Any former "GameStore" employees here? Share your SC stories!

[Stormraven]

Reading these stories, I am delighted that none of the GS stores in my area are anywhere near that bad. At least, I've never had anyone roll their eyes at me for what I bought, or try to talk my ear off about their favourite game.

[Dreamstalker]

I have gotten my ear talked off and responded in kind, but the subject was the Ghostbusters game so it was all good (ten...more...days...).

[MercenaryMuffin]

I think the Ghostbusters game got pushed back. Again.

And yeah, I know about the system shortages.
GameStop: "hai guyz, we'll send you 90 systems."
Next week: "J/K, its actually 50 nao lololol"
Next week: "Thirty nao, ktxhbai"

I hate GameStop.

[Dreamstalker]

I heard about the big delay in the EU, but nothing here stateside...at least the Gamestop website is still showing 6/16

[MercenaryMuffin]

Which reminds me...GameStop release dates are horribly inaccurate. They don't update more often than once every other week or so. I remember some games being listed as coming out MONTHS ahead of time.

I suggest checking GameFAQs or a similar website. They have more accurate release dates.

[Mr Hero]

So, yeah, the "genius" would come to the store I worked at, and he'd buy the following items, all on one transaction:

• A new PC game
• The Strategy Guide for said game
• BLANK CD-Rs.

Then, a day or 2 later, he'd go to another store nearby (say, at a mall 20 minutes away) and he'd return THE GAME... not the book or the blank CDs, mind you... just the game. Gee, let me think what THAT guy was up to!

Sad thing is, if you know enough about the PSP, you won't even need all this. Just a USB cable and a game.

Ugh, new system launches. Always a pain in the rear, I tell ya. We had so many people reserve systems, but we just couldn't get enough for everyone to get one on launch day. Just couldn't happen. And yet we'd get people reserving a system three days before launch, and then bitching when they didn't get one. Well no shit, you ordered it three days ago.

This would piss me off as a gamer. What I don't understand is why game stores just don't stop taking reserves. And since it's appropriate for this topic, I'd recommend a 10 episode series known as Nametags.

[Midnight12]

Saw the Zero Originality stuff a while back and that opened my eyes. The GS stores around here aren't so bad but they do have their issues now and then. Mostly not getting in certain games on time, or weeks later from the actual release date that GS claims it was to come out. I've gone to GS as a last resort due to their failing as a company and can recall when the vast amount of firing employees who KNEW what they were doing and hiring people who were good at pushing/selling things popular or not.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I've worked at game stores and still work at one.

The logic I've heard from district managers on reserves is that if you come in and reserve a game, there's a reasonably high chance you will be coming back into the store to get the game when it comes out, thus they believe the reserve helps to build repeat business. They also assume that when you come into to pick up your game, they can also sell you a strategy guide with it, a one year replacement warranty on it and potentially get you to reserve another game.

What they fail to realize is the vast majority of customers who preorder pay off the full price of the game in advance and when they come in they just want to pick up their game, they don't want to spend more money.

Many customers who put a $5 reserve on a game don't even pick it up. I remember when I started in early 2006, our system still showed around $50 deposited on reserves for Halo 2 (released fall 2004!). Now we never called any of these people and said "hey, you know you still have $20 down on Halo 2 that you can come get back?" we just let the money sit there. Although if someone did remember they had the money down, we would of course return it to them.

I've worked through all three major console launches (360, Wii and PS3) and there were product shortages in each instant (I think this is done on purpose to build media hype). The worst of all was the Wii. I had parents who would come in and basically camp out in my store EVERY DAY between launch day and Christmas to try and get their hands one of those things. We also had people beg, plead, threaten and bribe us to hold one for them (which we didn't do). Uh yeah, I'm not risking my job just so you can get a Wii under your tree for Christmas. I remember one day we had three come in and five people waiting. Two moms nearly got into a catfight because they were arguing over "who was third in line". My Manager stepped in and clearly stated who was third and told the other lady to back off. We sold the Wii to the woman who actually was third in line and I walked her out to her car to make sure the other mom wasn't waiting around to jump her outside the store.

I remember listening in on a conference call relating to the DS Lite launch, The Regional manager on the call said if your store sells its entire initial shipment of DS Lites and no extended warranties along with them, you would be considered a failure in corporates eyes. He said the company makes no margin on the systems (true) and the extended warranties are what will make the launch profitable for us. He said stores that don't sell enough warranties could face penalties, though I never heard of this happening. The funny thing is, the majority of the profit margin we make is on used product. Some of the trade in values are criminal. I've seen things that sell for $15 and trade in for $1. Yes, ONE DOLLAR.

