Any gamestop employees want to give me their opinion?(my rant)

So I bought a Wii today. I went to target and the fedex truck pulled up to gamespot so i said, "maybe its my lucky day". So I walk in and ask if theres any Wii's in stock. The guy there says, "no" and just kinda ignores me. So I say, "what about the shipment you just got?" and he says, "maybe" and just kinda ignores me some more. So I'm thinking wtf is this guy an a$$ or just stupid? So I then say, "well can you check?" And he says, "in a few minutes this has priority(whatever he was doing, getting some games ready for shipment or for pre-orders? I dont know). So I was meeting someone and I get a call that they are there so I go do that and then come back and when I walk in he says, "yeah we got some wii's".

And I'm thinking sweet. So I tell him I want to buy one, and again he says "this has priority". I have no idea what he was doing, but I'm a customer standing right in front of him and I have no idea how getting some other stuff ready has priority over a customer that is ready to buy in person. So I say, "well can you stop what you're doing, ring me up and then go do that?". He doesn't say anything and just proceeds to open the boxes to take a wii out and ring me up. Then someone calls and I guess they wanted to buy a GH game so he goes to the back and sets it aside and then comes back, then another customer walks in and he rings him up first and I'm thinking "Ok this guy is just an a$$, whatever". And then he finally rings me up.

What's up with this guy? The only reason I didn't leave is because Wii's are in short supply, otherwise I wouldn't buy a damn thing from them. Do mangers whip their employees if they don't get stock ready by a certain houror something?

While I certainly do not condone this employee's behavior, there are some things to consider.

If he was the only one working this morning (or early afternoon), there's a good chance that he was by himself... and since Wednesdays are usually shipment days (for new games, such as Warhawk, which was to arrive today), he's got a lot on his plate. The product needs to be received, gutted, priced, and sorted for pre-orders.

Then there's the myriad of other stuff that GS has their employees do... such as scanning game SKUs for specified systems, doing random inventory counts, possibly cleaning up after the closing crew that came in, and maybe other things.

The correct thing for the employee to have done was to stop what he was doing and assist... customer service is supposed to be the prime directive for GS employees, and you were likely dealing with a member of management, if he was alone. I would recommend going back to the store and asking to speak with the manager about your experience. The only way that managers can ensure that their staff are maintaining proper customer service standards is to be notified when customers are getting ignored or de-prioritized.

Unfortunately, though, until the holidays kick off and there's more hours to give, GS employees who open and are forced to work alone for hours at a time will continue to have to struggle with priorities and heavier-than-needed workloads.

While I certainly do not condone this employee's behavior, there are some things to consider.

If he was the only one working this morning (or early afternoon), there's a good chance that he was by himself... and since Wednesdays are usually shipment days (for new games, such as Warhawk, which was to arrive today), he's got a lot on his plate. The product needs to be received, gutted, priced, and sorted for pre-orders.

Then there's the myriad of other stuff that GS has their employees do... such as scanning game SKUs for specified systems, doing random inventory counts, possibly cleaning up after the closing crew that came in, and maybe other things.

The correct thing for the employee to have done was to stop what he was doing and assist... customer service is supposed to be the prime directive for GS employees, and you were likely dealing with a member of management, if he was alone. I would recommend going back to the store and asking to speak with the manager about your experience. The only way that managers can ensure that their staff are maintaining proper customer service standards is to be notified when customers are getting ignored or de-prioritized.

Unfortunately, though, until the holidays kick off and there's more hours to give, GS employees who open and are forced to work alone for hours at a time will continue to have to struggle with priorities and heavier-than-needed workloads.

Peter_Skerritt

It did look like he had too many things to do, but he didn't seem to have any problem attending other cusotmers. He either didn't like me for whatever reason, or he was annoyed he had to open the box to take a Wii out from the shipment that just came. It seems you are familar with the gamestop system, so is there any reason why he would be annoyed about taking out a Wii from a shipment that just came?

[QUOTE="Peter_Skerritt"]

While I certainly do not condone this employee's behavior, there are some things to consider.

If he was the only one working this morning (or early afternoon), there's a good chance that he was by himself... and since Wednesdays are usually shipment days (for new games, such as Warhawk, which was to arrive today), he's got a lot on his plate. The product needs to be received, gutted, priced, and sorted for pre-orders.

