Venting About Petco...

So I stopped by Petco today to see what that dollar a gallon sale was all about. While I was there I wanted to take a look at the ball pythons they had. So I first asked one girl to help me out... she didn't even know how to get into the tank, so she went to go grab a manager for me. Keep in mind I say manager.

The manager walks up and immediately asks me, "Do you want to take one home." To which I of course respond, "Well I cannot tell you that without actually seeing them, so could you please pick up the half log so I can look at the snakes." She gets up grudgingly on the step stool and pulls the log up to reveal three babies. I asked her to please pull them apart so I could see them all.

She pulls one away and leaves the other two on top of one another, then steps down off the step stool and steps back. I look at her and ask once more, "Could you pull those other two apart so I can see them." She looks me dead in the eye and I kid you not says, "You can do it." I looked at her in shock, then asked her, "Are you really that terrified of them?" So she replies, "I do not like getting bit and now they are all riled up." So I roll my eyes, get up on the step ladder, reach in there and pull them all apart so I can see them.

No bites... no strikes... not even a tense baby among them. I took a look at what was there and then said thank you and promptly left. Why does it still surprise me at this point that such ignorant and inexperienced people work at these places? As a manager you should be able to handle all the animals. God help her if I would have fallen off the step stool or gotten bit and then sued her stupid company. >:|

I'm confused. Were you really looking for ball or just looking for something to get riled up about? It's Petco - they are almost always that way. Sounds like they actually had a hide which is better than most. Who cares if some kid manager who makes $8 bucks an hour isn't comfortable with them? :confuzd::confuzd:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crawly's Mom

So I stopped by Petco today to see what that dollar a gallon sale was all about. While I was there I wanted to take a look at the ball pythons they had. So I first asked one girl to help me out... she didn't even know how to get into the tank, so she went to go grab a manager for me. Keep in mind I say manager.

The manager walks up and immediately asks me, "Do you want to take one home." To which I of course respond, "Well I cannot tell you that without actually seeing them, so could you please pick up the half log so I can look at the snakes." She gets up grudgingly on the step stool and pulls the log up to reveal three babies. I asked her to please pull them apart so I could see them all.

She pulls one away and leaves the other two on top of one another, then steps down off the step stool and steps back. I look at her and ask once more, "Could you pull those other two apart so I can see them." She looks me dead in the eye and I kid you not says, "You can do it." I looked at her in shock, then asked her, "Are you really that terrified of them?" So she replies, "I do not like getting bit and now they are all riled up." So I roll my eyes, get up on the step ladder, reach in there and pull them all apart so I can see them.

No bites... no strikes... not even a tense baby among them. I took a look at what was there and then said thank you and promptly left. Why does it still surprise me at this point that such ignorant and inexperienced people work at these places? As a manager you should be able to handle all the animals. God help her if I would have fallen off the step stool or gotten bit and then sued her stupid company. >:|

---

It's sad.. these stores fail because of bad work staff, kudo's for not blaming the entire company though. :) that gets REALLY annoying.

Personally, i think I'm lucky, our Petsmart has a BP breeder now who only puts two-three to a tank and gives them a hide per snake. I know it's bad, but it's better then most stores that sell reptiles..

You should report the manager to the company and say she endangered your life. :p

The Petcos/Petsmarts by me are the same way, they have the worst experienced staff. I ask them question just for fun to hear their bs. This is why i stick with trusted breeders and local trusted family owned reptile shops.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by womsterr

I'm confused. Were you really looking for ball or just looking for something to get riled up about? It's Petco - they are almost always that way. Sounds like they actually had a hide which is better than most. Who cares if some kid manager who makes $8 bucks an hour isn't comfortable with them? :confuzd::confuzd:

---

The issue is this is not a kid. It was an adult woman and she was the manager. As a manager at a store that carries multiple types of snakes you should at least be comfortable enough to handle them for general care. If you cannot even manage moving one then frankly you should not be in charge of a store that carries animals. Additionally she told me to get up on a ladder and move them myself. I have worked retail myself and can tell you that had something happened and I fell off the ladder or one of the snakes had bit me, they would be liable for that. Again that is something she should keep in mind as a manager.

