Disappointed

[mchud]

I made a visit to the store on my way back from Nyc on Monday. I was disappointed i was in the store for over 20 minutes, not one person even greeted me or the friend that was with me. I stood in front of one tank for 10 minutes. There were 3 employees in the store. The only time i got a response was when i walked out the door and i said good bye. I have been to the store before and have had perfect service, and always make it a point to stop when ever im in the area and always walk out with a purchase. But i will say when i went across to the tanks showroom the person was great and was a pleasure to visit with. I am not trying to sound negative but the one thing i drill into all my employees in both my stores is always greet the person when they walk in no matter what. I just figured i would let you know what i experienced. The one thing i will say is the place is perfectly maintained and stocked as always.

[humaguy]

that always happens when I go too...but I still go...and now they have the Personatus there...

[layer3switchguy]

Yep, nice store with beautiful livestock, but lousy employees. I get more personal service ordering on-line from most fish stores...

Not a very friendly place...

[mchud]

I am glad i am not the only one that has that happen, But like you said we still go. would of been nice if they actually replied. But oh well

[ed-84gt]

Nice place to browse but seems to be so over priced..

[Reefomania]

I think it is refreshing to have a store where the employees who are working there don't swarm you and try to sell you something. Sounds like you went in, loved what they had and then when you needed help were engaged politely and professionally. I would give that a 10 out of 10 in my book. Anyhow, I am a loyal customer of the House of Fins. They are great in every respect. They know what they are doing and give fanatical support to their customers. If you are local or just passing through, this place is not just a store but a landmark and worth stopping in to see what the hobby is all about.

[InsaneClownFish]

House of Fins tends to be busy. While they have a nice selection, and just as Reefomania suggested, they are a landmark and worth the visit. That being said I prefer Greenwich Aquaria. You get more personalized service and better pricing. It's a beautiful and relaxed store as well.

House of Fins has some nice annual events, and their tank blowouts are very nice. Greenwich Aquaria has a mailing list with some excellent deals as well.

Bottom line for me is this. If I'm going to make that trip I take the time to visit BOTH stores since they are so close, and for anyone interested it's worth the trip to both.

IMHO- Tanks- House of Fins
Livestock- Greenwich Aquaria

[slow_leak]

:deadhorse:

Greenwich Aquarium has one of two east coast Bentley dealers up the road. Greenwich has abundance of the 260,000 people who now make 50% of US GDP. They also pay RC over 700 per month. Jake Adams gets emtionally aroused when speaking of this place.

That said why not bark and tell them you need service. I buy based on selection and quarantine methods.

[ReefingIt]

"I am glad i am not the only one that has that happen, But like you said we still go. would of been nice if they actually replied. But oh well"

When you can sell show Blue Face angels for $2500 and Golden puffer for $900 a pop? They don't have to reply". Rich folk's playground. I very sadly admit, just window shop the very few times I do make it down there. Nice shop though.

[fishieness]

would of been nice if they actually replied. But oh well
I'm sorry you didn't have a pleasant experience. Please introduce yourself next time! I always enjoy talking to people, especially others from RC. Since I started working full time, I don't have as much time to peruse the boards, so I have to get my reef-geek talk with people in the shop. :D
-Christian ("the new guy")

[ed4]

I'm sorry you didn't have a pleasant experience. Please introduce yourself next time! I always enjoy talking to people, especially others from RC. Since I started working full time, I don't have as much time to peruse the boards, so I have to get my reef-geek talk with people in the shop. :D
-Christian ("the new guy")

Everything said above is true. It doesn't hurt in the fact that Christian's a really nice guy too :)

[fishieness]

Thanks for the kind words Ed! My new tank I was telling you about unfortunately is off to a slow start. I'm still not sure where I want to put it, although it would be easy to move. haha
How's that colony looking? Better and better? I need something that size for my little cube. Leopard still doing well?

[ed4]

Well, I'm sure you're very familiar with the expression: it's better to take your time with the execution of the tank than to have things happen quickly...

I think Zoas and extoic Rics are in your imemdiate future! Snag a paired-off Helfrich's for your 1st set of fish too.

The pink already set into the corallites and now the green is starting to fill into the base of the colony, and it's starting to resemble what most if not all would consider an Aussie Strawberry Shortcake. I was hoping for a blue base so the colony would resemble into a Blueberry Shortcake, but I'm not complaining by any means :)

Other than a few weeks ago, the Black Leopard is MIA. She's probably coming out while I'm at work, and before the lights come on.

