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Gamestop employment

U

Uno Ill Nino

Banned
Hey gang,

Pros and cons of working at Gamestop please. I am considering leaving a well-paying job that I hate to work for them (got offered AM position today) but thought I'd try and hear from the guys on the frontlines as a supplement to my decision making. I could become a store manager for them and make about what I am making now, and the area manager says he thinks I could climb into that position pretty quickly with my background and skills, but I've heard my current employer tell that to people too many times so I know better. I guess my mind is mostly made up already, but this board could be offer some insight I'm not aware of so I thought I'd ask. Thanks guys.
 
pro's you can check out games and its a sort of okay discount

cons, its the most tedius job ever and you get minimum wage

AMs still get paid shit for all the work they do. its like 8 an hour or something like that.
 
I worked there for a little over a month before I quit.... Keep in mind I was all gung-ho before I started.

"Wow, I get to sell games all day! This'll rock."

...........Don't do it.
Later.
 
The company has went down hill on a employee level. Cut hours, discount cut, etc. In 5 years, gamestop has went from employee friendly to "everything is about the numbers" friendly. Be ready to tell everybody who enters the store that they need to reserve something, trade something in, and buy a stupid subscription. (in other words, be completly raped)
I'd stay far away from gamestop as of now.
 
Videogame retail management is the last place you wanna work if you like games. The higher up you get, the less time you have to actually play games and the more BS you have to deal with. Third key (position below AM) isn't too bad, but as AM you basically run the store without having the title that says you run the store. Pay is better than associates, but not worth the move if you have a well-paying job. If you're already in retail management, it may not be a bad move, but consider the fact that you work with video games just an extra bonus, not a reason to apply.

i enjoyed my three-year GS employment, partially because i made some good friends there who were gamers, and also because i was never in management. i worked my shift and left. The pay was shit, but i was passionate about games and knew a lot, and i was young and dumb.
 
Yeah, during my tenure with the company, I've seen pretty much what Suikoguy described. If you've gotta work for a gaming retailer, go to GameCrazy or EB.
 
Docpan said:
I worked there for a little over a month before I quit.... Keep in mind I was all gung-ho before I started.

"Wow, I get to sell games all day! This'll rock."

...........Don't do it.
Later.
Click to expand...

I think that pretty much sums it up. :lol
 
Prince of Space said:
Yeah, during my tenure with the company, I've seen pretty much what Suikoguy described. If you've gotta work for a gaming retailer, go to GameCrazy or EB.
Click to expand...

I've not heard much good about EB, but perhaps things have changed.

Its just amazing how a company can value subscriptions and reservations over actual sales.
Wow, you guys were up 60% over last year!.. but your subcriptions and reservations sucked, here is a writeup.
 
I'd be wary of any place that promises quick and easy advancement as one of its benefits. It's such an empty promise, and one that can easily be pulled, dismissed, or forgotten at any given moment.

I worked with a guy who picked up stakes and moved his family across country to take a copy editor's job (with very low salary) because he was promised that once his probationary period had passed, he'd be made assistant managing editor or promoted to some other position of prominence. Needless to say, the promise was a sham, and this poor guy was overworked and underpaid, all the while believing he'd been betrayed.
 
Disco Stu said:
I'd be wary of any place that promises quick and easy advancement as one of its benefits. It's such an empty promise, and one that can easily be pulled, dismissed, or forgotten at any given moment.
Click to expand...

Just to apply this to GameStop, the district I've worked in has not promoted a single employee up to management in close to a year. Lots and lots of hiring outside the company. In fact, this district basically assimilated the management team from another company...

Very weird.

As for the original posters question... I'd stick with the high paying job you hate. In all honesty, if you took the position at GameStop you'd end up hating the job and being paid alot less. It's not a horrible place to work by any means, although alot of it is determined by the crew you work with, but the pay does really suck. Even compaired to other game retailers, as I've heard EB and GameCrazy pay their management teams at least $5 more.
 
I would say right now, you would only be seeing 5-10 hours. Payroll is getting cut all over.

Also remember ....

Subscriptions...
Subscriptions...
Subscriptions...

and...

