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Gamestop sucks
- Thread starter Dr_Cogent
- Start date
boredJonathan
Member
Kung Fu Jedi said:
Honestly? I would say its the customer who has lost sight of what Customer Service means. While Cogent's situation is definately wrong, (If it is like any of the GameStops around here they have at least two registers. You can close one and leave the other one open.), but in general the kind of customer attitude you get is damn near abusive.
I'm one for going out of my way to help out a customer within the bounds of what I can do, but far too often do I get met with an attitude of indifference or downright anger at the fact that I can not do excatly what the customer wants. I just can't. Physically impossible. It would cost me my job.
That thought does not seep into the brains of the average customer, and so, even after bending over backwards for some one who treated you like shit in the first place, it is still not enough and the threats of 'Going to your superior' start to come out.
:: Shrugs ::
I guess all I am trying to say is that if the customer acted towards the sales people like they were at least human beings, you'd probably have a much better attitude of 'Customer Service'.
shpankey
not an idiot
working with the general public in any form sucks. that said, it seems that shitty customers are assholes to innocent employees, who are then in turn assholes to innocent customers. who then share their story of an asshole employee to other customers, who get pissed and get a bad attitude and so are then shitty to an innocent employee. and the cycle turns.
boredJonathan
Member
shpankey said:
Well hopefully my customers would not put me into the bitter category. Just reading over Cogent's incoherent rant, which I do agree with, just reminded me how sometimes even when you do bend over backwards you still get screwed.
I also tend not to share my battle stories to my actual customers. I don't see what that would accomplish beyond looking like whining. Either the customer is a decent human being and won't treat you like shit, or they are an ignorant asshole who thinks cusotmer service means something alot more than it does. Telling either party about what assholes people can be won't do much.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
I hear you, and feel your pain. I'm glad I'm not in retail any more because of the shitty customers, I'll agree with you on that. If they aren't treating you like crap, they are trying to scam you on something.
On the other hand, what happened to Dr. Cogent is just as shitty. Stores don't exist without customers and sending him away to buy the game elsewhere is just plain bad business.
I understand it goes both ways. Customers shouldn't treat retailers as servents and understand there are boundries to what can be done to help them, while retailers shouldn't treat their customers like crap either. It's the Great Circle of Life!
On the other hand, what happened to Dr. Cogent is just as shitty. Stores don't exist without customers and sending him away to buy the game elsewhere is just plain bad business.
I understand it goes both ways. Customers shouldn't treat retailers as servents and understand there are boundries to what can be done to help them, while retailers shouldn't treat their customers like crap either. It's the Great Circle of Life!
Kung Fu Jedi said:I hear you, and feel your pain. I'm glad I'm not in retail any more because of the shitty customers, I'll agree with you on that. If they aren't treating you like crap, they are trying to scam you on something.
On the other hand, what happened to Dr. Cogent is just as shitty. Stores don't exist without customers and sending him away to buy the game elsewhere is just plain bad business.
I understand it goes both ways. Customers shouldn't treat retailers as servents and understand there are boundries to what can be done to help them, while retailers shouldn't treat their customers like crap either. It's the Great Circle of Life!
I treat everyone IRL with respect, unless I know who they are, and they are a jerk.
That being said, if someone is jerking me around, I won't hesitate to let them know. I am patient in general out in public, and many times people have looked at me expecting me to get upset, and I don't. Some people are just assholes and fly off the handle and I have seen people do that to employees damn near everywhere, but I am not that type.
So when I get blown off by an employee, I get pissed because I know in their position I wouldn't do that, and I also treat them with respect. I expect the same back. Blow me off, well - don't expect to see me ever again in your store.
Speaking of 'scams,' I have to give props to my local FYE employees even though I hate the store, in general. I bought a few copies of a certain title at EB Games (10 bucks a piece) and traded them in for $26 a piece at FYE. While I wasn't doing anything illegal, I've encountered clerks in the past that can be real assholes in those types of situations. Thankfully, the guys at the register joked around and didn't give me a hard time about it, even though they knew I was essentially ripping them off.
Mr_Furious
Member
This thread is tempting me to go into a Gamestop at 8:59 and just stare at the wall for like 15 minutes then walk out.