Then there's the myriad of other stuff that GS has their employees do... such as scanning game SKUs for specified systems, doing random inventory counts, possibly cleaning up after the closing crew that came in, and maybe other things.

The correct thing for the employee to have done was to stop what he was doing and assist... customer service is supposed to be the prime directive for GS employees, and you were likely dealing with a member of management, if he was alone. I would recommend going back to the store and asking to speak with the manager about your experience. The only way that managers can ensure that their staff are maintaining proper customer service standards is to be notified when customers are getting ignored or de-prioritized.

Unfortunately, though, until the holidays kick off and there's more hours to give, GS employees who open and are forced to work alone for hours at a time will continue to have to struggle with priorities and heavier-than-needed workloads.

HappyProzak

It did look like he had too many things to do, but he didn't seem to have any problem attending other cusotmers. He either didn't like me for whatever reason, or he was annoyed he had to open the box to take a Wii out from the shipment that just came. It seems you are familar with the gamestop system, so is there any reason why he would be annoyed about taking out a Wii from a shipment that just came?

did you ever consider that mabye he would like to buy a Wii, but isnt allowed to by his manager due to restrained supply?

he was prolly just sour you got to get a wii and he didnt....for god sakes he actually works in the store....why shouldnt he get one

Yeah but that's not any customer's fault. Employees get to rent games for free for for days at a time. Plus they get discounts.

Any time I questioned an employee about anything, they would always give me their name and gave me permission to quote them. Gamestop is one of the leading gaming retailers, and they have a reputation to consider. Especially with video games. There isn't a monopoly or a necessity. People will choose the most convenient and reliable store, and if a store has a bad reputation because of some employee, business could be affected.

It seems you are familar with the gamestop system, so is there any reason why he would be annoyed about taking out a Wii from a shipment that just came? HappyProzak

Well... there are possibilities here. Perhaps he was looking to buy one himself. Perhaps his manager had left him a laundry list of things to do... if you look at the release docket for Wednesday (Warhawk, Tiger Woods 08, Blue Dragon), it's possible that he was left strict orders to get the shipment received by a certain time. Perhaps (inexcusably) he was having a bad day.

The fact that you claim that this individual serviced other customers before you is concerning, though. I would definitely make a passing mention to the manager next time in. I don't know if it's a terminable offense, but it certainly warrants an investigation and possibly a write-up based on his behavior. That was a $250+ sale that he ignored, which contributes to the store making its daily sales goal. That's not only poor customer service, but that's also obstructing the store's ability to pull in revenue.

That's my two cents-- sorry to hear about the trouble, but congrats on scoring a Wii.

I worked at a store called G&G Software here in Northern California back when I was in high school. It was one of those World of Nintendo places, anyway, pre-Gamestop, EB Games, etc.

The one common thing that I have noticed since my time at that store and my experiences shopping at these stores now is that a good percentage of the employees have a superiority complex. Don't get me wrong, I have met a lot of game store employees that have been awesome...but on the whole most tend to be very condescending. You all know the type that I'm talking about.

In my opinion, you ran into a disgruntled, overworked, and generally pissed off employee. Someone most likely called in and now he was stuck. If it was a delivery day, he was probably legitimately busy because he has to scan the new shipment in. Regardless of his personal issues...he is supposed to represent the company well, just like any retail store. The whole point of having a store is so that customers can come in to provide revenue for thecompany.But, this is a low paying position and you'll never get that kind of dedication from an employee...it's just not going to happen.

I probably wouldn't waste my time calling up the food chain on this guy, but it is annoying.

The only thing I can think of is that, since the shipment had just come in, he probably had to not only ring you up, but ring in the arrival of that unit as well.

For instance, the customer who cam in and pulled a game off the shelf is a simple ring and run. Your sale on the other hand most likely required him to check off that the Wii arrived in the system, set it in inventory, then ring you up. A bit more complicated and thus the reason he may have put you off for a bit. Not excusing it, but trying to help.

Take that with a grain of salt since I don't know anything about a GS operation, but that seems pretty standard retail to me.

