What is going on at EB / GS? All of my local store managers are quitting?

Roufuss

Roufuss

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Went into the local EB where I've known the store manager for years now, had a small conversation, and learned that after Christmas she's persuing other goals since she's had enough of EB and retail in general and just wants out.

I call a friend, to tell him the news, and one of his friends who is the store manager for the Gamestop down the street is ALSO quitting after Christmas is over, that the company has gotten worse to work for and he is sick of it.

These aren't people that only worked there for awhile, these are people who have worked there for YEARS at this point. Another friend who works at another Gamestop further away says alot of employees are also getting pretty fed up.

What is going on at EB / GS these days? One manager quits, I'd say no biggie, but two in the same time frame with rumblings of some more? And these are people who supported the company through alot of things.

I know I don't shop at EB / GS much anyways, but on the rare occasion I *did* have to go in there, like during the Castlevania preorder bonus, they got me taken care of very professionally. I have a bad feeling that's going to change when everyone changes.
 
They treat their managers like shit. They give them very low pay and do not actually allow them to be managers. Hell, they are not even allowed to make the weekly schedules any longer. EB went to shit when GS bought them.
 
[quote name='rodeojones903']They treat their managers like shit. They give them very low pay and do not actually allow them to be managers. Hell, they are not even allowed to make the weekly schedules any longer. EB went to shit when GS bought them.[/QUOTE]

But even managers at GS, who were there before GS merged with EB, are now quitting. I mean, was GS a decent place to work at before the merger, and the merger fucked up both companies or something?

I guess you just get used to seeing certain people at your EB's / GS's, and those people recognize you and take care of you making sure you get bonuses and all that stuff, and when you see the same people along the span of years just take off, wow, it kinda sucks.
 
The cool managers at both my EB and GS quit right before they merged. Of course, their replacements are assholes and here to stay.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']I call a friend, to tell him the news...[/QUOTE]
I should really razz the shit out of you for that... :lol:
 
I have to say my GameStop was always pretty crappy. Extremely rude cashiers/floorspeople. Only on the rare occasion would you get good service. I'd sometimes go to the out-of-the-way-EB just to avoid GS.

But after the merger I figure the EB is probably just as bad now.

Oh well, one of the only places for used games. I can put up with some shit as long as I'm persuing a Cheap Ass deal.
 
Don't shop there.

I don't know how either company has stayed in business this long. They carry lots of stock, but I have seen more then 1 to 3 people in at a a time.

#6, expect the Gamestop evangelist to start ripping on you.
 
[quote name='Brak']I should really razz the shit out of you for that... :lol:[/QUOTE]

Yea, I know, but me and a friend have literally been going to this same EB for about 5 years now, ever since I've known my friend. This is where we've traded in all our shitty K-Mart clearance games, where we used to go every Black Friday, where we always used to go get our preorder bonuses, the EB where I'd show up at 10 am on the morning games came in to get my preorders on my hour long school break.

It's kind of like going to Cheers for a long time, and then finding out Sam quit.

I was always glad to have not 1, but 2 game stores where I knew both managers were awesome and I would never get screwed out of any deal, and they had their staff trained extremely well.

Like I said earlier, I don't go there often, but the times I *did* need to, to get something I can't get anywhere else, it was always an awesome experience.
 
I have heard the company is trying to get rid of employees who have been there for several years and have gone up the pay scale, to get new employees who start at the bottom. The same thing has been happening around here out west.
 
[quote name='fivecardstud']I have heard the company is trying to get rid of employees who have been there for several years and have gone up the pay scale, to get new employees who start at the bottom. The same thing has been happening around here out west.[/QUOTE]

This is why we need unions, and why every single person in the U.S. should be in one. I sure as hell wish I was.
 
