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[DDayton]

Why is it that you may want to know what non-employees are thinking on that matter? Chances are that it's because it looks curious that the only ones that are on the defensive are employees. Why is it curious? Employees could not like their store policies just like some customers.

You're starting to confuse me. I want to know if ANYONE, other than game store employees, defends the preorder pressures that are exerted by game store employees. It's not a matter of "defensive", but a matter of determining whether there is any legitimacy to the defense of the practice. Yes, I'm sure game store employees can hate the policy -- that's not the question. The question is whether or not anyone OTHER than a game store employee defends the practice.

Again did you notice (as i did) that most of the complains here are at employees not doing their job? Those guys yelling, telling names, asking you again after 2 or 3 "no" of yours, they all are crappy employees (your example of an annoying clerk is also very good). All this stuff is in no way related to stores policies.

It -is- related to store policy. Just because something isn't part of a store's policy doesn't mean it isn't related. Employees try to "hard sell" warantees, preorders, and cleaning kits because there is pressure on each store to "keep the numbers up." Yes, I know -- this varies from store to store and chain to chain, but the fact remains that the stores tell the employees to push certain things. Do they go over the line? Sure they do. Is that linked to the store's obnoxious policy of selling useless things to most folks wandering in? Yes, it is.

Also, pre-ordering games or not doesn't give us anything (well, at least at EB). It does not alter our personal stats in any way and it does not give us a penny.

That's good to hear... other game stores threaten to fire employees if they don't meet a preorder quota (or rebate card quota, etc.) per week, or so I've been told.

 

[Attack You]

That's good to hear... other game stores threaten to fire employees if they don't meet a preorder quota (or rebate card quota, etc.) per week, or so I've been told.

Management isn't just going to come and say it, but not pushing for preorders and whatever silly little thing definitely puts your head on the chopping block. You have to read between the lines and body language. That's just retail, and it will seemingly never change.

 

[AniHawk]

Actually, the residue from those stickers is a pain in the ass to get off.

Well I've never had any problems with any games that have had stickers on them for under a week. I peeled off a price sticker for The Minish Cap that was 5 months old the other day and there was no residue.

 

[User 406]

I learned quite a long time ago that preorders were total horseshit when on three different occasions at three different stores I preordered games that were supposedly going to be super popular or undershipped. In each case, the store I preordered from did not actually recieve the game on launch day because of one shipping fuck-up or another or did not get enough copies to cover their excessive amounts of preorders. On each occasion, I was able to drive to a nearby Best Buy or Target and buy the game easily from a huge stack of copies THE SAME DAY.

Nice fuckin' GUARANTEE there, dicks.

That plus all the other retarded sales pitches, pressure tactics, cramped crowded layouts, and so on made me swear off specialty stores altogether. If I want a game that BB or TRU doesn't have, I'll order it online.

 

[Bboy AJ]

I refuse to buy games at the EB that is about 1.4 miles from my house. This bearded lady tried to rip me off.

I went there to buy a copy of Gran Turismo 4 for my friend as a birthday present. I asked the lady for it and she opened a drawer, pulled out a copy of the game in a paper sleeve, and said she'd give me this new copy that was just pulled out.

"Here, I'll even let you look at it to show you that it's new."

She lets me look at it while I'm 6 feet away from her.

I'm thinking to myself, "Who does she think she's fooling?"

I tell her, "No, give me a copy in the glass case."
"You sure? It's the same thing."
"Yes, give me a copy in the glass case."

So she pulls out a copy in the glass case. A preowned copy that has been shrinkwrapped by the store. This copy doesn't have that shiny silver thing on the top of the DVD case like all new games do.

"No, give me the other NEW copy."

Finally, she gives it to me and charges me $55.
"55 dollars? What's that $3 charge?"
"A game warranty."
She adds this stupid game warranty onto my purchase without even asking me.
"I don't want that. Take it off."
"You sure? It's good."
"Take it off."

Finally I leave with a brand new copy in my hand. I should've just fucking left the store without buying it from this stupid bitch, but my girl was driving and I didn't want to make her drive anymore. I am never shopping there again. If anyone knows of the EB in the Freehold, NJ area, please do not shop there. Thanks.

 

[Ranger X]

A sales person, a clerk, is supposed to be polite. If they can't have manners with you it's THEIR problem and not directly the store. That's what i mean by "not related to store policy". Yes they have to push stuff but they have to respect you and be polite. When it's been 2 times you say no their are supposed to shut the fuck up.
All those bad experiences that have gone to a personnal level aren't directly caused by store policy but because of the imcompetence of the clerk.

 

[Ranger X]

I refuse to buy games at the EB that is about 1.4 miles from my house. This bearded lady tried to rip me off.

I went there to buy a copy of Gran Turismo 4 for my friend as a birthday present. I asked the lady for it and she opened a drawer, pulled out a copy of the game in a paper sleeve, and said she'd give me this new copy that was just pulled out.

"Here, I'll even let you look at it to show you that it's new."

She lets me look at it while I'm 6 feet away from her.

I'm thinking to myself, "Who does she think she's fooling?"

I tell her, "No, give me a copy in the glass case."
"You sure? It's the same thing."
"Yes, give me a copy in the glass case."

So she pulls out a copy in the glass case. A preowned copy that has been shrinkwrapped by the store. This copy doesn't have that shiny silver thing on the top of the DVD case like all new games do.

"No, give me the other NEW copy."

