My PetSmart Journey

[Syn]

Thanks Chamelisa and Jim, I will look into doing this maybe when there is a bit more experience and effort put into this. I actually want to have my own mom and pop place once I get the money and knowledge. Goodnight!

 

[alhickabee]

Syn I'm about to move to Chandler in three weeks so you and I'll have to go take down the bigwigs!!!

I was in Lubbock to visit my gf a couple weeks ago and stopped by the petsmart down by the mall. Sadly they had a couple <3 week old veilds in one of those really little display cases. Temp were too high and they just looked in really poor condition. One had both of his eyes shut and the other looked dehydrated as well. I know this sounds horrible, but I kinda hope they died in the store. That way they'd be less willing to restock them. That's the only way the cycle is broken, that and breeders not selling to them but unfortunately that won't happen first. It's just sad that all of these chameleons are doomed from the beginning and helping them individually will only hurt more. It's a viscous cycle.....

 

[Ricardo]

It's a big name company. Guess you don't have them in Hungary.

Yeah, we havent got such a petshop franchise. There are only a few shops where u can buy reptiles and supplies. But it seems enough, most of the reptile keepers are try to breed the feeders themselves.
I have actually one favorite "reptile shop" where i go for wax worms and other things. The shop is about as big as a medium dining room, but the knowledge of the guys inside requires much more Sometimes i just go in and watching the animals, the are always in an extremely good condition. (aint got English homepage )
But i got my cham from them, and they told me what to care for...(i knew from research but listened), they tell me the correct things about feeding, lights, temp-humidity etc... so i was happy

Hope there are some good seller at your place

Greetings:

Ricardo

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Hell I'm happy if it gets the people who deal with the reptiles to give out the correct information.

A few years ago we had a similar situation with a big chain pet store in the UK, only with the conditions they kept the pet rats in (ie on sawdust). The society that deals with rats (cant remember the name) got in touch with the corporate office, and after enough badgering were able to get meetings to discuss this. This resulted in the chain of stores completley cahnging their set up for the rats, and the information provided with them. It is hard work, but i think once you can get talking to head office, then changes may be able to be made. Worth a shot anyway.

 

[Syn]

I might get on this once I get some more knowledge! These stories are interesting... some sad. :\

 

[Gaerei]

I might get on this once I get some more knowledge! These stories are interesting... some sad. :\

This is way off topic, but Syn, I went to your website. It said you enjoy varsity soccer? Thats beside the point, what Im trying to say is... If you're still in high school, how do you find the time to post all day? Just curious, wish I could have gotten away with stuff like that back in my school days.

 

[Gaerei]

I know compact UVB bulbs don't work for chameleons but are you sure they have no other use? I mean logic dictates that the manufacturers would have done some research and found a need for those lights with certain animal/cage configurations before releasing a useless product. I know it being logical doesn't make it true, but if it is then there would be no reason to remove the bulbs from the shelves, only to make sure employees are recommending them only when needed.

Compact bulbs, uv or not, are made to reduce your electric bill. It takes less energy to run a compact 40w than it does to run a regular 40w bulb. They're also brighter, and thier lifetime is almost triple that of a regular bulb. So, yes, they serve much purpose, just not for reptiles.

 

[blackbetty]

This is way off topic, but Syn, I went to your website. It said you enjoy varsity soccer? Thats beside the point, what Im trying to say is... If you're still in high school, how do you find the time to post all day? Just curious, wish I could have gotten away with stuff like that back in my school days.

Yea, me too!! But nowadays they have cells that have email access and kids take their laptops to school. Only comps we had was int he comp room and for typing only.. Gosh I feel old!!

But good Effort Syn. Im gonna go grab a care sheet here and see what they say about them. I wonder if its the same distribution to all Petsmarts? I was pleased that one girl here (although somewhat not all there) knew a little about chameleons... Petsmart is full of weirdos..and not the good kind. It amazes me that people come up and wrap their arms around my dogs neck without asking. Granted, I wouldnt take a rabid, vicious dog out in public, but I have seen people do this and claim they can control it only to be drug halfway across the store when their dog is trying to eat another.. (I have Great Danes).. I always wanted to work at Petsmart to get their info right, but people there always look so miserable...

