This seems to be a blog where I complain a lot about retail customers... but really, they're the most fascinating people! You've got to wonder how people like this have existed for so long on their own.
#1
For some *odd* reason, my employees felt this guy needed a fish expert and sought me out. Well, they were wrong. What he needed was a heater for his aquarium. He had a three gallon (yup, 3 gallons!) aquarium HALF full of water (yup, 1.5 gallons!), and wondered why his fish kept dying. He had a couple of mollies! Well, I informed him of the fact that his winter-cold apartment and inky dinky tank were too small for anything, but he could try goldfish. His response was he thought mollies were goldfish. I just KNOW i'm going to end up putting "these are tropical fish that require heaters" on every single tank.
#2
A woman waited on me to finish with above guy. Said she had purchased a relatively expensive automatic litter box a few months ago and it was already broken. She assumed the motor had burnt out (good lord maybe her kitty needs to see a vet!!). She complained about having to buy another kind of litterbox in the mean time (cheapos are like $4). She didn't have the receipt, which pretty much ended it for me as I can't do anything without some kind of proof she got it at my store (and you wouldn't believe how often people try to cheat us!). I recommended she call the company and see what they could do for her in terms of replacement or troubleshooting. Without batting an eye, she informed me that I would call the company for her, and she would try whatever they said, then call me back later to update me... Uhhh ok... Now, if it hadn't been for the fact that we had just went through a really boring seminar on customer service, I would have told her no. And, in fact, I will do that from now on, as I do have certain tasks I have to get done every day and help customers that need help I can provide.
So I call up their 800 number and explain to the guy that this chick is apparently phone shy and that I will have to be the go-between. He asks model number. I don't know! Woman points to her model, I have someone bring it to me, read it off. Operator is annoyed I don't have it in hand. Ohhh, buddy, don't start a pissing contest with me, I guarantee I'll win! So he goes through this reboot procedure, expecting me to do it along with him, which I will NOT do because I am not taking that enormous litter box out and then finding all the little parts I lose and sticking it all back in the box. I write down all the information, along with their number, and hand it to the woman who is just standing there waiting for me. Well, now, she doesn't believe that'll work. Ok, well, I don't care, try it anyway. She wants to know if she has to send it back to them if she has to pay for the shipping. I point out the number I just gave her AGAIN and tell her that they can answer those questions as I haven't the faintest idea.
I am FASCINATED by the people that come into the store. Some treat us like slaves, some like heros, and still others don't even acknowledge our existence. I think I could just sit up in the office and watch people all day long. Retail really sours you on people, though. You get about one bad egg a day, it could be someone trying to cheat the store, somebody using you as a scapegoat, or just some jerk that gets a kick out of tormenting people. I know I'm certainly sick of people. I am definitely a homebody, and sometimes I think if I never saw another person again it might be too soon!
Friday, October 27
Monday, October 2
Havoc learns cute new things
I've done really well not making this a blog soley about the cute antics of Havoc, my severe macaw... who sadly is STILL on layaway as I had a few unexpected expenses. However, today, she learned a few new things...
She now flips over on her back so I can rock her like a baby. She doesn't wait to make sure my hands are there to support her - she hangs from my chest and just drops. Thankfully I am pretty watchful!
The other cute thing is I left the office today, with her happily chewing on a pen cap, to do something very quickly and come back... just after i hit the door, i hear her cry, "HAVOC!!!" and poke my head back in to see her running towards the door.
Awww! She didn't want mommy to leave!
On a not so amusing note, I found that Biff, my female plumheaded parakeet, has learned to EXACTLY make the same annoying quaker scream that my quaker parakeet, Pickle, makes. Joy. Now there's two of that god awful sound.
She now flips over on her back so I can rock her like a baby. She doesn't wait to make sure my hands are there to support her - she hangs from my chest and just drops. Thankfully I am pretty watchful!
The other cute thing is I left the office today, with her happily chewing on a pen cap, to do something very quickly and come back... just after i hit the door, i hear her cry, "HAVOC!!!" and poke my head back in to see her running towards the door.
Awww! She didn't want mommy to leave!
On a not so amusing note, I found that Biff, my female plumheaded parakeet, has learned to EXACTLY make the same annoying quaker scream that my quaker parakeet, Pickle, makes. Joy. Now there's two of that god awful sound.
Sunday, October 1
Flea Market Birds??
You may or may not know, but I am getting out of the bird breeding game... since becoming a manager at the pet store and my online store becoming successful, I just don't have the time to devote to the little babies anymore without my own pets losing out. So, I'm selling off all non-pets.
