My worst experiance at any video game store....(Gamecrazy)

Drnick

Drnick

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I went into my local Game crazy story today to pick up a copy of grand theft auto IV. I walked in at about 6pm and saw a customer standing in front of the two registers, each register had a game crazy employee standing behind it. I stood behind the other customer and waited patiently.
After about a minute I noticed that the employee at the register to my right (a young teenage male) was standing there, staring at the screen, but not doing anything. He looked up and saw me behind the other customer but said nothing and looked back down at his screen. At the other register stood another GameCrazy employee (A young Teenage Girl) who was ringing up one of the customer in front of me.

I stood there for about 10 minutes with some games in hand, ready to trade in toward my purchase of Grand Theft Auto IV. The young male employee still stood there, not saying a single word to me (or any of the other customers who have now formed behind me in line). At this point a Manager came from the back room (a slightly old girl, I'd guess in her 20's or so) and said to the other girl, something to the effect of "I'm going to cash out your drawer since its pretty slow now". (keep in mind, there are now 4 customers in line)

The Manager proceeded to count cash out of the girls register while the other male employee just stood their staring blankly at his screen, still not saying a word.

I'm not one to usually cause a scene, as I know others are waiting in line (two other customers have since formed in line behind me). So I stood their waiting for them to finish what they are doing. The male employee is standing there staring at the screen, the young girl is watching the manager count the drawer, and 4 customers are standing in line, watching all of this happen.

After another few minutes the manager finishes cashing out the female employee and she then finishes the transaction with the customer in front of me.

Once he leaves, the younger female employee looks at me and asks me "what can I do for ya?" I asked "I'd like to get a copy of Granf Theft Auto IV". The girl then asks "Did you pre-order it?" I replied "no" She responded in a pretty cocky manner saying "Oh, you should have, we don't have any left except for pre-orders".

Now, I've been a patron of this GameCrazy location for a few years, I'm an MVP member and have been to get several games during midnight launches (Halo 2, Halo 3, Smash Bros. Brawl, just to name a few) as well as picked up games (mario party, mario kart for example) the day they came out, with no issues.

The fact that I didn't pre-order this game and now have to wait a few days doesn't bother me. I can understand demand for this game being more than your average launch given its hype. But what bothers me is the way I was treated, waiting in the store for over 20 minutes, with a single customer in front of me, and three idle employees standing there. If one of the employees had simply asked "what game are you looking for?" and then told me it wasn't available, I could of left without wasting 20 minutes for no reason. Instead, it seemed like neither of the 3 employees could be bothered.

This is the worst video game sales experiance (or lack their of) that I've ever had at ANY store. Customers should be treated with a little respect when they walk in the store. I didn't get any sort of welcome greeting when I walked in, just silence, as if I was bothering the employees by walking into their domain.

This store sort of reminded me of the record store in High fidelity, where the employees feel as if they are elite some how to be working in a video game store. It really pissed me off, I'll never shop their again.
 
Shit like that is why I refuse to go near any video game stores. Just not worth it, everything can be found for the same price or cheaper in other stores or online.
 
[quote name='bobo2k4']Why didn't you just walk up to the other register and tell the guy that you wanted to buy something?[/QUOTE]

Your right, I probably should of, I'm not a very vocal person in most cases.... but regardless of that, there is a line of 4 people and both registers are closed... there is NO excuse for that.
 
[quote name='Drnick']Your right, I probably should of, I'm not a very vocal person in most cases.... but regardless of that, there is a line of 4 people and both registers are closed... there is NO excuse for that.[/quote]
you should go to a real asian restaurant.

you'll either learn to be very vocal, or you'll go home hungry and write another internet post about how bad the service is. =)
 
Oh boy. So you just stood there, not saying anything for 20 minutes and its shitty service? And then, because they sold out of retail copies of the hottest game of the year (and you went in at 6PM) AND you failed to pre-order it its obviously their fault? Damn.
 
[quote name='kainzero']you should go to a real asian restaurant.

you'll either learn to be very vocal, or you'll go home hungry and write another internet post about how bad the service is. =)[/QUOTE]

LOL, I'm not a fan of asian food anyway. But one thing I need to do more is speak up for myself more often. (probably one of my biggest flaws)

I'm going to send a letter to game crazy corporate office, it probably won't do anything, but it will make me feel better.
 
