Confessions of a Game Store Clerk

[JediSanf]

GamesRadar (http://www.gamesradar.com/us/pc/game/features/article.jsp?articleId=2007040314469812037&sectionId=1003&releaseId=2006032219817514003) has an interesting article with 8 current and former "game boutique" employees.
To find out, we gathered eight current or former game store employees and began a massive, exhausting interrogation. The discussion ranged from ridiculous rules to dorky coworkers to heartless management to... you. Yes, you, the customer, dreaded and despised above all others. Wait and see if you think that description's unjust after you've read their stories.

I know most here think EB is destroying the industry but it seems that we (the type of gamer here at EvAv) are a rare pleasure in a bleak retail dystopia.

[Rommel]

You can tell pretty clearly what kind of store each secret employee worked at. What amazes me is how few alternatives there are in the US these days. Will no one rise up in competition, or is it simply not economically viable in this huge entertainment medium to do business without ripping people off?

[Ailer]

Will no one rise up in competition, or is it simply not economically viable in this huge entertainment medium to do business without ripping people off?
I choose option 2!

In all honestly, all those record shops closing blaming piracy? yeah, they're blaming walmart and their inability to compete on price points. We, as consumers have done a shitty job making sure that the service when we're shopping is actually good by going to where the price is lowest exclusively.

[Veloxi]

Will no one rise up in competition, or is it simply not economically viable in this huge entertainment medium to do business without ripping people off?
Sadly the stores like EB and Gamestop are such economic juggernauts that indy shops have a hard time competing. I know a few here in SoCal that do well, but they offer stuff that those two stores don't (like used PC games, and MAC games), so I guess that's what indy stores would have to do to survive.

[Rommel]

Sadly the stores like EB and Gamestop are such economic juggernauts that indy shops have a hard time competing. I know a few here in SoCal that do well, but they offer stuff that those two stores don't (like used PC games, and MAC games), so I guess that's what indy stores would have to do to survive.

With the age of digital distrubtion right around the corner, they will not be for long.

Edit: Of course, a retail outlet must always exist. My prediction is that automated game stores will become a realty someday. Less overhead might make someone bugging you to buy a Prima guide obsolete.

Edit edit: What a terrible idea! Jesus Christ, and I own a business?!

[Klade]

I don't know of any independent game stores. The closest thing is Game Crazy which is a retail chain... its just not as large.

I still think its funny that game stores don't understand why people don't reserve copies. Its not that hard to figure out. When you reserve copies you get burned because if you like it enough to put down money you probably want to play it on day 1. And almost always wherever you reserved it doesn't get copies in on day 1 and might not get copies for a week. So everybody else has it for sale except for that 1 place. So I never reserve and always have it on day 1.

[Mason]

Will no one rise up in competition, or is it simply not economically viable in this huge entertainment medium to do business without ripping people off?
Plenty of stores sell games without profits from the used-game and warranties/magazines/pre-orders swindles. It's clearly possible. However, you need those kinds of revenue enhancements if your goal is to put a box store in every strip-mall in America, often within stone-tossing range of other game retailers.

A direct competitor to EB isn't the solution, because EB's shitiness is integral to the whole business model. They couldn't be nearly as ubiquitous if they simply sold unused games without all the extras. This isn't a vote of support, though, but rather an indication that their model has too much overhead and is ultimately unsustainable.

An idiomatic term for the tyranny of middle-men is "hydraulic despotism." You don't have to directly control the whole river, so long as you can dam the bit upstream of the people who need water. Such an arrangement can be temporarily advantageous, but inherently unstable in the long run.

[Sloth]

its not just game stores, its just retail in general. I've never met anyone who worked in retail that wasn't driven to bitterness. It's just a low paid thankless job.

Only thing I really buy at stores is clothes, and even then I buy some clothes online. But everything else I shop online. Why anyone would want to shop at a store is beyond me.

[Rommel]

Yes, but the difference with games is that you can buy them online and not need anything shipped to you. This is a huge difference.

[greenapple]

I still think its funny that game stores don't understand why people don't reserve copies.

Are you so naive as to think the game stores are all clueless? That they've been wasting thousands of employee hours in a fruitless practice?

These are profitable bussinesses- they push reservations because it WORKS.

Whether you're personally too cool for school to buy 'em doesn't mean others don't. Their bottom lines speak for themselves.

[51|RandoM]

A direct competitor to EB isn't the solution, because EB's shitiness is integral to the whole business model. They couldn't be nearly as ubiquitous if they simply sold unused games without all the extras. This isn't a vote of support, though, but rather an indication that their model has too much overhead and is ultimately unsustainable.

This is pretty much it. The shitty retail experience is a side effect of the only business model they've found that can sustain profitability.

