Happy New Year everybody!

Hi everyone! I am semi back in business here. Been really busy, like most of you I imagine, with the holidays.

WHat has your favorite, flighty, man of fancy (not fancy man), fantastic, future tar heel of the year been up to? Quite a bit, but since I am getting ready for a New Years party here at the Dowd pad, an update will have to wait.




I took up a new hobby. My friend Erica bought me the nicest housewarming present. A Siamese fighting fish (or Betta for short) I have named Sebastian. I really have gotten swept up in this. I had an aquarium as a kid and now I have one again.In the pic you can see Sebastian in the top left corner of the 20 gallon tank I purchased. Too much tank for one little fish. I have since added some more fish, plants etc. The following is a letter I wrote to Petsmart after a bad experience there last week while trying to fill that friggin tank. Enjoy!

and Happy New Year!


A Letter to Petsmart


Hello there oh Petsmartariffic complaint collector. I address you that way because I would like to registera complaint about the service I received at your Petsmart store on Millbrook Rd on Dec. 28th.

Please forgive me if I am writing to the wrong party here. I was given choices when entering my info.Where it asked "Reason for this Email" I saw only three choices.

1-Tell us what we did well
2-Tell us what we can improve upon
3-General store questions

I debated for a few moments as to which choice I wanted to submit this letter under. For this particular letter,choice one was out of the question. I was not happy upon leaving your store and did not want to issue a letter saying that you did some things well, and muddy up my message.

I decided that while some of my thoughts are going to fall under category three...the vast majority will fall under category two. I had to translate part two in my head. I decided that this was your positive way of saying "Complain to us" or " Tell us why you are thinking that your money may be best spent elsewhere". If I was incorrect, and your choice of "Tell us what made your visit to our Petsmart store unbearable" I apologize, wish you a nice day, and ask that you forward this email on to the appropriate complaint register-er guy (or gal).

On to my issue. I am a new aquarist. Or would that be aquariumnist? Tank-haver? Either way, I bought a fish tank after a friend of mine bought me a Betta fish for my housewarming party. It was a fun party and all seemed to have a good time.Sadly none of my friends from the north could attend. They don't get out much and it was a bad time of the year, holiday's and all.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit, that I only had one fish when I bought my new fish tank at Fish World. If you are not familiar with fish world, they are a local competitor of yours for aquarium fish and aquarium like supplies and stuff. They were extremely helpful. They even carried my new 30 gallon tank to my car for me. Excellent service.

I had to return the 30 gallon tank as it was a bit too much tank for my intended use. You see... I have this space in the wall in my bedroom which I was going to put the tank.I thought it would be so "pimp" to have a fish tank in my bedroom when I brought my "bitches" back to my swinging pad. Of course for this to have the intended effect one must have a stable of "bitches", which I do not but surely covet. Please note here that if you are a woman, I don't usually refer to women as bitches...well okay one or two over a number of years, but that is between me and my licensed therapist right?.I just thought that using that term would help to illustrate the pimped out sex den that I had in mind.

Fish World took it back, no problem. Gave me a full refund and helped me pick out an appropriate tank for me. I tend to try to do everything big. It's a problem. I am working on it though.

So fast forward to me going to Petsmart to buy more fish. I had gone to fish world on Tuesday. They were closed on Tuesdays! Can you believe that?!? It was kind of funny though. Their sign said "Gone Fishin'" instead of just "Closed" I decided, being the impatient person I am, to go to Petsmart to fill my Jones for new fish. I had the idea in my head and I wanted to execute it right away.

At Petsmart, a young African American gentleman helped me to pick out some fish. I purchased some Tetras, some other Tetras (Which my friend David suggested I get because they look weird.) and finally a shark. The young man (and is it bad and does it say something negative about this great nation of ours that I described him by his ethnicity?) warned me that I should stick to some other fish. I needed to have the shark! It was black with a red tail and looked bad ass!

So I get the Tetra's home and put them in the tank, along with the shark (know henceforth as Assholio). Well wouldn't you know it, Assholio, it turns out, is of a hyper aggressive species who doesn't mix well with other community fish. My bad! Oops. I noticed that all of my fish were hiding from Assholio. or cowering in little bunches waiting in fear like a family in Compton awaiting his next drive by (or should that be swim by?). Either way, I knew Assholio had to go. For the good of the community. Sort of like what Spock said at the end of Star Trek 2-The Wrath of Khan "The good of the many outweighs the needs of the few or the one" So
I caught him and brought him back to Petsmart two days later.

When I walked in on my lunch hour, with Assholio in tow, I went right to the fish area. I was greeted by a sales associate who asked if I needed help. I consider myself something of a retail connoisseur, the greeting impressed me. From there though...all downhill.

The woman asked me why I was returning the fish. I told her that Assholio was too aggresive.Her next question was "Didn't you know that?"I was really offended. Of course I knew that! Well at least that it was not recommended that I purchase from what I will refer to as the "big boy" tanks. If my initial shopping experience had been Thanksgiving dinner, it was suggested that I sit at the kids table. Don't we all want to grow up too soon though? In coming back, I didn't want a lesson in being too big for my britches, I only wanted to banish Assholio back from whence he came.

Then she informed me that I "Should have read the tag on the tank. DUH! Thank you Petsmartateer (is that what you guys call them? If not, you might consider that)Secondly, I AM A GUY! (and an arrogant one at times ask any of my ex's)How many men do you know of that will actually read directions?!? (This is doubly true for arrogant ones) Hell we have a hard time asking for them when lost. This fish was obviously purchased by the testosterone coursing through my veins. Not by someone making a rational decision.

After I produced my receipt, I was given a full refund. I promptly bought some more fish and some plants. I think however, the customer service that I received was at best mediocre and at least rude.

I was happy to see, that the fine folks at fish world had sent me, when I got home, a handwritten thank you note for my initial purchase (with a 10% off coupon) and in addition, sent me a 20% off coupon via email! I know where my next purchase will be made.

I would like to, in conclusion, let you know of one way I think that you can improve. Find out the names of the female sales associate (older, short blond hair with a puss on her face and a poor bedside manner) and send her to get a job at Fish World. This will have a double effect. Improving the customer service possibilities at Petsmart,and ensuring that those, like myself who are planning to returning to Fish World, will be so turned off by her attitude, that they will return to your fold.

Thanks,

Tom