Sell Used Games...
Sell Used Games...
Sell Used Games...

and...

Get Reservations...
Get Reservations...
Get Reservations...
 
Check Game Rush too if you have one...many of my game people are making over $7.00 starting. This is in OKC so its defienently not cost of living adjusted.
 
You want my thoughts, Ok DON'T DO IT! Why you ask? First they'll praise you to death for a good job you do on a reserve title or subscriptions. You WILL work over 40 hrs don't think you won't and they'll tell you if you don't get the job done it'll affect your performance review. So, you have a choice either do the job and stay later and not get paid for it or you can work your 40 hrs. and soon you wonÂ’t be working there. Reserves well, youÂ’ll work your ass off getting them and youÂ’ll never have enough to please corp. Vacations for get it! YouÂ’ll be so worried about whatÂ’s going on in your store that you canÂ’t enjoy the time you clearly deserve off. Holidays are GONE kiss them goodbye! When big titles like Halo show up expect to work harder than any job youÂ’ve had before. The positives are checkouts going to E3 (if you DM will let you go). Big wigs like to visit stores when E3 is happening. Makes no since to me shouldnÂ’t they be at the show? I have more but IÂ’m out of time. Bottom line donÂ’t do it youÂ’ll be happier else where. GameStop and EB are pit stops for college students nothing more and you are paid like they are pit stops.
 
Holidays gone? Vacations gone? Since when? If it's a holiday and your store is open the SM and AM won't be working those days. Why? Because they get paid holidays. Accociates work those days because they get overtime pay. A decent SM would schedule the associates to work holidays.

Oh and as AM, you will get 40 hour weeks. No less, no more. You also do get commission on a few things, which is why some employees push certain things so hard. Each store is a bit different, so it's really hard to say what you will be focusing on the most.

Also, if the job is at a shopping center then forget it! You WILL get robbed! Only work at a mall. You'll have more customers at a mall, but at a shopping center you will get robbed. You do have to keep a close eye on theft, it's the number one reason managers get fired.

Have you worked retail and is the store in a mall? I think those two things are the biggest factors for working at one of these game stores.
 
Define "well-paying job" - I can't imagine GameStop is much above minimum wage so either your well-paying job is slightly above that yet still retail (if so, go for it, better to have a job you're interested in) or it's WELL above that and not retail (if so, don't go for it, retail is awful).
 
I filled in at night at a friend's store for about a month or two. It reminded me of why I hated retail so much when I was younger. So many petty hassles for so little compensation. The only real positives are checking out games and maybe getting your grubby hands on something rare that comes through the door.

I think the advancement is real because the turnover is so high. Most of the store managers are really young (early 20's) here. But they still get paid nothing and the flack they take over the number of reserves they get, or the amount of shoplifting that occurs is NOWHERE worth their minimal salaries.
 
CoryCubed said:
Check Game Rush too if you have one...many of my game people are making over $7.00 starting. This is in OKC so its defienently not cost of living adjusted.
Click to expand...

Where's your store located? I'm local and might stop by to stalk you... I mean, say hello.
 
I was a store manager for Gamestop for about a year. I had a good crew, good store, good customers, it was good. Then I got the oppurtunity to work closer to home and "show what I was made of" to help my aspirations of maybe moving up to an Area Manager (generally referred to as AM, asst managers generally referred to as ASM).

Needless to say, I was transferred into a disaster of a store in the middle of October where the previous manager hadn't done ANY holiday hiring, nothing was properly filed, backroom was full of opened but not merchanised products, etc etc.

The DM conned me, she really wanted to get me to quit to bring in more of her lackeys and knew that I'd more than likely crack because she wasn't going to offer me ANY help. Which meant I'd have to work 80hr weeks just to get things straightened out.

So yeah I quit. When I left the payroll was already a huge issue (earlier that summer it became a company wide mandate that every store aimed to be 24 hours under payroll for the month) but now it's every worse, as I heard they cut the payroll even more.

Running a store on a skeleton crew while trying to maintain almighty control of it (ie. keep theft inline) is a very stressful endeavor. SMs get raped every week on conference calls with their DMs to improve numbers, store appearance, and overall customer service while not giving the SMs the resources to do it.

