No offense to EB Games employees but...

[PuddWakkr]

I get pretty much all my games at circuit city now. They seem to discount all their new games about 5 buck and throw in some little bonus ( shirt, hat or something ) as well if your in the first 100 or so. I'm just tired of the whole routine the employees at EB/GS run you through.

[madhatter667]

"Yep, I worked for Electronics Boutique back in the early 90s. We never had to push ANYTHING on the customers. At the time, I remember them stressing to engage every single customer and to try and answer any questions they might have, but we were never encouraged to try and sell them stuff they didn't need. Ask if the customer needs any help, answer any questions they may have, keep an eye out for shoplifters, keep the store tidy, and that's about it. Of course, back then we did have to wear a button down shirt and tie."

 

I'd take a shirt and tie for a more relaxed work environment anyday.

 

Look at the interesting alternatives that this thread has brought to light... I didn't know Gamefly sold used games. I always thought that they were a rental service, much like Netflix. That's cool... I'm going to have to check them out... it might be worth my while, even if I have to order one game at a time.

 

The only thing I can say about the EB used card: It's worth it for the GI subscription. It will also save a few bucks if you happen to shop there often enough (say you find a decent store with some friendly employees who aren't always trying to impose on you). So in that respect, it isn't bad. I do try and avoid those places, and tend to check out Game Crazy more often... I have known people who work for Hollywood/gamecrazy, and they have always been square people to deal with (aside from being friends outside of work).

 

I think EB/Gamestop/Software Etc. (Babbages in some areas I think) could seriously improve their services: starting with a little employee education, then relaxing the whole pre-order/game card pushiness, and start carrying PSX, Dreamcast, SNES, NES etc. A game store can make solid money from selling the new stuff, sure, but there are plenty of older game fans, that play more than just the new stuff... and given the expanse of classic era games... it wouldn't get stale... I mean, I can always find an NES game, Atari, SNES, or a PSX I'd like to pick up aside from all the newer goodies.

[CGQuarterly]

And if i wanted to just give away my games when i finished them, without really getting anything for my money, i'd rent them at Blockbuster....$8 rentals are crazy, but no crazier than paying $50 for a game and selling it for $25 two weeks later.

 

It's badgering like this that keeps their store filled to bursting with wire racks of crappy $5 games...i'm not sure how constantly having a glut of unsellable inventory is such a great business model...

 

You make a couple of really good points there. In all of the EBs and GSes I go into, they have bins full of $10 or less PS2 and XBox games that no one buys. I also agree that buying a game brand new only to turn it around and sell it back to the store is a pretty dopey thing to do unless the store is running a promotion. GS is having a deal right now where you trade in any 2 Wii or PS3 games, and they give you one new one. So basically they are giving you HALF of what you paid for something that they are going to sell for $5 less than the price of a new copy. Riiiiight. Or I could pay $22 a month for Gamefly and rent 5 or 6 games in the same amount of time. I REALLY don't understand how Gamestop stays in business.

 

I kind of agree with Chickybaby, and additionally, I don't see what the big deal is. I think I detect a little Clash of the UberGeeks going on here. I keep seeing these kind of threads, and the only thing I can think is... "The dude is an EB sales clerk".

 

I don't get in arguments over who knows more about what with the service class.

 

I mean... I can see how his approach could have been annoying, but he is a sales clerk, it is a Wii game... let it go. There are bigger things to get worked up about.

 

I agree that there was no point in the OP maintaining his side of the argument, but I certainly agree with his sentiment. I get so tired of having to go through the same rigamarole EVERY TIME I want to buy a game. NO I DID NOT BRING ANY GAMES IN TO TRADE. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT MY HANDS ARE EMPTY? NO I DO NOT WANT THE USED COPY OF THAT. NO I DO NOT WANT TO BUY YOUR DISCOUNT CARD. I WANT TO PAY FOR THIS FUCKING GAME AND GO HOME, MOTHERFUCKER.

 

Even at Best Buy, you get badgered about extended warranties and magazine subscriptions. When did the fact that I am in your store buying your merchandise become not good enough? It's never enough to take my money in exchange for a piece of your inventory. It's all about trying to bilk a few extra bucks out of me, or getting me to take a used copy from you instead to increase your profit margin.

 

I am a pretty impatient guy, and when I want to buy something, I want to buy it RIGHT NOW, but I am getting to the point where it is better just to order through Amazon, etc. Going to the store just isn't worth the headache anymore.

 

Chris

[Shannon]

Yeah EB used to be pretty ok, at least enough to tolerate going in there. But nowadays I don't even bother unless I'm looking for something that is really hard to find.

 

It's for the usual reasons listed...

 

Although I will say where I live the employee's are actually pretty nice. It's just that since gamestop took over they've gone completely downhill.

 

I've pretty much got to the point if any place asks me if I want anything I just say "No thanks" and that's it. Unless for some reason I want it then I'll say yes.

 

But I feel for ya MMF I probably woulda wanted to open a can of whoop ass on that employee.