[Spigot]

There are some things about the business decisions and wierd stocking issues about EB that drive me nuts, but on the flip side, I have a great rapport with the manager at my local store (heck, the last 2-3 managers). If I go to an EB that I don't normally frequent, my experience can be pretty crappy but if it's my local store then I tend to enjoy just hanging out, chatting with the folks behind the counter and, yes, probably buying an overpriced used game that I can't find anywhere else.

Though that happens rarely.

They're also good at my store because they know that I won't preorder every game because I want to see if it's decent first. Since they know me though, they'll put a copy of a game aside if I ask and then I can get it at my leisure.

[Spigot]

Plus I have respect for my local store and the manager in particular because I've seen him talk people out of more expensive and unworthy purchases and steer them towards more appropriate systems/games.

I remember the day a guy came in with his 5-6 year old son and wanted to get an Xbox. After talking with the fellow, the manager was able to steer him towards a Gamecube (or was it a PS2) since the number of games on an Xbox appropriate for a 5/6 year old isn't terribly high in comparison to the other two systems.

He'd rather have them go home happy with their purchase than come back in two or three days to curse him out for selling them an M-Rated title for their toddler or somesuch.

[KingGorilla]

Some of that I sympathize with, but for the most part the clerks are just pompous assholes.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Im glad that most employees are asshats, its easy to one up them on their bs half assed sarcasm. I like to just wander into EB or something and ask about my pokemons...

[qrter]

You can tell pretty clearly what kind of store each secret employee worked at. What amazes me is how few alternatives there are in the US these days. Will no one rise up in competition, or is it simply not economically viable in this huge entertainment medium to do business without ripping people off?

If people seemingly don't mind being ripped off, why would anyone?

As long as people go to these stores and buy their games there, they'll keep going. There are online alternatives.

[Johan]

I have a solution to crappy retail stores; I don't shop at them any more. I have one brick-and-mortar store (that I like) which I check for games, and the rest I buy exclusively online...and NOT from the crappy retail-store-online-site, either.

I just don't support their business model, because I don't like any aspect of it. Simple enough. There are SO many options for getting your games online nowadays, it just takes a very impatient person to HAVE to get it in a retail store now, and not wait a few days on shipping.

[Pigeon]

Some of that I sympathize with, but for the most part the clerks are just pompous assholes.
Well obviously you've never done this job then. I spent 4 years at Toys R Us, working in the game dept about half the time, service counter the rest. Every single word out of those clerk's mouths rings true.
One thing that they didn't mention that I loved about the job was the freebies. The game reps would always show up with random crap to give away like light-up ink pens, posters, mugs, keychains, toys, pins, t-shirts and more.

[dolemite]

Are you so naive as to think the game stores are all clueless? That they've been wasting thousands of employee hours in a fruitless practice?

These are profitable bussinesses- they push reservations because it WORKS.

Whether you're personally too cool for school to buy 'em doesn't mean others don't. Their bottom lines speak for themselves.

The reservation system works for THEM, not for you, the consumer. There is absolutely no reason to preorder even a moderately popular title from these guys. It is virtually guaranteed that Fry's / Best Buy / Circuit City / Walmart / Target will have it discounted during the first week. And the malarkey about not being able to get a copy on the release day? Oh please. Why do you think CC does the promotion where they give you a $20 gift card if they don't have hot release X in store on release day?

[AbinSur]

I just don't support their business model, because I don't like any aspect of it. Simple enough. There are SO many options for getting your games online nowadays, it just takes a very impatient person to HAVE to get it in a retail store now, and not wait a few days on shipping.
Exactly. The most disgusting thing to me about the whole business model is that it's driven by most people feeling that they have to have that new game or new system right frakking now. If we don't get it as soon as possible, our lives are somehow incomplete.

We've lost our perspective.

[Ghost Rider]

Mmm...I was hoping it might be slightly deeper than what it was, I mean we know that in all retail-esque jobs there'll be horror stories etc. but who really expects grandma's to know the proper names of the games that their children want? Maybe the Wii will start to help bridge that gap slightly now though.

Still I guess giving a little insight doesn't hurt.

[akusazero]

bleh... the last time I went into the local Gamestop, The person jockeying the counter (mind you, I don't use the term "jockeying" in reference to all reps at Gamestop, but...) during ringing up my purchase, decides that he wants to whine to me about why his Cable Internet isn't working, that he has nothing but trouble with Time Warner Cable, and that the company sucks....

Now, to make this fit together a bit more, I work for TWC, and just happened to be wearing one of my TWC shirts at the time.

... Now, after he finished ranting, I state "Um.... Can I have my game now?" Which seems to have made him mad at me, for the fact that I don't much care for his issues at the moment, as I'd like to go home.

I haven't been back to that particular store simply for that reason.... except to pick up my pre-order of GH2.

[Smoof]

#6: Game store employees are completely expendable. The company knows that there are at least a dozen kids dreaming about working there for every current employee. They don't make the effort to know you, or even back you on anything. They always assume the worst, whether it comes from another employee, or an outside source. I was fired, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me while I was working there. The store burns you out. You become bitter towards everything; your days off are generally spent in solitude because you can no longer stand people; and you have no energy to look for another job, even though you're miserable where you're at.

