Helping a stranger...is it overstepping?

[imagirlgeek]

I was in a Pet store the other night getting crickets for our leaf-tailed gecko. It's not a large pet store, and I definitely wouldn't consider it a LFS since they have about 15 tanks and a tiny section of food and supplies. Anyway, a man came in while I was looking around waiting for them to bag my crickets and was walking around the store with one of the staff looking for fish meds. They didn't know what was wrong with the fish, and I didn't hear the symptoms, but the guy who worked there was saying 'ich' and the customer was saying, no that he knows what ich is and it's not that. Both of them seemed pretty confused and helpless though. I thought about butting in to see if I could help, but didn't know if I'd be overstepping. After all, who am I, right? Some stranger in a pet store.

What would you do?

Oh, and it's worth mentioning, I go in here a couple times a month for crickets and almost every time, someone is in there with a fish problem/question and the employees are really not equipped to answer anything about fish. They don't necessarily try to answer, so they aren't misguiding the customer, they just don't know.

[Matt in Houston]

I would at least point them here...I have talked to a few people at stores and I dont know all the answers, nor do I want to give them bad advice....but I will suggest they do some research online and tell them about the best local fish site in Houston, HFB, where maybe they can ask questions and get some good answers.

:)

[madehtsobi]

it really depends on you i guess? cause then if you answer one question they might come back and ask a million more...

i mean sometimes i feel like helping someone and other days im just like dont bother me..lol

or you can tell them to join HFB and someone will help!!

[imagirlgeek]

Awesome! :) I actually thought about that after I'd left. I need to make sure I always have HFB business cards in my purse.

[madehtsobi]

Awesome! :) I actually thought about that after I'd left. I need to make sure I always have HFB business cards in my purse.

ooooo bring some here to happy teahouse!!!

[Oldsgirl]

It may seem a little uncomfortable at first, but I think you should offer your help and advice if you know what you're talking about. Realistically, the person looking for help (and their animals) will be better off, and the employee will probably learn something too. Even if the employee gets a little embarrassed for not knowing, and having someone else step in, they will most likely be glad to have learned more, so they can help more people in the future.

I think as long as you're polite and ask if they'd like some advice first, it if perfectly acceptable.

~Eileen

[imagirlgeek]

ooooo bring some here to happy teahouse!!!

I will!

[fshfrk]

Yea it's hard to listen to some stuff you hear. I have wanted to jump in but most of the time I just keep my mouth shut. The HFB is the best solution. I Never will keep my mouth shut again. I will always tell them about the HFB!

[ddaquaria]

For me it depends on what store I'm in. If I'm at a fishstore that I frequent and everyone knows me then I step right in. I'll start with "I overheard", or "what ya putting together" - type of introductions. The last time I did it, the guy really did not want to talk to me (not did he realize that I worked there before). The following week he came back and saw me there again, and just started asking me questions. I don't mind it (unless my son is with me).

[cichlid1409]

The last time I did it, the guy really did not want to talk to me (not did he realize that I worked there before).

i think most people would react this way. I keep to myself while in the pet store. i should probably pimp houstonfishbox some more though.

[FrontosaurusRex]

I do it all the time. I usually use the Petco down the street from my house for dog food and chinchilla supplies and while i'm there, i usually take a stroll through what they call the "aquatic section". 9 out of 10 times there are usually people with questions, and nobody to answer them. Finally I started answering the ones I could. For example, an older lady wanted to set up a 29g tank (it was her very first tank) and she wanted to know what to put in it. The employee suggested a couple of baby green terrors, a couple blood parrots and some other mixed africans. She was telling the lady that she could not only put these fish in the same tank, but that she could put "as many of them as she wanted". (in a 29g tank!) I had to intervene. I gave the lady the run down on the species etc etc. The employee was fairly pissed but I didnt care. Number one, I care too much about fish to let some uninformed goof-nut give bad advice and two, I'm way bigger than you...LOL. I say, give the advice you can and point them in our direction for the stuff you cant.

[Zulaab]

Traci, You need to print some cards up with Just the Houston Fish Box Logo and webaddress on it.

Then when you run into these issues tell them you know of a great place to get "fish" info at and hand them a card. If they ask you anything about where you got the card from tell them the owner gave the card, and you are handing it on because you already have the site bookmarked :)

[Airjammer]

I point people here all of the time. I am so glad that I found this resource, and I want to share it with everyone. The people on this site have made the hobby much more enjoyable for me. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!

[mikeb144]

Sometimes trying to help someone in a LFS might backfire on you, but I wished I had someone to help me when I got started. It would have saved me a LOT of money, and saved the lives of lots of fish.

[ddaquaria]

Sometimes trying to help someone in a LFS might backfire on you, but I wished I had someone to help me when I got started. It would have saved me a LOT of money, and saved the lives of lots of fish.

Completely agree, and it's the chance you take.