Another P@H grumble

[feeling_the_wrath_already]

Perhaps the phonecall from the pet manager was the response that customer services promised? Though it's a shame that the issue of having a meeting wasn't brought up again.

The Mr Fox response....well, he's obviously taken the comments very personally, considering he used to work in that store. Even I sometimes take comments personally, even if they aren't directed directly at me :lol: however, the difference is that I try and respond in a less aggressive manner :lol:

Depending on when he left the company, he may not have been made aware of the newer policies regarding offering free hutches etc., especially if he only worked part time. In any case where a customer has a complaint about mis-sexed bunnies, then the manager would be the one to sort it - who, inevitably, would know about the policy.

To be honest, seeing as he doesn't work for the company any more he sounds like he was just sticking up for his mates :roll: he obviously wasn't scared of any repercussions, because if he didn't work there anymore, who could tell him off?

 

[Snowy]

Still an extremely ignorant person though and Pets at Home did nothing to educate, and by the way he is a she!, with a sign on name like Mr Fox it is obvious the kind of attitude she had to the animals and to customers!

I have now established which veterinary practise she is attached to and only hope and pray that they can educate her better then Pets at Home, I will contact the veterinary practise to check this out and let them know what kind of staff they have in their employment, unless of course, I get a full apology on here, which I doubt very much!!

Thanks for your comments anyway, it's very much appreciated particularly when it confirms what most people on here complain about, I just wish that when Pets at Home read this and they do all the threads, that they take notice and do something about it.

 

[feeling_the_wrath_already]

Meh, at the end of the day there is nothing a company can do about the comments of a person who has left their employment.

Er, not sure what her sign on name has to do with her attitude to animals and customers :lol: From what she's said, her attitude to the animals seems pretty good, seeing as she is taking such lengths to ensure that people know she tries to send bunnies to good homes! The fact she was on the forum in the first place surely indicates she learning about bunnies? And who are we to comment on what her customer service was like when she was working there?

The way they phrased their response definitely wasn't polite...but I don't see anything wrong with her knowledge - she clearly knows that hay should be available at all times, they get the correct amount of pellets, they get veggies.
Yes, she should have just accepted that the bunny needed some more hay...but as somebody sticking up for her mates, and NOT speaking on behalf of the company, she has no personal need to be polite. Especially if she believes that her colleagues care about the animals, she's not going to sit back and let them take a bashing.

Just like myself - i'm not speaking 'on behalf' of the company, i'm just giving my point of view. In a slightly more polite manner :lol:

I'd say that they were pretty well educated already, they just got wound up and responded aggressively...which is definitely not the fault of the company that she USED to work for, nor is it 'the response of Pets at Home' :lol:

 

[katykat1975]

I've just emailed p@h after reading this, sure it won't do any good but maybe if enough people do it they may take note.
All over the bunny forums/websites P@H is referred to with some pretty nasty stories on bunny negligence, one in particular that riles me is people buying same sex bunnies in good faith and when they complain they are told to read the disclaimer on their reciept which specifies they aren't responsible if a bunny is 'sexed' wrongly, hence the unwanted rabbit problem is helped along nicely when unwitting customers end up with a litter of kits..... which they can't afford to neuter.
How hard is it to sex a rabbit??
If they are to young to be sexed correctly they should be with their mums.

It makes me mad they can get away with this, I had to be trained to serve food in a restaurant yet they don't seem to have to train anyone to care for a living creature?!

Right, rant over :twisted:

 

[Angie65]

I'd love to know how you tell the difference between a 6 week old bun & an 8 week old bun :lol: I had a surprise free ad litter at mine, & I must say, 8 weeks was way smaller than any buns I've ever seen at P@H :lol:

In fact - Kendra is now getting on for 9 months & still looks about 12 weeks :lol:

 

[capel]

I've got to say that I've always been impressed by the 2 P@H stores I've visited. I generally go into them most weeks just for a nosey around. The rabbits always look healthy and happy and the staff I've chatted with seem to know their stuff. I overheard one lad there asking a young family if they were aware of the cost of vaccinations etc, and then going on to explain why they needed them and why it was also advisable to neuter and spay. They said they'd have to have a think about it all. So there are some pretty good members of staff working there. Hats off to them

 

[Snowy]

Meh, at the end of the day there is nothing a company can do about the comments of a person who has left their employment.

