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The Coral Reef Shop

29K views 89 replies 42 participants last post by  MStnbrgn 
#1 ·
The Coral Reef Shop
1371 Plains Road East,
Burlington, Ontario,
L7R 3P9
Tel - (289) 337-3398
Store Website - www.coralreefshop.com
Email - info@coralreefshop.com

Have you been by lately? How was your experience?
 
#2 ·
Great store! They do a frag exchange, bring in 2, take 1 (or the credit) There is always nice stuff to choose from, and its always healthy. The owners are helpful but low pressure. Best of all, they have a price list. If you want something, they can look up the price. Or just browse the list!
One thing to note, they don't do a cash price, or tax off for cash. You pay how you want, pay the tax, and get a receipt, period. But the prices are very fair...
 
#3 ·
Mark and Shawn are knowledgeable, honest, and great conversationalists. Friendly - approach them with your questions. The store is a nice clean, non-intimidating setup. The coral displays are accessible and encourage viewing at all angles. I believe they have some of the best prices for dry goods in the GTA even with HST factored in ;) For those that are social media users; the store usually Tweets via Twitter regarding upcoming sales and promotions.
 
#4 ·
Great store and friendly staff.
As Taipan mentioned, love the frag swap and there is always the opportunity to get nice peices. I've personally picked up frags of Ultra Green Montipora cap, Superman Montipora, Rainbow Montipora, frag of RPE with 10+ heads, nuclear green favia and a frag of War Coral (red and green).

>jason
 
#10 ·
How I Rate the Coral Reef Shop

This is my favorite store for reef fish and corals - I go here more often than anywhere else.

Great return policy with refunds and credits.

Clean place with healthy livestock.

Knowledgeable owners who take the time to answer questions and explain things.

Mark is a very low-key, no pressure kind of guy in my opinion, but he knows his stuff, and is always ready to help.

Dry goods consist of well known brands incorporating high quality and new technology.

I give this store 5 stars.
 
#11 ·
I went in there today and as usual the store is very clean and well kept. The coral and livestock are well taken care of. I've been to the shop and bought things and had always left happy.

Although today changed my thoughts about the store. When we went in there were atleast 10 customers standing around waiting for service and only one person to help them out. I was one of those customers and after waiting 20 minutes I just left.

The worst part was while I was waiting my baby was making loud noises (not crying, more of just being loud) and the guy behind the counter says "wow she's loud, do you have to put up with that all day?" Hay thanks for making me realize that my baby makes noises when she's happy...and yes I put up with it all day!

Won't be going back ever
 
#12 ·
I wasn't there, but maybe contact the store and see what happend..
You never know, maybe it was a newbie needing help, or a needy picky client (turn this coral over, show me that coral for every coral in the tank ect ) or a fish that they couldn't catch.
Most of the stores only have one or 2 people working.. Iv gone to stores with many people working and still had to wait for service.. Working in a retail store I've realized some days are better then others .. And some days you can keep up with all customers, other days you need to ask them to wait.
We all have our good and our bad days.

About the baby comment, I don't know how it was said but maybe he was trying to be funny and joking.. A lot of the people in the fish world are.. Well... Socially awkward..
I've had people make comments about my kids too.. And I've taken offence to it but after the fact I have realized they are trying to make a joke and lighten the mood it just comes across differently at the time because we as parents do take offence when it has to do with our children..

I'd contact the store and see what happend.. If you have been in there before and had good experiances .. Why let one bad one stop you from going?
If I was to stop going to every store I've had a bad experiance at I would have no stores to shop at (in general..clothing, grocerys ect).. I wouldn't even be able to go into the store I work for!
But like I said I wasn't there I don't know what actually happend.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the kind words Mel but for me there wasn't even any acknowledgement of me being there except my kid making loud noises. And when the guy behind the counter said what he said...he wasn't kidding.

I've worked in retail also (as a chef) so if I have 20 people waiting in line to get some breakfast I make sure to tell the next five people in line "i'm very sorry for the wait but I'll be with you as soon as I can." This is what we call customer service and it's about extinct from what I've seen. If the guy behind the counter had come to me and said "sorry about the wait" I would have understood. But to not even be looked at when I'm standing next to the cash for 20 minutes is fairly rude.
 
#14 ·
If I was standing by the cash for 20 minutes and no one had said a word, I'd be ticked too, and it would be long before the 20 minute mark, I can assure you. Social grace or whatever you want to call it, is a prerequisite for business.

I've only been there once on a road trip with Red and it was a good experience. I think under the circumstances you have mentioned, I would definitely have said something.
 
#16 · (Edited)
was there today and i have to say it is the best store i have been to. the help and attention you get when "its you turn" is the best i have had from any store. however, i feel that they are growing faster than expected. every time i am there the store is packed, and i could see how some people get upset waiting for their turn in line...
 
#17 ·
Totally Nate! It's unfortunate that a great shop like this is going thru a growth spurt and doesn't have the support staff to deal with it.

Shawn had PM'd me and apologized for the day I was in there and that alone has turned my original idea of not going in to definitely giving another chance.
 
G
#28 ·
Take it or leave it - or is it just me?!

I've been to the Coral Reef shop and yes the place looks good and clean and they seem to have a good coral selection. Not so many fish on the day that I was there
I found the owners to kinda blasé about everything but knowledgeable nevertheless
Probably go back sometime but I live in Toronto so quite a run for me
 
#29 · (Edited)
Yes I agree they are a good store(Coral Reef store). There was once I bought a couple of clown fish and one died a couple of days later. When I went there a week later they asked me how is the clown fish, I told them one died. They told me to come back a week later since the fish are not doing well, they will replace one for me. That is what I call service and it was very nice of them to care.

They are a little far for me but it worth driving there.
 
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