Ask a petco employee anything

>>2362143
what can I get for free at petco if I ask? When do yall throw away the extra shit that doesnt sell?

>>2362147
All the stuff that we don't sell gets donated to animal shelters, but we throw out cracked tanks, or like if someone returns a toy that's slightly ripped but you can still sew it. Trash is usually taken out on Sundays but employees usually take the good stuff

>>2362143
Hi Petco. I just bought a ferret and got a second one free because they had too many ferrets in the enclosure. Just wanted to say thanks. I love ferrets.

Why should I buy anything from your marine tanks when it's obvious all your fish have ich? Do you guys even try to treat?

>>2362158
Your welcome for the ferret. About the marine tanks. Corporate is a bunch of cheap assholes that don't know shit. The only medicine were aloud to use is shitty herbal stuff because they think copper is too harsh. And if you go against petcos "standard practice" you get fired. It really depends what store you went to too because some animal care managers are fucking awful. At my store? I put copper in the "petco apporoved" medicine bottles and use that and the ick has been under control pretty well.

>>2362168
makes sense. I think you'd do better by splitting out inverts/rock from fish and then treating all fish with constant copper or hypo.

my local has the fish in with the rocks and inverts though, so copper/hypo would kill half the livestock. I suppose the appealing display is more important than the health of the fish, but damn. I've seen thousands of dollars worth of fish die in Petco tanks. Even at wholesale prices some of those fuckers aren't cheap.

thanks for doing what you can. I love buying saltwater but I sure as hell don't want to pay for a deadly disease that will wipe out my tank.

>>2362172
Yeah that's why I actually made a quarantine tank... of course I got bitched at for it so I guess it has to go.

I always imagined working there would be too soul-crushing because it doesn't seem like the animals are well taken care of, and even if they are, you have to sell them to people who obviously aren't going to be good owners. Is this the case or am I thankfully way off the mark?

>>2362174
>of course I got bitched at for it so I guess it has to go.
sad

best of luck in your work to improve. Your customers appreciate it even if corporate doesn't.

>>2362157
one of my managers is a pretty big stickler for taking our garbage
I still sneak stuff every now and then especially like ripped bags of dog treats

>>2362178
It depends on the region honestly. I live in a pretty middleclass white people town so the people I sell to at least listen to what I have to say and most of them will buy what I tell them to.
Fish is pretty bad though, I just stopped caring

Every so often you get those white trash or fob older asians and they're just awful to work with

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Why do you guys always take such shitty care of your reptiles?

>>2362143
I appreciate the paper towels and spray handily available for when my tard of a dog decides to piss on the hamster stand

>>2362187

Tell me about the fob Asians. Are they there for fish or dog stuff?

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>>2362446
good question desu no one ever seems to care for them as much as the other animals probablyh knowing full well that they need more than the average animal to be kept healthy and happy.

>>2362477
also fuck my spelling today...

>>2362477
People are autistic when it comes to non-mammals. They just can't empathize with reptiles. They only tolerate birds for their eggs. You have to be the opposite of autistic to care for reptiles correctly. I have tortoises and they are so healthy you'd puke.

>>2362473
fish usually, looots of goldfish
its funny to me though like I'm pretty sure that over half of our fish sales go to asians

like the 2nd 3rd generation really know what they're doing though and they all kinds of fish stuff and I know they're doing a good job

one time though we had a hmong family buy like 6 turtles. They said they had a pond, but my manager and I were pretty sure they were going to eat them.

>>2362446
its pretty fucked, all our tanks are obviously too small but there's nothing we can do about it
my aquatics manager actually cares though, so outside of corporate mandated stuff we do what we can
I HATE when we get chams in though, there's just nothing we can do to actually take care of them adequately

>>2362143
I have an interview at my local petco coming soon. What should i expect for this interview and what is the job like?

>>2362479
autistics make shitty pet owners. they can't read body language well, and this fucks them hard when dealing with species that require a certain level of 'fine precision' when working out distress levels/emotional health which can be very disguised in non-carnivorous mammals

pets being good for autist emotional health =! autists being good pet owners. they're inattentive and have core executive function deficit. neurotics make good pet owners.

retards can't use words like "pedantic" or "neurotic" anymore though cuz its sooooooo 1973 brah as well as otherwise-idiots trying to make social commentary about the state of overdiagnosis in 'murica. I find it dumbing down, personally.