 

[summoner12]

The best thing you can do with your local store is to become friendly with the people who work there. Get to know them by name and don't give the impression your the type of girl to chain yourself to the front door if they won't listen to you about proper care of chameleons. Just be cool about it. If you can build this relationship with the manager and some of the associates you might be able to get the manager to take better care of the reptiles being sold from that location. A store manager gets a budget and can choose how to spend it in the store. If you can explain how simple a dripper is to setup, maintain and how important it is, they might start to implement it... take baby steps.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

C'mon Ryan:


That is not correct.

quote]

You got me , I misused the word Franchise. I meant it is a corporation. Typed franchise and didn't look back.

Thanks for keeping me honest Jim

 

[summoner12]

Compact bulbs, uv or not, are made to reduce your electric bill. It takes less energy to run a compact 40w than it does to run a regular 40w bulb. They're also brighter, and thier lifetime is almost triple that of a regular bulb. So, yes, they serve much purpose, just not for reptiles.

A 40w lamp be it CFL or incandescent will still consume 40w of energy.

A 15w CLF that produces the same amount of light (lumens) as a 40w incandescent is consuming 25w less energy, being more efficient.

and UVB CLFs are no good. where are you getting the 700% number from Sabrina?

 

[summoner12]

C'mon Ryan:


That is not correct.

quote]

You got me , I misused the word Franchise. I meant it is a corporation. Typed franchise and didn't look back.

Thanks for keeping me honest Jim

Well someone's gotta do it

LOL bugs?

 

[Syn]

and UVB CLFs are no good. where are you getting the 700% number from Sabrina?

That website they used earlier. I just remember a 700% number, I might have remember the wrong thing.

 

[DuWeech]

As a PetSmart Store Manger I feel I can comment on a few things here. Now I know most people dont care for our company and im not here to change your mind, nor will it bother me that you dont like me. Just throwing my 2 cents into this thread.

"PetSmart has on-site vets who know what they're doing, so we have to follow their guides etc. but I'm sure the employees would love to read this."

Thats funny are they talking about Banfield? They are only good with dogs
and cats. What a joke.



PetSmart is a Corporation

No they weren't talking about Banfield, the company has A few senior Vets all with there own specialty who we can email when we have concerns or questions. We also partner up with local vets and if are lucky enough to find some that specialize in small pets or reptiles we can always use them as well.

chances are they are not going to do anything. one manager it being the store manager or department manager cant overturn one product because they think/know it doesn't help certain animals out. that is a decision that is made by the buyers or more up on the manager list. i think its a wasted effort to try and fight them, we just need to take our business else ware and forget what they do because we arnt going to change anything.
good of you to try tho.

Although at the store level we do not have control over what we put on the shelves, a knowledgeable associate can make the correct recommendations for each individual situation. Passing knowledge to another is never a wasted effort.

Also, even if you spoke to the person who stocks the stores... if you were lucky enough to convince them that it's a bad product. They probably wouldn't care, because it's making petsmart money.

Although I cannot speak for all stores within the company, I can tell you taht each associate I have employed we did so because they had a passion for pets and animals of all types. Many of the associates we hire are pursuing a career working with animals such as a vet tech or Veterinarian. Again knowledge passed on is never a wasted effort

My local petsmart already has some care sheets for some animals. I read the Panther Chameleon one and it was actually pretty accurate, but it wasn't specific with products (which is weird seeing as it's probably supposed to be a selling tool). I've never seen employees there who actually help customers purchase anything, but I've never bought an animal from there either. The problem with minimum wage level jobs is that no experience is required and so employees have only on-the-job training, which is inevitably influenced by a desire to not only sell stock, but to appease suppliers.

Our Care guides are not specific towards products we sell, if you notice we do not carry nor can we get many of the reptiles or birds that we offer care guides for. These are guides designed by Vets on how to properly house and care an animal. Again these are only "guides" and ultimately the pet parent must do some research and ask questions. Although many of our entry level position do not require experience, a well staffed store can properly train associates on the basics of pet care. We encourage our associates to learn all and everything they can about proper pet care. A lot of the knowledge are associates receive is directly from our customers.

