): he didn't seem at all surprised that I had issues and happily replaced the fish. He also... acted differently in a way that I couldn't place. I thought it was weird. Now I can see how he probably had pressure on him the first time. It's also probably worth mentioning that the boesemani which he recommended while the manager was there cost $13, whereas the more appropriate fish I replaced him with was $5.

MissPisces · 08-09-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foolintherain

Thanks for writing this up. I'm guessing this was partially inspired by my story? I sort of guessed that some of this was true as I recently set up my first tank, and this sort of brings all my observations together and explains things. First, I've had friends in the service/retail industries and I do understand how customers can be, and the situations employees are sometimes put in, so I try to speak to employees like people, instead of like employees. The Petsmart people were no exception in really appreciating that.

But importantly, now I think I can say I have first hand experience with this. For my first few fish, I got a couple recommendations from one employee (with the manager included in the conversation). I came home and discussed it here, and people told me they were bad choices (the red-tailed shark because he wouldn't have enough room to swim and likes currents, and the boesemani because they like to school). Sure enough the boesemani was scared and the red-tailed shark had no appetite and after a while just hung out by the filter intake. I went back, returned the fish, and replaced them based on recommendations here. I spoke to the same employee (no manager around this time): he didn't seem at all surprised that I had issues and happily replaced the fish. He also... acted differently in a way that I couldn't place. I thought it was weird. Now I can see how he probably had pressure on him the first time. It's also probably worth mentioning that the boesemani which he recommended while the manager was there cost $13, whereas the one I replaced him with was $5.

Yeah, that sounds about right! They always act differently when the manager's around. Besides, it's not like the employee cares how much you spend. After all, it's not like at Sears or Best Buy. You wouldn't believe how many people thought we were working for commission!

And yep, partially this was inspired by your thread. Seeing some of the comments (and the comments from a thread I read through a week ago), I did a search on PetsMart. The results were pretty similar; people realizing that they'd gotten bad advice. I'm not mad at anyone, and I'm not blaming anyone for being mad at those employees! By all means, if I had gotten such rotten advice, my first reaction would be anger! In fact, most people on here have nicer things to say than I would. But I just try to remember what it was like working there, so now I don't get upset if I get bad advice.

Really, I guess this post was a sort of cautionary tale. Basically, I wanted to tell people not to take PetsMart advice to heart, but I wanted to let people know why.

mec102778 · 08-09-2011, 01:32 PM

I work at Petco now. So I see both sides.

majerah1 · 08-09-2011, 02:20 PM

I plan to get on at Petsmart when it comes local.I do hope they will let me,with the experience I have,though I am a little worried I may be over qualified.

That being said,I go through every day,and I try to treat everyone with respect,regardless if they are knowledgeable in what they are selling or not.I will ask for advice and the thoughts they have on things.I dont like being disrespectful to anyone.But I can whole heartedly understand the frustration of a new pet keeper,being given what they think is sound advice,and then finding out they are doing it wrong.And I can understand that many people will do what they need to,in order to keep a job.

Sweetgreenleaf13 · 08-10-2011, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrman83

I've never thought of them as scum, and I'll be the first one to tell you not to listen to them. I've never treated any of them badly or been disrespectful. The problem is most lack the experience to speak from....only know what they have been told. Very few can even tell you the aspects of the nitrogen cycle.

I want to say this is that petsmart and petco are out there to sell pet supplies from a to z to make a profit if you will note that most of the store is for dogs & cats as is there services (

have you ever seen a fish groomer at these stores

) Getting off from what I was saying I have gone to a local fish store ( and this is all they do is sell fish, aquariums and supplies ) here and asked one of their employees a question and they had no clue of what I was talking about, So saying to those who been around and newbies do you research, Learn and walk the talk and most of all on here we learn by our mistakes and mistake of others on here,,,,. So as not to blame the fish store employee are even management but corporate for not training their workers.