I realize this is a major chain store and a lot of what they do is not right, however, that does not change the fact that they should AT LEAST know the basics... especially something as basic as moving an animal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crawly's Mom

The issue is this is not a kid. It was an adult woman and she was the manager. As a manager at a store that carries multiple types of snakes you should at least be comfortable enough to handle them for general care. If you cannot even manage moving one then frankly you should not be in charge of a store that carries animals. Additionally she told me to get up on a ladder and move them myself. I have worked retail myself and can tell you that had something happened and I fell off the ladder or one of the snakes had bit me, they would be liable for that. Again that is something she should keep in mind as a manager.

I realize this is a major chain store and a lot of what they do is not right, however, that does not change the fact that they should AT LEAST know the basics... especially something as basic as moving an animal.

---

Very well said. Iv even asked their employies questions before and they didnt know the answer and i would tell them to their face "Then why are you working here?"

Their facial expression is priceless.

Yea, I had a similar experience at my local petco. I had asked to handle each normal and the worker just gave me the first one she could reach. There was one normal in a corner that was striking out at her. I asked to see that one and she said "I'll let you do that and you can use the ladder". I ended up buying a normal just to get some snake keeping experience.
I went another time to the same petco. Waited and waited and actually both times I had to ask someone for help. I was standing around for 10-15 min's , store was practically empty. A girl walk's up and when I told her I would like to look at the normal's? She had to get someone else. The guy walk's up set's the ladder up and open's the cage. I had go up the ladder pick out a few snakes hand some to the guy. And, the guy tried to choose a normal for me. He knew alittle info on them I'll give him that. I asked him "how do tell which is a boy and which is a girl?" He said "it depend's on how skinny the tail is. If, it goes from the thickness of the body then suddenly get's small and skinny (tail) then it's most likely a girl"
I'm not totally complaining about petco. But, IMO alot of people will go to petco or petsmart for the first snake. The experience should be pleasant and educational. And, the employees should not try and sell misc stuff to the customer if it's really not neccessary.

Wow i agree you should at least be able to stand moving the snakes, out where i live the petco staff is horrible as well. I got my BP Jay at Petsmart,one of the worker guys new a lot about Ball Pythons and even gave me some advice and told a story about his own BP. He was also able to tell me that the snakes they had are all CBB from a local breeder and the inclosure Jay was in was well maintained.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crawly's Mom

As a manager at a store that carries multiple types of snakes you should at least be comfortable enough to handle them for general care.

---

In a perfect world.

Unfortunatley some people just don't care (employees at any store, that is). I run into it all the time at a whole bunch of different stores: workers who can't give me the time of day to help me to get xyz off the shelf, who don't care to give good, personable customer service, some who are just down right rude for no reason. It happens.

We unfortunatley can't expect every worker at every petstore to have a passion for the reptiles like we do, but yes I do agree that workers at petstores should be able to offer help to someone who actually need assistance with something.

Were you actually looking to buy a snake when you were there?

i went to the petco by my house and the girl working there was a girl i went to highschool with. Now that would not have been a problem if this individual was not famous for killing the dolphin "chuckles" at the pgh zoo during her grad project. did not do much to help with my level of confidence in the stores knowledge about anything.

Crawly my very first BP I ever bought was from PetsMart. I was not there specifically to buy a snake, however, that being said if I had seen something that I wanted then yes I would have picked it up. Granted there would have been a long quarantine process away from all of my other snakes, but it is possible to find something. I have heard of people spotting pastels, black backs, yellowbellies, fires, etc. at Petco and sometimes PetsMart. So I always look, just in case.

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SpencerShanks

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

---

Very well put.. enough said.

