I just lost what little faith I had in petco.

[Argentra]

The sad truth of it is this: Big chain pet stores LIKE hiring kids who know nothing because it helps them sell more of THEIR stuff. Someone who knows snakes, for instance, will tell you not to get a huge tank (sometimes no tank at all), to get your thermostat from someone else online (no store really sells t-stats, they're all online), and to use plastic plant pots from WalMart for hides. How is this helping the store? Answer - it isn't.

Now, in contrast take the uneducated typical pet store employee. They were told very vauge stuff in regards to snakes. They learn from antiquated care sheets in the store. So, when a customer needs things for a new snake they tell them to get huge tanks (from their store), a crummy rheostat if anything to control the heat pad, heat rocks, expensive hides, and analog thermometers...all things sold at that store.

When these stores 'accidentally' hire someone who really knows their stuff, it seems, they do whatever they can to discourage that person from staying long because it "hurts the bottom line". I was one such person at Petsmart and they did alot to keep me down. I still told customers where to get the good stuff...and continue to do so in the stores to this day.

It would be great if pet stores could start selling the proper EQ for all animals. Heck, even the stuff they sell for small mammals is usually crap. Cages too small, food that's junk, etc. But, as long as these places are making money by selling the bad stuff, they won't change. Sad.

[Solinger]

Does anybody know where I can get a good thermostat in the bay area?

You can try East Bay Vivarium in Berkley or maybe a reptile show? There is one in Sac in a few weeks and one in Petaluma in October. A couple of privately owned pet shops up where we live carry them but as mentioned earlier they are marked way up and you end up getting one cheaper even with shipping included when you order online.

We went to EBV about a month ago but just went to look at their animals and didn't pay much attention to what they sold otherwise. From what I did see they are priced about normal for a pet shop in this area and I'd guess you would be paying $40 to $50 for your thermostat.

[omnibus2]

You can try East Bay Vivarium in Berkley or maybe a reptile show? There is one in Sac in a few weeks and one in Petaluma in October. A couple of privately owned pet shops up where we live carry them but as mentioned earlier they are marked way up and you end up getting one cheaper even with shipping included when you order online.

We went to EBV about a month ago but just went to look at their animals and didn't pay much attention to what they sold otherwise. From what I did see they are priced about normal for a pet shop in this area and I'd guess you would be paying $40 to $50 for your thermostat.

Yeah I called they have it; thankyou. I guess I'll go tomorrow, although 50 bucks seems expensive, it's usually online for 25 or 30 bucks. They also have other brands of thermostats that cost a bit more. Does anybody know if zoo med has good thermostats?

@Argentra

WOW did they really discourage you from working there? That's just bad. bad.

I wanted to spend some time working at a petco or something; I guess I should look into local stores instead. That's sad.

[Snakeman]

The sad truth of it is this: Big chain pet stores LIKE hiring kids who know nothing because it helps them sell more of THEIR stuff. Someone who knows snakes, for instance, will tell you not to get a huge tank (sometimes no tank at all), to get your thermostat from someone else online (no store really sells t-stats, they're all online), and to use plastic plant pots from WalMart for hides. How is this helping the store? Answer - it isn't.

Now, in contrast take the uneducated typical pet store employee. They were told very vauge stuff in regards to snakes. They learn from antiquated care sheets in the store. So, when a customer needs things for a new snake they tell them to get huge tanks (from their store), a crummy rheostat if anything to control the heat pad, heat rocks, expensive hides, and analog thermometers...all things sold at that store.

When these stores 'accidentally' hire someone who really knows their stuff, it seems, they do whatever they can to discourage that person from staying long because it "hurts the bottom line". I was one such person at Petsmart and they did alot to keep me down. I still told customers where to get the good stuff...and continue to do so in the stores to this day.

