Honestly, to end this silliness, there should be government action and some regulations put in place when it comes to being employed at ANY pet store, pet supply retailers, or any such places.
It should be mandatory to take either a course of some sort (with a subliminal fee of about $20-$30 bucks, and you would be given a certificate upon passing) or a written test that the company or business (giants and mom & pops alike) are required to compile (this would ensure the person had some knowledge of the species they carry) if an employee is to be eligible to work there. It may slow the process down, but it would at least SHOW that the people applying actually have the knowledge, or took the time to learn and better themselves for the job.
I'm sure this idea will have tons of loopholes and whatnot (the course being the more sensible of the two) but this is the best I can come up with. Some kind of steps have to be taken to prevent animal cruelty, neglect AND false information given in these stores. I'm not naming or pinning ANY store in particular - this method should be applied to EVERY store. Yes, some DO take proper care and it is rare to hear of such extreme neglect, but the bottom line is, it still exists. It still happens. And that's a good enough reason.
In my opinion, pet retailers need to be kept on a "tighter leash" as to animal care and those they employ.