PDA

View Full Version : No Bueno



clone
Sun, 27th Feb 2011, 11:12 PM
Today on the way over to a friends I stoped by a LFS, I showed up alittle before 1PM thinking that they opened at noon. Which by the way when I called eairler to inquire on something hours of store opperation were still the same on voicemail. So with that I figured I would still head out over that way, assuming they were busy. Had this been one of my busy schedule days I would have been frustrated. At the time I didnt care about him showing up after 1PM I wasnt in a rush to be anywhere.
When I walked in the door, I was not greated, not even looked at. Was I a ghost, maybe this guy doesnt like me. Every time someone walked into the store I worked at I said Hi,Hello,How are you,Good to see you,Welcome back,Whats up man, I said something. I think even if the guy said dang kevin you smell I would have been happy. At leaste I was acknowledged. Anyway I walked my 4 containers over to the water buffalos, sat them down and walked around a bit. After I had made a quick round I was asked "Ro or what"." Ha yeah Ro". Then I looked around a bit more as everything was still opening up. I saw some frags that I liked, at a good price, but they had some detritus on them so I asked can I put my hand in the water, he answered nicely. So I shook the frags a bit to get the gunk off and gave them time to open back up. They were nice,so I was going to buy them, but I was on my way to a friends and didnt want them to sit in the car. I planed on going back.
As I was walking to the front to pay, another guy was in the store showing his little girl the fish. The guy asked is it hard to maintain these aquariums. The clerk said nope just a small water change every month. That got the guys attention even more. I jumped in and said yeah they're fun and addicting. He then looked to me and started asking questions, so i helped the guy out. I told him about those bigger RedSea Max's, I was telling him with a tank that size he could have a bigger selection of fish and would have an all in one tank with good lights for corals. He seamed intrested, when the price was given to him he didnt make a face, and was still intrested, asking me more questions. Then his attention was drawn away by the clerk on another aquarium. It was maybe a 90g with a 2 bulb t5 fixture. In my head I was thinking Dude I had that sale, why did you take his attention away like if the redsea was to pricey for him( the guy was dressed nicely and was driving a Lexus SUV). I stoped right then and there. He must have some killer selling skills and ima let him show me how its done. I payed and then saw my jugs werent up by the counter, not a big deal, but when I had coustomers bring in jugs I would help them out the door or atleaste bring them up to the counter if I had other coustomers. When I was walking in for the last 2 jugs the guy asked "so are you guys online". The clerk answered back with " No the other owner was an idiot and didnt know how to name his store''. I dont know if he said it to low for the guy to hear or if he was in shock, but he said "Im sorry, say that again". The clerk then said " NO we're not".
Before he said that I had not even noticed how bad the service was, but since that was the last straw I started to notice everything that had been done or had not been done.
I grabbed my stuff and left.

Some of you may know which store im talking about, and i didnt wright this up to bash on the guy just sharing my experience. There is an elder guy that works there and cares about the place, so its not a complete lost.

jrnannery
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 12:56 AM
Wow!

tebstan
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 12:07 PM
Nice of you to try to make a sale for someone else ;) You always helped me out with questions too, even when you weren't on the clock.

Does retail just get under your skin or what? I find myself answering questions at Wal-Mart or directing people to which aisle has the salsa at HEB. You've either got the retail kindness in you, or you don't. Maybe some people just aren't cut out for it.

Neptune@gabesfish
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 12:26 PM
Thats crazy.. That customer WAS a potential hobbiest .. Feel free to sell a tank to any of my customers..lol

Kristy
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 12:36 PM
That's funny, tebstan! Mike and I met when we were working retail together at a bookstore back in the day. We BOTH get approached fairly frequently at stores by customers asking us for help or advice.... even at places like Target where there is a clearcut uniform that I'm not wearing! I always attributed it to having that "nice guy" look about you, but maybe you are on to something with the friendly retail disposition. Probably it's about the eye contact. Gotta quit doing that!

tebstan
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 12:47 PM
It probably is the eye contact. I catch myself greeting people all the time, not just at work. It's so opposite of how I used to be (pre-retail). I moved here from California... very different there... The first time some random Texan said hello to me I was confused and wondered if they were going to steal my purse. :D

nrkolas
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 01:21 PM
Sounds like reefs2u

Scream311
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 01:24 PM
Dooooooh *Homer Simpson Voice*

allan
Mon, 28th Feb 2011, 01:51 PM
Hey Tebstan,

I was raised in California and I have this terrible habit of greeting everyone that I walk by. Of course I lived in the Tejon pass so I wasn't one of those inner city thugs. :) Er, not that you were...

I was in AD the other day and a new guy was looking for that one piece to add to his almost new aquarium. Jason was walking over the particulars of a few different corals that were on display.

I so wanted to jump in... even though I'm still a Probi. But I just listened in. Jason did use me as an example and I felt comfortable at that point to mention my preference to the coral shown. Despite that I recommended either the bubble or open brain, he picked up a three or four inch Kenya for 24 bones.

My biggest issue are the guys who try to upsale the salesman by recommeding either MAAST or Craigslist.