[quote name='GizmoGC']Oh boy. So you just stood there, not saying anything for 20 minutes and its shitty service? And then, because they sold out of retail copies of the hottest game of the year (and you went in at 6PM) AND you failed to pre-order it its obviously their fault? Damn.[/QUOTE]

Well to be fair, he said he didn't mind having to wait a few days for the game....didn't seem like he was upset at that part at all.

For the first, it's unexcusable for a customer to be in a small store (where the employees can see everyone who walks in) for more than a couple minutes without being asked if they need help.

Much less if they're standing in front of a couple employees who aren't busy with other customers.

Customer service is just pretty much dead in America, and game stores are about the worst with the geeky losers that manage and staff most of them--not that the customers are any better. Setting foot in those stores make me feel ashamed to play games knowing I have something in common with all those dweebs. So I just stay away and spare myself the headache.
 
I don't blame you, here the stores smell so bad from the people that go in them that you don't want to be in the store, you just want to go in, get what you want and get out, no reason to stick around and browse. Unfortunately there isn't much that can be done about this as the employees are always clean and neatly dressed and there is no way to control what customers do in a store. The merchandise in these stores is filthy too and smells with smoke and is covered in grime, for most things that is at least here, its basically worse than someone's yardsale junk so if I am buying accessories or other stuff besides games it has to be dirt cheap for me to want to purchase it.

If you go to a retail store you could end up waiting up to 20 min or possibly more just to find someone to open the case to get your game, with the exception of sears where there are always enough employees in the electronics for the stores here.
 
[quote name='SaraAB']
If you go to a retail store you could end up waiting up to 20 min or possibly more just to find someone to open the case to get your game, with the exception of sears where there are always enough employees in the electronics for the stores here.[/QUOTE]

I just go to stores where the games aren't in the case and I can just grab them and take them to the register--namely Best Buy and Circuit City. Mainly the former as the local CC is a disorganized mess and half the employees don't speak clear enough english to be of much help in trying to find whatever you're looking for in their mixed up shelves. I swear it's like people just scramble all the shit up and they don't bother re-organizing it but like twice a year.
 
Did the employee say... "I got the last one sucka." ?


(Quoting Wombat from one of the Cagcasts)
 
Sorry Op, I got you beat.

I went to Gamestop once, as I walked in an employee whacked me over the head with a sock full of quarters.

When I woke up I'd pre-ordered 20 games and my boxer shorts where on back to front.

Worst experience in a game store evar.......
 
[quote name='benjamouth']Sorry Op, I got you beat.

I went to Gamestop once, as I walked in an employee whacked me over the head with a sock full of quarters.

When I woke up I'd pre-ordered 20 games and my boxer shorts where on back to front.

Worst experience in a game store evar.......[/QUOTE]

Worst or Best?
 
[quote name='GizmoGC']Oh boy. So you just stood there, not saying anything for 20 minutes and its shitty service? And then, because they sold out of retail copies of the hottest game of the year (and you went in at 6PM) AND you failed to pre-order it its obviously their fault? Damn.[/QUOTE]

First off, I openly said I didn't pre-order the game and its MY fault for not doing so. I was NOT pissed about them not having a copy for me, I was pissed at the bad customer service, not greeting a customer or even apologizing for making them wait 20 minutes for seemingly no reason.

Almost every store I go in (especially if its a small 300 Sq. foot store) you get SOME sort of greeting when you walk in. this place was silence...

Taking down the only working register when there are 4 people in line is a pretty shitty way to manage a store.
 
Most video games stores are pretty shitty with their customer service and can you blame them I mean their paid close to minimum wage, their hours suck and they probably have some dusch of a manager who thinks that their god. Thats not to say however that a person shouldn't have the courtesy to say hello or may I help you but just expect a not so friendly experience.

Then theirs the other side of the spectrum with big name companies like Bestbuy who nag the shit out of you asking everytime you walk into their isle "Can I help with something" and if you say yes they show the product and ten other products that you just need to buy otherwise you won't get the full gaming experience. And then you walk into another isle and somebody else asks you if you need help, grrrrrr.

But I digress and say just go online and then you don't have to deal with any those headaches.
 
[quote name='Ramza394']Most video games stores are pretty shitty with their customer service and can you blame them I mean their paid close to minimum wage, their hours suck and they probably have some dusch of a manager who thinks that their god. [/quote]

That's true of pretty much every store, so it's no excuse for game stores to be so much worse than most other small boutique stores.

Then theirs the other side of the spectrum with big name companies like Bestbuy who nag the shit out of you asking everytime you walk into their isle "Can I help with something" and if you say yes they show the product and ten other products that you just need to buy otherwise you won't get the full gaming experience. And then you walk into another isle and somebody else asks you if you need help, grrrrrr.
Click to expand...