Also on a semi-related note:

Dear customers,

STOP asking me when the FUCKING price is going to drop on the PS3! I know the things are bloody expensive and you want one but can't afford it, but Sony will announce a price drop before we find out about it, you should try asking them when the price will go down. Also I have as much control over the price of the thing as that fly on the window outside, so complaining to me about how expensive it is will get you absolutely nowhere.

I've enjoyed all the games stores I've worked at. I've liked all my managers (except one but I only ended up working with her for a couple of weeks because she left for a different job) and coworkers. All the people I've worked with aren't overly nerdy or crazy fanboys. I am not a fanboy either. I'm not an encyclopedia of all things video game related, but I do know a fair bit. Whether or not a games store is good really depends on the people working there.

[deafcat24]

I had a problem with EBGames this week

EBGames is the Canadian version of Gamestop.

Last week I was calling around to see if I could reserve a Copy of The Sims 3 Collector's Edition. Finally finding the phone number for a six month old store which still doesn't have the phone number on ebgames.ca website (making it a chore in itself to find), I called them on Friday morning.

The man I talked to said I could reserve a copy of the Collector's Edition, exactly what i was told by the other EBGames in a bigger mall on the other side of the city.

However, when we went over Saturday morning, I couldn't reserve one. The employee (different one then I spoke to), said they never had enough copies to allow reservations. I did get the Collector's Edition from the Wal-Mart in that plaza, but i wasn't happy that I couldn't reserve it from EBGames even though I was told the day before that I could.

I had also purchased a copy of Need for Speed Undercover, for the PC, there on Saturday. I got a PS2 version of the game, not realizing it until the time we were heading out, I phoned EBGames again. They said I could return it on Tuesday when I was coming over anyway, but they said I might have to get another game.. However when I got there the employee found a copy of the PC game without a problem. I was worried for a bit when it said the code was invalid because I thought just because it's a PC version doesn't mean the code matches up, and if it doesn't, it won't work.

[dmcglu82]

I myself loved shopping at EBgames they had original nintendo games, sega genesis games and used pc games. The staff was 10 times better and they had the games I wanted. I refuse to shop at Gamestop for the following reasons:

1. Trade-Ins prices suck
2. I hate being bugged when checking out being asked if I reserved the said game and then being looked down upon for not reserving it.
3. No I don't want your stupid Edge Card lol

[Dreamstalker]

I have the card for the discounts on used stuff. I buy very few new games there; the used stuff I do buy is when my obsessive streak hits and I needtohave Game X now. I usually save my trade-ins (which are games that it's either not worth listing on Amazon or I don't want to wait 4+ months to get rid of it) until there's a bonus % or $ amount.

What I don't like about the Edge card is the stupid magazine. I think the only issue I've actually read was the preview of Ghostbusters back when Activision had it.

[marcpork]

I was in the war...

I mean, I waited in line for the wii the first day it came out. I was 6th in line, waited 8 hours for it. My mom was worried something might happen, after the PS3 shooting I don't blame her. However, it was the most fun I'd had in a while. People were friendly and nice, the people around me even saved my place while I went in to get food! (Waited at a Fred Meyer's) People were playing DS and having contests over wifi. One person was blasting Zelda music from his car, but we were all into it. The place had about 90 consoles, and only about 50-60 people were waiting in line at the end of the night.

I went back the next day and got one of the leftover "WiiPLAY" shirts

Also, link to the zero originality threads in this thread
http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=41399

Back to topic, I used to be the kind of gamer who subscribed to game informer and traded in old games when I wanted a new one. I don't trade games in anymore, at all. The good, the bad, and the ugly, I keep 'em. Going back to old games is a great way to be nostalgic and pass the time in video game droughts (pretty much throughout the summer), plus going back to the games you couldn't understand or couldn't beat and getting farther give you a good feeling of having grown as a gamer and a person.

I buy online alot now. Mostly because it's either gamestop or target for games, but also because I'm buying alot more games from the PSone era and back, which most stores won't even take as trade-ins anymore.

The gamestop near me is one of the more relaxed ones. In all the times I've been there I've only been pestered about reserves and such a few times. Then again, I live in Humboldt county. Everyone here is "relaxed".