Finally, she gives it to me and charges me $55.
"55 dollars? What's that $3 charge?"
"A game warranty."
She adds this stupid game warranty onto my purchase without even asking me.
"I don't want that. Take it off."
"You sure? It's good."
"Take it off."

Finally I leave with a brand new copy in my hand. I should've just fucking left the store without buying it from this stupid bitch, but my girl was driving and I didn't want to make her drive anymore. I am never shopping there again. If anyone knows of the EB in the Freehold, NJ area, please do not shop there. Thanks.

Here's another case not related to stores policies. Here again it's the clerk who does not know her job and don't have manners.

 

[akascream]

Like many people here, I hate the badgering to preorder. I hate stores which only order enough copies of a game to cover preorders. I hate annoying clerks who snidely tell me that they are out of a game and that I should have preordered. As far as I'm concerned, these are all really lousy business practices. If the local EB/GS/GC doesn't have a copy of Kirby: Cursed Canvas on the release date, I'll just wander over to Wal-Mart or Fry's and buy it there. I really don't care if the local gamestore's business strategy involves reading tealeaves and counting preorders... I'll go where I can get my game without some stupid hassle.

Well put.


I do the same thing with console releases. I just show up to target a half hour or so before they open on launch day and I get a console. Shit, I'm usually the only one there.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Here's another case not related to stores policies. Here again it's the clerk who does not know her job and don't have manners.

I think she's the owner of that store.

 

[xsarien]

Here's another case not related to stores policies. Here again it's the clerk who does not know her job and don't have manners.

Well, judging from this thread, and more personal experience in various EBs across the country that I'd care to count, it seems that the number of employees who are either slimy, or just don't give a rat's ass far outnumber the honest ones who actually know a thing or two.

 

[Ranger X]

Well, judging from this thread, and more personal experience in various EBs across the country that I'd care to count, it seems that the number of employees who are either slimy, or just don't give a rat's ass far outnumber the honest ones who actually know a thing or two.

That's also what i think! lol
It's pretty much the same everywhere i guess. Nobody does their god damned jobs right.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

A sales person, a clerk, is supposed to be polite. If they can't have manners with you it's THEIR problem and not directly the store. That's what i mean by "not related to store policy". Yes they have to push stuff but they have to respect you and be polite. When it's been 2 times you say no their are supposed to shut the fuck up.
All those bad experiences that have gone to a personnal level aren't directly caused by store policy but because of the imcompetence of the clerk.

An impolite clerk is directly the store's problem. The clerk is the representative of the store. Policies that encourage aggressive sales tactics, such as tracking a clerk's sales of pre-orders, warantees, etc..., are directly the store's problem. If such policies encourage impoliteness, the store should end them (if the store cares about customer loyalty anyway).

 

[Ranger X]

An impolite clerk is directly the store's problem. The clerk is the representative of the store. Policies that encourage aggressive sales tactics, such as tracking a clerk's sales of pre-orders, warantees, etc..., are directly the store's problem. If such policies encourage impoliteness, the store should end them (if the store cares about customer loyalty anyway).

Good policies or not you will get that bad employee who don't know shit about social realities. The problem is that those assholes are hired and not fired.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

The problem is that those assholes are hired and not fired.

Exactly, which makes the problem directly the store's.

 

[Ranger X]

Exactly, which makes the problem directly the store's.

The store yes. I was debating that the problem may not be the policies of those stores. There's a problem in the store but it's not directly related to it's policies in many examples we have in this thread.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

I was replying to this:

"If they can't have manners with you it's THEIR problem and not directly the store."

 

[Ranger X]

I was replying to this:

"If they can't have manners with you it's THEIR problem and not directly the store."

Ok so we are saying the same things.

 

[Lindsay]

I feel bad for the employees and I also kinda feel giving 'em the no no no response. ^_^; The first time I ever got the whole stratguide/pre-order/warranty speak was last week when I went in and got A-Wars used. The guy said the game was fine and all that and do I want a warranty? Why would I want one if its fine? :lol

One policy I'd like EB to add is ta only allow games with complete packaging to be traded-in. Most disc based games I got pre-owned are fine but whats with GBA games and people not keeping the box/book? Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who keeps her handheld stuff good & new!

 

[Squirrel Killer]

Ok so we are saying the same things.

Huh? How are...

If they can't have manners with you it's THEIR problem and not directly the store.

...and...

An impolite clerk is directly the store's problem.

..."the same things"?

 

[Ranger X]

Huh? How are...



...and...



..."the same things"?

True :lol (even i get confused it seems)

It's the store problem but it's because of the employee itself, not the store policies.
You were saying it's the store's problem (and prolly saying other things in the thread outside what i was debating with the other guy) and i was debating it's not necessarily the fault of store's policies but mostly because there's bad employees.
Oh well, is there something to debate since the start between you and me? lol We are just not debating the same things.

 

[Pellham]

what I don't like is being asked to preorder games that I don't want. who on earth had the bright idea that everyone wanted the latest dragonball game?

 

[akascream]

I also hate how they answer the phone. "Thank you for calling Electronics Boutique, your local Xbox headquarters, how can I help you?". Oh, thank God...I was wondering where my headquarters were! To the geekmobile!

 

[daegan]

This copy doesn't have that shiny silver thing on the top of the DVD case like all new games do.

Just letting you know that a LOT of releases lately don't have this on their first run. Most notably Medal Of Honor: European Assault.

 

[neonglow]

Just letting you know that a LOT of releases lately don't have this on their first run. Most notably Medal Of Honor: European Assault.

That sounds very odd for a PS2 game.