Peterjay · 08-10-2011, 01:24 PM

Back in the day, there weren't many sources of information, and fishkeepers were pretty much at the mercy of retailers when it came to advice. With the internet and forums like this one, and the amount of sound information that's out there today, there's no excuse (other than laziness) for walking out of a store with a ten-gallon tank and a common pleco. All it takes is a little homework, and it won't matter whether the sales person is knowledgeable or not. IMHO, the reason so many fishkeepers fail is due more to a lack of research than who happens to be working at Petsmart. BTW - our local Petsmart has spotless tanks and healthy fish, which is more than I can say for the competition. I guess it boils down to whether or not individual managers care about the quality of the livestock they're selling.

MissPisces · 08-10-2011, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peterjay

Back in the day, there weren't many sources of information, and fishkeepers were pretty much at the mercy of retailers when it came to advice. With the internet and forums like this one, and the amount of sound information that's out there today, there's no excuse (other than laziness) for walking out of a store with a ten-gallon tank and a common pleco. All it takes is a little homework, and it won't matter whether the sales person is knowledgeable or not. IMHO, the reason so many fishkeepers fail is due more to a lack of research than who happens to be working at Petsmart. BTW - our local Petsmart has spotless tanks and healthy fish, which is more than I can say for the competition. I guess it boils down to whether or not individual managers care about the quality of the livestock they're selling.

Absolutely! I never take one piece of advice alone. I always seek second, third, and fourth opinions from different sources, regardless of whether I got my advice from a PetsMart employee or not. It's just better to research all you can about something.

Future Marine Biologist · 08-25-2011, 10:35 AM

When a newbie comes in and believes everything told I don not blame the employer I get annoyed with the customer who thinks they can get fish with so little research. I waited a year before getting my first tank.

08-09-2011, 04:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
MissPisces novice aquarium nut MissPisces's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 428 Name: Just call me Liz. Or Beth. Or just Elizabeth! It's my middle/nick name Location: Texas, United States Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 213 Times Said "Thanks" 115 Times Was Thanked 76 Times in 73 Posts	Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee Since coming to this forum, I’ve met a lot of really nice people. Some are experts, some are newbies like me, and we’re all very different. However, there seems to be a general agreement here that PetsMart employees are, well, scum. I’ve read quite a few posts saying nasty things about people who work in retail pet stores. It’s the general consensus here that they’re not to be trusted, like they’re out to ruin your tank with bad advice and false advertising or something. Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this topic. As a former PetsMart employee, I’d like to discuss the largely reviled retail chain from the point of view of someone who actually worked there. First of all, I do agree that as a general rule, advice from retail employees is not to be trusted 100%. Most of them are people who just needed a job, and they don’t necessarily have any experience with keeping pets. Because of the nature of American retail business practices, many stores go through employees like they do fish – new ones are always coming in, and you’ll rarely find one who’s been there for more than six months. It’s a sad fact that when it comes to keeping fish, most of them are just not qualified to give good advice. That doesn’t mean they don’t care, or don’t want to