Welcome to any retail job, bub.

As far as the reservation crap goes: Total bullshit. I called two Gamestops when Burning Crusade came out, to find out if they had it before I wasted time driving there. I made a random stop at Target on my way home and their shelves were LOADED with it. I don't think I've ever actually not been able to get a game on it's release date.

[fishbang]

It's been a long time since I was a game store clerk, but at least some of what was true then seems to be true now. I worked at a Software, Etc. in the mall with a good crew of close friends, all of whom worked there for the same reason: it's where the games were. We had the discount, we had the checkouts, we had first dibs on the "my-god-why-would-you-do-this?" trade-ins that would come across the counter.

But mostly, we had the pleasure of being steeped in games, and the great fortune of working at a time and place (we were very, very far from our district management) where we could pretend to some kind of autonomy. There was rarely any behavior of the sort that people complain about in contemporary boutique stores, and we didn't tolerate what little we saw. We didn't sell strategy guides, hated pushing pre-orders and we considered it a point of pride to put the right game in someone's hand.

These sorts of things would eventually have cost us our jobs if we hadn't quit before they could get around to firing us (we all had our last day on 9-9-99, point of fact). We even tried our hand at running our own used game/import store (which taught us quite a bit), but had to move on from that as well. I'm still close to most of those same friends, and I still choose to give my business to the kinds of stores (corporate or otherwise) that remind me in some way of the one I spent time in.

[Torgo]

I worked at an EB for about 3 years back in the SNES/Genesis/Turbografx days. We had 2 different managers during that time. Both were so paranoid about being perceived as not knowing what they were talking about, and for good reason, because they didn't know anything about gaming.

It was actually a cool job back then, and it got to the point where I was almost running the store anyway. I was even doing the paperwork and setting up the schedule at the end.

Nowadays, the company has changed a LOT. Now they do used games etc., and they really push pre-sells etc way more than we were ever asked. Our store was a lot more personable, as we kept lists of people that wanted certain games, and called them when the game would come in, stuff like that. We had our share of dumbasses (usually during the holiday rush,) but we made sure that they stayed away from our regulars.

Hell, we knew the guys at Babbages really well, and even though we were competing, we were always good to each other. We knew when they carried something that we didn't, and vice versa.

[Deadend]

2, and 5 I think are Toys R Us.

Not sure exactly which stores the other ones are at.

And I am freaked the fuck out by the article, as I really think one of those people could have been me.

[tombofsoldier]

I just went into and EB and walked right out again remembering why I don't go there. Most of their games cost more used than the Best Buy that was right across the street in the mall. Why anyone would go to EB or Gamestop is beyond me.

[Ghost Rider]

And I am freaked the fuck out by the article, as I really think one of those people could have been me.

lol...interesting.. if you don't mind me asking, which person?

[Thin_J]

5 is definitely Toys R Us. I speak from similar experiences. Four years worth actually.

*edit*
After more detailed reading I'm pretty sure 2 is as well. I agree with whomever it was that said both worked at TRU. Some things (especially the swingset remark) just hit too close to home.

[Karamazov]

#5: I loved working with my friends. I hate to admit it, but I loved acting like a pretentious asshat and talking down to people, too. C'mon, it's fun!

And then they have the nerve to whine about being "mistreated" by the customers. Cry me a fucking river.

[GrinR]

I couldn't continue to read; the pain of reading about stupid people's impatience with other people's stupidity created a recursive vortex of content that was sucking my intellect away.

[Johan]

I couldn't continue to read; the pain of reading about stupid people's impatience with other people's stupidity created a recursive vortex of content that was sucking my intellect away.

Reminds me of a few threads we've had 'round these here parts!

/yes...I've been in on a few of them, too. I know, I know./

[Pluvious]

I liked the guy who sore his system worked best with a slice of Wonder bread on top.

[KingGorilla]

Well obviously you've never done this job then. I spent 4 years at Toys R Us, working in the game dept about half the time, service counter the rest. Every single word out of those clerk's mouths rings true.
One thing that they didn't mention that I loved about the job was the freebies. The game reps would always show up with random crap to give away like light-up ink pens, posters, mugs, keychains, toys, pins, t-shirts and more.
Oh no, I have worked in customer driven jobs. I have swallowed my share of shit. And I have had days where I snapped, and had to swallow more shit. I have dealt with idiots, with morons, jerks, cunts, bitches, and assholes(a myriad of sexual orifices).

And the editing of this article is great. But these clerks are still talking like complete, young, dumb, ass-hats. Sorry "Randall," not my fault I am in law school and you are stuck in community college or are a 30 year old manager at a store hawking Pokemon and selling GTA to 11 year olds.