[quote name='fivecardstud']I have heard the company is trying to get rid of employees who have been there for several years and have gone up the pay scale, to get new employees who start at the bottom. The same thing has been happening around here out west.[/QUOTE]

This happens almost always when there is a merger. My mom lost her nursing job a few weeks ago because the local hospitals are merging together, and she's our main source of income.

Merry Christmas :cry:
 
Most stores make the managers work off the clock...Imagine getting paid $13 an hour for 40 hours and actually working 60-70...and then dealing with phone calls from there employees with questions...not too fun. But the payscale thing makes sense. Some managers that have been with the company since the Funcoland days makes $20-$25 an hour...damn.
 
Reality's Fringe;2460657]This happens almost always when there is a merger. My mom lost her nursing job a few weeks ago because the local hospitals are merging together said:
Sorry to hear about your Mom.


Ontopic

Yeah a buddy of mine that was the manager at a EB quit the day before PS3 reserves, They must have changed something big to just say fuck it I quit and walk out.
Click to expand...
 
It's not just about salary anymore, it has a lot to do with all the pressure the higher-ups are bringing down on the managers. My friend is a GS manager and he is looking for another job as well.

They have so many things that they are expected to do now above and beyond giving decent service to their customers. They are expected to get a certain number of reserves and Game Informer subscriptions every day and if they don't, they get handed the riot act.

My friend's Gamestop tripled their sales from Black Friday last year and he didn't even get a pat on the back or a thank you...instead he got reamed for not having any reserves or subscriptions.

It's really sad because there really are GS and EB managers dropping like flies. Sales and customer service don't mean shit anymore...it's all about their precious numbers.
 
Just be happy they lasted this long Roufuss :)


The 2 stores I was a "regular" at have had a couple full staff changes each since the merger. I've also had some workers desperately beg me for reserves on a couple occasions since the merger...it's pretty sad (and awkward as hell...)
 
Well this is nothing new... its retail, it happens in other places like target, best buy , radio shack, cc and so on.

Funny thing is that at a GS I went to today to pick up ST: Legacy, I over heard some employees talk about managers going to quit and some employees wanted to transfer to other stores and so on. Apparently some employees are getting bitched at because they are working 58 hrs a week. Well what do you expect? No one wants to really work at EB/GS plus how many people do you see working the store at one time? 2-3??
 
Yeah, they got this really bad redne - err, Nascar fan (sorry if that offends anybody, but that's what he is) working at my local EB now. Things have taken a turn for the worse post-merger.

Ah well, it's 10 minutes walking distance, and I need to go there for Halo 3 and the occasional deal. Truthfully, I never shop there anyway, since Target and Circuit City are closer to me (and have better deals).

I mean, come on - I call and ask if they'll price match Gears of War, and they say no. So I go to CC and get a better deal. Call about the 360 controller (wireless) and no price match there either. BS, I say.

And to think I was considering working there a few months ago...
 
This happens all the time at GameStop. From the moment they took over FuncoLand it has been a disaster.

The thing is they make them work longer hours withthe same pay they had before they went GS.

A manager heard that he was getting fired and open al the cases and turn the cameras off leaving the store a target for robbery.

A manager cried for his job after missing his sons birthday only for the fact the store was not neat regaurdless that people came back to talk with him.

Other people would steal from the store at times.

Managers tend to be racist and will hire people based on there colors.

Managers are not allowed to leave the store like in the past.

The people working there now don't even give a darg about games.

Now when they hire you as a SA they give you the pay they had from a last job.

Also all they want is to get reserves and get people to buy games before they come out. It is like RadioShack policy of a job.

To be honest the people there stink at times while others are okay.

They put them in bad locations for robbery. I was just walking past this GS with only one person who I guess is a SA and all the other buildings is complete craptacullar trash.

I tried to get a job there many times and I ws too young, too old, or do not have any work exprience thank you Background check crap which they make people sign.

The only thing missing is the Sentinels and the boy from A.I. and that scene from Married with Children where Al drives threw the glass window of the car dealership. they are crap and people only go to them seeing how they are the only ones near.