So yeah, don't go to Gamestop. Video game retail has an exceptionally high turnover. Everyone wants to work there, and the middle-management knows it. So everyone is replaceable.

My buddy who also was a SM with Gamestop ended up at EB after the DM finally got him to leave. After talking with him, he told me EB is more or less the same shit, just slightly different.
 
Goreomedy said:
Where's your store located? I'm local and might stop by to stalk you... I mean, say hello.
Click to expand...

Nw 50th and MacArthur. We're still trying to figure out if we need another Game Advisor (I think we do my boss says we don't lol) but it wouldn't hurt to try.
 
Oh, small little side-note. GameStop is another of those contemptible companies that will ask you to sign a waiver allowing them to run a credit check before they offer you employment. Yes, they'll do a criminal check and that seems acceptable, but more and more bottom feeder retail employers are doing this as part of their hiring process. I urge you with all of my being, especially younger job searchers, to resist this as a standard procedure of hiring. It didn't use to be that way, and your CS is being selected MORE AND MORE to make decisions about every arena of your life.

I didn't need the job, so I wrote in big bold letters No You May Not Check My Credit For This Position, I Will Pursue Unlawful Inquiries Through Legal Channels on the form. The DM laughed it off and just never sent in the form since I was with them for such a short period. Anyhow, I just find the whole practice abhorrent and I feel like their trying to get younger workers used to it for every job they apply for. As long as you're not a criminal, it's none of their fucking business what your financial situation is. That might be why you need a job.
 
CoryCubed said:
Nw 50th and MacArthur. We're still trying to figure out if we need another Game Advisor (I think we do my boss says we don't lol) but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Click to expand...

Oh, I don't need a job. I just think you're dreamy. ;)
 
The DM conned me, she really wanted to get me to quit to bring in more of her lackeys and knew that I'd more than likely crack because she wasn't going to offer me ANY help. Which meant I'd have to work 80hr weeks just to get things straightened out.
Click to expand...
Almost the same exact thing happened to me.

CJ-I'd only do it as a pt thing and look for another job.
 
Suikoguy speaks truth.

I started with GameStop back in 2000. It wasn't so bad then. The discount was 25% off of everything under $100, and anything over $100 it was 10% off (all systems excluded). Number's were important, but we didn't have to sell subscriptions or PRPs or anything like that. The job was fun. About the time that they purchased Funcoland, that's when thing went to shit.

GameStop now had its own magazine.

So you had to whore it out. Get people to subscribe, get people to bring in their used games (which are rarely in good condition) so that they may use the 10% discount card that came with their subsciption. Since they were now giving a discount on used products (excluding systems) they decided that it was time that they cut the employee discount down to 20%. The good thing is that it was $20 off of everything, regardless of price (new systems excluded, but its okay to get a discount on a used system).

Throughout this time I went from being a sales associate (the term "Game Advisor" is lame imo) to being an ASM of one of the local stores. What did I get for my 40 hour a week upgrade, work that had me doing more than my manager would want to, and being the only one who could get subscriptions at the store I was moved to at the time? A raise from $7 an hour, to $8.50. Oh joyus day.

Then Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came out. The first game that showed reservations were the way to secure buisness (at least in my opinion). Some stores had something like 700 reservations, which is insane, but they did so anyway. They showed the corporate heads what they could do, and corporate assumed that the rest of the company should do the same.

That's when the DMs started to crack down.

Our DM at the time had a motto, "Every customer, everytime." I wanted to punch her in the face everytime she said that. Because she didn't know dick about video games so she wanted us to push what she couldn't sell. Not my thing.

I decided to leave. It was fun when I could go to work and talk to people about games and it was more of a good time. When the job got corporate and your position depended on you getting 4 reservations and 2 subscriptions everytime you worked, it wasn't for me. You can ask people if they want to buy something all day long, if they don't want it, there is nothing you can do. Yet, your job rides on the unperdictabilty of someone elses wallet, fuck that.

So I went to work at an anime store. Better pay, more relaxing, and now we sell games, so it's basically Gamestop to the tenth power.