I went to Gamestop (when it was EB still rather) and tried to trade in games and stuff. The guy told me to come back since there were customers. I said "Like you mean that one lone guy looking at Xbox games?". So I came back later, he said come back again when the place dies down. There was NO ONE in the god forsaken store. So I go back later and basically say "Look, take my damn games or I'll never come back to your store again".

Thankfully that guy was either fired or quit, but I didn't shop at that store for a good year after that. In fact the next nearest Gamestop/EB basically said that store was full of jerks. Even one of the employees lives in the same town, but would drive to the store she works at a good 25 miles away to shop there to avoid those morons.

But like someone else said, it's retail, either a bad day, or it is priority, or something. But chances are the guy was just being a tool.

OP, as everyone has said, "it's retail". I used to work it, and i never will do so again. I wasone of the guys who'd sell his soul for minimum wage to keep customers happy, because it was my job.

Now, as someone else had said, if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you.

The thing that rattled me the most about the customer service experience has so far not been me as the customer, but me as the clerk. No offense, but if customers treat us like trash - and they do - many of us lack the self - control to not dish that back on the next customer that even gives us a modicum of attitude. I even got to that point myself, but most of us are there without being experienced in the field.

Now, if it were me, I'd ask you to wait because I have to recieve the item, etc.And no offense,but you seem like the impatient type- the type that after the transaction, if I ever saw you in public, I'd be inclined toglare at you.

While it isa clerk'sjob to tend the customers, the customers need to be far less selfish about the situation becuse serving you may take a lot more time and effort than you realise - and oviously im not just talking about about his or her mood, but what you need and what will physically require taking care of that. Regarding getting a game for someone else, if s/he hasn't been able to get those Wiis into inventory, you're obligated to wait until they are.

He should have asked you to hold on for a second, but the clerk was undoubtedly prioritising their customer service based on what they could do immediately. I'm not making excuses, this is generally how it's done, or at least done effectively. If he actually rang the customer up, then there's a problem.But don't hate him for trying to multitask - andas harsh as I'm about to sound, I truly mean no disrespect -he has a lot more to do than just serving your indignant self.

The moral of this story is, the customer needs to be more patient with the clerk, and at least ask what's going on. Unfortuantely, after reading your post, I can easily imagine you having taken what could easily bepercieveas a rude tone to the store clerk.

if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you. Apathetic_Prick

Are you insane?? It's a good thing you don't work retail anymore. Three words for all disgruntled clerks....DO YOUR JOB. If you don't like it, quit. If you're too dumb to score another job, maybe you should pay more attention in school.

The customer is never wrong for wanting to purchase something your store is selling. That's the whole point of the store's existance. Opening a box, grabbing a Wii, scanning in to inventory, and then scanning it out for sale is not a back-breaking task.

The moral of this story is, the customer needs to be more patient with the clerk, and at least ask what's going on. Unfortuantely, after reading your post, I can easily imagine you having taken what could easily bepercieveas a rude tone to the store clerk.

Apathetic_Prick

I disagree. As a customer, all you know is that you want to walk into a store and buy a product. It is the clerk's job to say "hey, I need 20 minutes to scan this in then I can ring you up". But to turn away from the customer is wrong. Even if he did go get the Wii, the clerk should've explained why the process was so long.

I used to work in retail (EDIT: Not Gamestop though), and there is nothing more annoying than a customer demanding you "go to the back and check" or "get one off the truck".

Half the time, stuff comes on a pallet randomly and we don't know what's "in the back" until we crack open a pallet and start pulling stuff out. The other half of the time we're not allowed to just wander onto the truck and grab something until a trained personnel has used the forklift or pallet jack to move the goods off of the truck and into the receiving area.

I hate to be the thread's resident jerk, but I don't think the employee did anything wrong.

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you. Grieverr

Are you insane?? It's a good thing you don't work retail anymore. Three words for all disgruntled clerks....DO YOUR JOB. If you don't like it, quit. If you're too dumb to score another job, maybe you should pay more attention in school.

The customer is never wrong for wanting to purchase something your store is selling. That's the whole point of the store's existance. Opening a box, grabbing a Wii, scanning in to inventory, and then scanning it out for sale is not a back-breaking task.

The moral of this story is, the customer needs to be more patient with the clerk, and at least ask what's going on. Unfortuantely, after reading your post, I can easily imagine you having taken what could easily bepercieveas a rude tone to the store clerk.