Personally I think people are more affraid to go game shopping in regular stores now then ever. The Toys "R" Us I went to before is so deserted and there is barely a game section. It is like the world went online and forgot about the world.

Also pet stores have been doing badly lately.
 
Wow, RegalSin's post started off making sense and just sort of...stopped. Anyway, yeah, it's ridiculous, the managers at the Gamestops here make about 6-something an hour. I know that some of them have been working there for years, and this insanely low pay is ridicuous. Theres fucking grocery stores here that have baggers who make more than that.
 
From what an employee there once told me, if you live with your parents and love video games, then its a great place to work.
 
[quote name='RegalSin2020']This happens all the time at GameStop. From the moment they took over FuncoLand it has been a disaster.

The thing is they make them work longer hours withthe same pay they had before they went GS.

A manager heard that he was getting fired and open al the cases and turn the cameras off leaving the store a target for robbery.

A manager cried for his job after missing his sons birthday only for the fact the store was not neat regaurdless that people came back to talk with him.

Other people would steal from the store at times.

Managers tend to be racist and will hire people based on there colors.

Managers are not allowed to leave the store like in the past.

The people working there now don't even give a darg about games.

Now when they hire you as a SA they give you the pay they had from a last job.

Also all they want is to get reserves and get people to buy games before they come out. It is like RadioShack policy of a job.

To be honest the people there stink at times while others are okay.

They put them in bad locations for robbery. I was just walking past this GS with only one person who I guess is a SA and all the other buildings is complete craptacullar trash.

I tried to get a job there many times and I ws too young, too old, or do not have any work exprience thank you Background check crap which they make people sign.

The only thing missing is the Sentinels and the boy from A.I. and that scene from Married with Children where Al drives threw the glass window of the car dealership. they are crap and people only go to them seeing how they are the only ones near.

Personally I think people are more affraid to go game shopping in regular stores now then ever. The Toys "R" Us I went to before is so deserted and there is barely a game section. It is like the world went online and forgot about the world.

Also pet stores have been doing badly lately.[/QUOTE]

Ugh. Yes, all EB/GS managers are now racist. We need to spread the word! First they sell used games as 'new'. Only give you $35 for a $60 game, now they are racist. What next!?!??!?
 
I believe Gamestop WILL go down eventually. Shitty customer service has been rampant post-merger. Customers will only put up with this for so long--look at Dell. After their founder left for awhile, tech support and customer service started getting lackluster, and word of mouth put the company in a really bad position. Granted, this did happen in a 3-4 year span, but I hope the same happens to Gamestop.

By the way, a bit of a random question, but doesn't it seem like GS/EB stores have a lot more stock of generally everything? It seems they're buying every game they can get their hands on. Why would they want to give customers incentives to trade in more PS2/XBX/GC games or systems? My Gamestop just seems to get fifty more copies of Max Payne 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3 every day.
 
[quote name='xghostsniperx']I believe Gamestop WILL go down eventually. Shitty customer service has been rampant post-merger. Customers will only put up with this for so long--look at Dell. After their founder left for awhile, tech support and customer service started getting lackluster, and word of mouth put the company in a really bad position. Granted, this did happen in a 3-4 year span, but I hope the same happens to Gamestop.

By the way, a bit of a random question, but doesn't it seem like GS/EB stores have a lot more stock of generally everything? It seems they're buying every game they can get their hands on. Why would they want to give customers incentives to trade in more PS2/XBX/GC games or systems? My Gamestop just seems to get fifty more copies of Max Payne 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3 every day.[/QUOTE]

I've been thinking/hoping the same thing would happen to Best Buy but it doesn't seem to be happening. Although, apparently Circuit City is gaining back some ground on them so at least there's some hope.
 
[quote name='RegalSin2020']This happens all the time at GameStop. From the moment they took over FuncoLand it has been a disaster.
[/QUOTE]

Interesting statement. Where's this going?

