All About Fish...
- Thread starter xcaret
- Start date
slim_jim989
Guest
I went there once on my way back from Travis AFB. The only reason why we stopped was because of the cool sign lol. A big clown trigger. But yeah that was the only time we will ever go there. Fish are sick, over priced rock and coral. Just wasnt nice at all.
nudibranch
Guest
It is sad when you see a store like that.
Tumbleweed
Guest
Sorry I will have to disagree with you. I frequent that store a lot and most of my fish in my tank have come from that store. Every time I get fish from them they have done well and thrived. The owner is a great guy. They can be a little bit on the pricey side but IME you get a better quality of fish.
earthboy17
Guest
I miss Bob. I trusted that guy. He refused to sell me some fish, held other fish for me when they arrived. Top-notch. The fish were great when he was there. Now...I'm much less trusting.
(and AAF's coral prices are insane.)
(and AAF's coral prices are insane.)
Euphyllia
Guest
My Black Ocellaris came from that store almost 2 years ago. Some of their fish are OK... others not so much. All of my fish except my Onyx clowns came from All About Fish, however they do charge way too much and all of the employees give advice that contradicts what another employee had said.
xcaret
Guest
Well the aquarium I've visited two or three times but don't recall seeing that many fish looking like that; maybe there was a management change or they got a shipment of already sick fish that people just don't buy. I've seen only one store with a tank with medication for fish, sadly it closed it's doors Saturday.
I don't want to go over the edge and state that it (the AAF Aquarium) reminded me of the flower shop aquarium but for a reason came to mind.
Most of us see "Aquarium" and have to take an exit to check the place even if it's in the middle of nowhere; I have to agree the pretty sign on the side of the freeway called my attention.
As Tom and Matthew comment, I think there's something wrong there when you miss someone working there because of a reason or even worse when employees contradict each others advice to the customer. As an employee, I would have to make a sale so might say "Is just stress on the fish, it will get better once you have it in your tank"
I'm sure too owner and employees know who is the customer to pamper and give priority on the best livestock, after all, that customer becomes a business card, word of mouth passes on to a smaller but more select group of people.
I don't want to go over the edge and state that it (the AAF Aquarium) reminded me of the flower shop aquarium but for a reason came to mind.
Most of us see "Aquarium" and have to take an exit to check the place even if it's in the middle of nowhere; I have to agree the pretty sign on the side of the freeway called my attention.
As Tom and Matthew comment, I think there's something wrong there when you miss someone working there because of a reason or even worse when employees contradict each others advice to the customer. As an employee, I would have to make a sale so might say "Is just stress on the fish, it will get better once you have it in your tank"
I'm sure too owner and employees know who is the customer to pamper and give priority on the best livestock, after all, that customer becomes a business card, word of mouth passes on to a smaller but more select group of people.
bookfish
Guest
"I'm sure too owner and employees know who is the customer to pamper and give priority on the best livestock, after all, that customer becomes a business card, word of mouth passes on to a smaller but more select group of people."
But that's very shortsighted as a business plan. And frankly, it isn't at all fair to a new customer walking in for the first time. Just IMHO.
But that's very shortsighted as a business plan. And frankly, it isn't at all fair to a new customer walking in for the first time. Just IMHO.
G
GreshamH
Guest
bookfish said:
agreed and having actually worked at a LFS I can say I never once lied to a customer about the animals health. I also tried to treat every customer like I wanted to be treated as a customer. I say tried as you can't always go that route. A customer wanting you to hand pick feeder fish for them was never treated like a customer wanting just a feeder fish. They had to pay more for hand selected feeder fish.
G
GreshamH
Guest
It does happen but not everyone practices that. I've found it to be not the norm in the Bay Area, YMMV. There was a place in Danville that was notorious for it. They never once got a dollar from me. They went out of business. Go figure.
G
GreshamH
Guest
Oh wait, was it in Blackhawk? I forgot :lol:
GDawson
Guest
earthboy17 said:
I miss Bob too. I actually followed him from The Aquarium when it was first on CC BLVD and then to Willow Pass and finally to AAF....what happened to him. He just wasn't there one day and the employees/owner would not say anything. I do know that shortly before that he got into a fight with the owner over stocking moorish idols.
-Gregory
houser
Past President
AAF is not too far away from my office so I stop by every other week on average.
I buy my RN products there and always do enjoy looking at the inventory, but I'm just a window shopper. My tastes have me shop elsewhere (hmmhmmm GM).
