Catherine/Katherine - please get your store all the way together. I'm a Little Falls native who frequents this location at least 3x a week for feeders (mice, crickets, gnats, you name it). I'm a licensed veterinary technician with 10+ years in medicine, as well as 14 years handling + selling + rescuing exotics at conventions across the northeast. Not only does it take 30 minutes MINIMUM to get service in the aquarium section between workers flirting with eachother or hanging out - but I also get welcomed to unsolicited advice from the same staff that sells the most stressed out Tarantulas I've ever seen in my entire exotics career. Or seeing a loner Discus glass surfing, also stressed as hell because it's sharing a tank with semi-aggresives. Ive never not once commented on this IRL to them, why? Because I will always be back here food..Also, my unsolicited advice as a customer would not make a difference. So, why as a woman with experience + credentials in STEM do I get an employee saying he can't sell me semi-aggressive tetras because I would be putting them in a tank with an Amazon (freshwater) bumblebee puffer fish? Mind you - all I asked him was if the sale sticker "buy 3, get 1 free" was still accurate + if they had ant active tetras.
Working in the field I do...I was exhausted and did not have the patience to debate or argue this day. But it's rude as all hell to do to a costumer UNSOLICITED - especially when he did not even ask me the parameters for an already incredibly well adjusted tank. My 3inch puffer is alone and adjusted in a 40 GALLON TANK, with natural hides all over. I refuse to have my puffer fish "glass surf" like every single fish at Petco does out of boredom. It wasn't appropriate at all in the slightest. Come to find out this guy is the manager supposedly!
To boot- I came to this location because Absolutely Fish in Clifton was out of full schools of semi-aggressive tetras and an aquatic expert told me there (When I ASKED for his opinion) that I have enough space to mimick it's natural environment and to GO TO THIS PARTICULAR PETCO for them because they were out. Cannot wait to call them tomorrow and just wait it out/get quality fish from them.
Context for Tarantula: they only do this when they're incredibly stressed/improper set up. A few hairs missing, eh? But the entire abdomen is bald. That's awful - focus on your exotics before you patronize customers. There was a reason I previously stopped buying fish from Petco, and this reminded me very quickly why I shouldn't have bother resuming. Pathetic and patronizing.
Also after waiting 30 minutes for help from ANYONE for feeders, and being so fortunate to get eventually acknowledged by this same employee after he was rude as hell: it took him a whole 10 minutes to get my SEVEN crickets lmao when I asked for 10. "We only have 7 left" honestly dude have the day you deserve because not an ounce of me believes that- just spiteful. Gross
PS - I hope regional management has the time to review the cameras of the feeder section, because on multiple instances in the past not only myself but others have waited so long (not '10 minutes long' I am talking 30+ minumum) for help with feeders that we ended up bagging them ourselves.
The proof is there if you look hard enough.
This location should focus on other topics during team radars regarding customer care, or at least pay for their team to get at least an associates in biology before preaching without being asked. Will not be coming back here if I can help it, and will be telling my clients to do the same due to unprofessionalism and willfull ignorance.
Go to Reptile Roadhouse if you want to purchase quality exotics from knowledgeable, polite, and truly experienced staff.