[[VSK]BadCRC]

Well, I think the problem is that most consumers are desensitized to the customer service they get at most companies. How many times have you heard a friend or relative complain about the service they got at, say, Wal-Mart, for example, and yet still shop their on a regular basis.

It just seems that a lot of customers don't even know what good customer service is, and don't respond accordingly when they do get it.

But the reverse is also true. There was one incident in our store where the customer was so polite and was so patient while we got something setup for her, she waited there the whole time, never gave us grief, never asked us to hurry up, and respected us while we did a quick job for her that I gave her a $25 gift card, and thanked her for being patient and understanding.

[LilAbner]

One of the guys had a problem with this:

We also hold systems that people want until an ad breaks. Every other week or so, we sit on about 40 Wiis but keep telling customers that we don't have any. They cannot be sold until the ads come out.

Anyone with half a brain knows why this is done. How stupid would it be for Best Buy to get 40 Wiis on Thursday and sell them all before the Sunday ad breaks? You would have a mob of super-pissed people. By holding them all, at least people know when you're going to have them and they have a fair shot at them.

[RorschachCCCLX]

as I've said many a time, I work at such a retailer. I think the stores that are run right and staffed well, it can be a true boon for gamers.

[Heavenly]

The reservation system works for THEM, not for you, the consumer. There is absolutely no reason to preorder even a moderately popular title from these guys. It is virtually guaranteed that Fry's / Best Buy / Circuit City / Walmart / Target will have it discounted during the first week.

Then why the fuck am I getting 100+ calls about GH2 on the 360?

[KingGorilla]

One of the guys had a problem with this:

We also hold systems that people want until an ad breaks. Every other week or so, we sit on about 40 Wiis but keep telling customers that we don't have any. They cannot be sold until the ads come out.

Anyone with half a brain knows why this is done. How stupid would it be for Best Buy to get 40 Wiis on Thursday and sell them all before the Sunday ad breaks? You would have a mob of super-pissed people. By holding them all, at least people know when you're going to have them and they have a fair shot at them.
Wait...do you really believe that nonesense you said?

They do it to get peopel into the store to buy the shit that the store actually makes money on-DVDs, Games, Controllers, Warranties. If they do not hold them until after the ad, fewer people will come mob the store. 40 people will get consoles regardless. But with an ad, the people who do not get one and came in with the mod will probably still walk out with something.

[Klade]

Are you so naive as to think the game stores are all clueless? That they've been wasting thousands of employee hours in a fruitless practice?

These are profitable bussinesses- they push reservations because it WORKS.

Whether you're personally too cool for school to buy 'em doesn't mean others don't. Their bottom lines speak for themselves.

Oh you are so very very smart. You are 100% right that my post implied that I thought no one ever at any time would reserve a game. I could not possibly have been speaking to the article this thread is about and those individuals who expressed shock that people would not want to reserve a game.

Your intellect has blown me out of the water. How can I ever hope to compete with the likes of you?

Or..........Read the fucking story asshole before commenting.

[Syl]

I love my local (well, nearest - we have a couple) Gamestop; but part of that is because i'm basically friends with everyone who works there. I used to stop by simply to play the guitar hero demo all the damn time.

[Deadend]

Wait...do you really believe that nonesense you said?

They do it to get people into the store to buy the shit that the store actually makes money on-DVDs, Games, Controllers, Warranties. If they do not hold them until after the ad, fewer people will come mob the store. 40 people will get consoles regardless.

But with an ad, the people who do not get one and came in with the mod will probably still walk out with something.
Well, it makes it much easier on us. We can get our Wii shit over and done with on Sunday mornings. We just tell people Sunday morning starting over a week ahead of time, whenever we know it's coming. As otherwise, people have to keep checking every day, at all the stores. The way it is right now, next Sunday is Wii day at most places. You pick a store, you get there 2 hours before open. 90% odds of getting a Wii probably.

And having it an ad means we can't sell them. Even though there have been times when we could, due to having a return/unopened or other random thing that causes there to be systems outside of those shipped to us.

Oh and going wayy back up... I am probably #2 or #5 being at Toys R Us. Not that it's me, but some of those answers... wow. I could see myself saying them.

But no one mentioned the hell of not having a inventory system that is anything close to efficient, or having any infrastructure for knowing information. When I have to answer questions outside of price. I either am manually finding the game by looking on the shelves or I am pulling information from my memories.

It is not the easiest job on earth, as people can really really get to you, and then you have to deal with all the hate for not having a random game in stock. I am so tired of getting the evil eye because we have been trying to get more copies of Zelda and the Warehouse doesn't want to send them.

And Thin_J just called me some guy :(, he is the only EvAver I met in person so far.

[Avy]

The way it is right now, next Sunday is Wii day at most places. You pick a store, you get there 2 hours before open. 90% odds of getting a Wii probably.

No stores in my city get shipping on the weekends, so that doesn't really work here.

