Easier said than done Avalon, easier said than done. This was one of my last straw stories that lead to my intense dislike with my manager was the fact that he made me look like an ass. This guy came in with an oscar that was beat to hell, had wounds all over his sides, and was really sick looking, just not doing well. The guy had a water sample, and I tested it, and his nitrites were off the chart, way off the chart, so I know his tank was just cycling. I told him this, and learned he a newly set up 55 gallon tank that had only been going for two weeks.
I discovered though talking with the guy that he also had Jack Dempsies, Convicts, and a Red Devil in the tank he put the oscar in with. Of course I told him the poor Oscar was probably on the bottom of the pecking order, and all the fish he had were beating up on it. Being beat up, on top of having nitrite posioning, is what was making the Oscar sick. I very patiently explained this to the guy.
Then he accused me of making a mistake with the test kit, saying I did it wrong. I said, okay, and redid all the tests. They all came out the same.
He started to cajole me. All the other fish he bought from me were fine, they weren't having any problems. I remember, I helped him when he first came in, gave him an albino oscar and a tiger oscar. He said the Albino was doing great, it was in another tank and not having any problems, and that this was the second tiger Oscar that he had gotten from the store. The first one he bought from me, he claimed, died within the first week of putting it in the tank. This Oscar he was giving me now was the second oscar. The JD were fine, the convicts were fine, the red devil was fine, how come the oscars weren't?
I told him that he added too many fish in the 55 gallon all at once and that was causing the spike. When I first helped him, he said he was only putting the oscar in the tank. That was one week ago. I was unaware he purchased more fish, he only bought the two oscars from me, and they were going in seperate tanks. Unfortunately with the other fish picking on the oscars, and the fact that the tank was still cycling made the fish weak and more subceptible to getting sick. I explained to him that fish are individuals as well, and repsond differntly to stress. Also that JDs and Red Devils are known to be a tad more aggressive than Oscars, and probably harassed the Oscar, which only stressed him out more, and made him sick. I don't know what the case was with the first Oscar, but I explained to him that it probably suffered the same fate as this second oscar was, posioning on top of being beaten to hell.
He asked what he should do. I said he could take the oscar out, put it in a 10 gallon q-tank, get it healthy, and wait until the 55 gallon tank was fully cycled before putting him back in. Of course he didn't have the time or patience for that, and didn't want to spend the money. I said I can take the fish back, that's not a problem, but I couldn't give him money, store credit, or another fish. I told him that putting another fish in the same situation was only going to give him the same problem.
But he wanted a new fish. He didn't even have a reciet, and this was his second fish that he obviously was mistreating. He kept trying to cajole me, but I wasn't about to send another one of my oscars into hell. I told him sorry there was nothing I could do for him except help him set if a q-tank if he wanted, or I could take the fish back. That was story policy. I gave him my best, most patient smile while I even put the poor, suffering oscar in some fresh water and rebagged it.
Then this guy has the balls to step into my personal space and say with this charming smile, "Come on Nicole, why don't you just give me another fish." Trying to intimidate me by ording me around. Ohhh, you could bet I was burned up after that. I hate it when customers my name intimately like they know me. It doesn't impress me.
I told him no, sorry, those were his two options. Of course, he wanted to speak to a manager. Now my manager had been standing on the other side of the counter listening to everything, knowing this guy was giving me a song and dance. I directed the customer to the manager and stood there. The manager even agreed with me that the nitrites were way too high. Know what the manager did? Gave the dumb mother another fish!! Right in front of my face, gave the guy a new fish!! Then he shoves the sick fish at me and tells me to take care of it.
The customer leaves, all smug of course that he beat the system. And my manager had the gall to turn to me and say, "You should've just given him another fish, I don't have time to agruge like that."
Oh, was I livid, livid!!! What would you have done?
~~Colesea
I discovered though talking with the guy that he also had Jack Dempsies, Convicts, and a Red Devil in the tank he put the oscar in with. Of course I told him the poor Oscar was probably on the bottom of the pecking order, and all the fish he had were beating up on it. Being beat up, on top of having nitrite posioning, is what was making the Oscar sick. I very patiently explained this to the guy.
Then he accused me of making a mistake with the test kit, saying I did it wrong. I said, okay, and redid all the tests. They all came out the same.
He started to cajole me. All the other fish he bought from me were fine, they weren't having any problems. I remember, I helped him when he first came in, gave him an albino oscar and a tiger oscar. He said the Albino was doing great, it was in another tank and not having any problems, and that this was the second tiger Oscar that he had gotten from the store. The first one he bought from me, he claimed, died within the first week of putting it in the tank. This Oscar he was giving me now was the second oscar. The JD were fine, the convicts were fine, the red devil was fine, how come the oscars weren't?
I told him that he added too many fish in the 55 gallon all at once and that was causing the spike. When I first helped him, he said he was only putting the oscar in the tank. That was one week ago. I was unaware he purchased more fish, he only bought the two oscars from me, and they were going in seperate tanks. Unfortunately with the other fish picking on the oscars, and the fact that the tank was still cycling made the fish weak and more subceptible to getting sick. I explained to him that fish are individuals as well, and repsond differntly to stress. Also that JDs and Red Devils are known to be a tad more aggressive than Oscars, and probably harassed the Oscar, which only stressed him out more, and made him sick. I don't know what the case was with the first Oscar, but I explained to him that it probably suffered the same fate as this second oscar was, posioning on top of being beaten to hell.
He asked what he should do. I said he could take the oscar out, put it in a 10 gallon q-tank, get it healthy, and wait until the 55 gallon tank was fully cycled before putting him back in. Of course he didn't have the time or patience for that, and didn't want to spend the money. I said I can take the fish back, that's not a problem, but I couldn't give him money, store credit, or another fish. I told him that putting another fish in the same situation was only going to give him the same problem.
But he wanted a new fish. He didn't even have a reciet, and this was his second fish that he obviously was mistreating. He kept trying to cajole me, but I wasn't about to send another one of my oscars into hell. I told him sorry there was nothing I could do for him except help him set if a q-tank if he wanted, or I could take the fish back. That was story policy. I gave him my best, most patient smile while I even put the poor, suffering oscar in some fresh water and rebagged it.
Then this guy has the balls to step into my personal space and say with this charming smile, "Come on Nicole, why don't you just give me another fish." Trying to intimidate me by ording me around. Ohhh, you could bet I was burned up after that. I hate it when customers my name intimately like they know me. It doesn't impress me.
I told him no, sorry, those were his two options. Of course, he wanted to speak to a manager. Now my manager had been standing on the other side of the counter listening to everything, knowing this guy was giving me a song and dance. I directed the customer to the manager and stood there. The manager even agreed with me that the nitrites were way too high. Know what the manager did? Gave the dumb mother another fish!! Right in front of my face, gave the guy a new fish!! Then he shoves the sick fish at me and tells me to take care of it.
The customer leaves, all smug of course that he beat the system. And my manager had the gall to turn to me and say, "You should've just given him another fish, I don't have time to agruge like that."
Oh, was I livid, livid!!! What would you have done?
~~Colesea
... oh-well ) I made 166 bucks on my last check, which is for one week.