Er, not sure what her sign on name has to do with her attitude to animals and customers :lol: From what she's said, her attitude to the animals seems pretty good, seeing as she is taking such lengths to ensure that people know she tries to send bunnies to good homes! The fact she was on the forum in the first place surely indicates she learning about bunnies? And who are we to comment on what her customer service was like when she was working there?

The way they phrased their response definitely wasn't polite...but I don't see anything wrong with her knowledge - she clearly knows that hay should be available at all times, they get the correct amount of pellets, they get veggies.
Yes, she should have just accepted that the bunny needed some more hay...but as somebody sticking up for her mates, and NOT speaking on behalf of the company, she has no personal need to be polite. Especially if she believes that her colleagues care about the animals, she's not going to sit back and let them take a bashing.

Just like myself - i'm not speaking 'on behalf' of the company, i'm just giving my point of view. In a slightly more polite manner :lol:

I'd say that they were pretty well educated already, they just got wound up and responded aggressively...which is definitely not the fault of the company that she USED to work for, nor is it 'the response of Pets at Home' :lol:

You didn't see anything wrong with her knowledge?, she didn't know the company policy on selling wrongly sexed animals, she didn't know which was the largest rabbit cage and she didn't know that rabbits need hay ALL day, I find her sign on name an insult.....using Mr Fox on a rabbit forum!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: come on!! and she has only made 1 post and that was to libel me!! and please tell me because she couldn't answer the question..... how can she ensure that rabbits go to good homes?

 

[feeling_the_wrath_already]

She didn't know the company policy on selling wrongly sexed animals

But we don't know whether she was actually working for the company when that policy was introduced - she may have left beforehand, and so wouldn't have known about the policy? Alternatively she could have been part-time, and hence wouldn't have really been involved in dealing with those sorts of complaints.

she didn't know which was the largest rabbit cage

Actually, she was right about the largest rabbit cage we sell - which is the Tommy. When you asked me in the other thread, I assumed that you meant hutches as well.

she didn't know that rabbits need hay ALL day

Well, yes she did know, and she actually acknowledged it...her exact words were "yes they do need a constant supply of hay".

I find her sign on name an insult.....using Mr Fox on a rabbit forum!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: come on!! and she has only made 1 post and that was to libel me!!

I'm sure the one post was only made because it was the only post relevant to the store she used to work in...and the only post she felt the need to jump in on. To be honest, if she was on the defensive anyway, i'm pretty sure she wouldn't have been too concerned about whether her username might be offensive or not :lol: she wasn't exactly out to make friends!

please tell me because she couldn't answer the question..... how can she ensure that rabbits go to good homes?

By talking to be people, questioning their knowledge, offering correct advice, refusing sales to people who seem like they don't have the rabbit's welfare at heart. You know, the same sort of thing that a non-homechecking rescue or good breeder would do.

 

[capel]

Every company has its share of employees who fall short of the mark, and I've never come across negative attitudes in the P@H stores I've been in. Maybe I'm just lucky. BUT..
I can't understand why you are getting so worked up about Mr Fox...she no longer works at P@H anyway. The tone of her reply was defensive and aggressive because she felt she, was being criticised, or her perceived role as a P@H employee, was. Why have you now pursued her to her new place of work? Are you seriously considering "reporting" her to her new employers? Pretty shaky legal ground I reckon. I should think that if her employers find her attitude lacking then they can deal with it appropriately.

 

[Snowy]

Every company has its share of employees who fall short of the mark, and I've never come across negative attitudes in the P@H stores I've been in. Maybe I'm just lucky. BUT..
I can't understand why you are getting so worked up about Mr Fox...she no longer works at P@H anyway. The tone of her reply was defensive and aggressive because she felt she, was being criticised, or her perceived role as a P@H employee, was. Why have you now pursued her to her new place of work? Are you seriously considering "reporting" her to her new employers? Pretty shaky legal ground I reckon. I should think that if her employers find her attitude lacking then they can deal with it appropriately.

Oh, so she can come on a public forum for the one reason of bad mouthing me and she waited 3 months to do it, she was totally wrong in her accusations and that's OK is it?, well I don't think so and I think the very least she owes me an apology......don't you?

