83 replies to this topic

[Fox]

How much of a Man do you have to be to pick on a 13yr old?.

That's what happened today at work.
A guy (approx 30yr) came into to work today to get a fish (Not one of ours), while he was there he decided he wanted some others.
One of my staff was more than happy to help him out, He was trying to catch a fish but decided he needed 2 nets as the fish were to quick, so as he gets off the ladder the fella says "You should stick to catching Guppies" Another staff member then took over. It was then said to the other staff member while the 13yr was still there that he should make the 13yr BOY get the snails on the bottom of the tank (Deuce Bigalow Movie)

I was not in the fish room at this stage otherwise I would've asked the guy to leave.
When I did come to the fish room, the 13yr old told me about it and then went out the back because he was very distraught.
I tried to find this so called MAN, but he had already left the shop.

While this was all happening, Apparently he was saying garbage about myself, I couldn't careless what this MAN said about me, but to tease a 13yr old Boy for trying to do his job, and then make him break down in tears.
Come on, what kind of a world do we live in?
And the worst part of it..... He is a member here!!!! You SHOULD know better.
I am very disgusted that a approx 30yr old could be so nasty in front of this 13yr boy.

If he was in the shop at the time I would've asked to apologise.

I'm not going to name names, You know who you are, You SHOULD apologise.

The people that were at work at the time. DO NOT name the person!

[golden_dase]

Very well said Az.

ALOT of your staff are very helpful.. even though they might need "slightly" a bit more training (the newer guys).
But end of the day, they're trying to do their job and look after the customer.. which goes a long way..

Kevin

[Sazabi]

Bullying, that is what this is

[Krystal]

It only too common with younger staff unfortunately.....and it does not make it right. I have been in that situation and it is not nice......but at the end of the day you gotta trust your own abilities and prove yourself. There will always be one a**hole that will want to put you down.

It took me about 2 years to start getting respect from customers, when i first started many would not allow me to serve them, they would purposely wait for someone else, having never even spoken to me before.......And they would tell me they did not want me to help them out because i was to young and probably couldn't help them anyway. How is that for a confidence boost?

Now it is the total opposite......but it took this long for it to happen, and i had to bend over backwards to prove to these people that i was more than capable of helping them......they just need to let you help them first. Unfortunately some customers in this industry EXPECT us to be walking encyclopaedias and know every single L-number off the top of our heads........this is not possible for any one person, every one has expertise knowledge on certain areas and we help each other on the rest. If we are unsure, we ask or find out so that next time we know.

[sajica]

Hmph....
I'd love to see that person in question try to catch whatever fish it was that the staff member was trying to catch, it's not as easy as it looks guys and takes a lot of practice, sometimes you need 2 nets and sometimes just getting a bigger net helps. To the staff member in question...... I wouldn't worry about this peon too much actions speak louder then words and some people are just pricks nothing you ever do will be up to their standards.

On a side note it's always harder when you have to catch specific fish (especially) cichlids

[Robbotheyobbo]

This so called man should be banned from your shop & here , this type of thing shouldnt happen to an adult let alone a 13yo that is just do his job by helping this bloke , not nice you need to wake up to your self who ever you are

Dale

[Krystal]

Yeah I would like to see them catch Botia rostrata in a tank full of Madagascan Rainbows........Its frustrating!!!!!!

[cichlid4lyf]

what a jerk!

[sajica]

Yeah I would like to see them catch Botia rostrata in a tank full of Madagascan Rainbows........Its frustrating!!!!!!

Pygmy Corys in a tank with Otocinclus or Otos in a tank with hockeystick tetras.....lol hours of fun for the whole family

[Fish Antics]

I am sorry your young staff member had this happen to them. I am sure the person did not intentionally want to upset the person. In my opinion the young man showed good judgment be recognising that continuing to chase the fish around with one net would cause stress and he would be better with two. If the person involved should also appreciate this. I have always found all the staff at Midland to be very pleasant and helpful. In fact I could say that about all our sponsors’ stores.
It is common for me to wait and talk to members of staff in any shop that I know and want to chat to while I get or discuss a certain fish. I have respect for any person working in retail as they must be able to deal with all manner of customers, from the friendly to the down right abusive.
I hope that your young staffer doesn’t let one bad experience stop him from enjoying what could be a rewarding time in retail, especially in my dream job of working with Fish

[fishcrazy]

It was me
Just kidding people, Im not any where near 30 (wish i was haha) but seriously, (to the man in question):
You sir, are the lowest of the lowest and the biggest scum of Perth and i ask you to grow some Testes and PUBLICLY apologize RIGHT HERE and also in the shop!

[Mr_docfish]

Yeah I would like to see them catch Botia rostrata in a tank full of Madagascan Rainbows........Its frustrating!!!!!!

Pygmy Corys in a tank with Otocinclus or Otos in a tank with hockeystick tetras.....lol hours of fun for the whole family

Sorry guys.... I could not find a better tank for them at the time.....(hehehehe).... Well you see, event he boss can get things wrong and make things hard for the staff...

