Big Chain Pet Stores and the People Who Hate Them....

[BrandiR]

I am constantly hearing and reading about the horrors of Pe....you know.

I don't love to go there and see 12 snakes in a shoe box sized tank (I knew that was wrong the first time I saw it and I didn't know crap about snakes), or Uromastyx in a 10 gallon breeder, or feather plucking baby Conures.

We've all seen it and we all know it isn't right. Some freak out on the nearest associate and some tsk and walk away. Obviously, neither of those reactions change anything.

This is a big " What if", as I don't know if corporate would allow it even if the store was on board, but what if some of you really knowledgeable herpers offered some of your time to your local big chain store? As much or as little as you can spare. Maybe offer to have a two hour "training session" with the staff. Offer to supply good caresheets for them to hand out. Maybe see if you can just be there for X number of hours per week/month to answer customer questions.

They must have a ton of space in "the back". Is there any chance they'd set up a cheap(er) rack system for back stock and display one animal at a time?

Obviously, you can't threaten their business. You can't tell a customer, "These hides are too expensive, make your own, here's how!" A person doing this would probably have to compromise their true beliefs sometimes, like if you're asked if, "this habitat-in-a-box" will work. If it "will work" you'd have to say yes, even if you know of something better and cheaper.

I'd go as far as to predict that having volunteers like this in every department would help sales, and certainly these stores' reputation.

I believe the employees are not at fault, usually. Most of them work there because they like the animals. Most of them would probably welcome the opportunity to learn the right way.

I'm not naive enough to believe something like this will change the world. But I do believe it could help.

[Norsejeff]

Wouldn't that be great if some large corporate chain would allow that? Unfortunately I doubt they ever will go for setting up rack systems or housing the Chinese water dragons and green iguanas in fit enclosures. Its all a numbers game to them. Animal in, animal out - regardless of health, knowledge and proper husbandry.

It would definitely be cool to get them to allow a knowledgeable person to volunteer their time educating prospective buyers, but I don't see that happening either. The more you know about that slimy snake's or pretty little green iguana's care, the more people will stray away from buying them and the more money corporate will lose.

But hey, I'm a pessimist when it comes to big box pet stores lol

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[RobNJ]

Volunteers = Liability which costs money.

I do agree that the employees are not at fault, not necessarily that they are there because they like the animals, but like anyone else, they need a paycheck. The stores don't put forth the money, time and effort to properly train anyone to be knowledgeable about the animals, much less specific species. Just not many people working minimum wage(or close to it) jobs that are going to go out of their way to learn more about their field of work on their own time.

[BrandiR]

I guess I didn't consider the more complex needs of other lizards...they can't all live in a rack, duh. I seriously never think anything through.

As far as making money, you could still make money for them. For example, I sell diamonds. If a client tells me they want a VVS stone, I sell it to them if I can. I know they can spend thousands less on a SI2 that's still eye-clean, but I show them the more expensive one they asked for. If they buy it, awesome. If it's too much, I show them the other and get all technical about what they really should be looking for.

This is the same idea. You might know they don't need to invest $300 but if the store sells it and it's appropriate, you tell them it will work. You aren't lying and it's not unethical. They want/need something and it's available.

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Volunteers = Liability which costs money.

I do agree that the employees are not at fault, not necessarily that they are there because they like the animals, but like anyone else, they need a paycheck. The stores don't put forth the money, time and effort to properly train anyone to be knowledgeable about the animals, much less specific species. Just not many people working minimum wage(or close to it) jobs that are going to go out of their way to learn more about their field of work on their own time.

Sign a waiver.

The second part is sad, but true. I believe in doing your best in honor of yourself, whether you're making $50 or $1,000,000.

[Cupid]

There's no way they would allow any of that.

Most of the staff at the store I work at know a lot about the animals and know that they are crowed in small cages. There's just nothing we can do about it. We get more animals shipped to us then we need. What are we suppose to do with 10 robo hamsters? When there's already 5 of them of the sales floor. There's only so much we can do.