Funny thing about the health of the fish is if you go there enough you realize that the damn ugly sick looking ones have actually been alive in the tanks for a VERY long time. Like months and months or I swear that big angel I'm sure you're talking about over a year. Go figure.
My kole tang came from there, but only after I watched it swim around for 3 months in the store. Then 6 weeks in my Q tank slammer. Happy and healthy as hell. But with any risk, you better protect yourself.
Buy from Jim - well you should still Q on principle (do I sound like Guy?) But buy from AAF, well then that's mandatory.
I buy my RN products there and always do enjoy looking at the inventory, but I'm just a window shopper. My tastes have me shop elsewhere (hmmhmmm GM).
Funny thing about the health of the fish is if you go there enough you realize that the damn ugly sick looking ones have actually been alive in the tanks for a VERY long time. Like months and months or I swear that big angel I'm sure you're talking about over a year. Go figure.
My kole tang came from there, but only after I watched it swim around for 3 months in the store. Then 6 weeks in my Q tank slammer. Happy and healthy as hell. But with any risk, you better protect yourself.
Buy from Jim - well you should still Q on principle (do I sound like Guy?) But buy from AAF, well then that's mandatory.
G
GreshamH
Guest
GDawson said:
Yes that's it. Rob's place. I told a friend of mine to stop by on his way back from camping in Tahoe. He was ready to get an entire set-up (several grand) but since he was in camping clothes they turned their back on him and despite him trying to get their attention, they never would help him. I ended up selling the set-up to him at the store I worked at. Never judge a book by it's cover
Many of my best customers looked like they were homeless while in the LFS... usually they came in after work still in work cloths. I treated them like they were in business suites and developed some great friendships with those customers.Bob was great. Hope he's still not sick
G
GreshamH
Guest
xcaret said:
I can think of dozens of places so no, it's not practiced "everywhere". I choose not to shop at places like that and there are enough that don't that I am able to do all my shopping at said places.
bookfish
Guest
Just from a straight up business perspective it represents VERY short term thinking and priorities. I guess if you only planned a 2 or 3 year run...
Which is not to say that I don't do something similar...
If you're a close friend or have donated a bunch of stuff to the store you ARE more likely to be able to convince me to take just 1 more frag off a colony. But it's not about money...
Which is not to say that I don't do something similar...
If you're a close friend or have donated a bunch of stuff to the store you ARE more likely to be able to convince me to take just 1 more frag off a colony. But it's not about money...
xcaret
Guest
Has anyone seen or been given the VIP treatment?
Everywhere does not mean 100% of people/businesses do it. Means look around and yes it is there.
Is not the main/straight way of doing business, is a part of doing business; might be where you guys think I'm referring as the sole way of running a store; take care only of those who have the $$ to spend because most likely their buddies will be directed there too.
Personally I had to practice it too, special pricey limited availability item, you know who to call and give priority, the "other" people can wait
Of course it has to be discrete so people don't feel the difference. I knew by the business owners whom to treat differently the moment they walked in; friends, family and just customers that were pampered. Anyone walking in claiming to be the best friend of the owners and demanding some sort of special treatment found a brick wall with me.
Tossing the coin and being on the other side of the counter have seen it happen; some places like AC in SF I don't see it happening; I can walk in buying nothing, get a buck of brine shrimp or a bucket of salt; I don't feel it happening.
I agree Jim that along the road a customer relation shifts into more of a friendship therefor it changes to something better where the money issue is secondary. And Gresh is so right on the point stating that, I would not go back to a place where I feel and see being treated a a third class customer but I would go back if I had not noticed it.
Everywhere does not mean 100% of people/businesses do it. Means look around and yes it is there.
Is not the main/straight way of doing business, is a part of doing business; might be where you guys think I'm referring as the sole way of running a store; take care only of those who have the $$ to spend because most likely their buddies will be directed there too.
Personally I had to practice it too, special pricey limited availability item, you know who to call and give priority, the "other" people can wait
Of course it has to be discrete so people don't feel the difference. I knew by the business owners whom to treat differently the moment they walked in; friends, family and just customers that were pampered. Anyone walking in claiming to be the best friend of the owners and demanding some sort of special treatment found a brick wall with me.
Tossing the coin and being on the other side of the counter have seen it happen; some places like AC in SF I don't see it happening; I can walk in buying nothing, get a buck of brine shrimp or a bucket of salt; I don't feel it happening.
I agree Jim that along the road a customer relation shifts into more of a friendship therefor it changes to something better where the money issue is secondary. And Gresh is so right on the point stating that, I would not go back to a place where I feel and see being treated a a third class customer but I would go back if I had not noticed it.