If you own a pet store, would you let visitors take photos of your pets?

If you run a pet store, as the pet store owner, would you allow visitors to take photos of your pets?

I just visited a mall of mostly pet stores today, and I took plenty of photos and videos. Most of the pet store owners had no problem with it at all. One of them even said his store is mostly for the show off of his saltwater aquariums.

However, one tiny puny pet store's owner told the visitors not to take the photos. He was talking to someone who took photos of his birds. At the same time I was taking photos of his fish tanks, and I thought he was talking to me. He said he isn't selling tickets, and the shop is for selling stuff, not for the photo taking or even for the show.

I think most people would buy something they did not originally plan to buy but simply see it in a store. This is from my own experience. I always buy more than I originally intended every time I visit a store. It is a good idea to let visitors do anything short of scaring the pets or damage a product.

What is your opinion? Would you let visitors take photos of your pets if you are a pet store owner?

I think sometimes when visitors take photos, they're looking for approval of the pet from their family or friends, and of course the only way to show what a pet looks like without taking them with you is to take photographs when you're there. I would agree with pet shop owners who request no camera flash, though. But yes, if I owned a shop I would allow photos to be taken. If I didn't I could lose valuable customers, and not to mention (especially if I had just started my business), word of mouth is a powerful means of marketing. Photos are taken to be shared usually. It's free advertising.

From knowing a fair amount of breeders & small pet store owners, (reptile related mostly, but all types), this mostly comes from people who's "people skills" aren't their strongest quality, and are stressing about money. They get the "this is a business, not a zoo mentality." It happens in reptile shops more with people who keep coming in wanting to hold everything and never buying anything.

I would let people take pictures, it will mostly work out to be free advertising. And would build long term good will with people, even if they aren't buying anything. They may need something years from then. It's just bad business. I would assume you left thinking the guy was an a$$. And would be prone to spend your money elsewhere, which in turn will lead to him stressing about the finances, which will probably put him out of business eventually. It is an incessant cycle. I have actually watched many people open pet shops and do something of that effect to themselves. Sad really.

That pet store owner is definitely short sighted in my opinion. People might be deciding if they want to buy sometime or not. Treat them nicely might help them make the final decision on buying. Even if someone does not buy anything today, he or she might come back later in the future. Photo taking is indeed free advertising. Virtual advertising is far superior than word of mouth alone.

Flash should be turned off for sure. I see no ill effect without the flash.

I agree. Running a pet store of any variety is a large investment, and tough work. He seems very short sighted indeed.

I definitely agree that pictures without using flash should be allowed and would bring business as well. But I can see if you're going around snapping photos without the intention of buying anything that that would bother the owner. As long as the intention to purchase something is present, such as sending pics home to see what the family thinks of the pets, I don't see why shop owners don't actually encourage photo taking.

As business owners, they should know not 100% visitors are customers. Yet, many of those non customers can be converted into customers. If people are taking photos, it means they like what they see. If they are also treated nicely by the shop owner, then it is very likely they will eventually buy something. Maybe not today, but the next time they visit.

By making visitors unhappy, it is pushing them toward the door and never to come back as customers. Some people just don't have the basic logic of how to run a business while already jumped onto the bandwagon of running a business.

(05-05-2012 07:38 AM)Mantis Wrote:  I think sometimes when visitors take photos, they're looking for approval of the pet from their family or friends, and of course the only way to show what a pet looks like without taking them with you is to take photographs when you're there. I would agree with pet shop owners who request no camera flash, though. But yes, if I owned a shop I would allow photos to be taken. If I didn't I could lose valuable customers, and not to mention (especially if I had just started my business), word of mouth is a powerful means of marketing. Photos are taken to be shared usually. It's free advertising.

I agree. I would allow people to take pictures. Part of the reason is what you just said. Free advertising.