Karamazov: One guy out of the entire group said that, and you choose to believe it justifies all shitty treatment of retail employees? That's kind of sad. That guy would more than likely be a dick at any job he worked at, not just retail. I think it's despicable to talk down to customers and I always try to be unfailingly polite at all times, yet I've been cursed at, threatened with violence, and had things thrown at me. So...that's okay? Because one random guy doesn't actually like dealing with customers?

Most of the 'confessions' are pretty tame. It's so generic, any retail job will get a certain type of employee/customer. I'm not really sure why it's all considered so sordid or shocking, since it's such basic customer-service junk. Some customers are great, some customers will try cheat you, some will be incredibly rude and others eternally grateful. Management will be horrible, neutral, or fantastic and wonderful. Company policies almost 100% suck, no matter where you work, and co-workers are a total crap-shoot. Replace "videogames" with "thrift store" or "sporting goods" and it's all the same.

[Although it is entertaining when people forget what kind of game system they have, or are buying for. But not so fun and very frustrating when they get mad and screamy because their 'game boy that folds in to a square' turns out to be a DS, not an SP, even though they keep calling it an "Gameboy advanced XP".]

[Thin_J]

Jesus. Sorry Deadend. I don't post here but maybe once every few weeks and I tend not to bother watching who posts what since I don't know.. well anybody but you actually. I also had no idea you worked at TRU. That makes me sad cause I know what the place can do to you after a while. I was practically a zombie by the end, shuffling through shifts from one day to the next, trying not to crack open some asshole customer's skull to get at the 2 or 3 tiny bits of brain matter inside ;)

As for my "close to home comments" it doesn't mean I agree with everything they said, but a lot of the complaints about customers are things that happen on just about a daily basis. Some of their comments are indeed pretentious and out of line... but that doesn't make them wrong.

Retail is the unholy pits of hell as far as first jobs go. Parts of it were fun and I ended up making quite a few friends there but it doesn't really begin to balance out the negatives. Generally it was just 4 years of trying to survive just one more day of work without snapping at some asshole when he starts cussing me out because we don't have the bike his daughter wants in stock and the store director's policy was not to sell display models. Sorry there spanky, that's not my fault. Maybe screaming at me isn't the best way to get me to break my boss's rules and help you out. Maybe it is, in fact, a better way for you to earn a roll of the eyes and a lewd gesture involving the middle finger on one of my hands as you walk toward the exit... all the while throwing swear words at every employee you see.

Now again, I don't necessarily agree with all the more, um, pretentious of their comments. Working retail does not instantly make it ok for you to judge every person who walks through the door. It's mostly the general problems with customers that I agree with and just can't get over. I spent my first year on the sales floor helping people. I spent my second year in the storeroom building bikes and carrying out large items for people. My third year was mostly storeroom but I got moved to the game department for christmas season. This was by far the worst time I ever had there. Then I got to go back to the storeroom pretty much right up until I told the store director to take his shitty job and shove it.

Generic dumb customer experience #4,108: Asking a customer buying a large item what they were driving. If some guy in a Corolla buys a swingset that comes in three seperate 7 foot long boxes, two of which weigh well over 100 pounds, he's guaranteed to tell you you're an idiot when you tell him he can't fit it in his car.

So then you lug the boxes out to the parking lot. Hilarity ensues. That's an almost daily occurrence all summer long.

I once helped a guy lift an H2 Hummer Power Wheel (not actual power wheel.. the off brand one) onto the roof of his Maxima and then handed him nylon cord from a spool so he could tie it on to the roof through the window frames and the sunroof. It was leaning about a foot to one side before he even made it out of the parking lot. I wish I had pictures.

My time spent in the game department was actually worse when it comes to rude or inconsiderate customers and far worse for people assuming I have no idea what I'm talking about. All the listed "They don't make that game on that system" conversations are just so ungodly true. People really do always get angry when you tell them what they want doesn't exist. It doesn't matter how nicely you find a way to say it. They still hate your fucking guts even though they're the ones who have no idea what they're talking about.

My favorite was a guy trying to return a PS2. He's two days past the return policy of the store. He said the system was defective. So the guy I'm working with starts hooking it up to a little display TV to test it out. Before he ever finishes... I notice the seal on the back has been removed, meaning the system's been opened and the warranty is completely invalid. While the guy's kid is wandering through the aisle I ask him if anyone had opened the system up. He insists no. I show him the back and the missing sticker. He tells me that's bullshit. I explain the specifics of the sticker and what it means for him. He insists that it's bullshit and that we owe him a new system. We argue about this for something like twenty minutes, all the time me trying desperately to keep my cool and giving as calm of answers as a person can given the situation. Then the kid wanders back up and asks what's taking so long. I look him in the eye and ask him point blank if he opened up the system and maybe tried to mod it. Kid looks as though he just shit right down his leg. Dad looks at me and tells me to speak to him and not to his son. I finally ended my part of the deal by just looking him in the eye and saying "I'm sorry sir, but we can't replace this system for you as your son seems to have opened it up and attempted to modify the system's hardware." I then called the manager, explained everything, and stood there quietly ignoring the guy until the manager showed. I pointed at the guy, half laughed as the manager rolled his eyes, and then walked away to try and convince some grandmother that she didn't really want to buy Ecks Vs. Sever for her grandaughter's GBA.