help. I was one employee who did care, and there were quite a few of us who genuinely wanted to learn. Sadly, the management is dead set on weeding out anyone who will give any advice that contradicts the company’s goal, which is to make money. If there’s someone who knows about tanks, and who will advise a new tank owner to just scrub the glass instead of buying chemical algae remover, that person is automatically blacklisted. If an employee tells a person how to level out pH without mentioning the costly pH Up and Down products, then that employee’s days are assuredly numbered. Retail is a rough field to work in, and the ones who always catch the most trouble are the employees. But managers aren’t the only people who show up to ruin an employee’s outlook on life. Customers can be nothing short of tyrannical, to say the least. When it comes to customers, an employee is caught between two groups. The first group, the first-time tank owners, look to them for advice. They put the pressure on an employee to know as much as possible. Naturally, the managers are ready and willing to help the employee learn, though most information is usually wrong in the hopes of selling more products. It’s not entirely the manager’s fault; they’re just doing what the company says to do, though maybe if they started rebelling they'd be able to change retail... but that's another topic. Anyway, the employee has no choice but to act confident in their advice. For one thing, they don’t know any better. For another, they get chewed out by the customer if they seem to be anything but experts. I used to always tell a customer if I didn't know the answer to a question, and more often than not the customer would get angry. Like I was supposed to know, like a coffee machine that's supposed to make coffee perfectly every time. Customers make it VERY easy to give false advice; a lot of my coworkers would give bogus advice just to make the customer happy for the time being. The other type of customer is the experienced fish-owner. This customer comes into the store with an attitude of disdain, looking down on the employee as someone who isn’t worth his time. Some ask for advice just to ridicule the wrong answers the employees give. Others shrug off all help with an air of superiority and refuse to treat the employee even half as well as they would treat yesterday’s newspaper. If you’ve ever been into a PetsMart – or ANY kind of retail store – and encountered a listless and somewhat rude employee, have you ever wondered why? If you had to stand around all day listening to complaints from customers and demands from managers, if you were always told conflicting information, if you were treated like dirt from the start of your shift until you can finally shrug off your work clothes and become a valued member of society once more… How would YOU feel? How would you feel if everything that went wrong, from sick fish to lower sales counts, was your fault according to the managers and customers? Would you feel cheerful and willing to help? Or would you begin to hate people as much as they seemed to hate you? Working at PetsMart was the main reason I got into college. I’m getting my internship in the spring, and I am never looking back. I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but that’s what it’s like. So please, next time you go into a store, try to talk to the employees as if they were real people. Try to see them as something more than mindless drones. Believe me, they appreciate it. Even if they don’t show it, it really does mean something to them to be talked to like a person. And the next time you hear of someone getting bad advice from a PetsMart employee, please don’t feel so inclined to blame them. Blame the system, blame greed, but try not to blame someone who can’t help it. Your attitude just perpetuates their mistreatment by customers and by managers… Just a few thoughts. __________________ Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