There's also barely any room 'in the back'. Most of the space is used for animals that fight with one another and must be placed in separate bins. There is one rack type system that can hold 8 smaller bins and two larger bins. Then the big metal 6 cage bird habitat. Those two things take up a whole wall. The other side has a few 10 gallon takes for new reptiles, and that's it. You can barely get the small food cart and yourself in there.

Believe me, employees complain about how the animals are. It's not the stores fault. It's the top that makes our decisions.

And honestly, most of the customers don't really care if you know more than them. I had one come it buying two heat lamps for their ball python, and I tried to tell them about the heat mats, but I get brushed off. Even when people come in for live feeders (which we do not sell), I direct them over to the f/y mice and rats and they just make a scrunchy face and say no thanks. They do not want to be told how to keep their animals. I've only had one lady come in, wanting a guinea pig, and who was willing to listen to me about their cage requirements and go out and MAKE the right size cage that it needed.

So i think it really comes down to know only the employees knowing their stuff but the customers listening. Doing a little volunteer info thing with the employees wont do you any good. Because they either already know, or they do not care.


Oh, and we can tell them to make their own stuff if it's cheaper. No one cares about that. Most of the time the customers would rather buy something than make it anyways. And you don't have to say 'yes' if you think a habitat wont work for an animal. I say no all the time. We can even say 'no' to selling an animal if we think the person is not fit to care for it.

..so in the short run, unless you find a random employee that doesnt know a lot about an animal, and YOU want to educate them a little bit, go head. But doing group sessions won't work, volunteers won't work, because if there's volunteers willing to answer questions that we are paid to answer, then we are out of a job. Nothing will change with the stores unless someone at the very top decided they want to change it. The employees do the best they can with the animals, so stores better than others, but there's only so much that we can change.

[Quantum Constrictors]

The Petsmarts here are actually ACE! Their fish are all healthy and always clean. All the fish are in the right tanks and they dont have american cichlids in with african.

All the Small animal cages are always spotless and the animals clean and healthy and live long perfect lives (have had rats and guinea pigs live out their whole life span)

Reptile cages are all perfect temps and humidity. ONE snake PER cage! With proper bedding and hides. Never have seen a mite or a stuck shed. All the lizards are ace as well.

All the cats in the adoption are always very well cared for as well. Taken out daily and brushed. Litter box always clean.

And best of all the employees are always very knowledgeable.

Hence why I am actually applying to work there. I really hope I get the job

[rabernet]

Before I moved, if the employees in my local Petsmart knew I was there, they would page me if they had a customer in the reptile department. Freaked me out the first I heard a page going, and "Robin, can you please come to the front?"

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[Annarose15]

The Petsmarts here are actually ACE! Their fish are all healthy and always clean. All the fish are in the right tanks and they dont have american cichlids in with african.

All the Small animal cages are always spotless and the animals clean and healthy and live long perfect lives (have had rats and guinea pigs live out their whole life span)

Reptile cages are all perfect temps and humidity. ONE snake PER cage! With proper bedding and hides. Never have seen a mite or a stuck shed. All the lizards are ace as well.

All the cats in the adoption are always very well cared for as well. Taken out daily and brushed. Litter box always clean.

And best of all the employees are always very knowledgeable.

Hence why I am actually applying to work there. I really hope I get the job

So, to me, this would infer that it is absolutely the employees' faults and responsibilities if an animal is in poor condition in their store, because proper care does happen in pet store chains. Now, the minimum-wage shelf-stocker or cage-cleaner might not have much say, but the local management definitely does. I'm not talking about perfection, I'm talking about animals that eat when and what they should, don't have feces or old shed stuck to them, and aren't diseased or emaciated. It's not rocket surgery, people.

[gopherhockey03]

My Petco is awesome here also. I usually show up twice a week they all know me by name! I've helped them with a couple things such as humid hides for the leopard geckos and not feeding frozen vegies to the Torts. After I talked to them they fixed everything and are now spot on! About a month ago they had a little baby leopard gecko that they got in sick and took it to the vet. The manager told me the whole story and was furious! The gecko itself needed special care for the first two weeks after the vet, so that's why they offered her to me for free !!! Now she's a awesome little gecko!