Customers think sales clerks are dumbasses while clerks think customers are dumbasses. It's a never ending cycle so deal with it.
Customers think sales clerks are dumbasses while clerks think customers are dumbasses. It's a never ending cycle so deal with it.
boredJonathan
Member
Mr_Furious said:
I still have my job don't I?
I was just trying to bring the other side to the table here. MAF was bitching, rightfully so, but it wasn't doing the side of the clerks any justice. Both parties can be wrong, I was just trying to balance the equation.
the mom and pop liquor store i used to work at......i was in charge of closing it nightly.
most nights, i locked that shit up a half hour to 45 minutes early to go home. :lol
most retail stores will start the closing down process 15 minutes from close.
they don't particularly care for "billy" to come in at 8:59 and 58 seconds(when they close at 9) and proceed to go shopping.
it's annoying as hell.
be courteous and try to get to a store at least a half hour before it closes.
most nights, i locked that shit up a half hour to 45 minutes early to go home. :lol
most retail stores will start the closing down process 15 minutes from close.
they don't particularly care for "billy" to come in at 8:59 and 58 seconds(when they close at 9) and proceed to go shopping.
it's annoying as hell.
be courteous and try to get to a store at least a half hour before it closes.
ColdSun_Legacy
Member
They sold my pre-order to a cop and his buddy (who didn't have a pre-order) because the manager and the cop were ex-military butt buddies. My pre-order was the last copy the store had.
Screw em!
Screw em!
Shin Johnpv
Member
MrAngryFace said:
seriously when I was working management at Gamestop there were so many BS things that had to be done AFTER locking the doors, not just counting the registers, counts, vaccuming, alphabitizing, organizing, emails to the dm on different shit the list goes on and on, and most managers, assistant managers, 3rd keys suck at doing that (you really need to start the closing process IE counts and alphabitizing an hour before you close) that I remember most managers telling me if they closed at 9 or 9 30 they ddint leave till like 10, 10 30, 11 it's no wonder they want to close the store and get the fuck out
Shin Johnpv
Member
Ristamar said:
Have you ever worked retail?
that just doesn't happen
no matter how many times you say were closing in 5 minutes I need you to bring what ever you want to buy to the register now it just doesn't happen
the simple fact of the matter wheither you agree with this being how it should be or not, the truth is if you want good customer service don't show up 10 minutes till closing, it's just a simple fact, and it's how people are
no matter where you go
Shin Johnpv
Member
Dr_Cogent said:
depends on the store and how much buisness they do
if theyre slow sure 5- 10 minutes including paper work to close A register is possible in a busy store to close A register, and do paperwork Im gonna say 10 - 15 for the average person and thats just one register alot of stores have 2 - 3
Shin Johnpv
Member
Red Mercury said:
this is what ruins most good retail employees
people walk into your store pissed off about something else and think they can take it out on the retail employee
if you go into a store with a problem and start off with an attitude your probably not going to get what you want, you go in with a nice and friendly attitude 9 times out of 10 the person behind the counter is going to work things out with you to the best of their ability, remember you get more flys with honey and it goes both ways
far too many people think retail employees are there to do their bidding and be their slaves that attitude isnt going to get you jack or shit
Are customers really asking you to do physically impossible things?Red Mercury said:
"Levitate up to the top shelf and grab that controller for me."
Is your boss really threatening you against doing the physically impossible?
"You're through here if I catch you travelling faster than the speed of light!"
boredJonathan
Member
border said:
Yeah. I realize you were pointing out that I should have said 'Technically' impossible things, but customer can and do ask for physically impossible things. Like sell them an XBox os PS2 that I don't have. Give them a game that isn't out.
border said:
I guess I physically could sell a customer our demo units, or let them exhange Madden 2001 for Madden 2005 without any cost to them. I also assume that if I let a customer do that that I would rightfully loose my job. To add to your point, if I was to sell a system I don't have, yeah I'm pretty sure I'd loose my job over that one too.
Look, I know you were just kidding around to make a joke, but you'd be suprised how often people expect you to just be able to knock $20 off the price of something. Just for them. Cause, you know, they are the customer.