I ended up going back to GameStop this past Christmas as seasonal help because I need extra money for my family. Let me tell you, sales associate is the place to be, but fixing the walls because customers can't recognize that everything is in alphabetical order is total bull shit. Needless to say, I don't work at GameStop at the moment, although, I'm still on payroll, so that discount (which is now down to 15% off) is all mine.
 
Mikey 2x4 said:
Let me tell you, sales associate is the place to be, but fixing the walls because customers can't recognize that everything is in alphabetical order is total bull shit.
Click to expand...

Someone has to. Usually not management. ^^;

I'd say it all depends on your DM and your SM. I bust my ass and don't earn as much as I'd like, but I am thanked and respected for the things that I do. I do enjoy going to work most days.

Then again, I don't really mind trying to sell reserves and subscriptions - I used to work at Sears where EVERYTHING was how many credit apps you can sell, how many protection plans you can sell. Fuck that. At least a subscription doesn't run you into debt.

But YMMV. I've heard lots of horror stories and I'm sure with the wrong SM or DM I would hate it. I'm an ASM; just got put up from 3rd key, which I was for two months. Before that I was in the company for a little over 4 months.
 
Prince of Space said:
Yeah, during my tenure with the company, I've seen pretty much what Suikoguy described. If you've gotta work for a gaming retailer, go to GameCrazy or EB.
Click to expand...

fuck no, not EB. then you have to take part in putting all those damned yellow stickers all over all those used games and ruining childrens dreams
 
You want my thoughts, Ok DON'T DO IT! Why you ask? First they'll praise you to death for a good job you do on a reserve title or subscriptions. You WILL work over 40 hrs don't think you won't and they'll tell you if you don't get the job done it'll affect your performance review. So, you have a choice either do the job and stay later and not get paid for it or you can work your 40 hrs.
Click to expand...

er, I think there are laws in place that prevent unpaid overtime (unless you are salary, I think). If you work a minute over 40 hours, you should be then getting 1.5x your hourly wage.
 
I was actually thinking about working at a video game store. Your horror stories are enough for me to not even apply. I think I'll stick to current job as person in charge of gym activities that pays nine bucks an hour.
 
Lol, just found out SM just quit. Sigh, this is going to be hell for awhile. But I will have more hours for awhile lol. Won't even know any details until tomorrow.

Honestly, it's like someone mentioned. The job can be alright if you have the right SM and DM. Our store generally does good, so we barely see the DM even though his office is 15 minutes away. SM is a really nice guy, made things a bit easy. I wonder why he quit and why no one knew until today. It really is going to be stressful with only 3 workers.
 
Mikey I here you buddy! Nine years I gave Software Etc. and Gamestop! Nine years, and what happens when our mangement changed. Well I wanted our store manager to get a promotion and he deserved it but, I had no idea was instore for our store. My last manager was incredible he new how to work and he new how to have fun after work. We gaming gatherings like once a week (Halo party anyone.) The new manager that came after him well how should I describe this person, cold, didn't play videogames, only cared about making a sale, pissed off alot of our regular customers that came in oh and the best part told the customer to leave if they didn't buy anything (that was the thing that shocked me the most). My favorite was I wasn't put on the schedule because I had a conflict of jobs. (I found out that's what was put on my termination report and I was never told I was terminated.) So, after nine years of service this is what I got from GameStop a shity manager that didn't care about customers or associates. Needless to say I was quiet pissed about about how I was treated so Mikey is right. Mikey I remember when our discount was 35% off and on employee week it was 45%, my how things have changed.
 
MoxManiac tell that to the management that didn't give a rats ass who you reported too cause all they would do is try to get you fired and on top of that, make that firing look really bad for you like theft. Anyway it's over now I really don't want to get into it. This was almost as bad when I was acting manager promised manager pay and NEVER GOT it for that week(The last manager at that time was accused of stealing and we had no other manager but myself. I was working another job at that time too talk about rough). I kept asking about it about 30 times "oh were working on it" Finally I got pissed about that asked again well we have no records showing you were a manager that week. Damn I was mad and almost quit then.
 
If I were you I would avoid working at any game store. You'll learn to hate people and your interest in gaming will be killed.
 