That doesn't bother me so much, it's easy to say "no thanks, just looking." I'll take that over the opposite of not being able to find someone to help you when you actually need assistance.

But I digress and say just go online and then you don't have to deal with any those headaches.
Click to expand...

That is the best bet, especially for stuff like games, since as long as you have a life you don't need the game at that exact moment anyway. Much less of a headache to just order it and wait a few days.
 
[quote name='GizmoGC']Oh boy. So you just stood there, not saying anything for 20 minutes and its shitty service? And then, because they sold out of retail copies of the hottest game of the year (and you went in at 6PM) AND you failed to pre-order it its obviously their fault? Damn.[/quote]

Right, because nobody had any idea how popular GTA4 would be. If Target and WalMart can keep the game in stock without requiring preorders than so should a video game store.
 
OP, grow a set. Next time, if you see an employee who is apparently not doing anything and has not acknowledged you within the first 15 seconds of you walking up to the counter, you loudly clear your throat, and demand service:

"Hi. Can you please help me?" Simple as that. Don't waste time waiting, but immediately demand service. Time is money.
 
Yout going to go through alot of these experiences at various points in your life if you don't learn to be more vocal. You can speak up without any appearance of being a prick about it and either get help or be on your way.

You could of just asked the guy staring at the screen if GTAIV was in stock. Once the conversation starts he has to help you or explain why he is incapable of doing anything.

Speak up for yourself or accept the fact that you are allowing this type of service to happen.

Again. Be cool about it but say somthing.
 
[quote name='DQT']Right, because nobody had any idea how popular GTA4 would be. If Target and WalMart can keep the game in stock without requiring preorders than so should a video game store.[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's also on my list of reasons I don't set foot in game stores. They just want people to preorder so they have their money to invest for months before the game comes in. That and ripping people off on used games is the only way these stores stay in business.
 
Eh, this sounds like an average visit to Gamestop to me. I don't like the Game Crazy near me as they're overly friendly, as in every game purchase is accompanied by a 45 minute conversation. Shoot the shit when there's not three people in line, kay? I love it when you walk up to a counter for help and every employee suddenly remembers something urgent they have to do somewhere else and they all scatter when they see you coming.
 
You've also got to realize a lot of these stores have a high turn around since they don't like to pay people much more than minimum. I still don't understand the logic behind that as a knowledgeable employee is going to bring in much more money then you are saving, but what do I know. At least that's how it is around here.
 
[quote name='thingsfallnapart']and what kind of service do you really expect from a company that is filing bankruptcy?[/quote]

Indeed.

Here's something I never expected, employee theft. Not Game Crazy, but Hollywood Video. Apparently a employee has been stealing rentals(not checking in customer rentals and taking them home to keep).

I guess I was one of the people he ripped off, since I have to talk with the store manager tomorrow about it. Only reason I know about this is finding out I supposedly had a 15 day late fee today for a movie, even though I returned it the day it was due. Computer doesn't show it returned and the employee that was ringing me up knew something was up.

Guess this is to be expected when the company is going down the crapper(& the store might be closing soon).

*Update* Talked with the manager yesterday and they now expect me to cough up the money to pay for the DVD the fired employee took. Pretty much means I'm done with HWV and I hope Movie Gallery goes out of business.
 
I only skimmed that..

But Wow, this sounds just like my Gamecrazy.

They take forever helping people, it's pretty annoying. On the flipside they're pretty nice, guess that really depends on which store you go to. They let me return a ton of things, no questions asked which is more than I can say for Bestbuy.

What can'yuh say, there's just no such thing as a perfect store these days... Online is the way to go, YAY FOR NO SOCIAL INTERACTION!!!!

......
 
Generally when stores empty registers (which they have to do at a certain time every day), they have to restart the computers in the registers to either start a new day in the system or acknowledge something else. It could have been something as simple as the guys computer was being reset, which generally takes awhile, and the girl simply needed to have her till changed at the time. People can really get worked up over waiting for things like that if they don't know what the deal is.
 
[quote name='heavyd853'] People can really get worked up over waiting for things like that if they don't know what the deal is.[/QUOTE]

Which is why one of the employees should have said "We'll be right with you sir, as soon as the register is rebooted" or something to that effect if that was the case. Rather than just totally ignoring the customers.
 
Your experience all reflects back on the manager. If you have a problem, ask to speak to them. Simple as that.
 
