We bought an aquarium from NorthSide Aquatics for our son 2 years ago for Christmas. We did a good deal of looking around for aquariums before deciding to buy form NorthSide. We would like to share why we chose them and why we keep coming back.
In this day and age customer service is almost non-existent. You show up at a store, you usually have to chase people down to get help, and then they know nothing about what you are asking - or they make up something to make themselves sound like they know what they are talking about. This is what happened when we went to several big chain stores.
When we got to NorthSide, we stayed for a very long time - first, because the store is truly amazing and took our breath away - it was like visiting a public aquarium.
Second, we had tons of questions - freshwater, saltwater, tank size, what kind of filter, etc. We were total newbies and it showed. It is a bit nerve wracking when you are planning on buying something that you know very little about. That puts you at a true disadvantage. But not to worry at NorthSide. They really take the time to find out exactly what you want and then they will find the right equipment for you.
We were there in the store so long that we insisted that the staff help other customers, so we ended up dealing with several sales people. Every last one of them was like a human encyclopedia. We were very pleased with the fact that it didn't matter who helped us, because they all were so good.
We ended up getting a 75 gallon reef tank and had them come and set it up. What a great investment! They did an outstanding job at getting it set up, and even better than that, they EXPLAINED what they were doing so that we understood how it worked when they left. We thought that they did such a good job that we decided to let them maintenance the tank once a month and that is also a great service.
We buy all of our supplies there because they tell us exactly what we need and they know us and our tank. It is rare when you walk into a place and they can remember you. We are always greeted with a smile and by name when we shop. It is obvious that they care a great deal about their customers.
NorthSide Aquatics understands that they are in the service business and are not just there to peddle fish. That is why we will never shop anywhere else - and neither should you!
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