How hard is it to get a job there if you're fairly autistic socially in that you can respond to people politely if asked for help but too autistic to converse with people?

>>2362496
I assume it varies from manager to manager
but its just like any other retail job interview, only animal experience is a plus to have
They'll probably stick you cashier only for a while unless they really need someone stocking

>>2362506
Conversing with the customers is unfortunately for you a large part of it, corporate is pretty pushy about us making sure to ask every person we come across how they're doing
not that I do anyways, but you do need to be able to hold a conversation with people about their animals so you can figure out what they need, because they sure as fuck don't know

>>2362504
I don't know if neurotics make good pet owners for animals that pick up on and are affected by negative emotion, like dogs for example.

>>2362504
Honestly desu this is really on an autist to autist base. Autism manifests in a variety of different ways and not every autist will have all autist traits. Some will be incredibly awful at pet ownership, others will obsess over proper care and love their animal more than they ever could another person.

>>2362143
Hi from a Petland Discounts employee, wanted to know, do you guys get like sections you work at all day? Do they rotate? My branch is pretty small so I kind of do a little of everything around the store. Usually I change water, clean cages, basically the janitor of the store. I wanted to know because I wanted to work at a Petco that's a little closer to my house because that store is a lot bigger than the Petland and from what I heard, they're looking for new people. Thanks in advance Anon.

What's the shoplifting policy or any stories you have about theft? I went to loot some aquarium stuff and elk bones but my Petco has cameras everywhere.
Are they real? Are they monitored at the store or by corporate?
If shit goes missing, do they go back and check the cameras?

Basically tell me all u know and if not find out and tell me pls. Thanks!

How's working at a petstore like? A local petstore chain's looking for new employees, I'm applying and want to know what to expect

>>2364057
Just saw you already answered this, sorry.
Another one, is it common for employees to care about the animals too? Have any of them ever bought any of the animals there are for sale?

>>2362480
>but my manager and I were pretty sure they were going to eat them.
This is unlikely because getting turtles at your local china town to eat is way cheaper than your Petco stuff.

Even some common as shit red-eared slider would be what? $20 at your store? You really think an Asian would spend $20 for part of a home cooked meal?

Ironically I just came back from a local fish store and there were a ton of unrelated FOB-looking asians in there in the hardcore sections (by which I mean, there were a couple picking through the dragonstone and driftwood searching for perfect pieces, some others looking at substrates, some looking at canister filters, etc; none of them were looking at pedestrian stuff like the glofish or goldfish or betta).

I admit I too was looking at the dragonstone.

>>2362178
Youre allowed to deny a sale to a customer if you believe they will not take good care of the animal.
My girlfriend is her store's resident guinea pig expert so they'll send anybody who wants a piggie to her, she'll grill em, and decide if they'll be a good fit or not.

>>2364842
Guinea pig? What the fuck who cares if they take care of a fucking hamster properly.

>>2364040
One of my friends is a bit klepto, she's made it off with some Orange Cube before. Seems like a just cause though, why is cricket food more expensive than actual live crickets?

>>2362446
Because corporate is shit.. I mist the tanks every hour when I'm there but sometimes I'm on stuck on working front so I can't go back that far. I brought up putting a misting system on there but I was immediately shut down. It's bullshit

>>2363888
It's a bit of everything at my store. Everyone has to do stock when it's truck days and you half to multitask alot

>>2364861
Why are you here

>>2364040
The cameras are real not sure if corporate monitors it though but it is recorded. Your best bet is to check the garbage but that's because my store has had problems before with shop lifting so the manager is super up tight

>>2364874
Because crickets are prolific breeders to the point of being pests whereas orange cube requires quite a bit of prep.

PS. don't bother with that shit if it's so expensive. It's not even very good. Arguably it's actually shit. A bit of your actual food is way better for gut-loading, e.g. fruits, oats, etc.