I will ad.. It is funny to see "stupid" animals strike the employees who you can tell don't like them and not you :P

I mean stupid in the terms of Ball pythons always getting the rap of "mindless reptile" I honestly think they're smarter then what we give them credit for.. I mean they can distinguish person to person. (scent it may be, but still smart!)

Another Petco/Petsmart bashing thread?

Yawn.

In defense of the manager, at least she wasn't stupid enough to buy one, too lazy to research on how to properly care for it, fail to provide proper husbandry for it and then post here on what to do when the animal gets sick.

Then after being given the proper advice, argue with the people trying to help her, refuse to take the animal to the vet and then report back on how heartbroken she was that it died.

Then rushes out and buy another and spams the forum with crappy pics.

Nope, she doesn't sound THAT stupid at all.

Just a store manager afraid to touch a couple of snakes. Excuse me if I don't jump in on the judgement party with you all.

See, I happen to know for a fact there are people on this forum who work at Petco and Petsmart. I'll wager they know more about snakes than most people who are stupid enough to typecast them. Shame on some of you for ASSuming that all petstore employees are cast from the same mold.

Now I know there are some people who post here who feel they are truly God's chosen few because they know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to reptiles. I know that because we routinely get treated to their judgement filled posts as they look down with a discrimination bordering on contempt for any one who they feel isn't as enlightened as them, whether it be the dog food store manager who doesn't want to touch a snake or a Craigslist poster who doesn't have his ball python mutancy terminology all worked out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zeion97

Very well put.. enough said.

I will ad.. It is funny to see "stupid" animals strike the employees who you can tell don't like them and not you :P

---

Haha, not sure that I've seen that before. Recently I've only been able to run in and out, just to buy some feeders while my mom sits in the parking lot :L Not much time to hold the baby BP's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crawly's Mom

The issue is this is not a kid. It was an adult woman and she was the manager. As a manager at a store that carries multiple types of snakes you should at least be comfortable enough to handle them for general care. If you cannot even manage moving one then frankly you should not be in charge of a store that carries animals. Additionally she told me to get up on a ladder and move them myself. I have worked retail myself and can tell you that had something happened and I fell off the ladder or one of the snakes had bit me, they would be liable for that. Again that is something she should keep in mind as a manager.

I realize this is a major chain store and a lot of what they do is not right, however, that does not change the fact that they should AT LEAST know the basics... especially something as basic as moving an animal.

---

The "ladder" at my Petco is a 3 step step stool. Whether a grown woman or girl a shift manager at a local Petco is extremely low paid worker. You can't expect them all to have the same passion that we have. It's just not gonna happen. I think we need to respect that. It seems you went into there with an agenda. If your not looking for a normal for your collection, why force them/waste there time/stress the snakes out to move them all around? For the life of me, i'm lost here...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SpencerShanks

Haha, not sure that I've seen that before. Recently I've only been able to run in and out, just to buy some feeders while my mom sits in the parking lot :L Not much time to hold the baby BP's.

---

I went to a pet store where they had a 4 foot RTB for sale while we were visiting my Fiacee's family and I asked to hold it and it tried to bite everyone but me, even took a nip at my Fiancee :P lol. I just picked it up it went around my neck and sat so calmly. I wanted to take it home so badly, but hey. Unlike Ash we can't "catch" them all. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

Another Petco/Petsmart bashing thread?

Yawn.

In defense of the manager, at least she wasn't stupid enough to buy one, too lazy to research on how to properly care for it, fail to provide proper husbandry for it and then post here on what to do when the animal gets sick.

Then after being given the proper advice, argue with the people trying to help her, refuse to take the animal to the vet and then report back on how heartbroken she was that it died.

Then rushes out and buy another and spams the forum with crappy pics.

Nope, she doesn't sound THAT stupid at all.

Just a store manager afraid to touch a couple of snakes. Excuse me if I don't jump in on the judgement party with you all.