Well - I worked for Gamestop for ten years. I came in as a sales associate then just moved my way up, manager to area manager...

It would take me a day and a half (at least) to go into working for Gamestop. I will say that some of the views/opinions stated here are very true, some are a bit true, some are off.

Suffice it to say - Prob not one of the best places to work - anymore.

I feel sorry for you managers who are working more than 40 hours and getting paid for only 40.
 
Pfft, that Gord guy probably made most of that stuff up anyways. Not that retail (not just game related retail) is any less hellish then his escapades imply.
 
I've been working there since last November.

+Good neighborhood
+Good customers (there've only been a couple unruly ones)
+Good coworkers/managers
+Been receiving more hours as of late
+Get to talk to people about games on slow days

-Still being paid (California) minimum wage
-Alphabetizing sucks
-Reservations
-Subscriptions (both the above are usually suggested at the end of transactions- I never try to force them on customers like some employees, and I only do it to people who might want one)
-higher positions (managers/asms) get screwed, at least from what I can see.
 
WULFER said:
My last manager was incredible he new how to work and he new how to have fun after work. We gaming gatherings like once a week (Halo party anyone.)
Click to expand...

That is my other big problem with GameStop. It seems that to work there, you need to have a stick up your ass. I'm for having fun. YOU'RE WORKING IN A VIDEO GAME STORE. Fuck people, you sell games where you can pay hookers to refill your life, you need to be able to have fun on the job. When I walk into a GameStop where it seems it's nothing but buisness and the people who work there are just corporate drones, I really don't want to shop there. I don't want them to tell me that I can reserve whatever upcoming game, most likely I already know that it's on the way. What I would like to know? How much fun they had playing such-and-such game. Or what they think of something else that is already out.

It's conversations like that that will drive people to shop at the store more. When I was ASM, my store was lax. We had fun. We talked to the customers like they were what they were, a fellow gamer. Good times.

Thus is why my current job kicks much ass. I get to have free-form conversation with all of my customers. Most of my customers know that when they come into my store that they are going to hear some kind of off the wall conversation, but that's probably why they come. Either that, or it's the 50" plasma TV we have. I don't know, I like to think that it's because we're entertaining.
 
Scoobert said:
Holidays gone? Vacations gone? Since when? If it's a holiday and your store is open the SM and AM won't be working those days. Why? Because they get paid holidays. Accociates work those days because they get overtime pay. A decent SM would schedule the associates to work holidays.

Oh and as AM, you will get 40 hour weeks. No less, no more. You also do get commission on a few things, which is why some employees push certain things so hard. Each store is a bit different, so it's really hard to say what you will be focusing on the most.
Click to expand...

There's no commissions at GameStops. Store managers may get a floating day off for a holiday, but they don't get paid for it. Assistant Store Managers get the pay, but that's separate from whether they work or not. Since holidays are busy days, they're likely working. Only a couple states have any sort of overtime for holidays. There are virtually no days where both the SM and ASM will be off. I don't get the impression you ever actually worked for GameStop.
 
ChrisReid said:
There's no commissions at GameStops. Store managers may get a floating day off for a holiday, but they don't get paid for it. Assistant Store Managers get the pay, but that's separate from whether they work or not. Since holidays are busy days, they're likely working. Only a couple states have any sort of overtime for holidays. There are virtually no days where both the SM and ASM will be off. I don't get the impression you ever actually worked for GameStop.
Click to expand...

Sorry, EB. That's how it is at EB anyways. Should have said that earlier, but figured they would more or less be the same. My mistake.
 
Working there was my first job. When I got hired I was making close to minimum wage, but after a few months I was promoted to 3rd key. Very easy, and fun job. I really don't mind retail, only thing that sucked was corporate's tricky antics and visits from the DM. I was making $8.50 an hour, though I spent about 75% of what I made buying games.
 
Worked for game crazy as a manager but got dicked by my dm. he fired every manager in the district that wasn't black...or so it seemed but i didn't care was quitting but just didn't feel right what he was doing. it was great for awhile but 40+ hrs isn't me and well the discount at Game Crazy is ass compared to others .. 10% off new and 20% off used nothing off hardware.
 
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