Someone asked earlier what proof they keep of "pennied-items" being destroyed. While I'm not sure if they document it, the items themself are sent in for a "field destroy" by our district manager. I've seen this before and it's exactly as it sounds; the manager gathers up all the items and destroys them. This is accomplished by:
A. Throwing it in the trash (most managers do this)
B. Giving it away (more rational managers do this)
C. Giving most of it away, and then destroying the rest of it by fire or a good o' smashing (only the coolest of the cool do this).
The thing you have to remember is we're really -not- supposed to be selling them as when we affix the pricing labels after close; anything at .01 is supposed to be immediatly collected for destruction. In the event that I'm closing and affixing labels; if I don't see anything I want (yeah, that's right, I take first priority) then I'll just leave it out on the shelf. Most of the time, someone buys it within the next day. Of course, like someone else had mentioned, some managers are REALLY strict about this and I have indeed ben reprimanded for doing this. It's not a punishable offense to forget, however, and I suspect I will continue to do so. Just remember that if you see a stack of things behind the counter, or on the floor, priced at $.01 and when you take it up to the counter the clerk tells you he can't sell it; his manager or even his DM is somewhere nearby.
As for the whole SNES NES Genesis "phase-out" deal, yeah, it sucks. However, I can see their point.l I know at my store every day we would get people dragging in loads of crap games that we would never sell and we were forced to take. I guess instead of instituting a restricted title policy they decided to stop messing with it. Sucks for all. Don't worry though, you can still find them at certain Gamestops (I remember mine was still selling some Top Loader NES systems. The beauty about this is that the company doesn't distinguish between the two different ones in the computer, so they are priced the same as the regular NES at $29.99. Needless to say, I bought one). As for normal slectivity about used trade ins; god, I hope they do something. I swear, if I have to shove one more copy of Madden 2003 into the drawer I'm going to scream.
No, about the attitude of employees. This is kind of a touchy subject for me since I work at one of these stores, but I can understand some of your frustrations. I hate tight-assed clerks as much as the next guy, but you have to step back and think about the whole situation. I know that towards the end of the night, especially around 8 or so, I can be a little short but that's only because I'm tired and have had to explain that yes, we do have a buy 2 get 1 free sale going on (despite the 37, yes I've counted, banners and signs hanging in the store, on the shelves, and in the front windows) and that no; you can't buy a 2.99 and a 4.99 game and get the 30.00 game free. I'm edgy because for every one polite and rational customer I've had, I've had 3 that are rude, smelly, or stubborn. I've had 3 people complain about our return policy directly to me even though I explain it after every transaction and it is printed at the bottom of the receipt. I've had 2 tell me that they will get me fired and one claim that I was a fraud. I've had 18 people claim that I receive commision when they buy something from me and that's why I should stop helping the mom pick a game for her son and come over and show them if it is a two player game. I've had 4 people fill out a check for Gamespot and then complain to me even after I told them before they started writing the check that it's "Gamestop". I've had 12 smelly people come in today that left a cloud of funk where I have to stay all day. I've had 2 people tell me they were going to take their business elsewhere because I told them not to smoke in the store. I've had 42 people complain to me about what the trade in value on their games were and complained more when I told them I wasn't allowed to "make deals". I had one guy come in and ask me if we sold those electronic ab machines and another one ask me for directions to EB. I've had people bring their kids in and let them climb all over the Xbox shelves; knocking all the used games to the floor. I've been told by 7 people that there is a system that let's them play all the console games. 51 people have ignored or rudely dismissed me when I asked them if they "Need any asistance". One guy tried to steal in a stack of stolen Ps2 games and then tried to call me the thief. 11 guys didn't have their pants pulled up enough when they bent down; just say no to crack. 6 people said that a "John" or "Stan" told them they could bring back their used game a weeks later if they didn't like it and get another one; we don''t have a "John" or a "stan" at the store. 23 people didn't understand why their used games weren't worth as much as the day they bought them, 2 people tried to fool me by stuffing the cases with burned cds or old pc games,4 people asked me if I could read (even though they didn't know we ny offer a seven day defective warranty through us as it says at the bottom of the receipt) and the guy who demanded I tell him the combined cash total for his 34 used games over the phone (even though we're only allowed to do a max of 3 over the phone when our line is backed up, as it was at the time) made me miss my lunch and didn't even offer so much as a thankyou.
Oddly enough, through those customers, by 8 or 8:30 Pm, I remember some other customers. I've been patted on the back and thanked profusely for helping a guy find an old PS game he'd been searching months for. The lady who I helped pick out gifts for her children told me I was one of the kindest, most upstanding young men that she had ever met. The lady whose Gameboy problem I fixed by showing her that she was putting the cartridges in the wrong way said the same thing in not so many words. The teenager who came in and asked me which SNES and Gamecube games I thought warranted a person said I was one of the coolest gamestore clerks he had ever met. One guy was so happy that I ordered an old PS One game for him from another store that he bought me a Philly Sheesesteak; guess that made up for the lunchbreak I missed. One girl who was buying something for her boyfriend said I was cute; so was she. I had a little 7 yr old girl return her Marshmallow sucker because it was too hard for her teeth; cheered me up when she smiled as I gave her another one. I had an older couple come in from the local children's home and I gave them the SNES units some people had brought in earlier and didn't want. We don't accept them as trades anymore. They said I had a good heart. I've had 10 people thank me for my input on certain games. I've had just as many wish me a good day as they left the store.
Yeah, by 8:30 or so it's been an interesting mix. Like I said, I don't condone needlessly rude behavior by Gamestore employees, but I can see their point sometimes. The key is to find that one or those two good employees that work there out of a love for games as much as a need for money. Those are the peopleyou should get familiar with at the store. If you're a good customer and are polite, chances are, good things will come of it.
