09/02/2024
RED SEA? Not me!
On August 24th, I started a little post questioning you all about your experiences with Red Sea Aquariums. I mentioned that I would tell you why I choose not to sell their aquariums and I will do do now. Before that post started, I'd order a roller mat 500 for a customer. I emailed and called for the status of the order and I got no answer. This occurs far too often with Red Sea. If you've ever tried to reach them, then perhaps you already know what I am talking about. Eventually I found out that they were butt hurt about my post last week that they cancelled my account because of it. Well it's not like I buy enough s**t from them that I would care although admittedly I had a problem with them not sending the order for my customer that probably should already have been shipped.
I pride myself on customer service. I think that it's a very important aspect of business in general. For years I have tried contacting Red Sea for issues or support and seldom to any avail. If I was lucky enough to get a callback, it would be days later or not at all.
My original issues with Red Sea began long ago when they started selling their all inclusive aquariums. I took issue with the aquariums back then because the lights were inside the canopy of the top and would cook the water to 85 degrees or more. What we know about saltwater aquariums today is that 85 plus degrees robs a hobbyist of the potential for success. The tank was just too hot so I chose not to sell their aquariums. For Red Sea that may not have been a huge problem because if someone bought a Red Sea all inclusive tank and lacked success they'd simply quit thinking that they did everything to create success while achieving none. But for local fish stores around the country, this was hurting our direct business. We weren't having the luxury of losing a few customers while gaining others who hadn't found out about the problems that Red Sea was intentionally selling. Me and other stores called regarding those problems and even suggested that Red Sea put a chiller with the package to make it a real all inclusive system. But they never did.
Look, when you lose a customer based on simple ass issues like that, you must be mindful that the loss will be greater than the initial thought. Those people who tried our hobby with a boiler Red Sea tank would take some more of our business away from us before we even got it by sharing the difficulties with their friends and others who may have otherwise given it a try.
Red Sea has always boasted the margin that was offered to stores who sold their aquariums. But for me to sell their tanks, it required that in addition to a good margin, that I'd sell an aquarium that I could believe in and with Red Sea, I just didn't and I don't.
I remember when Red Sea first came out with their larger aquariums. I was on board...they were beautiful and I remember that everyone wanted one in their stores including me. But their customer service sucked so bad that every time a customer mentioned one of their tanks, I showed them something else that I thought would last a lifetime better. Later came all the stories of tanks busting in peoples homes and offices. If you were just unlucky enough to ease past the warranty period before it happened to you, then you'd get the run around or NOTHING. Some of you were treated like it was possible that a rock shifted while you were away which certainly could have happened. But when Red Sea knew that they had a problem with the aquariums opening up, I think that their customer service should have been better.
A few years ago, a lady came to my store and at the time a distributor had it in stock. She started her conversation with " Frank, I know that you don't like them but there is a perfect place for it in my house. "
And it was perfect until it wasn't. The seam busted open and Red Sea offered her another aquarium but one of a full size smaller than what she had. Why? Because she was slightly past her warranty period with an aquarium that they knew that they were having problems with. And she had THAT problem! She has now gotten out of the hobby.
Once, Red Sea distributed their tanks through distributors. These distributors bought lots of Red Sea aquariums and other products until Red Sea one day decided to go direct. This meant eliminating the distributors who were responsible for making their products a household name after the name has been made. I always wondered if Red Sea would mistreat their multi skew distributors, that to mistreat a small local fish store who had nowhere near the buying potential of the distributors, would be easy to do. Sure seems the case to me!
Now imagine that you are a LFS selling all the red sea items....now RED SEA is selling the aquariums- not your local distributor...that is IF YOU WANTED to sell them.... How many of you stores were rightfully upset that they would dropship for the big box online stores but not for you??? Everyone of you should have been pi**ed. They should have never created an advantage for ANY business to undersell you. As a store you created the customer's interest but you couldn't compete with the price of getting the tank either to your store OR directly to the customer. THESE ARE THE THINGS that i contacted Red Sea about in the past. One of their managers, who i do like and will not mention by name told me on phone that I am talking about old issues and that I am speaking second hand on issues regarding the aquariums because I don't sell them. Yep I was and I am because I know that those customers and other stores who told me about their issues weren't lying. To find the truth, just google Red Sea aquariums breaking and see the second hand information that pops up and let me know if it helps you to make a decision about what to buy and what not to buy. If you are a store, what to sell and what not to sell.
So what really made me post this in the first place, a customer bought a RED SEA stand and then he said that he ordered a RED SEA tank to go with it. He bought both within a very short period from a store who was a RED SEA authorized dealer. But RED SEA wouldn't warranty it. The store tried to get involved too feeling that RED SEA did not give his customer a warranty on 2 new items purchased separately. But RED SEA justified the decision.
Listen there are things, although few that I love from Red Sea. I think that RED SEA should have asked and focused on those things and tried to build a relationship with me and other stores. I love, use and sell the Coral Colors A,B,C an D. Love them! Years ago the RED SEA sales Rep came into my store and asked about one of my beautiful displays. He was surprised to know that I used Coral Colors A,B,C and D but that I didn't use them per their instructions. The next day one of the RED SEA chemists called and asked me how I used it. When I told him he said that they weren't made to be used that way. I told him that I didn't ask how to use them. I was telling them HOW i used them. To date, my customers still use that product the way that I do to great success. I use and sell AB Plus and NOPox. Some salt too but those are my limits from RED SEA.
Listen RED SEA....I know that some have had success with your tanks. Ive been doing aquariums for a long time and I don't think that selling one with the history of the breakage and then the lack of consistent customer service warrants my selling them. Don't be pi**ed because I don't like them. Stop fixing an issue and then creating others. And when you fix an issue, be straightforward and admit that there was an issue that is being fixed before you just say that it is one day. If you are selling the same ole' potentially defective product while you are fixing the issue, please know that's a problem.
Us stores have a responsibility to our customers and to this industry to help it to continue growing. We are doing good things and we want to continue to do them for the good of everyone involved....the honest good of all of us. And telling the truth is all a part of it.
PS: I know that you won't remember this....but back in 2005 or 2006, a little fish store in Fort Worth, Texas was responsible for bring RED SEA CORAL PRO salt to Fort Worth from MACNA and then directly from RED SEA in Houston long before it was available at the distributors here. That little store was Franks Tanks!
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A place to get ALL your saltwater aquarium needs!!! www.franks-tanks.com