This is what is frustrating. A customer comes into the store looking for a game that we don't have instock anymore. A little bit of an older title, but I figure it shouldn't be too hard to find. The customer isn't excatly nice, but ya know, customer service right? So I find a copy and tell them where they can find it. The customer gets all huffy about having to drive up to the location to pick up the game. We can't do transfers, so that is out of the question. So I figure, you know what, I'll help this guy out in the name of great customer service. I tell the customer to swing by tomorrow and that we'll have the game for him. So I get off of my shift, I drive up to the location that has the game, I buy it with my own money, and come back to my store and return it so that my store has it. The customer comes in the next day and is pissed at how expensive the game is and doesn't even end up buiying it.
Of course I didn't have to do any of that. I could have told the customer where the game was, explained that we couldn't do a transfer (as I did), and leave it at that. That would have been all that was required of me by coporate. But I went one step beyond. Tried to help the guy out. So the customer changes their mind, asks for a discount on the price and I say that I'm sorry I can't. But then you get another customer in and demands that you give him a full refund on a PS2 that was bought in July of last year so that he can buy one of the new slim line PS2s. You explain the return policy, and explain that the unit he has brought in is physically broken so we definately could not do a return on it. He gets irate and demands the DMs number. What happens then? The fucker gets to return his broken PS2 for a full refund, and pay $20 for a new slim line PS2. And I get a talking to about customer service.
Thats what can kill a sales persons drive to help the customer.
Mr. Lemming
Member
Red Mercury said:
Oh how I hate when your superiors go against policy and make you look like the bad guy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
As for processing transactions after we are closed, I'll do it and be polite about it, but don't expect me to be happy about it. That said, the whole having the store open but not having any registers open is sort of dumb.
superegular
Member
this is like people who goto mcdonalds at 5 min to closing and expect freshly cooked food.....
shpankey said:yeah, because we know how all the "real" common saying have so many of their own dedicated webpages.
It only has ELEVEN hits from google. You apparently posted that google link as some kind of "proof" that it was a "common saying". I'm so sorry, but ELEVEN results out of 8,058,044,651 searched web pages is NOT proof that it is "a common saying". Since when do "dedicated webpages" have anything to do with that? We are talking hits OF ANY KIND... duh
bean breath
Member
I suppose it varies from place to place. When San Andreas came out, my gamestop didnt get it till 10:30 p.m. The manager could of just told us to leave at 9 and come back in the morning but he said he was willing to stay until it was delivered. He even gave us free soda and candy and we had a snk vs. capcom tournament going on the x-box kiosk.
I've had more problems with Gamestop than anyplace yet. Once they refused to give me my discount on used games for a Dreamcast Bomberman that looked like it was backed over by a car in the parking lot. The clerk kept insisting the disc WAS new because it had never been used before. So i told him where to stick his new game and left.
Happen to go into this Gamestop again for the Xenosaga 2 bonus disc. Employee tells me they're sold out and come back in a few days and preorder it when they get a new shipment in. (After talking to him for a bit he slips and says how much he has been selling them on ebay for.) Go back a few days later to preorder and the manager tells me they NEVER got them in and to come back after the game ships. So, I go back when the game ships and they tell me "sorry all gone...preorders only".
Yes, Gamestop sucks...
Happen to go into this Gamestop again for the Xenosaga 2 bonus disc. Employee tells me they're sold out and come back in a few days and preorder it when they get a new shipment in. (After talking to him for a bit he slips and says how much he has been selling them on ebay for.) Go back a few days later to preorder and the manager tells me they NEVER got them in and to come back after the game ships. So, I go back when the game ships and they tell me "sorry all gone...preorders only".
Yes, Gamestop sucks...
Mr_Furious
Member
My comment was a general one and not aimed at anyone in particular but since you quoted me, I'll retort.Red Mercury said:
One thing to think about is that all clerks are also customers at some point. Even if you worked retail, if you walked into a store during opening hours wanting to pick up a specific piece of merchandise and said store said no because they closed out the registers prematurely, I'm pretty confident you wouldn't be too happy. It doesn't matter if you can "sympathise" because you still wasted the time and effort to go to the store that some dumbass clerk felt inclined to close earlier than when they're supposed to. Back when I worked retail (10+ years ago), pulling crap like that meant immediate disciplinary action if a customer went through the effort to complain. If your district manager was aware you continually closed the store 5-10 minutes earlier, essentially, turning down business, you probably wouldn't be working there much longer.