Apathetic_Prick

I disagree. As a customer, all you know is that you want to walk into a store and buy a product. It is the clerk's job to say "hey, I need 20 minutes to scan this in then I can ring you up". But to turn away from the customer is wrong. Even if he did go get the Wii, the clerk should've explained why the process was so long.

I wasn't talking about the whole shipment - just the part he wanted, so no, I'm not insane. Don't start a flamewar with me, it's that kind of attitude as to why I'm a formerly disgruntled retail employee.

But yes, a customer needs to exact somepatience. I'm not saying all the patience in the world, but they need to be understanding as well.

He asked if there were any Wii's. Clerk says no. He asks if there's any in the shipment. Clerk says maybe. Now, depending on your computer systems will depend on if you can verify that. If you could verify it from the POS console, then that's the first negative against the clerk. If not, they're in the clear.

Now we move onto the next point - clerk says they have Wii's, pulls one from a box. If it has been received, Clerk's lucky Clerk has a job. If not...Clerk's only negative is not communicating with the customer, which as actually pretty small.

When I was multitasking at work, and multiple customers wanted multiple things, I "primed" my sales by gathering things together; when you're the only one, you have to do that. The customer has to respect that, too. And I'd communicate as I was able; if i had 3 customers demanding 3 different chargers, things could get a little hectic (I don't multitask very well, but that's my own problem).

The clerk may need a reprimand, but the clerk is not the only bad guy here, that's the point. I mean, this is somethign that couldbea small event being blown very far out of proportion. Or it couldn't.

Take it with a grain of salt instead of instantly saying the clerk is the bad guy because the customer is always right BS.

Now, if my inventory was "priority" and i had customers, the company can shove their shipment where the sun doesn't shine if I don't need these things RIGHT AWAY, and that's an ethic that I'll always have. I just don't want ot exercise that ethic anymore - mind you no matter what i do I will, but the scale will be completely different where I'm going. Slight difference with your perception of me, Grieverr. When I take a hard line to something, I come off as being an ass, but that has more to do with the fact that I am. I'm trying to present a point of view that's ignored in retail, which is the consumer's own ignorance to what's going on around them. If a clerk doesn't say how much time it might take, the customer can at least ask - they don't have to, but they can.Sometimes the presence of mind just isn't there (and I can testify to that, if i forget my morning dose of caffeinated tea and ginseng, I could be right up the creekwithout apaddle).

If the clerk's a dick, go to a different store, report the instance to head office and leave it at that.

Now, as someone else had said, if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you.Apathetic_Prick

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]Now, as someone else had said, if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you.Shifty_Pete

You know, I actually have a companion post to that. You might want to read it instead of cutting the part that fits your agenda.

In a lot of instances with customer service issues, if the customer is rude, they'll casually omit that. I've actually been in a few situations like that myself (inventory) - and if I said "maybe", I wouldn't end the sentence with that, I'm a bit more verbose, as you can see.

But maybe this customer is leaving something out, and my instinct tells me this because they don't want opinion from anyone but gamestop representatives, for one. Gamestop has a toll free number one can call, iirc, but on the internet, everything really is anonymous.

I've heard plenty about Gamestop customer service - in fact, customer service in general in the United States - and it sounds pretty bad in general, but this really is small potatoes, and is hardly credible.

[QUOTE="Shifty_Pete"][QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]Now, as someone else had said, if he's gotta check that the shipment even was recieved properly so you could have your wii - and that more than likely was the case - then the jerk here isn't him, it's you.Apathetic_Prick

You know, I actually have a companion post to that. You might want to read it instead of cutting the part that fits your agenda.

In a lot of instances with customer service issues, if the customer is rude, they'll casually omit that. I've actually been in a few situations like that myself (inventory) - and if I said "maybe", I wouldn't end the sentence with that, I'm a bit more verbose, as you can see.

But maybe this customer is leaving something out, and my instinct tells me this because they don't want opinion from anyone but gamestop representatives, for one. Gamestop has a toll free number one can call, iirc, but on the internet, everything really is anonymous.

I've heard plenty about Gamestop customer service - in fact, customer service in general in the United States - and it sounds pretty bad in general, but this really is small potatoes, and is hardly credible.