I think, in general, that was the worst part about the job. No matter how much you really know about whatever the item in question is the customer assumes you're a fucking caveman who doesn't know right from left anyway. Then when they finally figure out you're right they'll never admit it because you're younger than they are.

For every one that treats you like a human being and actually accepts that you do indeed know what you're talking about there's ten that think they're the only person on the face of the earth that deserves to be treated with respect. I understand the basis of this idea as I worked with as many morons as I saw walk in as customers. I get that a lot of retail employees don't care and generally aren't worth speaking to. Ok, I understand. I've been told that my HDTV won't work with my 360 without an HD Tuner by some asshole at Best Buy too ok? I get it.

The problem is that they're not all stupid and it's not ok for customers to assume they are.

No stores in my city get shipping on the weekends, so that doesn't really work here.

Actually it does because they probably already got their shipments last week. That goes back to that whole withholding product until the ad hits thing they've been talking about ;)

[Disgustipated]

Love the post, Thin_J.

All of this being said, I'm either taking a part-time job in the Geek Squad or GameCrazy in the next few months. Wish me luck!

[epyon]

Hmm, thougth the article was a pretty good read. interesting to say the least.

[LilAbner]

Wait...do you really believe that nonesense you said?

They do it to get peopel into the store to buy the shit that the store actually makes money on-DVDs, Games, Controllers, Warranties. If they do not hold them until after the ad, fewer people will come mob the store. 40 people will get consoles regardless. But with an ad, the people who do not get one and came in with the mod will probably still walk out with something.

Of course they do it to get people to come into their store. But it's also good business sense to make a Wii shipment an event rather than keep it on the down-low. Everybody wins in that situation: the customers (the ones who get their Wiis, anyway) are happy because they know when to go into the store and the business is happy because of what you just said...most people will walk out with something.

Last time I checked, stores like Best Buy, EB, etc. were for-profit organizations.

[Lunar Blue]

Newsflash, some of the people in this world are unbearable assholes... clerks included.

[balamoor]

I have seen both sides of the coin. Classic Penny Arcade examples of Dumbass Gamestore clerks and Asshat customers.

My wife managed our local EB for five very long years, and can tell you more War stories than you can imagine; From the Ten year old that threatened to come back and shoot the place up because she wouldn’t give him his copy of Diablo 2 the day before it was released. To the really creepy Everquest Fanboi that stalked her, and was Arrested in the Mall parking lot with several weapons and a note declaring his undying love, and his belief that if they died together they would somehow enter this other Fantasy world....dark, dark scary stuff.

Our hobby attracts the weird unwashed and the lonely people that just fell through the cracks somehow, but those people are not the majority of gamers, they are just the stereotypical gamers.

Anyway I support a local Mom and Pop software shop these days or buy from the net, my wife despite all the shit she endured, still is a gamerchick, she just is a lot more wary of some of the fanbois.

[Sloth]

I think customer service is a crock. I worked tech support for awhile. And I can tell you that its not designed to offer customer service, its designed to simply answer a call and then hang up as soon as possible.

i think the the problem starts at the top of these corporations. They treat customer service positions like disposable shit. I understand why, but its a self fulfilling prophecy. CS positions have high turnover because they are thankless stressful jobs. They start that way because corporations don't make the enviornment comfortable for their employees.

[Deadend]

Man, Thin_J, your Toys R Us must have sucked HARD. I have had lots of dumb people, but also some good customers. The problem is when I get a chain of dumb people in a row. Like ones who need me to explain what a MP3 is and what 256mb means and why 512mb is better. Really.
Explaining it multiple times to the same person.

Someone asks me what the difference between a Gameboy and a DS is. I stop for a moment before getting into RISC processors and RAM. They don't get it, they need it explained again using smaller and smaller words, but yet if I start with "graphics are better" they want more information.

Today I had a chain of the worst kind. They ask 50 questions, and don't buy anything. And the fucking Wii. The FUCKING WII!!!!
I am sick to death of saying what comes in box, and then saying what a nunchuck is. I mean, why the fuck do these people want a system and know NOTHING about it?!

At least I don't laugh when asked about it.

Disgustipated, working a game retail job is good for a little while. It probably will be not too bad for the next couple years as there are no systems coming up. However, my first year started with the Xbox 360, then once that calmed down for a little while, we got hit by the insanity of having the manager of the section get transfered, the store director getting transfered (unrelated reason) oh and 2 little systems called the Wii and the PS3... all within a couple weeks. It sucked HARD.

