Stoopid Customers and Animal Abuse
Mar. 26th, 2014 09:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tripperfunsterAn officer from the Humane Society came to our store on Sunday. He said they had received a report on Friday that our rabbits had no food or water. They are compelled to check out each and every complaint, and once or twice per year they show up to check out a sick kitten or waterless bird, etc. I don't hold it against them, but I DO hold it against the dumbasses that complain. We have NEVER had a problem when the Humane society shows up. That 'sick' kitten was already under treatment by a veterinarian. That 'waterless' bird had a bottle, not a dish, etc.
Hilariously, we sold our last rabbit early on Thursday, so the person who complained … was perhaps looking at Chinchillas? We feed and water our animals twice per day. In the morning before we open and then again at night before we close. Why, if this person noticed the (imaginary) rabbits had no food, would they not mention it to a staff member? Obviously, they are either unstable, or just hate us? *sigh*
At least we have a very good record with the authorities, so it's not really a big deal. You could tell that the officer was embarrassed when he realized that we didn't even HAVE any of the animals on his report.
As for other stupid customers, we've had a spate of people calling and talking about 'terainiums'. :D Or even tetariums. These are not ESL people, these are born and bred Canadians. The word terrarium is not that exotic or difficult.
Other fan favourites are for the algae eating fish, typically called Pleco or plecostamus. Our customers call them Plinkos. Allergy eaters. Janitor fish. Shit eaters.
I've also had a LOT of people in the past year call us and ask us mind numbingly stupid questions, like: "How much are your cages?"
Uh … we have over 100 different cages in the store. Dog, hamster, rabbit, bird? Would you call a car dealership and ask "How much are your cars?" Or a toy store and ask "How much are your toys?"
And since we buy used pet supplies, I also get people asking: "How much would you pay me for my aquarium?" When I try to clarify and ask how big it is, they inevitably reply: "Oh, it's uh .. really big." *sigh* Going back to the dealership analogy;
"How much will you pay me for my car?"
"What kind of car is it?"
"Uh… red?"
And lastly, I think my very least favourite kind of customer is the one who comes in and asks "What is your cheapest pet?" Obviously someone who is really committed to taking proper care of an animal. ;) I usually show them our lovely collection of crickets. They are only 10 cents each!
Hilariously, we sold our last rabbit early on Thursday, so the person who complained … was perhaps looking at Chinchillas? We feed and water our animals twice per day. In the morning before we open and then again at night before we close. Why, if this person noticed the (imaginary) rabbits had no food, would they not mention it to a staff member? Obviously, they are either unstable, or just hate us? *sigh*
At least we have a very good record with the authorities, so it's not really a big deal. You could tell that the officer was embarrassed when he realized that we didn't even HAVE any of the animals on his report.
As for other stupid customers, we've had a spate of people calling and talking about 'terainiums'. :D Or even tetariums. These are not ESL people, these are born and bred Canadians. The word terrarium is not that exotic or difficult.
Other fan favourites are for the algae eating fish, typically called Pleco or plecostamus. Our customers call them Plinkos. Allergy eaters. Janitor fish. Shit eaters.
I've also had a LOT of people in the past year call us and ask us mind numbingly stupid questions, like: "How much are your cages?"
Uh … we have over 100 different cages in the store. Dog, hamster, rabbit, bird? Would you call a car dealership and ask "How much are your cars?" Or a toy store and ask "How much are your toys?"
And since we buy used pet supplies, I also get people asking: "How much would you pay me for my aquarium?" When I try to clarify and ask how big it is, they inevitably reply: "Oh, it's uh .. really big." *sigh* Going back to the dealership analogy;
"How much will you pay me for my car?"
"What kind of car is it?"
"Uh… red?"
And lastly, I think my very least favourite kind of customer is the one who comes in and asks "What is your cheapest pet?" Obviously someone who is really committed to taking proper care of an animal. ;) I usually show them our lovely collection of crickets. They are only 10 cents each!
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Date: 2014-03-26 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-03-26 05:07 pm (UTC)Ahaha, I love the cricket idea--though the crickets don't deserve them: start a pet rock collection! With googly eyes! (or, you know, ignore me as I sometimes have ebil ideas^^)
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Date: 2014-03-27 03:17 pm (UTC)Down here at the pet shops...
Date: 2014-03-27 06:01 pm (UTC)Our axolotls surprised us with a thousand-ish eggs, and unlike [sane] people on the Caudata forums telling us to keep about 20 and cull the rest, we decided we couldn't bear to do it. We'd just see how many hatched, we said, and feel it out from there. Solid planning steeped in sentimentality-- even Slytherins have a weak point for their creepy little familiars, it seems.
A little over 600 hatched, and each is now occupying its own plastic cup condo, which are in tightly packed lines all over sets of utility shelves where our house's floor plan suggested we put a dining room. HAH, take that, floor plan. Only thing dining in there are hundreds of tiny amphibians on even tinier crustaceans. (We've become mass murderers of brine shrimp on the altar of axolotl.)
This brings us to the present day, when our little swimmers are beginning to grow their front legs and wiggle around like the painfully adorable water sprites they are. I've made a Craigslist ad in the pets section describing roughly what axolotls are, what they need, and why it's important to keep their numbers up in homes and labs, and how much we're asking for them.
Shit my potential customers have said:
"I wold like to porches 2 or 3 are they salt or fresh water"
(I kinda wanted to counter by asking if it was front or back porches.)
"im very interested in these fish."
"do u still have you're axotols"
(facepalm) So, we rented the table at Repticon. Now I *did* make some great connections via the CL ad, including someone who works at the Houston zoo, so there's that. But I get maybe one intelligent email in twenty "can you breed the brother and sister axolotis together" emails.
So, thank you. Reading this post has made me realize that we're not the only ones fielding dumbassery! I salute your impressive tolerance, madame.
Rena, fellow animal lover
Date: 2014-03-27 06:50 pm (UTC)We carry axolotls occasionally at our store. Too bad we're in Canada. I imagine that importing them would be a total PIA.
Since you were here for the art, I actually used axolotls in my Steve/Tony comic!
http://archiveofourown.org/works/527606?show_comments=true&view_full_work=true#comments
Axolotls are in chapter 8
Re: Down here at the pet shops...
Date: 2014-03-27 07:05 pm (UTC)"Do they need oxygen to live?" *snerk* Obviously, she meant to they breathe air vs water, but I just pictured SPACE TURTLES. No oxygen required.
Re: Down here at the pet shops...
Date: 2014-03-28 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-27 07:02 pm (UTC)I could picture Ricky from Trailer park Boys having problems with the word "terrariums".
this also reminds me of my stupid ex landlady not knowing what ferrets were.
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