Among other birds, I'm trying to sell a few of the more rare kinds... specifically, a very expensive, very rare cockatiel (I nearly had to have one shipped from Hawaii, they are so hard to find!!), and a pair of fischer's lovebirds, one lutino, one split to lutino. It is almost impossible to find anything even SPLIT to lutino around Ohio. I know, I've looked. I had both of these birds flown in from a special breeding facility in California who is well known in the serious breeder community to raise *the* *best* *lovebirds.* I had each flown in at different times. Between vet checks, shipping, etc, I have about $600 invested into this pair of birds. I'm asking $225 with their cage, toys, and nestbox. (a normal fischer's runs about $75, split $100, lutino $125-150, whereas you can get a peachfaced lovebird for about $40).
Sounds reasonable, right? Problem is, a lot of idiots raise lovebirds. These kinds of people are found in every type of pet - dog, cat, reptile... the ones that are just breeding to breed, to make money, and the animals may or may not be kept in great conditions, are probably overbred, and live short, miserable lives. Kind of like people that sell animals at flea markets. That's disgusting. You'll burn in hell (should such a place exist).
These cheapo type people think that good quality birds are overpriced. All lovebirds should be $50 or less. Indeed, you can find a pair of lovebirds for probably $80. However, my birds are fischer's lovebirds, not peachfaced, which are not as common. These are a particular mutation that is hard to come by in this area. These are from the best breeders in the United States.
I am TIRED of reading e-mails from interested parties that want me to cut my "unreasonable" price down. If you can find anybody selling what I'm offering for less, TAKE IT with my blessing!! You won't. I know of one other breeder in Ohio that raises fischer's, and they have only split lutinos, not full. In asking a reasonable price for my animals, I am ensuring they go to a loving home with people who are getting what they pay for, probably know what they are doing, and most definitely do not sell them at flea markets. One person today wanted me to breed my birds for her to buy the babies out of the nest. GROSS! That's just terrible to do that to the babies. When I raise an animal, I love it start to finish. I am responsible for that soul and I want to entrust it to somebody who feels the same. Shame on you people for wanting me to lower myself and treat these animals like meat.
If you want crappy birds that are unhealthy and genetically weak, then go buy somewhere else. I have standards.
Among other birds, I'm trying to sell a few of the more rare kinds... specifically, a very expensive, very rare cockatiel (I nearly had to have one shipped from Hawaii, they are so hard to find!!), and a pair of fischer's lovebirds, one lutino, one split to lutino. It is almost impossible to find anything even SPLIT to lutino around Ohio. I know, I've looked. I had both of these birds flown in from a special breeding facility in California who is well known in the serious breeder community to raise *the* *best* *lovebirds.* I had each flown in at different times. Between vet checks, shipping, etc, I have about $600 invested into this pair of birds. I'm asking $225 with their cage, toys, and nestbox. (a normal fischer's runs about $75, split $100, lutino $125-150, whereas you can get a peachfaced lovebird for about $40).
Sounds reasonable, right? Problem is, a lot of idiots raise lovebirds. These kinds of people are found in every type of pet - dog, cat, reptile... the ones that are just breeding to breed, to make money, and the animals may or may not be kept in great conditions, are probably overbred, and live short, miserable lives. Kind of like people that sell animals at flea markets. That's disgusting. You'll burn in hell (should such a place exist).
These cheapo type people think that good quality birds are overpriced. All lovebirds should be $50 or less. Indeed, you can find a pair of lovebirds for probably $80. However, my birds are fischer's lovebirds, not peachfaced, which are not as common. These are a particular mutation that is hard to come by in this area. These are from the best breeders in the United States.
I am TIRED of reading e-mails from interested parties that want me to cut my "unreasonable" price down. If you can find anybody selling what I'm offering for less, TAKE IT with my blessing!! You won't. I know of one other breeder in Ohio that raises fischer's, and they have only split lutinos, not full. In asking a reasonable price for my animals, I am ensuring they go to a loving home with people who are getting what they pay for, probably know what they are doing, and most definitely do not sell them at flea markets. One person today wanted me to breed my birds for her to buy the babies out of the nest. GROSS! That's just terrible to do that to the babies. When I raise an animal, I love it start to finish. I am responsible for that soul and I want to entrust it to somebody who feels the same. Shame on you people for wanting me to lower myself and treat these animals like meat.
If you want crappy birds that are unhealthy and genetically weak, then go buy somewhere else. I have standards.
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