[Pigeon]

While working returns at Toys R Us:
Me: Hi, How can I help you?
Her: Yeah, I bought this toy for my kid but the sound kept getting quieter and quieter and then it just stopped.
Me: Have you changed the batteries?
Her: Do you think it could be the batteries?

So I put some fresh batteries in, turn it on and it works fine.

Me: Yup, you just needed new batteries.
Her: Can I have these?
Me: We sell batteries.
Her: Oh, ok. Thanks!

[Thin_J]

Man, Thin_J, your Toys R Us must have sucked HARD.

I'm pretty sure it's universal. Give it some time. You'll get there.

And as far as management goes.. get used to the revolving door. I worked at the same store for just over four years.

We were on our fifth store director and third DM when I left. A couple months after I did leave yet another store director came in.

I look forward to the day they close that location. It's gonna happen. The place does 80% of it's business in the juvenile (read: babies) department. That will change here in about another month when an actual full on Babies R Us store opens up a couple streets over.

I predict doom for the TRU location here and the very thought makes me smile. I think I'll show up and cheer when they lock the doors for the last time. It'll be doublefun if the manager that locks the doors is the one I semi-dated when we were both just regular employees.

If it is then I can add pointing and laughing at someone else's misfortune into the mix with the cheering.

[Avy]

Actually it does because they probably already got their shipments last week. That goes back to that whole withholding product until the ad hits thing they've been talking about ;)

No, not in my area. There is no reason for my store [EB] to hold the systems, so we don't. Your mileage may vary, since I've encountered huge differences in how stores are run, even from province to province [and the US stores are wholly different from the Canadian stores, altogether].

We got our last shipment of Wii's [12 in all, with a bunch of nunchucks, remotes, and point cards] on Tuesday. Everything with the exception of a handful of Wiimotes was gone by late afternoon.

My store has held systems back once, for a nation-wide marketing campaign/flyer. Their reasoning [which I totally do NOT agree with and think is ridiculous] being that people seeing the ad would come in expecting systems. Again, I don't agree with it, but this really isn't an every-day thing. We get the systems, we sell them straight off the floor. Most of the time they don't even stay long enough to get to the stock room.

TRU and FS/BB, however, still seem to be holding them until Saturdays/Sundays, although Wal-Mart gets them Gods know when [I've had people come in and tell me WM JUST got a shipment, at 6 at night. I don't shop there, I wouldn't know].

[Heretic Machine]

My only bad experience with EB/Gamestop is when I call to ask them how much I can trade a game in for. Inevitably they quote some horrifically insulting number (GRAW back in November: $1...) and I hang up. But as far as buying games goes, it has always been a decent experience. They have a better selection than any other retail stores, which is great if you like niche games, and occasionally you can find good deals on used games. I do hate how they keep their used GBA games though, it is basically impossible to find anything in that mess.

I've had EB/Gamestop managers direct me to other stores like Target when they didn't have something, and I know enough to avoid going there to pick up a popular game on day-1. So, I really don't have a problem with them, they're certainly no worse than Wal-mart, Target, K-mart, Toys'R'Us... etc. Sure, online stores are great, but you have to pay shipping + wait for it to get to your house. That means that you can forget about having something ASAP. But then again, you can find even better selections of games online, so that is a big plus.

Anyhow, I guess I just don't really care that much about where I shop, as long as I get the game for it's retail price or less. Supporting one evil mega corp is no better than supporting an equally evil mega corp.

[Spigot]

See, that's the way I've felt about shopping at EB. I will tend to patronize my local EB if only because a) they get the more obscure games in that Walmart & Zellers don't and b) they do actually drop the prices on games, unlike many of the department/big box stores. I've seen games that are $19 at EB still selling for $40 or so at other stores (granted, this is long into a product's life, but still...)

I also like that I can go into my EB and just chat with the guys and not buy anything and not feel like I wasted their time. Granted, I also know that their store is never busy except during certain rush periods in the retail year (ie. Christmas, the fall, around launches or big game releases) so they're just begging for something to keep them from staring at the wall.

That said, if there is something like the Puzzle Quest shortage where EB is mysteriously sold out of or has returned all of their copies yet every non-specialty store that I go into has 12 copies on the shelf, well, I'll take my business to the place that actually has the game I want. And if I happen to find a game for sale at a store that isn't EB, again, I'll just get it there and not feel like I'm driving a stake through the heart of my friendly local manager.

I just enjoy chatting with the guys at the EB. Heck, trying to find someone to open a game case at Walmart is hard enough, let alone attempting to strike up a conversation with them.

[Virtuoso]

I work at Best Buy, not in Media (DVDs, CDs, games) but in Computers. Unfortunately, the way our store is organized gaming sits immediately next to computers and therefore we get some of their overflow. Now, while the majority of people that come in are decent, well intentioned folks, some are completely and totally bat shit crazy.

