How can you tell?

Question
Shawntiah, when I go into a pet store to purchase a rat, I babble on about my love for rats, and how I care for them. The store even learns a thing or two from me on how to take care of the rats while these animals are still in their store. The employee knows for sure that I am purchasing this rat as a life-long companion, and not reptile food.

I was horrified to find out in one pet store that they knew that 90% of their rats were being sold as reptile food :( and of course, they allowed this practice.

Shawntiah, I read your profile to see that you worked in a pet store. CongRATulations on your pet store title :).

When you are making a sell to a potential rat owner, how do you know, what do you look for, what do you ask them, that tells you that this rat will be a pet and not reptile food?

Sandra, aka spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com

Answer
Thank you. Well at my store, I was really worried about the sell of rats and mice to people. I have turned down plenty of people when it came to buying rats and mice. I would basically make the potential buyer comfortable and the first thing I would ask was so what are you feeding it to and surprisingly I would get a lot of honest answers. I would have to turn them down and send them on their way if it was for food. I made sure I had a list of stores that carried feeder mice or rats so I can give it to them in hopes that they would go somewhere else. At the pet store I worked for, you will lose your job if you knowingly sell an animal for food. I do not believe that you have to feed reptiles or snakes live rats. I do know a few reptiles who do not do well on frozen foods and that I can understand, but you can teach a snake and many reptiles to like frozen rats. The snakes at my pet store only eat frozen feeder rats.
I will also tell you this, the majority of rats that I have sold have went to people who are obsessed with rats in general and just love them and a few people that don't know much about them but are interested in a pet that's smart and good for children and are willing to spend money to get the pet. Where I live people are pretty honest about their intentions and some were just so suspicious looking that I just couldn't sell them a rat.
I like to quiz people about rats, especially young people to see how much they know and what they know. Especially if a person just approaches you and says "I'd like to get one of your rats there." I observe people a lot and figure out if they are lieing to me or not. One person that I truly did think he was going to buy two mice to feed to something but actually he didn't buy them for food. He bought the mice for his children, but when he found out from me about how smart and gentle rats are he said that as soon as he got more money and his children had the mice for a year or so he would come back and buy a rat because he truly thought that rats and mice were the same. He didn't know that he could play with them and take them places and actually call them by name and have them recognize you.  
We've also had people who will talk about their snakes and then want to buy a rat. Also, because there are so many negative stigmas with rats, a lot of people are just too afraid of them to buy them. It works to my advantage because a lot of people who just would not be good rat owners don't buy them and the people who I know will take care of them or any animal do take wonderful care of their rats. I've never had a person return a dead rat to me, and generally they will bring them inside and show me how big they have grown. One guy who wasn't sure if he wanted a rat was sure that he wanted one after talking to me and instead of waiting a week he bought one right then and there. He bought a book, large cage, treats and food. I knew he didn't have a ton of money, but I knew he had enough money to take care of his friend if he ever got sick and he had enough money to buy a big cage for him and he had space to let him roam free everyday. He also worked at a grocery store and bought some mixed nuts and stuff for his friend. I'd see him return once a month reading the magazines and looking at new treats and telling me how his buddy comes to him when he calls and how they sit and watch TV. It's these type of people that I look for and love because you know they are sincere. You learn what to look for from experience and just from you, yourself having good intentions for the pets that you take care of. It's people like you, your honesty and knowledge that I also look for.