>>2364040
I worked in loss prevention for years.
1) In smaller stores that don't have loss prevention personnel on-site (practically all but large department stores), it is 100% the employees that would stop you. Those cameras have absolutely no power over you. They are used for evidence.
2) This isn't to say you can just run out, because they can still call the cops on you, so if you make a habit out of it or steal something big, you can very well get fucked.

Also, stop being poor, or stop getting pets.

My son wants a "Dory". Would it fit in a half gallon bowl like a betta would?

>>2365285
"Dory" are saltwater fish.

so thats a no. You'd need a rather expensive saltwater setup to house a Tang fish.

just get him a betta fish

>>2365285
100% bait.

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>>2365285
Dories need at least 1 gallon
Nemos can be kept in 1/2g

>>2365297
I'm fairly certain anon was joking.

>>2365304
Please tell me this is fake

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>>2365340

>>2365349
please explain

>>2365304
Oh god the horror.

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>>2362143
I just wanted to let you know that I understand that the poor enclosures and/or treatment isn't the fault of the grunts like yourself, the corporate robots at the very top of the ivory tower is to blame

anyways, I've always wanted to work at a pet store, so would you recommend it? what is the daily routine like?

There's a pretty miserable looking cockatiel caged up in a tiny meme tier cage for 130 at a nearby petco I fell bad for. If I ask the manager what's the chance of getting him at a reasonable price? Yes probably about a year old by now.

What's your favorite animal that you regularly have

>>2362480
>hmong family
>buying turtles
Turtles are a symbol of good luck and longevity to some Asians. They probably kept pretty good care of them. Not all Asians eat your pets. Just don't trust the Chinese. They're not actually people.

>>2366908
Don't know if it applies, but I remember there being some kind of Asian good luck tradition thing with aquariums where they would stock an aquarium with either 1, 4, 6, or 9 fish

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>>2365359

I'd like to second this. (and thank you for that cute pic)

I fundamentally disagree with nearly every aspect of the pet industry and commercial trade. I have far more indictments of it for the incompetence it encourages to manifest in neglect and cruelty in the population than I do for ranchers who are not ethical. The scale of suffering it enables simply has no place in the human character.

However, that such a business exists doesnt say that everyone who is drawn to it has that low character. There are many businesses that create social problems, but that doesnt mean that the people drawn to them have bad character. Taverns do not make alcoholics, and deliver cheer to many. Ice cream peddlers do not manufacture diabetics, and make children everywhere smile. It is the choice of the individual that determines the world we live in, not the choices they're given.

What I mean is that I am grateful. I know the industry has such terrible aspects. But it does put animal lovers next to the animals who will get that love from them. Not every animal will be that lucky, and there will abuse and neglect. And while I think there is far too much to justify the status quo, I also recognize how it uplifts some people and their pets. This nation has so many people with cats, dogs, birds, fish, reptiles and others. Millions who love their animals so very much.

Can we even imagine who we would be without them, what sort of culture, what sort of view of nature.

I could rant about the industry endlessly, but for people in the business I would also want them to know that like many, I am grateful. Every time I hear the quote "Animals make us human", its like I'm hearing it for the first time and awed by how true it is in so many ways. And thats why I am grateful,

sorry for yapping. I just worry that people think my disdain for industry practices is directed at the good people who put animals in touch with people who love them.

>>2365340
>>2365353
It's fake and staged

I remember an Anon posting those same pictures in /aq/ a year ago, and everyone was flipping their shit and dying inside. He had the idea to use his child's bug cage as a tank and fill it with all sorts of gaudy shit, and put his clown there temporarily to take those pictures

He has a legit setup, don't worry. I think.

>>2362143
What's the stupidest question you've had to answer there?

>>2365304
you clearly designed the interior to benefit your autism and not the fish's life

>>2365229
Has your manager ever caught someone? How does he know how big the shoplifting prob is? How often does he do inventory? What's the area that he most complains about. Give me deets, lol.
>>2365273
>stop being poor, or stop getting pets.
You'll be relieved to hear that I'm not poor anymore! (thankfully) and I don't have very many pets. I do it for the lift, but try to do it carefully, sparsely, and at places I don't frequent. These days I do it less and less, someday I'll stop alltogether before it affects my career. Just a nasty little habbit picked up from years of not being able to pay for food AND clothes AND toiletries.