MrAngryFace
Banned
Ok.
Most stores arent allowed to rush you out anymore, Staples being one of them. People abuse this. We have no control over it. Granted this has nothing to do with the Dr, but it is important.
MOST CUSTOMERS ARE NICE. The ones that arent ruin the entire day. This doesnt mean good customers need to work overtime, it just warrants some understanding.
Most stores are understaffed. Youre either talking to two types of employees. The employees that dont give a shit, and make that very obvious. When these types of people are 'in charge' then you have a problem, one perhaps mentioned in the original post.
Then there's the people who do multiple positions (and push themselves beyond what they earn) within the store and are there to do their job, which is customer service. These people take bad customers the hardest, because while it probably isnt entirely personal from the customers standpoint, they are actively destroying the employees entire day.
Also, even if we close at 10, you are playing roulette with the type of service you'll get 10 minutes to close. Lots of stores wont tell you they are closing, but closing is a VERY active process that is on a very strict time schedule for payroll purposes. This will ALTER employee attitudes and in kind yours. My advice? plan ahead.
Personally I wont attempt to hit a store within the last half hour of it being open. While they do advertise to offer their services I decide if I need it that bad right away, because I realize what I will be introducing to their night by showing up so close to closing.
In short, dont forgive assholes, just keep a keener eye for people who are actually trying to help you. We're out there and while its not the most glorious job out there, it still demands a level of respect.
Sure its retail, but thinking we're there to bend over for you is way off base. Retail employees are there to consult with you and find what you need. You need a punching bag, buy VF4 FUCKING EVO!
Most stores arent allowed to rush you out anymore, Staples being one of them. People abuse this. We have no control over it. Granted this has nothing to do with the Dr, but it is important.
MOST CUSTOMERS ARE NICE. The ones that arent ruin the entire day. This doesnt mean good customers need to work overtime, it just warrants some understanding.
Most stores are understaffed. Youre either talking to two types of employees. The employees that dont give a shit, and make that very obvious. When these types of people are 'in charge' then you have a problem, one perhaps mentioned in the original post.
Then there's the people who do multiple positions (and push themselves beyond what they earn) within the store and are there to do their job, which is customer service. These people take bad customers the hardest, because while it probably isnt entirely personal from the customers standpoint, they are actively destroying the employees entire day.
Also, even if we close at 10, you are playing roulette with the type of service you'll get 10 minutes to close. Lots of stores wont tell you they are closing, but closing is a VERY active process that is on a very strict time schedule for payroll purposes. This will ALTER employee attitudes and in kind yours. My advice? plan ahead.
Personally I wont attempt to hit a store within the last half hour of it being open. While they do advertise to offer their services I decide if I need it that bad right away, because I realize what I will be introducing to their night by showing up so close to closing.
In short, dont forgive assholes, just keep a keener eye for people who are actually trying to help you. We're out there and while its not the most glorious job out there, it still demands a level of respect.
Sure its retail, but thinking we're there to bend over for you is way off base. Retail employees are there to consult with you and find what you need. You need a punching bag, buy VF4 FUCKING EVO!
Mr_Furious
Member
I don't think anyone in this thread is really arguing otherwise. The original poster had a legitimate gripe and certain current sales clerk felt inclined to defend the actions of Gamestop (who was blatantly in the wrong here), which is pretty revealing if you ask me.MrAngryFace said:
MrAngryFace said:
Couple weeks ago we had almost pushed everyone out as the clock hit closing time. One last family was ringing up their thing and the gate was half-way down. The rest of the mall was closed already. One guy runs up to the gate: "I know what I want, I just want to buy one thing!" So we let him in, and he starts browsing the XBox section. He starts asking me what new games came out and shoots down all the ones I mention. After almost ten minutes of helping him, we get him to the register and my associate is transacting him, gives him his change, and the guy gets all icy and mean. My associate asks him if there was something else he needed, and the customer asks if he's an asshole or if he's just stupid. The clerk is just dumbfounded and speechless.
