Confessions of a Game Store Customer

[agbulls]

This is a great read that is now getting posted everywhere, courtesy of
http://www.shamoozal.com/nerdlog/2007/04/05/confessions-of-a-game-store-customer/

It’s time for me to come clean to all of you Game Store clerks out there, I’ve been holding this in for a really long time and I need to get it off my chest. Hopefully this doesn’t violate the non-disclosure agreement that I and the other 20 million Game Store customers signed, otherwise I could lose my license.

Look, it’s not that we hate you or the establishment that you’re a tool of. It’s just that, well how can I say this… you’re acting kind of obnoxious. All retail sucks, ask anyone who’s ever worked at a record store, a video rental store, or an American Eagle. They’ll fill your ears and your hearts with tales of customers yelling about nonsense, district managers imposing strict new sales policies and monotonous half-hearted rituals they must complete during each and every sale.


I know that video games are the most important thing on the planet, and by working for EBGameStopCrazy you’re playing a key role in keeping the earth from shifting off it’s axis, but seriously. The truth is, most of us think you guys (and gals) are kind coming off like dicks. I realize that working around video games all day means you are 1 credit short of a PhD in game development, but that doesn’t mean you have to rub it in all the time. We’re just there to buy some games, ya know? It would be nice to do so without being scrutinized by some pretentious 19 year old in a red and black Star Trek polo (you do know we laugh at those when we walk out of the store right?)

While we’re getting things out in the open, can I get through your store one friggin’ time without hearing a lengthy diatribe about your level 63 Warlock’s talent spec and it’s role in the raid guild? Please? For the love of God.

No, we don’t want to pre-order Halo 3, GTA4 or Metal Gear 4. I’m pretty confident Best Buy will have a small munitions depot worth of them the day they come out. I really don’t want the strategy guide for Elite Beat Agents either thanks, I think I’ll manage. Thanks for the $3 you gave me for that G.R.A.W. trade-in, I look forward to putting it towards the tax for G.R.A.W. 2.

So come on, stop taking your job so seriously. We all know it sucks, we don’t need to hear the ins and outs of your 5 hour shift. No one out here is harboring any illusions about the company you work for, it’s pretty clear they’re out to make money and that’s pretty much it. Last time I checked, thats what the other 64 stores in the mall are trying to do as well.

Oh, and don’t forget to tighten up those graphics in level 3 on your way out.

That last line---absolutely fanfrickintastic!

[heybtbm]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was rubbed the wrong way after reading the original article.

Game store employees...

Get over yourselves. Nobody over the age of 13 thinks standing behind the counter at Gamestop is a dream job. All retail jobs suck. Boohoo.

[kaedesdisciple]

Honestly, I have a story to match just about every one of those, and I worked at a record store.

The author is exactly right, they are NO different from any other retail environment.

[TurboGenesis]

All retail jobs suck. Boohoo.

ALL jobs are the suck! Even dream jobs like pro athlete - they whine all the time too LOL

[bangtango]

This is a great read that is now getting posted everywhere, courtesy of
http://www.shamoozal.com/nerdlog/2007/04/05/confessions-of-a-game-store-customer/

It’s time for me to come clean to all of you Game Store clerks out there, I’ve been holding this in for a really long time and I need to get it off my chest. Hopefully this doesn’t violate the non-disclosure agreement that I and the other 20 million Game Store customers signed, otherwise I could lose my license.

Look, it’s not that we hate you or the establishment that you’re a tool of. It’s just that, well how can I say this… you’re acting kind of obnoxious. All retail sucks, ask anyone who’s ever worked at a record store, a video rental store, or an American Eagle. They’ll fill your ears and your hearts with tales of customers yelling about nonsense, district managers imposing strict new sales policies and monotonous half-hearted rituals they must complete during each and every sale.


I know that video games are the most important thing on the planet, and by working for EBGameStopCrazy you’re playing a key role in keeping the earth from shifting off it’s axis, but seriously. The truth is, most of us think you guys (and gals) are kind coming off like dicks. I realize that working around video games all day means you are 1 credit short of a PhD in game development, but that doesn’t mean you have to rub it in all the time. We’re just there to buy some games, ya know? It would be nice to do so without being scrutinized by some pretentious 19 year old in a red and black Star Trek polo (you do know we laugh at those when we walk out of the store right?)

While we’re getting things out in the open, can I get through your store one friggin’ time without hearing a lengthy diatribe about your level 63 Warlock’s talent spec and it’s role in the raid guild? Please? For the love of God.

No, we don’t want to pre-order Halo 3, GTA4 or Metal Gear 4. I’m pretty confident Best Buy will have a small munitions depot worth of them the day they come out. I really don’t want the strategy guide for Elite Beat Agents either thanks, I think I’ll manage. Thanks for the $3 you gave me for that G.R.A.W. trade-in, I look forward to putting it towards the tax for G.R.A.W. 2.

So come on, stop taking your job so seriously. We all know it sucks, we don’t need to hear the ins and outs of your 5 hour shift. No one out here is harboring any illusions about the company you work for, it’s pretty clear they’re out to make money and that’s pretty much it. Last time I checked, thats what the other 64 stores in the mall are trying to do as well.