[quote name='slidecage']scream

THERES A PARTY IN MY PANTS[/quote]

Wow.

I sat here for at least 30 seconds trying to think of a reply, and "Wow" is all I could come up with.
 
i got this beat....

i went into gamestop 2 weeks ago and asked if i could pre order halo 4...next thing i know i get bum rushed by a dog wearing the halo 3 legendary helmet....i woke up 3 days later in a deserted gas station with a hello kitty tattoo and pregnant
 
had to be the halo 3 launch

3 weeks before, a sheet of paper was placed on the window of my local GS that read:
"halo 3 midnight launch party"
music, tournaments, catering, free stuff and mastercheif starts @ 9pm on 9/24

well
music was a $5 boom box that lasted fifteen minutes before dying
no tournamenst
free stuff was a ninja turtles issue 1 rerereissue
catering was a $6 dollar hot dog (1) and $1 cans of soda
matercheif was a nerd in a piss poor MC helmet and vest.
 
What I find completely stupid is that you can't find GTA IV at retail. Our CC is out, Target and Walmart too. Both GS are out and one in a nearby town didn't have enough to cover PREORDERs at the midnight opening.

Not having enough copies after hyping the crap out of this game for months is completely stupid. Shit, there should be stacks of this game everywhere and it will be next week before anyone gets it here. I ought to be able to buy it from the damn vending machine if I wanted to.

I'm not a fan of the series, but seriously, why the fuck do they let something like this happen? Rockstar is trying hard to NOT get bought out by the craptacular EA Games, so why don't they do as much as possible to make sure that there are enough copies of the game on the shelf?

TBW

PS There are plenty of PS3 copies, just not 360.
 
Like you, I'm usually not one to cause a fuss, all the more so because I live in New York, where terrible service is just the norm.

That said, GTA4 is not a sleeper hit. It's not an indie title. It's not poorly advertised. Any game store should have abundant copies of it. That said, I know I was in GS the day after it came out (for the B2G1 sale) and say plenty of people asking about it to no avail. Then when I went to J&R (a local electronics store) they had tons of copies and no hassles about pre-orders. WTF GameSpot?

If you don't live in service employee hell like I do, a loud "excuse me" might do wonders. When I visit my family, I don't hesitate to unleash the rude-ass New Yorker in me when I feel like I'm being ignored.

Yeah, game store employees aren't paid well, but its not skilled labor, and most of them don't know the first thing about what their selling, not to mention that they aren't doing it as a long term career. Unless you think that telling people that Mario Kart is coming out on the 360 is really worth big $$$...
 
Yeah what you need to do is be more direct. I think most game store employees want you to get in, get what you need and get out. That's what I try to do, no matter how much I enjoy checking out their selection.
 
Like others have mention, why didn't you go over to the other register and spoke first?
hell why didn't any of the other 2 customers behind you do the same.
I guess since they saw you behind the first customer in line that you already tried the other register and it wasn't working or something.
Yea i agree that their customer service was weak at best but that doesn't mean you had to stand around like a pawn.
If it were me i would just go over to the other guy and ask to be helped.
If he was truly busy or more likely just a lazy dick then all well then i'll go back in line at the first register but at least try.
He just probably thought all of you wanted to be ringed up by the girl rather then him the guy.
It wouldn't have taken 20mins if you just did that.

That wasn't that bad of a experience seriously.
Coming into this thread i thought an employee called your mom a bitch, spitted on you, and keyed your car or something.
 
WHAT. A. BUNCH. OF. TURDS. I used to work at a Gamecrazy back in the day...but I quit because I was treated unfairly and the management stunk. Next time you just raise your voice man, if they don't care take your business somewhere else. You got the right as a consumer to get some help.
 
yeah, life's much easier if you grow a pair. I went to Gamecrazy when the MGS Saga vol 2 disc first was reported to be in at Gamecrazy. Dude was in front of me trading in an Xbox and a ton of games, couldn't remember his phone number, couldn't remember where his ID was, it was taking forever and a huge line was forming. The employee was doing everything he could, but he was the only one working and the customer trading in his stuff was a retard. 5 minutes of waiting patiently, and I finally just stepped up past the retard customer trying to remember his phone number and asked if they even had the disc in, otherwise there's no point in me waiting in this line. Guy working was nice and said yeah, so I waited my turn. Had he said no, I wouldn't have had to continue to wait the 15 more minutes it took for him to test the trade in Xbox and finish up with the guy.