See, I happen to know for a fact there are people on this forum who work at Petco and Petsmart. I'll wager they know more about snakes than most people who are stupid enough to typecast them. Shame on some of you for ASSuming that all petstore employees are cast from the same mold.

Now I know there are some people who post here who feel they are truly God's chosen few because they know a smidge about reptiles. I know that because we routinely get treated to their judgement filled posts as they look down with a discrimination bordering on contempt for any one who they feel isn't as enlightened as them = whether it be the dog food store manager who doesn't want to touch a snake or a Craigslist poster who doesn't have his ball python mutancy terminology all worked out.

---

As I said before, I understand this is a large company. I even know there are people who may be afraid to handle animals there or who do not know everything they should about caring for them. My issue is that as a manager of a petstore that you should be capable of managing your fear and at least being able to move an animal so a customer can see it.

Telling a customer to get up on a ladder and reach into a tank of snakes because you are too afraid to do it yourself is not okay. If for no other reason than the risk involved in that one action. If you go to Home Depot and try to climb one of their ladders to take down a product I guarantee you they will tell you to get down, in fact they have signs on those ladders that say do not climb. It is a liability to the company. My judgement is of that individual for not being capable enough to do her job without being a risk to the company and her customers.

If I or someone else who she had done the same to either fell from the ladder or was bitten then they or I would have a right to sue the company. That is an error on the managers part, I do not care who you are or how you view it, that is a flaw.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SpencerShanks

After reading multiple stories like this I feel like I'm the luckiest guy around when it comes to local pet stores. At the two Petsmarts, the Petco, and a small exotics shop within 10-20 miles of my house, I've had good experiences for the most part. Both Petsmarts have had reptile owners working the floor (one of them I think was lying, just to make my mom trust what she was saying and buy more fluff, actually). The Petco has a man that breed his own crested geckos, willing to reach into any tank to show me what they had. The people working at the small exotics shop know all the regular customers, know a bit about their reputation, and know their products. Shows that not all chain stores are bad just because they're a chain store.

---

No freaking way.

All Petcos are bad.

All people working at Petcos are idiots.

The Petco we have in my neck of the woods has a young man who works there. He works part time at Petco while he is working on the first leg of his veterinary degree.

He is perhaps one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable keepers I have ever met when it comes to varanids and he builds some of the most amazing enclosures I have ever seen.

He also knows a heck of alot about rear fanged colubrids and the effort to reclassify them. I have spent a lot of evenings in Petco, holding a 40lb bag of grain free kibble while my kids fidget and tug at my clothes, talking to this kid.

Just saying..................

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by womsterr

The "ladder" at my Petco is a 3 step step stool. Whether a grown woman or girl a shift manager at a local Petco is extremely low paid worker. You can't expect them all to have the same passion that we have. It's just not gonna happen. I think we need to respect that. It seems you went into there with an agenda. If your not looking for a normal for your collection, why force them/waste there time/stress the snakes out to move them all around? For the life of me, i'm lost here...

---

I did not go into the store with an agenda. As I said above had there been something there I liked or was interested in, then I would have picked it up. If I cannot see the animals then I do not know if there is anything I want to take home. I am in fact looking for a normal black back female, which is not unheard of to find at a pet store. I do not expect them to have my same enthusiasm for reptiles, however, I do expect a manager at a pet store to be able to move an animal so it can be seen when it is HER JOB. I do not care how much she is paid, it is her job to handle and sell pets and pet related goods. If she is not capable of that then she should not be working there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crawly's Mom

As I said before, I understand this is a large company. I even know there are people who may be afraid to handle animals there or who do not know everything they should about caring for them. My issue is that as a manager of a petstore that you should be capable of managing your fear and at least being able to move an animal so a customer can see it.

