PSA for GameStop shoppers

Postby SolidSnickerdoodle » Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:35 pm

About 2 months back I got a job at my local GameStop for the holidays. And if memory serves me well the standard protocol when one has a retail job is to bitch about customers whenever the situation arises. To keep from being that guy I will limit myself to this one post. This is going to be a sort of public service announcement because there are some things that I did not know when I was simply a customer, but have realized as an employee. So if you ever find yourself in a GameStop here are some things you should know.

None of our shelf copies have physical games in them. This isn't an error on our part. It's for purposes of security. We can't have people walking out with games in their pockets, so we keep empty boxes on the shelves, and when you check out we put the physical disc in your box. Most customers know this, but it's often the older people who don't. I don't blame them considering that they are often out of their element, but now you know.

Please do not immediately insert/slide your card at checkout. On multiple occasions I've had customers walk up, throw down their game, and immediately jam their card in the card reader. There's about 4 steps I have to go through (including signing into my account) before we even get to the pay phase. I understand that you're in a hurry, but if you do this it's just going to reject your card and you're going to be confused.

Please do not bring us trade-ins on the busiest days of the year. This includes Black Friday and Christmas Eve. Most GameStops only have 3 registers, and this effectively shuts down one register for 15 minutes while we process the trade. Consoles must first be be looked up in our system to determine their trade-in value. Then we must format the system and restore it to default settings. The whole process takes a while and it makes people waiting in line very angry. If you want to use the value towards a holiday deal bring in the trade a few days earlier and get the store credit.

On that note, please do not complain about the lack of value for your trade-ins. I understand it's not much and you'll most likely get more selling it online, but GameStop is a business and they have to make a profit. I don't have a problem with people being surprised or put off by how little they get, but I can't stand it when they take it out on the employees. Corporate sets our prices. We don't haggle.

For anyone that comes in on a busy day, the line starts at the back of the store. We specifically put arrows down on the floor directing people towards the path (my location does anyway). Still there always ends up being that one person who immediately walks to the front, ignoring the 20+ people huddled at the back, and gets made at why we're not checking them out.

Please. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, try to put games back where you found them. Especially if they were in alphabetical order. This is something I didn't give too much thought to until it became my job to patrol the floor and reorganize games. Interestingly enough, the effort by people to re-alphabetize games changes with the system. For example, Wii U/DS games are mostly bought by little kids. So you can forget any sort of structure by the time they're done digging through them. There will even sometimes be a pile of games left on the floor where you can tell that a kid made a little nest for himself while he picked out his favorites. So far, the ones who most often put things back where they found them have been PS4 fans. I rarely have to do any work in that section. PLAYSTATION MASTER RACE!
There is only one God, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: Not today.

Re: PSA for GameStop shoppers

Postby Steak in a Tree » Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:38 pm

I agree with everything except the 'playatation master race' crap. PC Master Race is the only master race, and in time that will become apparent to everyone.

On a serious note, I've noticed the same thing at my EB Games. (there aren't any Gamestops where I live) There are so many people who cut in line without giving it a second thought, and those who do wait fairly are so pissed by the end that they're willing to take it out on just about anyone. I feel so bad for the people that have to work there, so I make an effort to be as lighthearted and amiable as possible.

But yeah, good PSA. Hopefully things will get better now that the holiday rush is more or less done.
"They didn't call him 'Einstein' for nothing."
-Albert Einstein