Tractor Supply Employee Knowledge About Chicks

[NYRIR]

Quote:
AWESOME!! It's a start! I hope they can come up with a program to help give employees incentive to know their stuff....you know,like,guess this chick right and win a free roo!

But seriously,I hope it helps for them to know how frustrating it is as a customer to have employees not be able to help you,or try to when they can't and have big mistakes because they didn't admit they didn't know.Thank you for being proactive and trying to inform the company of what the general concensus is about chick days! I do appreciate TSC even HAVING chick days though, because it enables chicken addicts like me to add more chicks every spring

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
We appreciate that. Thank you very much.

 

[CrazyCatCulby]

I have been reading some of the things about the animals at petsmart and now this... DARN IT!!! HOW COME EVERY TIME I DECIDE TO BUY A PET FORM A STORE THEY END UP TO BE THE SURVIVORS OF TERRIBLE NEGLECT!!!

I am ordering my next chicks from Meyer hatchery, so i dont have to feel guilty

 

[lolita117]

TSC gets their chicks from good hatcheries. Get in touch with your local TSC to see when they are expecting a shipping of chicks to arrive and go that day. That's what I did last year and I got 6 healthy baby chicks that all survived into adulthood expect 1 hen that got kill by a dog and 1 Roo that I killed cause he was mean, but I still have 4 of those 6 and they are wonderful beautiful chickens. I will be getting more chicks from TSC come this next month again.

I have been reading some of the things about the animals at petsmart and now this... DARN IT!!! HOW COME EVERY TIME I DECIDE TO BUY A PET FORM A STORE THEY END UP TO BE THE SURVIVORS OF TERRIBLE NEGLECT!!!

I am ordering my next chicks from Meyer hatchery, so i dont have to feel guilty

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I don't know about Tractor Supply, but having worked a while in the pet industry, I know that some stores will purposefully hire people who do not have experience or knowledge. I breed aquarium fish and know a lot about them. I have gone into pet shops for interviews to work in their fish department, and have been told by the management that they would not hire me because I simply knew too much, and they wanted someone who didn't know anything, so they could be trained to the store's methods without questioning them. These stores usually did have questionable management/care practices--such as not treating sick animals (not just fish either, I mean cats, dogs, birds too!) because it is cheaper to let them die and get new ones usually. And they did not want a fish salesperson who knew the requirements of the fish, because they did not want someone who would talk kids out of buying too many fish or a big expensive fish that would outgrow their tank and die...it was better for business to have someone who would just repeat a few lies to the customer, smile, and send them home with as much stuff as they could be talked into buying. I certainly hope this is not the case with many stores and that I just found a few bad ones; it was a terrible shock to find out things like this.

The same type of thing goes on in certain (plant) nurseries/garden centers. I grew up wanting to be a farmer, grew both flower & veggie gardens as a kid, my first job out of school was at a greenhouse.... you get the idea. Most of the nurseries I worked at were owned by old-timers who knew their stuff, LOVED plants, and were very very knowledgeable. They enjoyed passing along their knowledge to me and their customers. They would never even THINK of selling someone a beautiful hosta plant to put out in full sun, or a rosebush to plant in the shade. They emphasized HONESTY in selling. Imagine my shock and disgust when about 10 years ago I landed a job at a landscape nursery. They didn't seem to mind my entensive plant knowledge, but when I actually went to work I found that most of the other employees didn't know squat about plants, and in fact would tell a customer whatever they wanted to hear just to make a sale. It totally disgusted me. The owner praised the crappy behavior and knew better than to "sic" me on what they thought were sitting duck customers, because I wouldn't lie to them. I was glad when that job ended (oh and guess what, that place is now out of business),

 

[bigdawg]

thats why i hatch my own chicks. no guessing or mis treatment of the chicks. i have went to tsc during chick days only to find some dead,out of water and feed. terrible care. i once bought a hole tub full chicks and ducks that were left overs. several died but at least the ones that lived had a lot better care and a better chance to make it.

 

[lolita117]

Anytime you are dealing with people who don't know what they are doing you will end up with dead things. TSC I think needs to step up to the plate when it comes to teaching their employees about what few animals they carry during the spring of the year. Usually when it comes to not living things most employees are very knowledgeable. They really need to have lessons about chicks and encourage rewards for learning those things. I've applied to TSC before and I think that they too sometimes want ignorant people work for them so they can teach them what they want. I have a degree in agriculture and I'm yet to land a job at TSC.

When it comes to chain pet stores, I would never buy anything other than rodent species type animals. Too many horror stories out there about puppy mills. I breed German Shepherds AND WOULD NEVER SELL TO A PET STORE! I want to interact with my customers so that I know that my puppy is going to only a great home. I did buy a Guinea Pig from Petco 2 years ago. She never got sick and has remain healthy as can be. I still have her and I'm glad I bought her before someone else did, who wouldn't take as good of care of her as I do.

And about the chicks at TSC, that's why I recommend buying the chicks the day they get delivered to the store. Last year when I bought mine from TSC (which was my first chicks ever) I literally got there right after they were put into the bins. They still had the shipping boxes out on the floor. I got 6 straight run chicks and you wouldn't believe my odds. I got 5 girls and 1 roo. But anyways, they were so healthy and still are besides the too that got killed. Just call your local TSC, they may not know what breed or sex the chicks are, but they will be able to tell you "Were expecting a shipment today or tomorrow." And then get there as soon as you can. Its awesome to be able to pick your chicks. I did. I especially like the Black Australorp chicks with the most white (my avatar pic is one of these TSC babies).

 

[tweetysvoice]

I was lucky with our TSC. I went in there just to buy supplies for the brooder (don't have chicks yet) and they gave me a business card for the local "chicken-lady" and told me that I should call her if I had any questions about chickens. I haven't seen their supply yet for this spring, but I did find it funny that I already knew who our chicken lady was and had conversed with her on this forum many times. At least ours acknowledges that they don't know anything and refer you to someone who does.

 

[The Lazy L]

Like some Posters said, it's not just TSC.

I pulled into a fast food restaurant and ordered a small drink with my meal. I was told they didn't have small drinks only medium, large and extra large.

Big box store. I asked for a box of 45 Colt ammunition. I was handed a box of 45 ACP.

And my favorite was a hardware store. I asked for a left handed screwdriver. Clerk frowned and started looking thru the screw driver labels looking...

Keep in mind many of today's young Clerk's are from single parent families. The single parent between working full time and trying keeping the household together don't have a lot of time for one on one with their children. Unlike the 50's and 60's where you'd be laying under the car "helping" Dad change the oil.

 

[lolita117]

I agree. I'm 22 years old but my Daddy was born in 1928! I got the benefit of a man with old time values to raise me.

Like some Posters said, it's not just TSC.

I pulled into a fast food restaurant and ordered a small drink with my meal. I was told they didn't have small drinks only medium, large and extra large.

Big box store. I asked for a box of 45 Colt ammunition. I was handed a box of 45 ACP.

And my favorite was a hardware store. I asked for a left handed screwdriver. Clerk frowned and started looking thru the screw driver labels looking...

Keep in mind many of today's young Clerk's are from single parent families. The single parent between working full time and trying keeping the household together don't have a lot of time for one on one with their children. Unlike the 50's and 60's where you'd be laying under the car "helping" Dad change the oil.