Someone can take a picture and have it on facebook in less then a minute. Now you possibly have 300+ people that will see that picture. Some will like it or comment. Then the people on their list now will get to see that picture. So in 10 minutes you could have a few thousand people see a picture of a pet that you have for sale. Someone is going to ask where that was taken. Once answered your store has just been posted to thousands of people and will remain on facebook for as long as the person who took it leaves it there (which could be forever).

Maybe this is why he has a tiny store and not a large one.

The only reason I could see you not wanting pictures to be taken is if you had unhealthy pets. But that is going to come back to haunt you, pictures or not.

James

A lot of people who started small business are actually people who don't have a real business mind. They need to think big, and look further.
Some of the owners are probably frustrated with all the people going into their store without buying anything upon leaving, but it has always been that way. You will always have more visitors than actual buyers. They need to get used to it. As for how many visitors can be converted into actual buyers, it is really up to them including how they treat the visitors.

(05-06-2012 09:30 PM)Admin Wrote:  As business owners, they should know not 100% visitors are customers. Yet, many of those non customers can be converted into customers. If people are taking photos, it means they like what they see. If they are also treated nicely by the shop owner, then it is very likely they will eventually buy something. Maybe not today, but the next time they visit.

By making visitors unhappy, it is pushing them toward the door and never to come back as customers. Some people just don't have the basic logic of how to run a business while already jumped onto the bandwagon of running a business.

Also if you upset these non customers they can in turn tell anyone that asks about your store about the bad treatment they received.

I received bad service in a tire shop one time. I told everyone that would listen about the bad service. That was 21 years ago and I still tell the story. I don't think they are in business anymore.

I also let people know about the bad service a muffler shop gave my wife. I will not use that shop again and I let everyone know that and why.

Treat everyone that walks into your shop as a potential customer. If you treat them right they might become one at some point down the road.

When I was younger I went to a computer store every other week looking at computers. It was a small shop and I was treated great every time I walked in there. For a year or 2 I never bought but said I would at some point. They never once treated me bad for not spending any money.

Once I asked about a product he said it was a great product but he said that you guys have it for a better price at the store you work at so you should by it there.

Part of the reason I didn't buy my computer was because I was short on money. I was in a car accident and wasn't back to full hours. Well the day I got my settlement I walked into the story and said today is the day.

I bought a decent computer from them. Spent a couple grand just on the computer. I also went back to then for other things later on. It pays to treat people good. BTW I also to everyone about their great service from day one.

James

I think the discussion's gone off on a tangent a little bit, away from the original discussion. But I agree, bad service will bite businesses in the ass eventually. It makes me think back to around 12-13 years ago when I was a young boy (around 10-11 years old) and Pokémon was the biggest craze. As such, I often bought Pokémon cards with my friends, but this one shop was selling fakes. After I discovered they were fake, I went to the shop owner who said, "Oh yeah, whaddya gonna do?! They're not fake. Go on, call Trading Standards!" And that's what I did, with the help of a friend's mother. Some men in black suits came over to my house and took away my cards. After their analysis, they ordered the shop owner to refund every customer who had bought Pokémon cards, banned him from selling them, and confiscated all of them. I must have dealt a fairly large blow to their business since they had a lot of school kids buying the overpriced cards.

Ever since, the owners of that shop have given me the evil eye. I guess bad experiences go both ways. Having worked in customer service I know that customer satisfaction is possibly the most important thing in business. Wait a minute, now I've gone off on a tangent too. Oh, blast it. Well, moving on...

How would you feel if others took videos in your store? I'd feel a little uneasy about that.

I wouldn't allow flash photagraphy because that might upset some animals, much like some humans. I would take pictures of pets in a store because I want to have pictures of adorable animals. Some people take pictures to show their family if that's what they want. With today's smartphones you can send those pictures to people at home and they can yay or nay it unlike when we got our dog blind.

I always prefer to take photos without flash. It looks more natural with natural light. Without the flash, it wouldn't upset the animals, especially not the fish or shrimps.