Going back a bit... Who brings a gun to a console launch? Did it ever occur to anyone that the guy who shot another person over a PS3 had a gun on him to rob a PS3 from someone? Wild Mass Guessing here, but seriously a gun?!

[RebeccaOTool]

My boyfriend is a current GameStore employee. He tells me some pretty nasty horror stories, but one sticks out in my mind...

Customer tries to return a console (I believe it was a 360) that isn't working. When the his boss opens the case, what should pour out but LIVE ROACHES. My boyfriend, being a total bug-a-phobe, flips out. His boss tells the lady to get the *expletive* system out of his store, but alas, the roaches have already escaped. They've sprayed for them, and it's been a while, so they're probably gone, but still. Gross. What the heck are roaches doing inside a video game console anyway?

[BuggedMei]

I worked at Gamestop. I also believe I got hired because I'm of the female species. I could practically hear the managers thoughts as he interviewed me..PRETTY! *drool*

*ahem* I was desperate for work. Anyway..

I worked the Halo 3 launch through to last January where I was fired for lack of "numbers" as they called it. Ugh, I tried my hardest to push the retarded crap they asked me to do but its just so.. stupid.. that nobody took it.

I've had people punch the displays/break the test consoles/destroy shelves when we didn't have a product. People would scream at me because we HAD to display a stack of Wii boxes at the front of the store, yet we had no Wiis.

The best story I have had to be about this one retard.... my manager needs to go into the back for something and left me at the counter. Random shifty jerk enters the store with a backpack. I smile and ask if he needs any help, says no, and goes right to our 360 section. I go about printing used labels and whatnot and look up when I hear alot of noise coming from the back. Random shifty jerk was grabbing one or two copies of ever game case on the shelf and stuffing it into his bag. I lean over the counter and ask if hes having trouble reaching a game. He BOLTS out of the store knocking over a few displays in the process.

Manager comes out when he hears things fall down, I tell him whats happening, he sighs and tells me to go to the Gamestop around the corner in about 20 minutes. (there was two in the mall, one used to be an EB Games)

I walked over there.. and there he was, demanding to get a refund because ALL these games were sold to him without discs. I walked over to the counter, leaned over and said in my sweetest voice "Sir, you left my store just a few minutes ago with all these EMPTY CASES, knocking over a few very expensive things on the way out... The police need to speak to you about how to cover the damages."

The guy went completely pale and he ran, leaving his backpack and all the game cases behind. Never saw him again.

My (scary) coworkers all adored the store because they all got to drool on the new games.. I felt bad for all the people they talked the ear off of. I admit, I can get fangirl on someone if they provoke me....at a convention... or a forum.... but... I can be professional, and when I was working I tried to keep my tastes to myself. I hate that store so much now..

[EricKei]

Customer tries to return a console (I believe it was a 360) that isn't working. When the his boss opens the case, what should pour out but LIVE ROACHES. My boyfriend, being a total bug-a-phobe, flips out. His boss tells the lady to get the *expletive* system out of his store, but alas, the roaches have already escaped. They've sprayed for them, and it's been a while, so they're probably gone, but still. Gross. What the heck are roaches doing inside a video game console anyway?

I had to check your "location" tag when I read this one...this happened at our store a few years ago, with a PS2. Up until that point, there had been ZERO bug problems at that store, as everyone was always careful with what little food they did bring in. After that, tho, the little turds went straight for the walls and have made the place their happy home ever since.

I did like working at the store I was assigned to -- everyone there was of the "cool" variety. We had to push the reserves and cards, too, tho you could tell that (with one or two exceptions) that we only did it because we were forced to by corporate. The SM thought that forcing them on people was idiotic. I can back up the "corporate treats us like scum" thing, too. More than once, when I would be able to listen in on parts of conference calls, I would hear the Suits congradulate a store for being top-ranked out of the entire district on, say, 7 out of 8 criteria (including reserves and subs). They happened to be, say, ranked 10th on that one other thing (out of say, 14 stores), where the category in question was Edge cards (subscriptions). Corp's view of this: "Good job on X, guys, but look at that 10th place ranking...I mean, you guys really have to try harder if you want to keep your jobs." ...Yes, they were threatening the SM's job for being a mere 94% perfect. They went on to suggest that he failed at being a motivator and/or that he/his staff were simply lazy, as they so pathetically failed to perform up to snuff.

PS, deafcat: GameStop and EB--- are the same company. They still have a few stores (like the one I used to work at) under different names, generally for legal reasons.