Also pet stores have been doing badly lately.
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Most stores make the managers work off the clock...Imagine getting paid $13 an hour for 40 hours and actually working 60-70...and then dealing with phone calls from there employees with questions...not too fun. But the payscale thing makes sense. Some managers that have been with the company since the Funcoland days makes $20-$25 an hour...damn.[/quote]

I guess that'd explain why the majority of managers at Gamestop/EB are such assholes.
 
I'm not sure how it went state-by-state last month, but here in "O-H-...-I-O!", the minimum wage is going up to $6.85 come the New Year. Could a possible mass managerial exodus be the result of knowing that their overseers are going to be more unbearably demanding than ever, and that the part-time help will be minimized, thus overtaxing the remaining employees more than ever?

I really can't understand how these gaming stores continue to proliferate, let alone tread water. They thrive on the used game scam they run, not the new sales. Just how fucking ignorant, stupid, and lazy are people to not catch on to this by now?

I really hope by the end of the decade, we see the gaming store numbers at least halved. That might make me a calloused son of a bitch, but when it comes to willingness to make sacrifices, I'm more Magneto than Xavier, if ya know what I mean.
 
So the moral of this thread is: If you own stock in Gamestop, you should sell it before it goes bust.
 
[quote name='Xevious']So the moral of this thread is: If you own stock in Gamestop, you should sell it before it goes bust.[/quote]

I would hardly say that. I'm no economic analyst, hell, I've only taken two economics classes during school. I was just saying that shitty customer service WILL eventually come back to bite them in the ass.
 
When you're manager at a retail store, especially small-sized ones like EBs and GameStops, where do you go from there? You've kind of hit your glass ceiling -- unless you want to move to friggin' Grapevine TX and work for corporate. They can also only pay managers so much, and they have to deal with all manner of crap -- unruly customers, slacking employees, etc. They may as well go to Best Buy or Circuit City, where they can move up to being store manager with dozens of people under them, instead of just a handful.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']This is why we need unions, and why every single person in the U.S. should be in one. I sure as hell wish I was.[/QUOTE]

Totally disagree with you there...but that's another thread
 
[quote name='rickonker']Totally disagree with you there...but that's another thread[/QUOTE]

LOL! How could you possibly disagree with that? You'd have to be a multimillionaire, of European decent, Christian, and Evil to think unions are a bad thing.
 
[quote name='Xevious']So the moral of this thread is: If you own stock in Gamestop, you should sell it before it goes bust.[/quote] Or short the stock if you don't own any yet OR get 'Put' stock options ;)
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']LOL! How could you possibly disagree with that? You'd have to be a multimillionaire,
of European decent,Christian, and Evil to think unions are a bad thing.[/quote]

well i am of european decent and christian and I think unions have there place. I wouldn't consider myself evil and I am not a multimillionaire, but imo some have overstretched there roles...ie mlb players union, and the ruling on blocking arod to come to boston, or there refusal to take part in blood test for steroids. How about the construction companies, it took MA almost 20 years to build a shitty and outdated highway system going thru boston, otherwise know as the big did. When you making min wage to begin with, do you really want to pay a union that if it is big enough doesn't give a shit about you, money. I stocked shelves at a grocery store in the summer when I was in college. They were taking out over 10% of my pathetic paycheck

on topic, they only time i buy anything from eb/gamestop is if they offer a great bonus, or have the buy 2 get 1 free on used games. I live on the east coast, but allegedly best buy was going to get into the used games business and was starting it on the west coast. I wonder if best buy will drive them out of business as you can buy a hell of a lot more electronical shit at best buy.
 
[quote name='ryanbph']mlb players union[/quote]

That's really an exception though-and even still, who would you rather get the money, the players that actually play the game, or the owners of the team and the owners of MLB rights?