Several stories.

#1 Woman comes in with a power mullet. We are talking almost shaved sides and down to the middle of her back. It was ridiculous. She is holding a 360 and asks several questions, followed by asking us whether or not we had layaway. I promptly told her no, and she proceeds to tell me that now that Wal-Mart has stopped layaway so has everybody. Keep in mind Best Buy has, to my knowledge, never had layaway. I replied "Trust me maam, if I made more than eight bucks an hour I would get right on that. But I don't." Then I walked off.

#2 An individual comes in talking about the PS3. Whatever, I answer his questions and he begins talking about God for some reason. I am not exactly the religious type, and if I wasn't in my Best Buy blues I would have reacted differently, but trying to be unoffensive I grin and bear it. He mentions that he is Pentacostal, that Catholics are evil, and that the "queers and lesbians are taking this nation to hell". Now, I have a herniated disk in my back, and because of this I walk with a slight limp due the pain and the fact that I can't feel my right leg from the knee down. He then grabs my back when I turn around and begins to pray very loudly for God to heal my back. Then he starts speaking in tongues. This was the most surreal experience of my life.

[vherub]

I would love for Gamefly to open up a store presence.
They have great customer service, their used game prices are great and in fantastic condition- and it would help out the speed in renting/returning games.

[MatUK8]

My problem is that the employees of these game stores and even the bigger retail electronic stores think that they know everything because they work at a game store. They think that they have the inside scoop or something, and they constantly talk my ear off about crap that they have no clue about.
Example: went to gamestop a few days before GH2 came out for the 360 and asked if they would have any extra guitars sold separately and the lady there told me no because red octane was mad at microsoft for not letting them use their wireless technology for a guitar controller. She also proceeded to tell me that they were focusing more on the online multiplayer instead. I new that online multiplayer was not included in GH2 for the 360 and i new that red octane wanted the wireless rights but i also new that they were selling extra controllers from the red octane website and i just wanted to get one in the store instead of waiting for shipping. This employee just made a complete fool out of herself and the store.
Another example was i met this kid that worked at bestbuy and we were discusing the 360 (this was before its release). He proceeded to say, "did you here that the 360 is goin to have a bluray drive?" I told the moron that microsoft was supporting HDDVD and that if anything was gonna be on there it would be the HDDVD drive. Plus this was after they had basically already confirmed they were stickin with just a DVD drive. And this kid was sure that because he worked at bestbuy and heard this rediculous rumor there, that the 360 was gonna have bluray.
These are only 2 examples but there have atleast been 3 or 4 other times, if not more, that employees at game stores have told me something that is completely false because obviously they don't read magazines or visit game news websites.

[MatUK8]

I have had my good experiences too but the moron employees out weigh the smart ones. And about pre orders, i have no problem pre orderin because i want to guarantee myself a copy on day one, the bestbuys, circuit citys, walmarts and so on never get the games on day one unless it is a big title like halo. Like when i called looking for extra guitars at walmart for GH2 they didn't release anything till the thursday of that week. i think it is probably because they have so much merchandise that they have to sort everythin out and the games get held until they do inventory or something.

[xanthome]

Hah! they say to come in and get to know them, failing to realize that they're (for the most part) fucktards with ZERO personality... Especially at GameStop and EB. I can wait a few days and buy it at Target thank you very much. You're a CLERK, get over yourself!

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/18

[kimosabe71]

Has anyone shopped at a Play n Trade before?

[Spigot]

If/when my online rental service gets their "Buy The Game" feature finalized and working, well, I will be decreasing my bricks & mortar purchases significantly. About the only reason I still do as much buying of games lately is because I don't want to get going on a DS game and then have to restart from the beginning when/if I end up getting it.

I am getting better at curbing my impatience for getting a game day one... When I get that under control, it won't matter where I shop as long as the price is the best.

[Avy]

These are only 2 examples but there have atleast been 3 or 4 other times, if not more, that employees at game stores have told me something that is completely false because obviously they don't read magazines or visit game news websites.

And customers have never, ever been wrong with their information, right? ;)

Not everyone is a genius, and some people are incredibly misinformed, although I doubt it's malicious. You would be screaming bloody murder if a clerk were to talk down to you because you didn't know something, so why is it okay for you to pass judgment on a clerk? They're just people, they make mistakes.

Please remember that even though they sell videogames, the main aspect of the job is RETAIL. You can learn videogames and tech specs. You can't necessarily learn how to treat customers well and take all the shit they throw at you with a smile on your face, at all times. I'm 100% more willing to hire a potential employee with NO game knowledge but lots of retail experience, than I am to hire a self-professed 'hardcore gamer' with very little background in retail. I've found that the ones who list their first desirable quality as 'gamer' have very little work ethic and are pretty incompetent when it actually comes to helping customers :(