Oh, and don’t forget to tighten up those graphics in level 3 on your way out.

That last line---absolutely fanfrickintastic!

This looks familiar. Didn't a guy recently comment here on a $3 trade-in for some game like G.R.A.W. I think it was in the Gamestop robbery thread. He ended up starting a small flame war. Maybe I am thinking of the wrong thread, the wrong game and the wrong amount.

[DreamTR]

A lot of times the game store employees are REQUIRED to try and market and discuss needless things that as a customer we don't want.

This works both ways from what I have seen.

Many "gamers" are asshole customers.

Many "gamers" are asshole store employees.

Both parties think they know almost "everything" about gaming.

What Joe Blow collector/customer does not realize is that although he seems to know everything about the true "rarest" items out there, he doesn't bother to play any of the newest games; knowledge from different aspects of video games. Store employees DO know this to some extent.

What Joe Blow store employee does not realize is that you are not the most knowledgable person in gaming each day at the store, and unbeknownst to you, a lot of customers actually RESPECT the difficulties of working in said retail environment.

I worked in a game store a LONG time ago. Back in 1996, so I've seen some crazy shit on both ends even back then!

[Oobgarm]

I endured my fair share, yet I enjoyed my 7-year tenure with GameStop. Sure, things sucked at times, but such was the way of retail. It wasn't a dream job by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoyed working around games and imparting my knowledge to others.

I think both sides should give it a rest. The employees are looking like asses and the customers are sounding whiny over stuff they can't control, like the pushing of reserves, strat guides, etc.

No amount of whining is going to change anything. Don't like the way they do business? Don't shop there. Posting articles about 'how you were mistreated at GameStop' on the internet does you no good.

[mailman187666]

I hear all this whining about gamestore customers and employees, but really, there should be no whining. Have some of these gamestop employees try go framing houses for a year, then they'll really have something to bitch about. Try putting 4'x8' pieces of plywood on a roof in the middle of the winter 30 feet in the air when its windy and 0 degrees outside, while your boss sits in his warm truck and yells at you the whole time telling you that you're a piece of shit and aren't working fast enough. Gamestore employees, go do that for a winter and you'll be DREAMING about how you wish you could put up with ignorant customers and collector nerds.

[TurboGenesis]

I hear all this whining about gamestore customers and employees, but really, there should be no whining. Have some of these gamestop employees try go framing houses for a year, then they'll really have something to bitch about. Try putting 4'x8' pieces of plywood on a roof in the middle of the winter 30 feet in the air when its windy and 0 degrees outside, while your boss sits in his warm truck and yells at you the whole time telling you that you're a piece of shit and aren't working fast enough. Gamestore employees, go do that for a winter and you'll be DREAMING about how you wish you could put up with ignorant customers and collector nerds.

^^ TRUTH!

[Captain Wrong]

I hear all this whining about gamestore customers and employees, but really, there should be no whining. Have some of these gamestop employees try go framing houses for a year, then they'll really have something to bitch about. Try putting 4'x8' pieces of plywood on a roof in the middle of the winter 30 feet in the air when its windy and 0 degrees outside, while your boss sits in his warm truck and yells at you the whole time telling you that you're a piece of shit and aren't working fast enough. Gamestore employees, go do that for a winter and you'll be DREAMING about how you wish you could put up with ignorant customers and collector nerds.

Been there. Done that. Dug ditches in the freezing rain. Fell off a scalding hot roof in the middle of summer. Etc., etc.

My worst days at retail were beter than my best days in construction. I've guess your average Gamestop/EB drone will never have to do any back breaking manual labor and will never have any idea about how good they really have it.

The other side, and I mentioned this in the other thread, yeah, it's retail. Sorry you didn't realize that going in, but wanting jockeying registers at EB to be "a job in the industry" doesn't really make it any different than working at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Borders, etc., etc., etc.

[7th lutz]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was rubbed the wrong way after reading the original article.

Game store employees...

Get over yourselves. Nobody over the age of 13 thinks standing behind the counter at Gamestop is a dream job. All retail jobs suck. Boohoo.

Of course retail jobs suck, just some are worse then others in terms of working conditions. If a person who works in retail, works at the store that the bosses room gets air conditioning for the summer and heat during the winter time while rest of the store is cold during the winter and extremely hot during the summer due to the boss wanting to save money for the retail chain, the person will regret working there and other employees who work at otherretail stores in better conditions should not complain.

[Arcade Antics]

Of course retail jobs suck, just some are worse then others in terms of working conditions. If a person who works in retail, works at the store that the bosses room gets air conditioning for the summer and heat during the winter time while rest of the store is cold during the winter and extremely hot during the summer due to the boss wanting to save money for the retail chain.

You said it.

[DigitalSpace]

I think both sides should give it a rest. The employees are looking like asses and the customers are sounding whiny over stuff they can't control, like the pushing of reserves, strat guides, etc.

Quoted. For. Truth.