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Allow me to explain. I've spent my last few years in retail and at call centers.
Neither of these jobs require college degrees or other specialized professional training, but they do require considerable knowledge of products and services.
My first time around at a games store, I was asked a boilerplate question in the interview about my game knowledge, but not any specific questions that would test me. On the application, there were no questions either, just a game knowledge section where you wrote down the consoles and whatnot you were familiar with.
On my first night, I spent my entire shift reading the procedure manual back to back. This let me learn about the policies and procedures at the store, but nothing about actual game or product knowledge. We had reps from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony come by but they never did much beside give us the occasional product info sheet and some free swag.
When I was at the call center, we did three weeks classroom training followed by three weeks on the phones before I finally started my regular shifts. Now the length of that training may seem reasonable, but in reality we learned only the bare basics of what our jobs were about. I would estimate me it took 7 or 8 months of taking calls day in and day out before I considered myself well trained and highly competent at what I was doing. I did do a couple of supplementary training sessions, but these weren't particularly useful (though I did love them because they gave me a break from the phones!)
When I worked at a cell phone shop, I was given no direct education on the phones, though my manager gave me free reign to tinker with the display models and research the devices through the in-store internet connection.
Ironically, most of what I learned on all these jobs has been self taught, not learned in any training. With video games, the main reason I am so competent is that I've been playing games for over 20 years and I'm a huge fan, but I've worked with people who knew practically nothing about games and probably BSed their way through the application and interview.
At one point an area manager told us that it was or job to be educated on our products and services, then went on to mention we should spend some time at home researching games and products to become better salespeople. That didn't happen. Although no one said it to him directly, the basic feeling was "We're not working off the clock for you buddy," which is essentially what he was asking us to do.
I can't really think of a single job I've had in the past 5 years where the training was very good. Most of what I learned was either by asking co-workers, doing independent research or simple trial and error with the products and cash registers and such.
In my view job training is one of the most critical things a company does for their employees so I really don't understand why so many places have a "don't give a crap" attitude about it.
Neither of these jobs require college degrees or other specialized professional training, but they do require considerable knowledge of products and services.
My first time around at a games store, I was asked a boilerplate question in the interview about my game knowledge, but not any specific questions that would test me. On the application, there were no questions either, just a game knowledge section where you wrote down the consoles and whatnot you were familiar with.
On my first night, I spent my entire shift reading the procedure manual back to back. This let me learn about the policies and procedures at the store, but nothing about actual game or product knowledge. We had reps from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony come by but they never did much beside give us the occasional product info sheet and some free swag.
When I was at the call center, we did three weeks classroom training followed by three weeks on the phones before I finally started my regular shifts. Now the length of that training may seem reasonable, but in reality we learned only the bare basics of what our jobs were about. I would estimate me it took 7 or 8 months of taking calls day in and day out before I considered myself well trained and highly competent at what I was doing. I did do a couple of supplementary training sessions, but these weren't particularly useful (though I did love them because they gave me a break from the phones!)
When I worked at a cell phone shop, I was given no direct education on the phones, though my manager gave me free reign to tinker with the display models and research the devices through the in-store internet connection.
Ironically, most of what I learned on all these jobs has been self taught, not learned in any training. With video games, the main reason I am so competent is that I've been playing games for over 20 years and I'm a huge fan, but I've worked with people who knew practically nothing about games and probably BSed their way through the application and interview.
At one point an area manager told us that it was or job to be educated on our products and services, then went on to mention we should spend some time at home researching games and products to become better salespeople. That didn't happen. Although no one said it to him directly, the basic feeling was "We're not working off the clock for you buddy," which is essentially what he was asking us to do.
I can't really think of a single job I've had in the past 5 years where the training was very good. Most of what I learned was either by asking co-workers, doing independent research or simple trial and error with the products and cash registers and such.
In my view job training is one of the most critical things a company does for their employees so I really don't understand why so many places have a "don't give a crap" attitude about it.
(I know I've worked registers before, but you could at least give me the basics of the specific program) 
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