What would you have done?

[homer1475]

It just dawned on me, it could be LA culture or wholesale culture (where I do most of my shopping) in these places if you spot something you want you better hunt an employee down and speak up quick because everyone else is doing the same. So maybe that's the reason I have a completely different point of view on it.

Has to be, if anyone did that here in upstate NY, they would get ignored. Seen it happen plenty of times(first come first serve basis as with any LFS I've ever been in from NY(minus the city), to VT, NJ, and PA. Our LFS I'm betting aren't like yours. The most people I have ever seen in an LFS if there wasn't an event going on is maybe 6. You typically don't have to be rude like that, or wait in line to be waited on.

I'm not really worked up over it, just ticked off now that some time has passed. Come to think of it, the ornate was so small, my flameback angel would have probably harassed it to death.

 

[windemerejack]

Did exactly the right thing in my opinion, the only thing different I would have done was to phone up the owner there and then rather than later, good on you though for sticking to your principles regarding rudeness.

 

[homer1475]

you were right, but it's about being right, it's about getting your desired outcome. In retrospect, your emotions caused you to miss an opportunity to fix the situation. The new employee was making a mistake because he wasn't fully trained in customer service (granted, this should have been common knowledge) which is understandable with LFS.

At the point you realized he was uniformed, shift into education mode, and use some cheap sales tactics to deal with resistance

"You are right, the gentlemen did ask you first, but I had called before I came and was told it was first come first serve on the fish. You may not have known that, which is understandable. In any case, I did comply with the store policy and arrived first. This gentleman may not have been aware and by walking up to you and asking did the equivalent of cutting the line, which I am sure you don't condone. Would you agree that cutting a line is not store policy?

wait for the yes


Then since I did come here first, let's honor store policy."

give him a few seconds to save face, and if he's not still on board, the demand he and you speak with whomever was in charge and/or whomever was answering the phone


The play here is to start by acknowledging he was correct (in a way) to diffuse the resistance, then make your case in a way to force the yes answer on the logic without forcing him to admit he was wrong. It's home free after that.

Whole hardheartedly agree with you, but try doing that when your ticked off, and being treated so rudely. Some people don't think that fast on their feet. I was just blown away with how rudely I was treated, and couldn't think logically.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Has to be, if anyone did that here in upstate NY, they would get ignored. Seen it happen plenty of times(first come first serve basis as with any LFS I've ever been in from NY(minus the city), to VT, NJ, and PA. Our LFS I'm betting aren't like yours. The most people I have ever seen in an LFS if there wasn't an event going on is maybe 6. You typically don't have to be rude like that, or wait in line to be waited on.

I'm not really worked up over it, just ticked off now that some time has passed. Come to think of it, the ornate was so small, my flameback angel would have probably harassed it to death.

OH yep definitely different. I've had to walk out of lfs because there were so many people in them. Here the employees are stretched thin so hunting one down is just something I'm very used to. Unfortunately I'm also very used to missing great corals and great fish because someone jumped in front of me. Here you just cuss for a bit, eat an avocado , jump on your prius and drive the 15 miles back home which takes 2 hours in LA traffic.

 

[NS Mike D]

Whole hardheartedly agree with you, but try doing that when your ticked off, and being treated so rudely. Some people don't think that fast on their feet. I was just blown away with how rudely I was treated, and couldn't think logically.

I have had lifetime of not thinking straight when ticked off.

I was fortunate to be mentored by an awesome boss, and got to learn first hand from some folks with incredible skills when I was a young man. I even took some corporate conflict resolution courses . I kind of laugh when I pull out the stuff I used negotiating billion dollar bankruptcy settlements on a store clerk. It works in both cases.

IMO, life is easier when you start by asking yourself "what do I want as the outcome" and be honest with yourself. It can be an eye opener with the frequency of "inflict some payback" is your answer.

 

[Cory]

I would have purchased it before driving there.

 

[homer1475]

I would have purchased it before driving there.

I love when people don't read threads and respond to the last couple messages in a thread.

If you had actually read the OP, you would have seen it was first come, first serve and they would not hold it for me. So there was no purchasing before I drove there. And your going to tell me you'll buy fish site unseen? and have no idea what condition the fish is in? Yeah thats just not going to happen, and has not happened in my 20 or so years of reefing.

 

[Cory]

I love when people don't read threads and respond to the last couple messages in a thread.

If you had actually read the OP, you would have seen it was first come, first serve and they would not hold it for me. So there was no purchasing before I drove there. And your going to tell me you'll buy fish site unseen? and have no idea what condition the fish is in? Yeah thats just not going to happen, and has not happened in my 20 or so years of reefing.

I read the tread. Ive purchased things ahead of time no problems. If it was that important to, then he should have tried to pay ahead time. I understand it was a bad situation though, and should have gotten the fish not the other guy, that was bs.