[RichardinMa]

I realize this is an old thread but I just visited them for the first time the other day and I have to admit I was a bit put off, too. The employees were very friendly and I had at least three of them ask if I needed help or had questions. Any questions I had were answered politely. The biggest problem I had was that none of the corals were priced throughout the store and when I asked about pricing I was told that they have a master list they work off of and that they could not possibly price them on the tanks as they are always getting new things in and it changes a lot. How that is any different than any other store I don't know. I was told that if I needed to know the price of anything I could just ask. Reading through the lines, I figured that this was the kind of place that if you had to ask then you probably were not going to be prepared to pay for it. That is exactly the type of thing that really put me off the place.

I certainly understand the typical clientele and perhaps price is not important to them, however, it is to me. Price is of concern to me, not because I may not be able to afford it, but rather, because I don't like being taken advantage of. The few prices I did get were about 4 times what I know I can pay at other stores for the same quality. Again, demographics may support this pricing strategy but not all wealthy people have more money than sense and some people like to know they are getting proper value. You also have to wonder if the prices are the same for everyone that asks or are they inflated depending upon how much money you appear to have. That one aspect of their business completely ruined the experience for me and I don't see myself going back. Perhaps I am taking it too personally, however I find it quite disrespectful to be required to go around the store asking "how much is that?" and appear to be cheap or simply pay whatever they feel like asking without question.

I also visited Greenwich Aquaria the same day and even though their prices were high they were posted on very nice printed signs located beneath each aquarium. It was a completely different level of class.

[iceman16238]

Maybe they just don't want markers writing all over the tank making it look tacky like a wholesaler? The tanks look a lot more clean and neat without all the paint on all over it. JMO!

[nonstopfishies]

Maybe they just don't want markers writing all over the tank making it look tacky like a wholesaler? The tanks look a lot more clean and neat without all the paint on all over it. JMO!

Then they should come up with a system to display prices. I have seen many stores employ different strategies of displaying prices to make it look clean. Besides this is a store and not a display, they should show their prices.

[albano]

Besides this is a store and not a display, they should show their prices.
This is a place to LOOK, not purchase! Be assured it's way overpriced, so who cares if it's marked, or not!

[slow_leak]

There are no prices on the Bentley dealership next to it either.

They wanted 55 usd for a CO2 bubble counter last time I went. I laugh and left.

[RichardinMa]

Then they should come up with a system to display prices. I have seen many stores employ different strategies of displaying prices to make it look clean. Besides this is a store and not a display, they should show their prices.

Exactly. Like I said, when I visited Greenwich Aquaria that same day they had all of their prices very neatly printed out on cards beneath each tank. It looked very nice and clean and I could decide for myself if the piece was worth what they were asking.

[albano]

There are no prices on the Bentley dealership next to it either.

???? the Bentley dealer is not even on the same street!

[slow_leak]

Yes but it is a short walk.

[iceman16238]

This is a place to LOOK, not purchase! Be assured it's way overpriced, so who cares if it's marked, or not!

Were you looking for $5 blue tort frags? If you can't afford it, dont buy. They are known for having nicer than average and rare fish and corals and they are in greenwich. Were you expecting to pay online prices?

[iceman16238]

There are no prices on the Bentley dealership next to it either.

They wanted 55 usd for a CO2 bubble counter last time I went. I laugh and left.

I think all that we use here in America is USD..... other than that, what brand CO2 bubble counter was it that you were asking about? Was it a cheap plastic one or a high end glass one? Knowing them ( and i go there often enough to by now), I would expect it to be made by a high quality, reputable brand. If your looking for cheap knockoffs and lower quality, stick to the coralife brand (much better pricing!!!!). You get what you pay for IMO. BTW, would you expect to go to a Bentley dealership (which is actually on the same street.....) and ask for or expect Honda pricing??? Just my 2 cents and that's enough. lol. St. Patrick wasn't so forgiving to me this year :beer:

[albano]

Were you looking for $5 blue tort frags? If you can't afford it, dont buy. They are known for having nicer than average and rare fish and corals and they are in greenwich. Were you expecting to pay online prices?

BTW, would you expect to go to a Bentley dealership (which is actually on the same street.....) with the exception of 'rare' fish/coral...their fish/coral are no different than most other LFS...do you really think a Flame Angel from GREENWICH CT. is worth over $100 more than my FA 15 miles away, from Mt.Vernon NY?
you are more than welcome to spend your $ anywhere you want, and proudly tell everyone you bought it in Greenwich!

here is the address for Bentley of Greenwich, per their website:
275 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich
CT
06830
Google shows it more than 1 mile away from HoF

The next time that you're in the 'neighborhood' ask to speak to the owner of the Bentley Dealership...ask if she knows Alfie (that's right, just my first name)...feel free to ask if she'd loan me $5 for a frag. :eek2:

BTW a few of the employees there are also reefers.

[ReefPharmer]

Were you looking for $5 blue tort frags? If you can't afford it, dont buy.

BTW, would you expect to go to a Bentley dealership (which is actually on the same street.....) and ask for or expect Honda pricing???