08-09-2011, 10:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
susankat Pleco n bn breeder n BOSS susankat's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,412 Name: Susan Location: Tulsa, Ok Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 2,081 Times Said "Thanks" 1,610 Times Was Thanked 1,807 Times in 1,548 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee Good thoughts for people to understand. I have worked in retail most of my life and most of the time no matter where it is, most people will look down on you as if your low life. As to Petsmart. I have 2 that is near me. I go to one when I need supplies. There is a few people there that has been there since it opened. For the most part though most of the people that work in the fish dept doesn't know anything but what they are trained. But there is one person there that knows her fish and is very easy to talk to. If I am in the store and she doesn't know what advice to give a person she will ask me to explain things to the customer. If it is someone with no experience, most will say I don't care I want this fish for my tank, or I want this many whether they fit or not. __________________ SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!! 220 Tank build http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

08-09-2011, 11:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,463 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,382 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee I've never thought of them as scum, and I'll be the first one to tell you not to listen to them. I've never treated any of them badly or been disrespectful. The problem is most lack the experience to speak from....only know what they have been told. Very few can even tell you the aspects of the nitrogen cycle.

08-09-2011, 11:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
foolintherain Dave foolintherain's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 38 Name: Dave Location: Houston, TX Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 10 Times Said "Thanks" 13 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee Thanks for writing this up. I'm guessing this was partially inspired by my story? I sort of guessed that some of this was true as I recently set up my first tank, and this sort of brings all my observations together and explains things. First, I've had friends in the service/retail industries and I do understand how customers can be, and the situations employees are sometimes put in, so I try to speak to employees like people, instead of like employees. The Petsmart people were no exception in really appreciating that. But importantly, now I think I can say I have first hand experience with this. For my first few fish, I got a couple recommendations from one employee (with the manager included in the conversation). I came home and discussed it here, and people told me they were bad choices (the red-tailed shark because he wouldn't have enough room to swim and likes currents, and the boesemani because they like to school). Sure enough the boesemani was scared and the red-tailed shark had no appetite and after a while just hung out by the filter intake. I went back, returned the fish, and replaced them based on recommendations here. I spoke to the same employee (no manager around this time): he didn't seem at all surprised that I had issues and happily replaced the fish. He also... acted differently in a way that I couldn't place. I thought it was weird. Now I can see how he probably had pressure on him the first time. It's also probably worth mentioning that the boesemani which he recommended while the manager was there cost $13, whereas the more appropriate fish I replaced him with was $5. __________________ Just starting: 10 Gallon 1 Honey gourami 3 Peppered corys 3 Ghost shrimp Wisteria Aponogeton Amazon swords Anubias nana Marimo moss ball rotala indica Last edited by foolintherain : 08-09-2011 at 11:46 AM.

08-09-2011, 01:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
mec102778 ADV TankSeperationAnxity mec102778's Photo Gallery Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 1,442 Name: Mike Location: Lorton, VA My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 536 Times Said "Thanks" 246 Times Was Thanked 299 Times in 281 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee I work at Petco now. So I see both sides. __________________ 100G->African Cichlids:Kribensis-2,Bumblebee-2,Red Zebra-2,Elec. Yel. Labi.-2, Acei-2, Elec. Blu. Johanni-2,Peacocks-2 / Community: Australian Rainbow-3,Turquoise Rainbow-4,Dalmatian Mollies-2,white molly-1,Dojo Loaches-1/Cleaners:Chinese Algea Eaters-5/Murderers: Dinosaur Bichir-1And lots of other tanks,2-Gourims,6-Rams,1-Arrowanna,6-FW Flounder,1-Farlowella CF, 1-Spiney Eel

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08-09-2011, 02:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
majerah1 Wild betta tamer majerah1's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 4,290 Name: Beverly D Fincannon Location: Easley,SC My location Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 961 Times Said "Thanks" 546 Times Was Thanked 1,126 Times in 1,011 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee I plan to get on at Petsmart when it comes local.I do hope they will let me,with the experience I have,though I am a little worried I may be over qualified. That being said,I go through every day,and I try to treat everyone with respect,regardless if they are knowledgeable in what they are selling or not.I will ask for advice and the thoughts they have on things.I dont like being disrespectful to anyone.But I can whole heartedly understand the frustration of a new pet keeper,being given what they think is sound advice,and then finding out they are doing it wrong.And I can understand that many people will do what they need to,in order to keep a job. __________________ http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/ "Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

08-10-2011, 01:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
Peterjay Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 67 Location: Gales Ferry, CT Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 115 Times Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 18 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee Back in the day, there weren't many sources of information, and fishkeepers were pretty much at the mercy of retailers when it came to advice. With the internet and forums like this one, and the amount of sound information that's out there today, there's no excuse (other than laziness) for walking out of a store with a ten-gallon tank and a common pleco. All it takes is a little homework, and it won't matter whether the sales person is knowledgeable or not. IMHO, the reason so many fishkeepers fail is due more to a lack of research than who happens to be working at Petsmart. BTW - our local Petsmart has spotless tanks and healthy fish, which is more than I can say for the competition. I guess it boils down to whether or not individual managers care about the quality of the livestock they're selling.

08-25-2011, 10:35 AM	#11 (permalink)
Future Marine Biologist Future Marine Biologist's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 144 Name: Joseph Thomas (I not gonna tell you my last name.) Location: I aint gonna tell you! Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 23 Times Said "Thanks" 23 Times Was Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts	Re: Observations from a Former PetsMart Employee When a newbie comes in and believes everything told I don not blame the employer I get annoyed with the customer who thinks they can get fish with so little research. I waited a year before getting my first tank. __________________ Ha Ha Ha, Ha Ha Ha, Haaa... I don`t get it

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