...When you making min wage to begin with, do you really want to pay a union that if it is big enough doesn't give a shit about you, money. I stocked shelves at a grocery store in the summer when I was in college. They were taking out over 10% of my pathetic paycheck...
Click to expand...

With a union though you've got a better chance of making more than minimum wage to begin with, a better chance of getting benefits, of being treated decently on the job, of not being fired for no reason, etc.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']LOL! How could you possibly disagree with that? You'd have to be a multimillionaire, of European decent, Christian, and Evil to think unions are a bad thing.[/QUOTE]

I'm none of those four things (well ok, maybe one ;) ) but unions are bad for consumers. They're also bad for workers who work harder than average and deserve better than average pay and benefits.

On topic, I think my local GS is going through some major changes, even though there always seems to be at least one customer there.
 
It is all about the money, I don't know how the employees/managers can afford to live on their own if you work for GS/EB. I did some seasonal help for them three years ago and they barely paid me over $6/hr. The pay has not really gone up that much since then. How the hell can you pay for a place and a car with that bull%$#% pay?? Higher pay would help with retention.
 
[quote name='rickonker']I'm none of those four things (well ok, maybe one ;) ) but unions are bad for consumers. They're also bad for workers who work harder than average and deserve better than average pay and benefits.

[/QUOTE]

How are unions "bad for consumers"? "Consumers" are also workers...

And that's ridiculous to say it's bad for workers who work harder than average. ALL people working three jobs because they can't earn a reasonable wage are working harder than average. How much you work has nothing to do with how much you're payed most of the time. Most companies want to screw their employees as much as possible.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']That's really an exception though-and even still, who would you rather get the money, the players that actually play the game, or the owners of the team and the owners of MLB rights?



With a union though you've got a better chance of making more than minimum wage to begin with, a better chance of getting benefits, of being treated decently on the job, of not being fired for no reason, etc.[/quote]

personally i think it should be given to the fans and reduce the cost of tix. Here in boston, a former lodge seat was $11 as of 1994, now it is $75. I have no problems with the owners making a return on there investment. I don't like seeing donald fehr living like a pimp, and players and there salaries long ago went into an area that was more money then they deserved to play a kid game.

There is a min wage for a reason, and somebody has to earn it. I work for my father and he owns a small business. If the MA gov't forces all business to give medical insurance to there employees, we will have to fold as we aren't that profitable of a company. Someone pays for it in the end, so a union gets you benefits and a tad higher pay, that cost isn't being absorbed by the corporation, it is being past onto the consumer. So lets say that a union worker makes $2 more an hour, and now the product they make costs them an extra $1 or $2, in the end it is a zero sum game. Big corporations will find ways to make money.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']This is why we need unions, and why every single person in the U.S. should be in one. I sure as hell wish I was.[/quote]

No - you don't . I belong to a Union and all they do is support the lowest common dung on the pole. Work hard, or be a complete slacker - get paid the same. Unions create crybabies, complainers and those who want to milk the most out of a unionized workplace. Unions don't ensure better treatment - they just create a safety screen for those who need to get the axe. The good workers lose in the deal.
 
My father is in a Union. He was a Supervisor until they bus him down to what he was before. The thing is that he told a young guy not to sleep on the job and the guy used his remark as a rasict slur when the guy was sleeping on the job in the work area.

My father has been cursed out by his boss all threw his time every sinced he started to work. I even sawed his boss gave a talk to them and he was mean kinda like the scene in King of the Hill where the boss calls everybody into his office for a group discusion.

Now everbody that he with from day one but him is a Supervisor. He almost gets killed on the job while people who do not like him might say stuff behind him, took a shot at punching him( which he fought back and won until the copos broke it up ), being followed down dark alleys by people with there hands in there pocket, and even setting him up to be fired by leaving stuff for him to take home that is property.

He is in a Union and they are some jerks there. He puts up posters to support the Union and people just tear it down. He admits there is a bunch of lazy people there but the point is that if they stick together they will not lose there jobs to petty wages.