 

[gareth159]

 

[cute_fuzzies]

I'm sorry you're upset, but please don't take it personally

Unfortunately not all staff seem to take as much pride in their jobs as you clearly do, and so give off wrong impressions, such as giving the impression that they've had no training!

Please don't think that when people make those sorts of comments they are talking about all staff members, because there are very clearly many who do a very good job but unfortunately, the staff who don't make the effort are the ones that people pick up on, and that is the impression that will stick

Anyway, I think that this thread has been done to death anyway :lol: and was quite a while ago... check out some current threads, people are acknowledging that P@H are improving and doing a better job

E.g. http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=94342

 

[gareth159]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[greydaze]

Well, at least PAH gives their rabbits hay and veggies... Out here, even in the BIG pet stores (Petsmart, the PAH-equivalent) don't give the rabbits and guinnies hay or vegetables. And the small pet shops are appalling, with as many as 15 buns and pigs in a single wire-floored cage (1.5 x 3 foot), with nothing to eat but a single supply of pellets for both. It breaks my heart to see the tiny things, so frightened, so dirty, so unhappy and unused to people.

When I knew little about rabbits, my fiance bought a bunny for me from a petshop; but then again, the rabbit shelters in the area have closed down due to lack of funding. Closest one is an hour's drive out of the city, which is far for someone without a car. But when I get a boyfriend for my spayed girl (Skittles), I will make the trip. It's so sad to see all the baby buns in the petshops, and if people don't know much about rabbits in England, it's twice as bad here. Everyone thinks of them as rodents.

 

[Lucy]

Pets at Home aren't the worst of the pet shops in our area but there are still many areas for concern. As for staff, it depends really, some are ok some are not. I think the good ones aren't using knowledge gained from the store but their own interest in animals and research and experience they may already have had. Some things only come with experience, not reading a book. I have come across some really pig ignorant staff and in comparison to the knowlegable ones, they are in the majority.

 

[gareth159]

:wave: :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave:

 

[greydaze]

just a question you no how everyone on this site does not want to buy animals from pet shops, what would they do if say in a few years all the rescue centres ran out, how would they cope with not having a loving pet

Since the PRESENCE of animals at rescue centers (and those being euthanized for lack of space) is the very reason many people disagree with pet shops selling rabbits, I think everyone would be DELIGHTED if there were no rabbits in need of rescue!!!

 

[Tamsin]

just a question you no how everyone on this site does not want to buy animals from pet shops, what would they do if say in a few years all the rescue centres ran out, how would they cope with not having a loving pet

They would go direct to a responsible breeder - as many already do. In the breeding world, those that have to sell through pet shops are generally considered the less professional/responsible. Most breeders sell their rabbits privately.

A pet shop just adds an extra stressful step in a young rabbits life. Pet shop selling rabbits, whether you agree they should or not, is an entirely unnecessary part of pet ownership.

Tam

 

[Lucy]

Too true Tamsin. If people had to go to a breeder it would take time to find this information out, cutting out impulse buyers. Impulse buying from pet shops is a big reason for animals ending up in rescue. We recently had a 10 week old kitten in that had been brought from a pet shop and was then unwanted. Makes my blood boil.

It's way too easy to be given bad information and buy a tiny hutch and a single rabbit. If the rabbit is brought on impulse and not really wanted, is that fair to the rabbit to be put in that situation just because the member of staff was new? It may be a just a job to that person, but these poor animals have these no-knowledge berks decided their whole life fate. Not fair to the animal at all.

 

[Jocelyn]

But I agree about the handling - that particular member of staff obviously forgot that it specifically says 'do NOT pick up a rabbit by the ears' in the training manuals :roll:

I went to p@h in Rustington a few weeks back to get some supplies as my normal shop wasn't open for some reason!! I couldn't help but to look at the buns and other animals. To be fair, they had a fairly large enclosure with a big double hutch, plenty of hay and water and generally looked in good condition, but I spotted a little mini lop with discharge coming out of it's nose. I asked a lad who worked there about it and he surprised me in actually caring and he let me take her in to the companion care place they have there who took her in and gave her treatment My one complaint was that he grabbed her BY HER LEGS!!!! WTF?!