That type of attitude is ridiculous. When I go to a bentley dealership, I expect a Bentley. I dont expect a prius for a bentley price. The post dealing with the price was stating that they were charging high prices for regular stock. If they had triggers w/ a gold grill over the teeth, I would consider paying more. If they have regular clown triggers (for example) but charge 100+, I object.

The "if you cannot afford it, dont buy it" is somewhat condescending. People w/ money to burn do just that, but it doesnt stop the rest of the 99% of us from noting the ridiculously overpriced gear some places sell.

[mchud]

Wow this thread is still going, i started it a year ago. I have not looked at it for a long time. I will be stopping in again from my trip to Nyc. Evan after last years visit it still is worth the stop.

[hottuna]

This store should be re-named "HOUSE OF FINANCE "

[jaa1456]

I have been twice, and they are way overpriced. Even their store across the street with the tanks. I can buy a Marineland 300dd tank anywhere, so why pay 1500 more for it in their shop? Doesn't make sense to me. And Allie you are correct, they get their fish and corals from the same wholesalers other shops use. They don't have divers just for their store that send livestock directly to HOF. By the way I'm pretty sure there are more than 2 Bentley dealers on the East Coast.

[humaguy]

they do use divers but they also have connections at the wholesalers...getting a juvi personatus, cinereus, or dr seuss fish is no easy feat...their costs might be reflective of their location which has higher rents than many other locations...but you cannot argue over the fish they bring in...their splash 2012 weekend had killer speakers like copps, fenner, and jake adams...pretty awesome for a lfs...

[jaa1456]

I have seen other lfs's bring in those fish and many others. Absolutely Fish in NJ for instance always has something exotic and hard to find. The Elos studio in NJ as well brings in high dollar fish as well. But I guess if you are going to pay all those people to speak in your shop you have to charge more money for your stock. It still bothers me though that on one of my trips to HOF they were telling me a hippo tang was a yellow tailed damsel.

[humaguy]

nobody has had a tiny personatus in a long, long time, if ever at that size...cinereus, I think there are 4-5 on the continent...dr seuss....pia, dd and hof...af does get some nice fish but can also be expensive...not sure about the misidentifcation...elos just opened- and has not competed with this type of rarity...

[humaguy]

imo, hard-to-find and super-rare are very different...Rhinecanthus Lunula is hard-to-find...Rhinecanthus Cinereus is super-rare...

[jaa1456]

I don't think HOF had any of the personatus angels. Maybe one if that. The Dr suess fish should be a fairly cheap fish. I have never understood why that fish is so expensive. It is not a rare fish by any means and are an easier fish to collect. As for the triggers, I know where a lunula is sitting for sale right now and it is not at any of the before mentioned Lfs's. I believe Absolutely Fish just had your Cinereus a few weeks ago. As for Elos they have been bringing in some high priced items. They had a Dr.Seuss as well as a Gem Tang recently. I have heard a few other rarities have come in, but I haven't seen them. Earli wrasse and a Clarion. Although when Clarions are collected I do see them in Absolutely Fish every year.

[humaguy]

Hof had a juvi personatus 1 year ago...I saw it a few times and have pics of it.. many others in here also saw it...search for the thread, I am pretty sure I started one...
That was the only one I know of to make it here is a long, long time...it was sold before it even made it to the store...
They also brought in the first Cinereus and displayed it one year ago at Splash 2011...dd finally got theirs in last May, which I have...Michael got one in around June, which happyjack has...think Michael got one other after that, Canada got a couple, and there are a few more around...fish from Mauritius are coming in more frequently now so perhaps we will start seeing them more often...
As far as triggers go, a Lunula is one of the harder to find, especially smaller specimens...dd for example might offer 1, maybe 2 a year...Michael has a large one,10 inches, now that has been there for a while...much easier to obtain than a Cinereus...
Earli wrasse pop up very often pia has them frequently...gem tangs pop up a few times a year or more...
Clarions are not collected every year...there was a batch out last spring...Michael at nya just sold his remaining one with the odd tail yesterday..
Not sure what you mean by the Dr Seuss fish should be a fairly cheap fish...are you aware of the extreme depth (you need closed-circuit/rebreathers) they are caught at and the decompression issues associated with collecting a fish from there? af was one of the first to import this fish in 06...

[jaa1456]

Do you know they catch the Dr.Suess fish and eat them regularly for food? It gets fairly large and I guess that part is not well known seeing how few make it to the trade. But they are common just like Gem Tangs are and Clarions are. The collection regulations are what drive up the prices of these fish. South Africa is loaded with Gems but you can't collect them, Mauritius sends them out but it is a pia to get them shipped out of there. Clarions are everywhere off of Mexico as well, I have dove with the and there are plenty of them. I know about the oar tail from Nyaquatic as well. I bought some of the first fish he ever brought in.