I like the reply from Fish Antics.... spot on....

[Fox]

I am sure the person did not intentionally want to upset the person.

I'm afraid he did!
He is the kind of MAN that likes to big note himself.
In fact you were in the shop at the time of this happening


To all, please don't PM me asking who it is, I'm not going to say. I want to see if this Man will own up and apologise.

I would also like to add to the story, the shop was full of people and he said it loud enough for the people around him to hear.
This Man, was having a crack at the 13yr old for being a little chubby, (IMO he is not) But this Man is as tall as me and would weigh about the same as me if not bigger.

What annoys me the most, Such a hero to tease a 13yr old to his face, but you have a crack about me in my fish room, but you cant say it to my face!

As people have already guessed, I am really angry about this. There is just no need to pick on someone younger & smaller than you.
As the old saying goes, Pick on someone your own size!

[golden_dase]

There is just no need to pick on someone younger & smaller than you.
As the old saying goes, Pick on someone your own size!

HA! Az, you should NEVER pick on me! I'm half your size!!

Soz I went off-topic slightly... wanted to lighten things up abit..

[Cicolid]

Very good reply Tony.

What this "man" should realise is that no matter what trade or profession you work in. -

Everyone has to start somewhere and everyone has to learn sometime


There is absolutely no excuse for what happened to this young guy.


Col

[kinh]

im normally there at midland at least twice a month and service is great either young or old serving me. i doubt this person would want to own up most probably want to make a big not of himself but really i reckon hes just p@ssy whipped!

1. making fun of kid being fat? lowlife
2. deuce bigalow scene? what this guy is a pedophile? thats just sick!
3. as stated everyone starts somewhere whether a journer or to satrt gaining experience.

i dont normally post up things like this but since its david and goliath i want to butt in see what this does.

theres no naming names but can someone al least confirm if hes still active

[Donna]

but really i reckon hes just p@ssy whipped!

Hoy, how come everytime a man behaves badly, it's a womans fault....(if you are using the above expression the way it is usually used}



Pretty bad choice of movies to try and be funny with....the Bigolo crack really doesn't work in this instance. So no points for even coming close to humour.

I worry in general about the age of some kids that are involved in retail. Good thing there was an older person there to look out for the kid on this occasion. Sometimes in maccas there is no one there older than 17, and how some people treat those kids is ridiculous. They also want service like they are in a five star restaurant. These kids are getting paid four bucks an hour, to put up with the rubbish.

While at UWA, I trained as a barmaid. Now that is an eye opener, depending on where you work of course.... You soon learn.

It seems that some customers get the customer/retailer relationship all wrong.....you ask for your goods, you wait until they are fetched/prepared etc for you, pay for them and leave. There could be some chit chat between times that is on topic. Some broader connections might be made, but in general, these people are at work, they are not there for your entertainment.

This bloke got the relationship wrong, and tried to use this kid to show how big/smart/funny but worst of all how superior he believes he is.....

A fish shop is a specific kind of venue, but its core business lies with the selling of items, showing stock, or answering stock and related inquiries. I think there may be a few fish shops out there where that line is frequently crosssed, and not just by a holes, but by well meaning people too. I don't want to blow the fish shop culture because Fish Shops are entertaining, but they are not entertainment as such. It might do us all some good to remember that this is a workplace and people have the right to do their job without the customer subverting them and trying to get some "entertainment" as well as purchase an item.

Regards,

Donna

[cichlidsrule]

im shocked at whats happened. me just being over 13 would be distrought too if it happened to me. i feel sad for the kid because stuff like that can put you down for a long time.

[Den]

Cant make a comment about this person or situation because I wasnt there but I can say when I started fulltime work at 17 I was bullied alot by some older men(though using the word men loosely), like the old cliche saying goes "what doesnt kill you only makes you stronger". Next time I need 199 neons I might drop in Azza, that should give the young lad enough experience to become an expert catcher.

Cheers
Den

[rwillox]

Personally I find hearing that to be despicable. I have always found all the staff at Midland show a great deal of willingness to help their customers. The fact he left to go and get another net shows just that, he realised a problem and on his own initiative went to go and get another net in order to get the man the fish he wanted.

Sometimes fish can be hard to catch but to go and abuse someone for trying their best is ridiculous especially when it is a 13 year old boy. I do not know what the fish in the tank were but it could have been just as hard for anyone else to catch them.

I tend to wait for staff members I know at shops due to having a prior relationship with them and or just wishing to discuss specific fish with them. The fact that many younger people work at fish stores is a credit to not only them but also to the owners for hiring younger people with an interest.

I hope this person decides to man up and apologise not just to this person but Aaron and the rest of the team at Midland. I also hope this does not discourage the young man from working there, take it as a learning experience (a bad one yes) but use it as a chance to grow.

Ross