It would be great if pet stores could start selling the proper EQ for all animals. Heck, even the stuff they sell for small mammals is usually crap. Cages too small, food that's junk, etc. But, as long as these places are making money by selling the bad stuff, they won't change. Sad.

yup, exactly what im going through at petco. in may i was supposed to do a reptile "workshop" but once i told one of my co-worker team leader(whom i thought was my friend) what i was gonna do(what to REALLY get and where) he told our general manager and i was taken off the program and someone else did it instead.was i p'd off? yes. but wither way i conctinue to tell people what to get and where they get it. if anything, i cost the store money cuz people decide not to get their kid or themselves the reptile cuz it's too expensive. like last week, someone tried to buy one of our red-eared sliders. she asked me what they needed. i told her a 20 gallon tank, UVB light, heat lamp, turtle dock, filter, etc. as i was saying all that, i saw her face expression change from happy to "oh"(pure gold). then she asked if we had any turtles that were "low maintenence" which i told her no turtles were like that. soon after she gave up and left, haha. and even last night, some parents tried to buy their kid a house gecko and all they had was the bedding and a 10 gallon tank. i asked them about the hides, plants, and heat lamp. the dad said he'd get that "tomorrow"(im used to being lied to) and i told them that if they wanna get the rest of the stuff tomorrow then they can come back tomorrow and then get the gecko but not tonight. i doubt they wanted to spend the money for it.

[omnibus2]

yup, exactly what im going through at petco. in may i was supposed to do a reptile "workshop" but once i told one of my co-worker team leader(whom i thought was my friend) what i was gonna do(what to REALLY get and where) he told our general manager and i was taken off the program and someone else did it instead.was i p'd off? yes. but wither way i conctinue to tell people what to get and where they get it. if anything, i cost the store money cuz people decide not to get their kid or themselves the reptile cuz it's too expensive. like last week, someone tried to buy one of our red-eared sliders. she asked me what they needed. i told her a 20 gallon tank, UVB light, heat lamp, turtle dock, filter, etc. as i was saying all that, i saw her face expression change from happy to "oh"(pure gold). then she asked if we had any turtles that were "low maintenence" which i told her no turtles were like that. soon after she gave up and left, haha. and even last night, some parents tried to buy their kid a house gecko and all they had was the bedding and a 10 gallon tank. i asked them about the hides, plants, and heat lamp. the dad said he'd get that "tomorrow"(im used to being lied to) and i told them that if they wanna get the rest of the stuff tomorrow then they can come back tomorrow and then get the gecko but not tonight. i doubt they wanted to spend the money for it.

Seriously? WOW! Shame petco, shame. Dirty people. (Now, not all of them, but I'm making a general statement.)

[accidental777]

I worked at the petsmart in shawnee mission,KS when I was younger. Its true, they don't like it when you try to educate people, instead of selling what is in the store.
Its also true that people don't do the research either. Then there was a woman who wanted to buy a russian tortoise for her boys one day....we told her it would need a 40gallon terrarium but she decided to go with a ten gallon. Because it would look better in her living room.......And the people who returned the mice that they bought as pets for their kids because they smelled. And the people who dropped off guinea pigs in front of the store for god knows why, and people who ditched tree frogs in solo cups behind merchandise.
Or the people that insist upon feeding sickly cheap goldfish to their oscars without realizing the consequences even when they are educated upon the "why nots"
Those are the same people that come in down the road wondering why said pet didn't make it.
In short these places aren't that great. But, at least there are a few knowledgeable employees that can try to educate some of the customers. People would rather speak to a human being who knows or think they know how to care for their new pet, rather than do the actual research themselves.

[bad-one]

My petco has one person who does do okay with the crested geckos, but other than that the rest is the same as most stores.

Their rats are the worst (at least at my store). If I really need a rat from them (which now is rare, thankfully) I make sure I pick it out myself or I risk having them give me the sickest rat of the bunch because they know where it is going. There were a few occasions where I got home and looked at the rats they gave me only to decide not to feed them to my snakes because I was worried about any possible ill affects for my snakes

[stormwulf133]

What I don't understand is why petstores don't hire people that actually know things about the animals they are working with?

So you expect a chain, with 1000+ stores, to find knowledgable employees for ALL of those stores AND get those people to work for minimum wage? Have you stepped out side lately, or on the internet for that matter. How many people are fully convinced they know what they are talking about when they have no clue?

[omnibus2]

So you expect a chain, with 1000+ stores, to find knowledgable employees for ALL of those stores AND get those people to work for minimum wage? Have you stepped out side lately, or on the internet for that matter. How many people are fully convinced they know what they are talking about when they have no clue?

We know it's not feasible for every employee to be knowledgeable, but it seems that petco/petsmart aren't hiring employees on the basis of knowledge, and aren't commending their workers for giving correct information. Instead, they are trying to do only one thing-sell their product, and this of course leads to the demise fo numerous animals that don't have the right care.

[nixer]

they dont even say anything when im at the store anymore especially when i tell someone to not waste money on bs that petco or petsnart wants to sell them