Telling a customer to get up on a ladder and reach into a tank of snakes because you are too afraid to do it yourself is not okay. If for no other reason than the risk involved in that one action. If you go to Home Depot and try to climb one of their ladders to take down a product I guarantee you they will tell you to get down, in fact they have signs on those ladders that say do not climb. It is a liability to the company. My judgement is of that individual for not being capable enough to do her job without being a risk to the company and her customers.

If I or someone else who she had done the same to either fell from the ladder or was bitten then they or I would have a right to sue the company. That is an error on the managers part, I do not care who you are or how you view it, that is a flaw.

---

Vent about the ladder all you want - if it makes you feel better about it.

Just don't go down that road...........you know the one that includes typecasting everyone who works at a Petco..........

Just because she works at Petco doesn't mean she has to like snakes enough to handle them? As a manager, her job is to make sure that the Petco staff underneath her do their job properly in taking care of the snakes. As a manager, it's her decision to allow you on the step-stool and take the risk of liability.

That's what managers do in retail.

And FWIW, comparing one store's policies to another is useless. And it's even more useless when the two stores belong to different companies.

I've seen a grown man, 6 foot 200 plus pounds put on a thick leather handling glove that went up to his elbow, just to get into the ball python tank.

I laughed so hard when I saw it.

I would like to say that anybody who stereotypes petco workers is wrong. My local petco has a few fantastic workers. There is a girl who, while she obviously doesn't have a clue about many of the animals, she takes the time to listen to my suggestions on how to care for them, and nearly every time I return, the problem is solved. Also, there is a young man who breeds tarantulas, cornsnakes, leos, and cresties. He also knows his stuff on nearly every hero, and definitely on all of the ones in the store. He helps me with lots of things, and also offers me great deals on some of his animals. In fact, he is selling 5 buck spiderlings if you live near Monterey ca, then go to pizzo productions on Facebook, and give him a call.

While I agree that most chain stores are bad, I just hope that they don't get stereotyped.

.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brobertson

He also knows his stuff on nearly every hero,

---

edit herp

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kodieh

I've seen a grown man, 6 foot 200 plus pounds put on a thick leather handling glove that went up to his elbow, just to get into the ball python tank.

I laughed so hard when I saw it.

---

omg - i think i would fall down laughing if i ever saw this...

does he don a bee suit to go into the cricket bin?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kodieh

I've seen a grown man, 6 foot 200 plus pounds put on a thick leather handling glove that went up to his elbow, just to get into the ball python tank.

I laughed so hard when I saw it.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by womsterr

omg - i think i would fall down laughing if i ever saw this...

does he don a bee suit to go into the cricket bin?

---

Ya know guys, if it was you who was scared you may not be so quick to mock.

That's really not cool.

As previously mentioned, it is her job as a manager to manage, not to be comfortable around every animal in the store. She may not have had the best tone or perhaps wasn't as friendly as she could have been, but without having been there, I can't say whether or not it was deserved. Petco does not require that their employees be fearless around every animal...even employees that work directly with the animals. They require that employees can provide the minimum care. This isnt the fault of am employee that is just trying to pay the bills. They are retail employees that are being asked to do more work than they were just a year ago, with 60% of the staff. The turnover rate is huge... and large chain stores are left with staff that

1) is brand new and in training

2) has been with the company for so long because they are worried about paying bills and can't afford or can't find a job elsewhere, and are now bitter or exhausted (not saying it is an excuse to be rude, but know that it IS retail, and they are often not paid enough to give a damn about feelings...the ones who do show exceptional customer service should really be given an extra pat on the back)...

or 3) legitimately care about their job and the animals in their care... but are constantly faced with impossibly growing workloads that make exceptional animal care in a retail environment such as PETCO/petsmart nearly impossible.