Just speak up in situations like that. If you come off as an asshole, who really cares? It's a game store after all, full of assholes.
 
I was ready to buy a game (new) the other day. It was front facing on the shelf behind the counter with the shelf price tag of $19.99. It rang up $39.99. The dude said he couldn't honor the shelf price because it was misplaced.
 
Next time you're at the store, stop standing there and say something.

They probably figured you were looking at something and weren't done yet because you didn't say anything.
 
[quote name='eau']I was ready to buy a game (new) the other day. It was front facing on the shelf behind the counter with the shelf price tag of $19.99. It rang up $39.99. The dude said he couldn't honor the shelf price because it was misplaced.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure that there's laws that they have to. All of my stores will always honor the prices, even if they're wrong.
 
[quote name='Rozz']I'm pretty sure that there's laws that they have to. All of my stores will always honor the prices, even if they're wrong.[/quote]

No, they don't.
 
First off, the OP has NO ONE to blame but themselves for not getting waited on for over 20 minutes. Second, if they think waiting 20 minutes is harsh and uncalled for, I can only imagine what happens if they go to a major amusement park on a day like July 4th with the sheer volumes of people in the parks then. Third, if they think that someone in their 20's is 'old', then well....how old is the OP? 15?

God forbid you have to wait 20 minutes, your royal highness, let us greet you as soon as you walk through our doors and bow and curtsey before your awesomeness. I actually PREFER to be LEFT ALONE when I first come into a store. If I get some asshat employee coming up to me wanting to 'help me' within the first 10 seconds, I'm very tempted to say 'yeah, I got an itchy ass, ya wanna help me scratch it? If not, fuck off till I think I need ya for something'. Pushy employees are a PAIN IN THE ASS!!! Of course, there's also been times when after you tell them you're 'just looking' that it then takes you 30 minutes just to find that aforementioned assclown to actually help you when you NEED the help.

As for the 'not getting it if ya didn't preorder it', that's how Gamestop was around here for the midnight release of GTAIV(or the special edition anyway). If the Gamecrazy is the only store around your area to get the game at or all others were sold out, then maybe they just SOLD OUT of copies? You ever think of that?

Oh and for the record, THERE and THEIR are not words that are able to be used in the place of each other. Below is the definitions for each, please learn them.

there: At or in that place: sit over there.
their: a form of the possessive case of they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']First off, the OP has NO ONE to blame but themselves for not getting waited on for over 20 minutes. Second, if they think waiting 20 minutes is harsh and uncalled for, I can only imagine what happens if they go to a major amusement park on a day like July 4th with the sheer volumes of people in the parks then. Third, if they think that someone in their 20's is 'old', then well....how old is the OP? 15?

God forbid you have to wait 20 minutes, your royal highness, let us greet you as soon as you walk through our doors and bow and curtsey before your awesomeness. I actually PREFER to be LEFT ALONE when I first come into a store. If I get some asshat employee coming up to me wanting to 'help me' within the first 10 seconds, I'm very tempted to say 'yeah, I got an itchy ass, ya wanna help me scratch it? If not, fuck off till I think I need ya for something'. Pushy employees are a PAIN IN THE ASS!!! Of course, there's also been times when after you tell them you're 'just looking' that it then takes you 30 minutes just to find that aforementioned assclown to actually help you when you NEED the help.

As for the 'not getting it if ya didn't preorder it', that's how Gamestop was around here for the midnight release of GTAIV(or the special edition anyway). If the Gamecrazy is the only store around your area to get the game at or all others were sold out, then maybe they just SOLD OUT of copies? You ever think of that?

Oh and for the record, THERE and THEIR are not words that are able to be used in the place of each other. Below is the definitions for each, please learn them.

there: At or in that place: sit over there.
their: a form of the possessive case of they used as an attributive adjective, before a noun[/quote]

EVERYONE should at least be greeted when they walk through the door. It lets the customer know they've been acknowledged and at the VERY least lets a shoplifter know that you know they are in the store.

Your amusement park example is so fucking extreme. Who DOESN'T realize they'd wait in a long line at an amusement park.

Why would you complain about not finding help when you didn't want it in the first place?

You don't have to be an asshole every day of your life, you know.
 
It's a losing battle to argue with people who think their time is so fuckin' important that they gotta be in and out in 5 minutes. Maybe I'm an asshole for voicing my opinion or maybe I'm just saying what others want to say but hold back on saying?

Either way, all I know is that the OP should have PATIENCE or CALL AHEAD FIRST to make sure they have what they're going there to get from now on.
 
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