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I just got hired for part time work at a small pet store where I live. Any advice from you folks with this experience, besides the obvious....1 gallon=1 goldfish..etc etc...?

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

The biggest thing your store owners and managers will probably want from you is good customer service. This includes being amiable, knowledgeable, and willing to go the extra mile. Bad service turns people off, which means that the store loses money. The general public tends to be ignorant about pets, so be prepared to do a lot of educating. Many folks are stubborn or foolish, and you'll have to bear with them. You don't take these people home with you.

Next in importance is maintenance, as it promotes healthy animals and a clean (and better-looking) environment. Folks don't want to see sick critters or dirty animal containers, so you'll probably spend a good deal of time cleaning. Often new employees in a pet store are forced to do mostly store upkeep jobs, and it can get discouraging after a while. Just keep at it and prove that you are reliable and a good worker, and you will be treated with much more respect. I estimate that half of pet shop employees don't last more than three months before quitting or being fired. If you can show that you're a keeper, you will gain a lot of respect from the management.

You might want to browse through this thread for a few opinions about pet stores.

Personally, I never recommend goldfish to anybody who has a fish tank of any kind. I treat them as pond fish. They just don't do well in bowls or fish tanks, so it's good to pass that along. Sometimes people actually believe you.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."