Keep in mind too, that this manager might know more about ferrets than anybody in the state... they may be more passionate about scorpions than anybody on arachnoboards... working in a large chain store with several species makes it difficult for every single employee in every store to be an expert on every animal. The reptile dept alone at my local PETCO has 10 different species of snakes right now. Each with unique husbandry requirements. Now add in the amphibians, geckos, torts/turts, several species of rodents, ferrets, multiple species of parrots, finches, hundreds of species of fish...again all with different requirements... deep breath... and then add on that each employee must also be familiar with basic dog and cat nutrition, basic medical ailments, etc.... while I agree it would be preferred or ideal for the manager to be comfortable with handling the ball pythons.... I will be the last person to jump them for their discomfort.

I've been thinking about applying at Petco for a part time job, just to get me out of the house and to make some extra money. I have to say though, if I got hired there would not even be a snowball's chance in hell of me putting my hand anywhere near the tarantulas. :oops:

Some people are just as afraid of snakes as I am of spiders. It's weird to me, because I find snakes so beautiful/cute, but I guess there are people who think their pet spiders are beautiful and cute too. :P

I have never had a good experience at a petco either. The employee's do not have a clue about anything to do with any of the animals. That just shows that the company doesn't bother to train their employee's to be knowledgeable. So, the sad part is that along comes some customer who also doesn't know anything about said animals but buys one anyhow, going off of petco employee's info. Then said animal isn't cared for properly. That just isn't fair to the animal. I personally would never buy an animal from them, I stick with the breeders or local herp store.

How many times do you think someone has walked into the Petco to see the snakes and then after seeing them turns around and walks out? Maybe the manager asked you about your intentions to buy a snake because she didn't want to bother the snakes again. Maybe the snakes had been bothered all day long by curious people and she didn't want to stress them out anymore. Maybe the kid you talked to has a vast knowledge of fish, cats or dogs. You were just another customer that had a question at the time. You have no clue what happened in the hours before you arrived at the store.
I used to work at a local owned pet store 20 years ago and I couldn't stand snakes at the time. I wouldn't pick them up at all because I was scared of them. But if people had a question about cichlids or saltwater fish, live rock or corals I was the go to guy. That is why I was there. If someone had a reptile question I knew who to send them to because he knew reptiles. We also had people that knew about all animals in the store. That's just how it all worked out. I got into the reptile side because I liked lizards and wanted to know about them. I eventually got into snakes because I had a fear of them and wanted to overcome it. I am now very glad I did because I find them very interesting and I currently study whatever I can about the species. Getting into the breeding side and studying the genetics are the next step for me. I grew into snakes, they weren't my first choice but I think they were a great choice as I look back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kodieh

I've seen a grown man, 6 foot 200 plus pounds put on a thick leather handling glove that went up to his elbow, just to get into the ball python tank.

I laughed so hard when I saw it.

---

Ok, I have my share of laughable irrational fears, and mock if you want... but this did make me giggle. Come on, it's funny!

I am terrified of spiders. You couldn't get me to touch one whether I was wearing an elbow length leather glove or not. (Don't their spindly little legs burn through everything? :rolleyes:) I went to a fair once, noticed one was on my skirt, and asked a complete stranger to please knock it off for me- while walking in a way to keep that part of the fabric from touching me. I know it's completely irrational, but I can't help it! So I can totally understand people being afraid of something (mostly) harmless.

I'm also not particularly happy with customer service as a whole. I work in a craft supply store, and I know a lot about crafts, but I know nothing about floral arrangements. If someone asked about floral arrangements, I would direct them to the person who can answer their questions. If that person was out at the time, I would let my customer know when they would be back. I'm just saying that there are better ways to handle certain situations, not being knowledgeable is not an excuse for bad customer service. Managing a store should include knowing the best person to call on for specific tasks.

Customer service can be very trying, though, so I hope you were at least cordial... ;)

I wonder what the manager's view would be...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wilomn

I wonder what the manager's view would be...

---

Im tired of all these monkey truckin snakes on this monday friday plane!!!!
Snakes on a plane anyone?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wilomn

I wonder what the manager's view would be...

---

Probably annoyed at 100th time this exact scenario played out that week.