C'mon Ryan:


That is not correct.

Many of their vet services may be as a franchise, but all stores are corporate owned and operated.

Syn, if you want your suggestions to receive a look, as noted by others (composite), go to petsmart.com, and mail your ditty to the coorporate office in AZ, as ChamLisa noted. Not to burst your bubble, while your effort is noble, you need work still. Lots of work. Petsmart consults with others far more experienced, and has for many years. As noted (or implied), they have a legitimate profit concern, shareholders, etc., and have no option but to function as a "for profit" business, with all its evil connotations.

Not a day will go by where many among us could not walk into a local Petsmart and find fault. That is the nature of a chain store with pets. There are also many folks within the business who actually do care, both locally and at higher corporate levels. Care a lot. While they may never be as a top-notch mom-and-pop joint, they do bring many pet-care products to market at good prices. Critters too.

I do applaud your intent, and only implore you to always look to improve your product (that being your experience, your care sheet, and your efforts to spread knowledge) and remember that many little steps often surpass the biggest of leaps, and are more attainable. Good luck.

I also know what it is to get a paycheck from PetsMart. In my earlier years ......

Well put!!

The best thing you can do with your local store is to become friendly with the people who work there. Get to know them by name and don't give the impression your the type of girl to chain yourself to the front door if they won't listen to you about proper care of chameleons. Just be cool about it. If you can build this relationship with the manager and some of the associates you might be able to get the manager to take better care of the reptiles being sold from that location. A store manager gets a budget and can choose how to spend it in the store. If you can explain how simple a dripper is to setup, maintain and how important it is, they might start to implement it... take baby steps.

^+1 I do not allow any Chameleon ordered into our store because honestly we do not have an adequate environment to provide it with. I knew nothing about Chameleons when I came from outside to run a PetSmart. It was through speaking to a regular customer who purchases crickets from us that I became fascinated by Chameleons and began to do my research. If you do see something wrong at a store take a minute to speak with the manager, if he is there for the right reasons your concerns will be appreciated.


Thought Id throw in a pic of my guy:

 

[Syn]

Thanks DuWeech, that was very informative!!!

 

[chamelisa]

As a PetSmart Store Manger I feel I can comment on a few things here. Now I know most people dont care for our company and im not here to change your mind, nor will it bother me that you dont like me. Just throwing my 2 cents into this thread.

Thank you for your "2 cents"! I bought my first chameleon from PetSmart. He didn't look so good but I had no idea until I joined online discussion groups. I learned a lot from this little chameleon.

He was an adult dwarf panther (Furcifer cephalolepis).

For whatever it's worth, that PetSmart stopped ordering chameleons after I talked with them about what I learned. It took a couple of tries, but speaking with the manager really helped.

 

[chambabysitter1]

Thank you for your "2 cents"! I bought my first chameleon from PetSmart. He didn't look so good but I had no idea until I joined online discussion groups. I learned a lot from this little chameleon.

He was an adult dwarf panther (Furcifer cephalolepis).

For whatever it's worth, that PetSmart stopped ordering chameleons after I talked with them about what I learned. It took a couple of tries, but speaking with the manager really helped.

that picture makes me sad. I read the story on your site about him, my condolences, he was so green when you recuperated him, what an nice story.

Anyways, I wish somebody would talk to the store here in Long Beach where my neighbors found Maggie. It's called Circle Pet on the traffic circle, always been a sorta crappy mom n pop pet shop. Argh, I'd walk in and say something but I don't know what to say.

 

[summoner12]

DuWeech, do you know the manager at the Yorba Linda store? I was over there the other day...

In the picture you can see there is the one cham awake... and the other down low in the corner on the right. I was going to tear into the manager but I noticed there weren't any open cages for them to seperate the two chams.

They also had a female Jackson. At least she wasn't in with a veiled or both of them.....

 

[Syn]

@Cham - wow that poor thing looks pretty bad.. I hope they made it through?

 

[chamelisa]

@Cham - wow that poor thing looks pretty bad.. I hope they made it through?

Sure! I had him 2-1/4 more years.