Yes alot of them including my father might have spending habbits but he has not been able to do what he want since forever. He has barely enough to support himslef and will probably have barely enough if he is lucky to not walk out in crutches.

Think Unions might be filled with jerks but the point is hey without them they can just lower salary or pay by how much they want like Gamestop or the Crusty Crab.
 
To those saying gamestop is going to fall soon think again. Gamefaqs.com recently did a poll asking where people bought games at and over 50% of people said gamestop/ebgames. These are people who call themselves GAMERS and should know better....but even they are still buying at gamestop
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']How are unions "bad for consumers"? "Consumers" are also workers...

And that's ridiculous to say it's bad for workers who work harder than average. ALL people working three jobs because they can't earn a reasonable wage are working harder than average. How much you work has nothing to do with how much you're payed most of the time. Most companies want to screw their employees as much as possible.[/QUOTE]

Basically what ryanbph and XI MAXIMUS IX said. And what you said, consumers are also workers, is exactly what I mean. Unions increase the cost of goods and services to consumers. So unions not only screw everybody else over, they also screw themselves over. Except for the people at the top, of course.
 
To get back to the original part of this topic, a manager in my local EB, who'd been the manager since that EB opened a few years ago, quit a few months ago. I know not the conditions, be it a layoff or a leaving. Coincidence she left so recently? I think no, sir, no.
 
I worked at GS for 6 years, and quit about 4 years back. My old manager had been there for about 3-4 years before I started. I just found out that she quit a few months ago. She had been there about 13 years and for some reason thought that now was a good time to quit. This really does seem to be a widespread thing.
 
I was one of those managers (although not literally the ones from the OP).

I worked for Gamestop for 3 years. I started as a part-time 3rd key (quasi-manager) and worked my way up to having my own store.

When I started, the discount had just been reduced down to 20% from 25%....it's now 15%

They don't "make managers work off the clock" but they are SALARY employees. For those who don't know, that means whether I worked 44 hours (the minimum required of us) or 55-60 (my average) I got paid the same check. Which equated for about $15 an hour for 40 hours.

That's not me shirking going the extra mile, I would work that happily for a good company. This company cut payroll consistently over the last two years of my employment. Here's a non-exact example. Year 1: We'd make 3K in a week and have 100 hours among all hourly employees (40 for Assistant manager, 25+ for 3rd key). The next year? We were expected to increase our sales with only 95 hours. Year 3: Increase sales again, 85 hours. No joke.

We couldn't even make our own schedule anymore. Gamestop Corp sends down a template of who should work and when depending on sales. Moving shifts around for students or for my ASM to see family required multiple calls to a distrct manager.

All the stores had to look identical. We weren't even allowed to decide what focus bins to put up front depending on what sold well for us. I can understand the idea of conformity, you want customers to be able to find their game no matter what store they enter. But you know all that promotional material? They sent weekly guides telling us exactly where to put it, even the promotional stands or posters. Some of their ideas were stupid, like a rack at the front of my mall store with live controllers and other expensive items.

The stand-out of this story should be a manager named Kirk. He trained the guy who trained me. Kirk worked for Gamestop for over 10 years. He recently quit and went to Target......for more money.

I quit that company, found a much more challengin job in the IT field with tons less stress and have returned to school. I'm only in my mid 20's. I'm so much happier that I have. It is a horrible place to work. And we only got treated like shit by a-hole customers who hated the trade-in values that not only did we have no control over, but I can honestly say I was embarrassed about to offer those low amounts.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']To those saying gamestop is going to fall soon think again. Gamefaqs.com recently did a poll asking where people bought games at and over 50% of people said gamestop/ebgames. These are people who call themselves GAMERS and should know better....but even they are still buying at gamestop[/quote]

Because Gamefaqs is comprised of 14-year-olds who don't have credit cards for online purchases. Their only access to games is getting dropped off at the mall by mommy.
 
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