So I'm running over, and the customer is calling my associate a bitch/motherfucker/etc for making him break a dollar for the $x.02 balance and giving him $x.98 cents in change. I physically place myself between the two and wave the associate away, and he starts calling me a bitch/motherfucker/etc for getting into his business. I tell him it's my business when customers become abusive with my employees, and it's time for him to leave. He's not moving, so I grab his game and start walking to the door while my associate calls security on the phone. After sufficient yelling, I get him to the doorway where I can force him back by slamming the gate down. He's telling us how he's gonna be waiting in the parking lot with his friends to kick our asses now. Wonderful end to a long hard day. This isn't the first, second or tenth time I've been burned for trying to help a customer at closing time. Yeah, stores should always leave one register open till closing like me, but all of you people claiming retail experience and still preaching that "the customer is always first" crap haven't worked where I've worked.
Never did find out if he was actually waiting outside or not. Since it was a Friday night, there was a police car parked outside the mall entrance where we were exiting, so if there was anyone there, they weren't going to try anything with a cop and a bunch of mall security patrolling. Oh, and we also never did figure out why he got mad in the first place. Turned out the change was actually 60 cents, not 98.
And I've never heard of this "Z'd out" nonsense either.
shpankey
not an idiot
I didn't post shit as proof of anything Jr. That wasn't me. And as far as your idiotic point, hell 5 people that came into this thread alone heard the stupid ass term. It's a term, people use it, get over it. Arguing that it isn't somehow "real" any further is fucking stupid. Let it go.Uter said:
MrAngryFace
Banned
Chris: haha ive had a few of those. They get MAD. This one guy was mad cause we wouldnt let him in after we were closed and he was banging on the window with his fists screaming.
Mr Furious
Member
Mr_Furious said:
Let it be know... the REAL Mr Furious is here!!
And BTW, I agree with the goodly Dr Cogent here.
:lol
Ninja Scooter
Member
i honestly don't remember making the posts i made on the first page. I think we have an imposter.
Mr_Furious
Member
Mr Furious said:Let it be know... the REAL Mr Furious is here!!
And BTW, I agree with the goodly Dr Cogent here.
:lol
"There Can Be Only One"
On "Z-ing out", Cubsfan said it. Most of the older, non-computer based, registers have an X and Z on them. X will show you that you $XXX in the drawer while the Z will close it. I guess it's only because Z is the last letter, so it would be the last thing you do? I didn't make it up, so meh.
As far as last minute customers, I've worked retail for 5 years and it pisses me off almost every time. Sometimes I can deal. When I worked at GameStop it didn't bother me as I knew we weren't going to get out of there for a bit anyway because nearly NO ONE can put a game back where they found it. So someone coming in last minute was no big deal. I or another associate would just work on the walls while the other helped the customer. Them kicking you out by saying that they had already closed the register is bullshit and I can guarantee that if you got a call from the DM, they got in pretty deep shit for it (this from the man who has talked to DMs about many a things, yet never about closing early...).
As for the store that I currently work at, I'm usually here 12 hours at a time. Sorry if I just want to go home as soon as I can. So, if no one comes in from 8:30-8:55, don't be pissed if my register is closed down. You can get your hentai tomorrow. But, we're also a smaller buisness and don't have some crazy corporate head over us. So, there it goes.
As far as last minute customers, I've worked retail for 5 years and it pisses me off almost every time. Sometimes I can deal. When I worked at GameStop it didn't bother me as I knew we weren't going to get out of there for a bit anyway because nearly NO ONE can put a game back where they found it. So someone coming in last minute was no big deal. I or another associate would just work on the walls while the other helped the customer. Them kicking you out by saying that they had already closed the register is bullshit and I can guarantee that if you got a call from the DM, they got in pretty deep shit for it (this from the man who has talked to DMs about many a things, yet never about closing early...).
As for the store that I currently work at, I'm usually here 12 hours at a time. Sorry if I just want to go home as soon as I can. So, if no one comes in from 8:30-8:55, don't be pissed if my register is closed down. You can get your hentai tomorrow. But, we're also a smaller buisness and don't have some crazy corporate head over us. So, there it goes.