Offering input to pet stores?

[Chinmama]

So Chris and I were in Petsmart last night buying hay. We always stop to look at the chins, and there was a lady there with her two sons buying a chinchilla. The salesman was giving her horrible advice, and I was standing there waiting for him to walk off so I could talk to her.

I introduced myself and we chatted for a short while. She had done some research and was semi-prepared. I was trying to think of basics to tell her off the top of my head and Chris made some suggestions, I also directed her to this forum and we left.

That was the first time I have encountered anyone actually buying a chinchilla from a pet store, and I didn't want to come off as a psycho - telling this lady what to do and how to do it. And I was talking to Chris on the way home about being better prepared for situations such as that, should it happen again.

I wonder if we had a forum "flyer" or something similar, with a short "FAQ", tips, ideas,link to the forum, etc., if we could distribute those to pet stores to include with chinchillas when they are sold? Has anyone ever asked about doing this, or has anyone done it?

 

[Stackie]

With Petsmart I'm pretty sure they only allow distribution of information the company has approved- like the care guides they have. I'm sure it's the same with the other chain pet stores as well.

Smaller mom and pop pet stores may be more open to the idea, however.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I have done the same thing. I wonder if in speaking to the manager it might be possible to distribute information to the employees rather than for customers...seems like that might be better recieved. After all, it would be impossible to hang out at the petstore all day and hand out flyers...lol and I think Stack is right about the corporate literature...

 

[Rob Walker]

I assume no Petsmart would allow it unless they could sell it.

What information was the guy working there giving them?

 

[Chinmama]

He was suggesting a plastic wheel, plastic ball, tiny plastic ramp filled cage, junk food... I had the urge to go right then and apply for a part-time job so I could hang out by the chins and give out useful info! Moron.

 

[starleomach]

Pet stores will never change. It is about the bottom line. As long as there is people buying they will sell a product. be that product safe or not. And all the mom and pop stores I have come across pretend to care but in the end if you have the cash they will sell it

 

[Sandi]

Pet stores will never change. It is about the bottom line. As long as there is people buying they will sell a product. be that product safe or not. And all the mom and pop stores I have come across pretend to care but in the end if you have the cash they will sell it

I agree with this as well. Although, I always hope that they will change and I do see some baby steps happening with them selling better feed, hay and dust. But the employee definitely is going to steer the new owner to the products that they sell which would be the plastic wheel, treats, etc.

 

[Chinmama]

She was buying the "Chinchilla Starter Kit" that came with cage, food, bedding and who knows what all else. I was telling her about the FN's and that they usually have them at Petco, so she was going to go check them out.

 

[Rob Walker]

2.5 pound bags of mazurri are 10.99 at Pet Smart. Thank god for this website hahaha, or I'd be paying that...

 

[3CsMommy]

I've been in exactly the same situation, right down to the employee suggesting a plastic hamster wheel (the same kind my lard butt of a Syrian broke) for the owner of an adult chin. I tried to steer the customer toward the ferret nation cage and suggested a couple of safe 'parrot' toys (grape vine and willow balls) that the employee had no idea were acceptable. I also jotted the website down on the "care" sheet (daily raisins and hay as treats? Real good care there, PetStupid) the woman had, but I don't know if she ever came by here or not. I sure hope so, though, b/c she seemed to want to do well by her pet.

It bugs the heck out of me that it's so hard to get good chin information disseminated in an efficient, believable way.

 

[Pikaia]

Whenever my boyfriend and I are in petsmart, I always find we start having discussions about chinchillas. I always have to walk by and check the little guy out and usually somebody is there asking questions. It is fun to talk with people about them.

It would be nice if the petstores would distribute "correct" information, but as everybody else said, they don't really care about the animals just making $$$

 

[blondeangel]

I just have to add my two cents in here by saying not ALL corp. pet stores are sucky. Yes I have been in a fair share of stores where I walk out thinking what idiots are working there, but I am also a manager at Petco, and that is not how I run my store. I rather give people proper advice to actually help their animals rather then sell them the world. Being in South Florida, my Petco doesn't actually carry chinchillas. But when a customer is interested in purchasing one, I actually recommend breeders I have gotten mine from (which I found on this website), over another pet store. I am always recommending things I use personally which may or may not come from Petco. But pointing a customer in the right direction and actually helping them is what makes them return, not just selling them the store because I can.

Petco will not distribute "customer flyers" with information on it-that is correct. We are only allowed to hand out care sheets provided by corp, but that never stops anyone in my store from recommending vets, websites or books to futher educated something. If you wish to try and change something on petco's caresheets, you can email corp and explain what is wrong. Believe it or not the care sheets get revised and updated often and customers/employees points are reviewed and changes are made if needed.

ok that's all I wanted to add.

 

[Mandy]

I agree with the whole 'mom and pop' stores might being open to the idea.
I went to a pet store I had no idea was right around the corner. When I asked the genders of the chins I ended up having to show the guys there how to tell the chinchilla's gender. They were very thankful!
As for Petsmart, um..
The girl that was helping us has a chinchilla of her own, but gave us some tips that weren't too good. I was just thinking in my head 'Oh realllyyy?'


And wait, is it 'Pet's mart' or ' Pet smart' ? :wacko: