My great GameStop experience

BlueWingX

BlueWingX

CAGiversary!
Usually, I'm not much of a GameStop shopper. I like getting newer stuff at BB because of the Zoner card, and I don't care for used stuff. However, I was out today and decided to stop at the Gamestop at the Scottsdale Pavillions to look for a few of the games I really wanted that I missed at the CC sale. I figured I could afford to pay a little more for them, since I saved so much at CC

I went in and started looking around. The store was pretty dead, but for the manager on the phone and one other customer. I looked around and found Disaster Report ($14.99) and Mega Man Zero 2 ($19.99) on the new game shelves, so I headed to the counter to ask about them. As soon as I got to the counter, the manager got off the phone. I could tell it was a personal call, so mega points to him for getting off it as soon as possible. I hate when employees sit on the phone, on a personal call, and just stare at you, as if to say "Go away, I'm busy."

Anyway, I asked about the games, and he checked the drawers and grabbed my factory sealed Disaster Report. However, Mega Man Zero 2 was on it's last copy, and we all know what that means... The dreaded display copy. The manager ran over to the wall and grabbed the box. I was dissappointed, but still happy to at least get the game. Then, the manager made my day. He said he was giving me 10% off because it was an opened shelf copy.

I thanked him profusely, and mentioned how a lot of places won't do that. He told me that it really annoyed him to have to pay full price for an opened game with a big ass price sticker on it, too. I wish I had gotten his name, but at noon in an Arizona summer, my brain is too fried to think of things like that.

Needless to say, this has definitely improved my opinion of shopping at GameStop. Sorry if this story was a bit long for just a 10% discount tale, but I just wanted to tell someone about this nice experience.
 
A while ago there was these kickass employees at my Gamestop (Cerritos). We used to talk about anime the whole day. Now they got new people are they have no personality.
 
Yeah, not all Gamestops or EBs have horrible employees. I'm lucky enough to be friends with the manager of the local Gamestop down here so I've gotten many discounts and free things (cardboard standup for Custom Robo and Spiderman 2 [well when they are done with the Spiderman one], free shirts left over from preorder bonus' and such). Also, at the EB down here, I went in the other day to pick up a few GC 12 game carrying cases but they only had one in stock so the guy who was there said he'd make sure to hold on to a couple for me during the next shipment.
 
Gamestop always employs people who know absolutely nothing about games. I always see women working there who do not care about and therefore know nothing about games. They probably have not played a game any longer than 10 minutes since the NES days (if they even know what an NES is). Why does Gamestop do this when there are plenty of 18-22 year-old guys who would be perfect for the job and would love doing it?
 
[quote name='BlueWingX'] I could tell it was a personal call, so mega points to him for getting off it as soon as possible. I hate when employees sit on the phone, on a personal call, and just stare at you, as if to say "Go away, I'm busy."
.[/quote]

Definitely points for this. This is one of my big pet peeves about any store. Especially a personal call [although if I'm in line, I think I should focused on before a customer calling in, who's not even in the store]. If they do this for too long, I'll very noticeably drop my stuff off and walk out.

Regarding the knowledge level of GS/EB/etc employees:
How essential is this? Granted it would be nice to have a gamer in the game store, but I don't mind have a vegetarian serve me my burger at a restaurant. I'm paying for product and service, not knowledge. I do expect them to treat me with the respect due a customer, but I don't necessarily expect them to give me a review of Level 3 of Maximo. And if they do offer that, wouldn't that help to justify higher prices, since they're hiring and offering product specific knowledge as well? [I do expect them to know, for example, the difference between PS2 and Gamecube, and some level of product knowledge, however.]
 
The Gamestop employees in Culver City are f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastards.
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They are. The last time I was there, there was a white kid with bleached hair who had this bad attitude. I think his name was Darren. Please tell me he doen't work there still. The guys an assh*ole.

Then there's a fat, black guy whose too lazy to check the computer for a release date.
 
Regarding the knowledge level of GS/EB/etc employees:
How essential is this? Granted it would be nice to have a gamer in the game store, but I don't mind have a vegetarian serve me my burger at a restaurant
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Every place I've ever worked (yes, minimum wage jobs included) when there was any free time, I'd ask questions and learn about things out of sheer boredom.


How hard is it to open your eyes, look around, and (gasp) read a little. I've been to a local Target where employees don't know where something simple like batteries are.

Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?

And Gamestops are a lot smaller. I'm not asking people to know every levl of every game, but know the difference between a PS2 and Xbox case. Hint: The Xbox ones are green.
 
Maybe it has something to do with your personality toward them? Though obviously YMMV as people are different everywhere.

Personally, the crew at my local store is great. I had been going to a "privately owned" or "hometown" shop for YEARS, but they closed within the past 3 months. They couldn't compete with all the new Gamestops, no new systems to sell, low profits on new game sales, problems with their rentals leading to loosing them, etc.

ANYWAY, I think EVERYONE at my local store is a GAMER. Most have Xbox Live, and they know the games they sell. They are honest, kind, and fun. And I don't throw those praises around everyday.

They have their issues of course. Sometimes they mis-file paperwork, or don't have enough people when the store it packed. But overall, I think they do a great job, and I keep going back.
 
[quote name='rallen']


How hard is it to open your eyes, look around, and (gasp) read a little. I've been to a local Target where employees don't know where something simple like batteries are.

Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?

[/quote]

(Don't get me wrong, I know there a lot of employees that are idiots otu there.)

I worked at Target for a little while on register, and all I did was register, and so I had no idea where anything in the store was when people asked me, so I guess if Target does that to a lot of people that could attribute to it. After I had been there a little while and it was slow they would assign other tasks and I got a little familiar with the store layout (didn't matter because I quit soon after).

Back on topic, I definately think game stores are YMMV. I have been to some great Gamestops and some bad ones....the one I go to a lot now, I keep going back to because the employees are great. The know my boyfriend and I whenever we go in, and they give us free things all the time, like t-shirts even if we didn't even get the promotion. It's nice to have the employees know you. :D
 
[quote name='rallen']
Regarding the knowledge level of GS/EB/etc employees:
How essential is this? Granted it would be nice to have a gamer in the game store, but I don't mind have a vegetarian serve me my burger at a restaurant
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Every place I've ever worked (yes, minimum wage jobs included) when there was any free time, I'd ask questions and learn about things out of sheer boredom.


How hard is it to open your eyes, look around, and (gasp) read a little. I've been to a local Target where employees don't know where something simple like batteries are.

Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?

And Gamestops are a lot smaller. I'm not asking people to know every levl of every game, but know the difference between a PS2 and Xbox case. Hint: The Xbox ones are green.[/quote]

Okay, I agree with this. If I go to Best Buy, I should be able to ask a TV person and somehow be directed to the Rock cd's. That's basic, and should be either required, or they should absorb that knowledge from working in the store. But I don't expect the clerk to be able to chit chat with me about anime or details of specific titles [except basic things like release date, publisher, memory card requirements, etc.]
 
Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?
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No, I was only there for a grand total of 4 hours this week. I also hear this is something that's going on country wide now thanks to some dumbass executive who decided to profit forecast on a game that's been known to be repeatedly delayed(Halo 2) and is cutting at a labor level now instead of streamlining things. Don't fool yourselves people, Gamestop is a fucking terrible place to work. The only good thing it has going for it is that it's air conditioned and relatively small. On a management level......let me just say I know why some of the employees don't seem to amiable all the time. Simply put, the upper echelons are full of douchebags who seem to have graduated with a degree in art instead of management. Trust me on this one guys. Trust me.
 
Reality's Fringe][quote] Jesus said:
No, I was only there for a grand total of 4 hours this week. I also hear this is something that's going on country wide now thanks to some dumbass executive who decided to profit forecast on a game that's been known to be repeatedly delayed(Halo 2) and is cutting at a labor level now instead of streamlining things. Don't fool yourselves people, Gamestop is a shaq-fuing terrible place to work. The only good thing it has going for it is that it's air conditioned and relatively small. On a management level......let me just say I know why some of the employees don't seem to amiable all the time. Simply put, the upper echelons are full of douchebags who seem to have graduated with a degree in art instead of management. Trust me on this one guys. Trust me.
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As a Gamestop employee I totally agree with this statement. The upper management guys can tell you about every single dipshit promotion they've come up with, but can't tell you which N64 games required the Expansion Pak. And that HAS come up alot of times. In my region, there was an influx of women managers who took over stores. I don't want to sound sexist, if they know games....they know games. But these women were hired on the 'XX' chromosomes. Plus we had a DM who knew squat about business much less games and a RM who supposedly got her position through a skill that usually involves a golf ball and a length of hose.

Sigh. I'm a 3rd key (somewhat manager), and thinking of jumping ship. Our old store manager was great. He was an XBOX fanboy, but he knew what to do. Since he had limited knowledge, he hired the biggest bunch of gaming geeks he could find. Then he jumped to EB. Figures.
 
Well, they are the brilliant geniuses that will put three stores within a quarter mile of each other.

There's an area in Sterling Heights/Shelby Township, right outside of Lakeside Mall where there are Gamestops on 3 of the 4 corners of the intersection.

Wouldn't it be wiser to just rent a larger location, consolidate the stock you would be sending to 3 locations and staff it according to need rather than run 3 individual storefronts within walking distance of each other?

One of them was originally a funcoland and has been there for 10+ years, but the plaza it is in is dieing, so that may be one they are phasing out, but having two new locations that they just put in within the past two years be less than a couple hundred feet from each other is just stupid.

It's just pointlessly wasteful, and with idiotic business practices such as that, I'm shocked that they can even stay open.
 
We have that here. There's a shopping mall with 2 gamestops literally next door, and by my house there's 3 Gamestops within a mile and a EB in between them. only thing is they're all named differently and act like they're in competition with each other (funcoland, software etc, gamestop) dunno why
 
The employees that work at my local GS are really nice. This one guy there is really nice to me since I go there almost every week. One time, he pulled out this binder with tons of previews for the newest games that were announced at E3. Dont see him there anymore, maybe he quit or something.
 
Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?
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That quote wasn't direct to anyone in these forums. It was meant for the retail workers who use the phrase, "I don't know", instead of "I'll ask", or "I'll find out for you."

If you're posting in this thread, chances are you're more intelligent than most of the drones I encounter. They could care less about customer service, and would probably not get into a debate about it.

If you work at a retail store, and you're cruising through these forums, good for you, you're learn something about the games. I'm just sick of the people who don't know/care/want to learn.
 
My Gamestop and EB give me the display all the time, and won't ever knock 10% off. I got angry at an employee at Gamestop when I bought R-Type Final for PS2. He gave me a copy that was already opened when I saw there was a factory sealed copy available. I told the employee to give me the copy, and he couldn't understand why I wanted it and got mad at me.

That's not the only problem I had with my Gamestop. They gave me the Onimusha Warlords that use to be at Blockbuster, when I saw they had better copies. I asked the employee to give me a different one, and he made a face at me, said something not really nice, then gave me a different copy. That's why I refuse to shop at Gamestop and I go to EB instead, since they're very nice to me. No wonder why my Gamestop has had around 25 or more different employees in the last 4 years.
 
As a Gamestop Employee, I can easily tell the difference between a good store and a bad one.

There's a huge amount of variance in the stores even in my district. My store has been #1 in my district for almost 2 straight years. How? Customer service. Every week there's a new "competitor", but they can't compete. My manager is a great guy, as is my assistant manager. I'm a third keyholder as well, "quasi-management". If you don't like the service you are getting from a Gamestop, ask for the number to the district office. If they refuse to give it to you, find it yourself and tell the District Manager exactly what happened. They should deal with it appropriately. Don't just bitch about it.

If anyone lives in the NY/LI area and wants to see a store that is run how it should be...PM me, and I'll show you one. If every store was like mine, you guys would definitely not complain about the employees.
 
[quote name='Samurai T']My Gamestop and EB give me the display all the time, and won't ever knock 10% off. I got angry at an employee at Gamestop when I bought R-Type Final for PS2. He gave me a copy that was already opened when I saw there was a factory sealed copy available. I told the employee to give me the copy, and he couldn't understand why I wanted it and got mad at me.

That's not the only problem I had with my Gamestop. They gave me the Onimusha Warlords that use to be at Blockbuster, when I saw they had better copies. I asked the employee to give me a different one, and he made a face at me, said something not really nice, then gave me a different copy. That's why I refuse to shop at Gamestop and I go to EB instead, since they're very nice to me. No wonder why my Gamestop has had around 25 or more different employees in the last 4 years.[/quote]

Horrible. If it isn't too busy, I always try to take up a few copies to the customer, so they can choose which one has a condition that suits them. If a customer outright asks for a different copy, I go ahead and switch it for them. The only exception I can see there was if someone had put a specific copy on hold (though it should have been in a totally seperate area), or had it reserved (once again).

I think that maybe the employee wanted the sealed copy of R-Type Final, or was just lazy. Was he giving you the display copy?

As for giving discounts on the display boxes, btw, it will really vary by store. As much as I agree that some sort of discount should be given for a display copy (on new games), manager isn't going to let me do that. Don't take it out on Game Advisors, There isn't much we really can do without manager approval. :p
 
Well my Gamestop is horrible. First off, all the people there are assholes that don't know jack. AND they didn't hire me a few years back for a Holiday job at $6 an hour, yet DID hire some jackass that doesn't know jack and quit on them within a few weeks (thank God they dind't cause 2 months later I got hired by CC at $9.50 an hour). I always have to drive a little further to reach EB, but it's REAAAAAAALLY worth it. They know all their crap and aren't against having a simple conversation. That's why I have NEEEEEEVER bought anything for myself at Gamestop, and have purchased all my pre-ordered games from EB.
 
About 4-5 gamestops within a couple miles from me.


The upper management guys can tell you about every single dipshit promotion they've come up with, but can't tell you which N64 games required the Expansion Pak. And that HAS come up alot of times.
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I bought a used n64 at one of my gamestops for $20.

I also tried to buy about 3 used games - manager stopped me "hey, you know you need the expansion pak for those games"

me: how much is that, it doesn't come with it?
manager: uh like $20 (making up a number i guess) and i don't think any of these do.

Nice of him to stop me from buying those games, but why would an expansion pak cost THE SAME AS THE FREAKING SYSTEM.
 
It's hard knowing where certain items are. I am only on my 2nd week on the floor at Sears and am still in training yet they leave me back there by myself half the time. I'll have people ask me questions about things that I don't know and I wont even have a manager in the whole lower level so they will get pissed off and leave before I can find the right answer. Some people are just plain mean.
 
I friends with a gamestop manager and I meet him through going to the store to buy games. Always cool and letting me know if he thought something sucked if he played it before I did. If I ask him to hold games or anythng he'll help me out. Last time during the two fro one used sale he got me Full Spectrum Warrior, Metal Slug 3 and Drakengard! When I called to ask him what he had originally he said only Full Spectrum. I asked him to hold it for me and I see if he had anything else. Before I got there Metal Slug 3 came in and he held that for me and I picked out Drakengard. At another store about a mile away if they don't have three titles I want and another store has what I'm looking for they will transfer the game to that store for me so I can get up on the Deal. Great Stuff! Never had any problems at Gamestop.
 
Nice of him to stop me from buying those games, but why would an expansion pak cost THE SAME AS THE FREAKING SYSTEM.
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Strange enough, they ARE $20.
They're a little rarer than the n64 systems, and the demand is a bit higher for them. That's the only way I can see them justifying the price GS sells them for. ;P
 
I like the new EB at brookfield, WI on bluemound rd. The guys that work there are real nice, and know their stuff. Gamestop has always been crap.
Gamecrazy in west allis is hit and miss, there's a cool mexican guy, a nice cute girl, and this other guy who acts pissed off all the time when you're in there, but he knows games.
 
I don't like any of the game stores near me in Sacramento. When I was in Santa Cruz the employee's at the gamecrazy there (not the one in Capitola, although they were cool too) were always cool. All of them were really friendly and knew there stuff. They also didn't mind having a conversation about games with you, which was a good way for me to kill some time while waiting for a haircut :) They were also cool with returns and they had a few cute girls working there, one of which really knew her shit.
 
as a target employee, i can tell you this...
if someone tells you they don't know where something is, they're sucking at their job. every employee on the sales floor should have a walkie. on certain occasions when an employee doesn't know where something is, all they gotta do is pick up the walkie and say "does anyone know where the toilet paper is?" i usually give good customer service, but i can sorta understand why a lot of retail employees don't. the pay isn't great, supervisors aren't great, and trust me... no matter how nice you are to certain people, some customers can still be jackasses. also, i used to work at a comic shop that was owned by a friend of mine, and that made me more motivated to do a better job, because the profits directly affected my friend and my employment. when you work for a big company, there isn't really that close a connection between you and your employer, so you don't really care as much.

every gamestop/eb games i've been to either had a really nice employee who didn't know much about games or a really snobby ass employee who thinks he/she's badass because he/she works at a game store. great way to attract business, buddy. ask them ANY question and they'll roll their eyes like you've lived in a cave for 10 years. a couple years ago, some funcoland employee was acting like he was the shit in the way he was talking to me and other customers, so i started making fun of him and the other employees started cracking up. i feel kinda bad about it now, but some people just don't have any reason to act like they're better than you.
 
[quote name='rallen']
Jesus, aren't you there 20-40 hours a week, idiot?
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That quote wasn't direct to anyone in these forums. It was meant for the retail workers who use the phrase, "I don't know", instead of "I'll ask", or "I'll find out for you."

If you're posting in this thread, chances are you're more intelligent than most of the drones I encounter. They could care less about customer service, and would probably not get into a debate about it.

If you work at a retail store, and you're cruising through these forums, good for you, you're learn something about the games. I'm just sick of the people who don't know/care/want to learn.[/quote]

Ok, I always would point them in the direction of someone that could help them, so I am fine now, haha.


Anyway I preordered Tales of Symphonia on Sunday at my local Gamestop, and the employee there that took my preorder is always great and knows me and my boy like I mentioned earlier in this thread. So yesterday we went to pick up the game, and since we preordered so late we weren't expecting an artbook, however the same employee was working and he had put one aside just for us with my name stickied on the front and everything......I was surprised. We had also preordered the guide, and since it hadn't come in yet, this wonderful employee said he would call me tomorrow either way to let me know if the guide was in.

Now if this isn't great service, I don't know what it. The store manager at this location also give us special treatment. It is so great. Again, that is why I keep going to my gamestop. They make it worth it.
 
I had a similar experience with a kbtoys last summer. I decided to return The Hulk because of its reviews. I went in planning to get Red Faction 2. Well, they only had the display copy left so the guy only charged me $10 dollars for it AND he gave me a coupon for $10 off my next purchase of $30 or more. That left me with an extra $30 of store credit so I looked around the store for another game. i founf Medal of Honor: Frontline (around full price everywhere else at the time) for only $30. In the end I came out with two great games and an unexpriring coupon. :D :D :D
 
[quote name='"PittsburghAfterDark"']10% off the display copy should be mandatory. Maybe that way they'd finally realize that opening 5 of the same game isn't such a great idea.[/quote]

Not really, there is not a lot of markup for new games, maybe 10-12 at MOST. And its practically new and I am sure they would be happy to shringwrap the game for those stores that have the machine, (like my EB). I think my EB had a 5% off policy on display copies long ago, but they got greedy and probally don't have that anymore.
 
The GameStop near me just opend about four months ago and so far it is really good. The manager is extremely cool but everyone else is kind of lame so I tend to go in on Friday mornings when I know the manager is the only one working because I'd rather deal with him that the fat computer nerd idiot or overeager new guy that follows me around the store and harasses me to preorder every upcoming game he can think of. Leave me the hell alone, fool!
 
As I walked out of a local store, I noticed that I was given a clearly rewrapped PS2 game that was sold as new. It didn't have the seal. I immediately went back in and asked for a new one, and they looked at me like I was nuts. They did give me one with a seal. I gotta admit that I don't buy as much from this store since then, mostly because they made me feel uncomfortable for having the gaul for asking for a new game when I bought a new game...
 
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