It took me awhile to finally post this with all of the other things going on in my life at the moment. I wanted to share, because after 5 days, I am still livid and felt betrayed by a company I have supported and defended here on the forums. Of my 67 chicks, 57 have come from there. I bought all my chick supplies there and I am at one or 2 stores almost daily (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and usually Sunday).
I went to TSC in West Hazelton, PA on Saturday. When we got there, there were 6 horses in pens outside and a little hot dog sale for some fundraiser with a lot of people running around. I mingled with the horses and played with a little filly for about 5 min total and went inside. I see the chick area is packed and there are people talking to one clerk and there was 4 other couples besides myself and the ones the clerk was "helping". I look through the bins and I see everything is mislabeled. Light Brahmas were labeled as assorted bantams, older Silkies labeled as red pullets, whites in with another batch of red pullets, 2 bins were not labeled at all, one with young Silkies, one with Mallards and one empty. After I finally managed to see what all was there (the clerk and couple were blocking one whole section in front of 2 bins), another lady had out one of their ordering sheets trying to figure out what was there. I ask her if she knew what was there and if she needed help. She just kept glaring at the form and the clerk. I finally decide I want some Brahmas, they were $1 each, so I park myself on that corner of the gate and wait. And wait. And wait. It took me 10min to finally get ticked enough to sternly ask the guy if someone else was working who could help us. He replied rudely that no, it was just him and it was a first come first serve basis. Well, I proceeded to tell him that it was not his job to stand there and tell stories about his chickens and how he raised them when he had a line of people waiting for chicks. What he was telling them they could look up in a book or go online to find information - I did! I researched for months beforehand! The couple he was talking to knew nothing about chicks, chickens, brooding, what to feed them, medicating them, how much room they needed... nothing. Another ticking off point, the guy told them they didn't have to feed them medicated feed if they put Duramycin in the water! Totally different meds for totally different things! So, I knew this guy was an idiot about chickens right there.
The clerk goes off and collects everything they need to get started - feeder, waterer, food, lamp, bulb and a box to put the chicks in. That ticked me off even more. Again, not his job to go and collect their goods while they stand there and wait for him to return with their stuff and then pick out chicks! I am fuming by now. He FINALLY gets done and comes back to the only lady left before me in line that I finally helped out and informed her of the mislabeling and what was actually there that I knew of (the others left because they too were ticked and left). She picks her chicks, but only wanted 3 - the guy tells her she needs 6. I offered to do a combined box if she didn't want the 6, but she said no thanks and she'd take 3 of whatever pullets were in the next bin. He said they were straight run and I told her to take the red ones because they were sexlinks. They guy turns around and starts arguing with me over what a sexlink is! He starts yelling at me for disrespecting him and rushes off to the front of the store to call the cops with my husband 3' behind him asking to talk to a manager or supervisor - none working and only 2 people working the entire store! He comes back from calling the cops on us and there I still stand, wanting my chicks. I told him I was still waiting. He said he wasn't helping me - I said I'd get my chicks before I left. He told me I'd be in handcuffs in the back of a police car - I said no problem, as long as I get my chicks.
Well, I would have stayed, but I remembered my husband got a parking ticket in July that I didn't know about until a few months ago and I was afraid I had a warrant out for my arrest. So, I left without my chicks, 40mins after I actually entered the store. What I don't get is that no one yelled, cussed or got closer than 3 feet from him (I was on the other side of a 6' gate panel - so I know I was never in his personal space). He was never threatened and other than telling him he needed to do his job, we did nothing wrong. I am officially boycotting that particular store.
Then again... Maybe I was wrong in some people's eyes. But, I don't see how. I think they guy should have got the people their chicks and told them if they had more questions to wait until he helped everyone else or something.
I'll stick with Bloomsburg and Muncy, PA stores from now on. At least they are mostly farmers and know something about farm animals (Bloom has some college kids you have to avoid). They also know me as "The Chicken Lady" and I know all of them by name down in Bloom.
I went to TSC in West Hazelton, PA on Saturday. When we got there, there were 6 horses in pens outside and a little hot dog sale for some fundraiser with a lot of people running around. I mingled with the horses and played with a little filly for about 5 min total and went inside. I see the chick area is packed and there are people talking to one clerk and there was 4 other couples besides myself and the ones the clerk was "helping". I look through the bins and I see everything is mislabeled. Light Brahmas were labeled as assorted bantams, older Silkies labeled as red pullets, whites in with another batch of red pullets, 2 bins were not labeled at all, one with young Silkies, one with Mallards and one empty. After I finally managed to see what all was there (the clerk and couple were blocking one whole section in front of 2 bins), another lady had out one of their ordering sheets trying to figure out what was there. I ask her if she knew what was there and if she needed help. She just kept glaring at the form and the clerk. I finally decide I want some Brahmas, they were $1 each, so I park myself on that corner of the gate and wait. And wait. And wait. It took me 10min to finally get ticked enough to sternly ask the guy if someone else was working who could help us. He replied rudely that no, it was just him and it was a first come first serve basis. Well, I proceeded to tell him that it was not his job to stand there and tell stories about his chickens and how he raised them when he had a line of people waiting for chicks. What he was telling them they could look up in a book or go online to find information - I did! I researched for months beforehand! The couple he was talking to knew nothing about chicks, chickens, brooding, what to feed them, medicating them, how much room they needed... nothing. Another ticking off point, the guy told them they didn't have to feed them medicated feed if they put Duramycin in the water! Totally different meds for totally different things! So, I knew this guy was an idiot about chickens right there.
The clerk goes off and collects everything they need to get started - feeder, waterer, food, lamp, bulb and a box to put the chicks in. That ticked me off even more. Again, not his job to go and collect their goods while they stand there and wait for him to return with their stuff and then pick out chicks! I am fuming by now. He FINALLY gets done and comes back to the only lady left before me in line that I finally helped out and informed her of the mislabeling and what was actually there that I knew of (the others left because they too were ticked and left). She picks her chicks, but only wanted 3 - the guy tells her she needs 6. I offered to do a combined box if she didn't want the 6, but she said no thanks and she'd take 3 of whatever pullets were in the next bin. He said they were straight run and I told her to take the red ones because they were sexlinks. They guy turns around and starts arguing with me over what a sexlink is! He starts yelling at me for disrespecting him and rushes off to the front of the store to call the cops with my husband 3' behind him asking to talk to a manager or supervisor - none working and only 2 people working the entire store! He comes back from calling the cops on us and there I still stand, wanting my chicks. I told him I was still waiting. He said he wasn't helping me - I said I'd get my chicks before I left. He told me I'd be in handcuffs in the back of a police car - I said no problem, as long as I get my chicks.
Well, I would have stayed, but I remembered my husband got a parking ticket in July that I didn't know about until a few months ago and I was afraid I had a warrant out for my arrest. So, I left without my chicks, 40mins after I actually entered the store. What I don't get is that no one yelled, cussed or got closer than 3 feet from him (I was on the other side of a 6' gate panel - so I know I was never in his personal space). He was never threatened and other than telling him he needed to do his job, we did nothing wrong. I am officially boycotting that particular store.
Then again... Maybe I was wrong in some people's eyes. But, I don't see how. I think they guy should have got the people their chicks and told them if they had more questions to wait until he helped everyone else or something.
I'll stick with Bloomsburg and Muncy, PA stores from now on. At least they are mostly farmers and know something about farm animals (Bloom has some college kids you have to avoid). They also know me as "The Chicken Lady" and I know all of them by name down in Bloom.