Edited December 8, 2006 by Shannon

[EricDeLee]

I go to Omaha a few times a year. I catch Husker games... play at an arcade over there near that mall (I think it is the 72nd and Dodge mall)... and I've been at the video game place nearby.

 

I'll avoid that EB games now. Thank you for the heads-up as I hate taht stuff. I just had a huge arguement with an employee selling me a NEW game that was already opened. If you open it... it is not new. That friggin simple.

[Atarifever]

Anyone ever been to one of the stores where the cash register has little prompts the employees read from? Anyone know if EB typically does this? I find that to be painful. Seeing someone being told what to say by a machine and then hearing the person be the one to sound lke a robot while they read it. I don't know what suit actually thinks that shit works? Tell your employees to try to sell something: fine. Giving them scripts (either actually printed or just learned) and all you do is annoy your potential customers.

Edited December 8, 2006 by Atarifever

[Shawn]

I refuse to shop at EB, every store is the same IMO. A pair of asshole 20 something year old employee's that think they know the world and even more about video games when it's quite clear they don't have a clue.

[King_Salamon]

MMF, I'm glad you held back because I had something like that happen once myself. I was buying a PS2 game and the guy asked me if I pre-ordered Halo 2 yet (this was in the summer before the game released) and I told him no I don't have an XBox. He then asked again if I wanted to pre-order it. Well... I then asked if I could complete the purchase and he started talking about something else and never even started making his way to the game on the shelf behind him...

 

That was the end of my visit. I walked out, without the game and while walking out I could hear the guy spouting off... I left without a look and never went back there.

 

My local EB is pretty decent... the manager knows me and cans the crap. The other staff are pretty good too. I know eventually some new staff member will try to pull some holier than thou attitude... I'm waiting for it.

 

I used to work at EB and although I understood that it's a business and all, I never pushed someone to buy something they didn't want. I kind of went against the trend by not pushing stuff on customers. The result? I had a huge customer base that would only stop in the store if they saw I was working. I took care of all customers and treated them the same way I would want to be treated at a store.

 

Hey... maybe the next time I get someone trying to push some crap on me, I'll calmly ask if they would want someone being so pushy on them? Perhaps give them some perspective on things.

 

Rant time... I understand stores like to collect money for various charities but it's getting to be crazy! I recall the $1 for a sticker on the wall with your name on it... not bad. But lately I was at the grocery store and they wanted to round up your purchase to the next dollar and you can donate that change to charity. The guy in front of me said keep the change and it was 2 cents. TWO CENTS! The girl then asked him to fill out some paper for the donation... he looked at her (and I looked at her) like she was flippin' nuts!

 

When she asked me the same thing I told her that it was a complete waste of customers time. I'm here to buy groceries and the 'express' checkout was being bogged down by less than a $1 donation to a charity. I think the next time I go there I will not only say no thanks to the rounding up thing but just walk out without the groceries to stage my own protest to this silliness.

 

Done rant.... don't get me wrong. I like to donate to various groups but why do they have to bog down store lines with this nonsense?

[bruser_inc]

I had a 'EB Games sucks' thread a while ago.

 

Stopped back in there a few weeks ago and seems things have changed. The manager is now an older lady (mid, maybe late 40s), cool lady, she knows a crap load more than the old manager (who was a zit faced 20 year old). They have one worker (a college aged girl), who doesn't know a whole lot, just working for a paycheck, but she tells you what she knows, and won't give you BS just to tell you something.

 

They don't push preorders on you, they ask you if you would like to, and if you say no, they drop it. And if you want to get a game, they give you a shrinked wrapped one, not the case from the floor with stickers on it.

 

Seeing that things have been done for the better, I think I will start shopping more at the EB Games here again.

[MCHufnagel]

Even at Best Buy, you get badgered about extended warranties and magazine subscriptions. When did the fact that I am in your store buying your merchandise become not good enough? It's never enough to take my money in exchange for a piece of your inventory. It's all about trying to bilk a few extra bucks out of me, or getting me to take a used copy from you instead to increase your profit margin.

Chris

That is the part that drives me crazy. If you can't make any money by selling me the stuff I want, then get into magazine publishing or warranty insurance. You're in the wrong fricking business!

 

EB/GameStop is highly profitable and the reason is that they make a killing with trade-ins from kids or parents who don't know a thing about games. The manager of the EB close to my house one time almost pleaded with me for trade-ins. I only go there during special promotions and never trade-in anything, he basically said that I should help him make some profits off of me! The poor guy must have never taken an economics class.

[Brad2600]

EB/GameStop, in my experience is like every other store - many of the employees are idiots and assholes, few are not. When I go to the local EB, I try deliberately to get the employees I like. You won't believe this but I actually had an employee talk me OUT of buying a used copy of Donkey Konga, when he realized I could get it cheaper new with bongos than I could by purchasing a used game and used bongos.

 

Only reason to buy used games from there is if it's out of print or hard to find. New games I buy used off of GameFly. I have never had any problems with their games, the boxes and manuals are all top-notch, it looks like they resurface them before shipping, and the best part, is that a the price of a used game is usually 50% of new within ONE MONTH of release. Not five or ten dollars cheaper, but HALF PRICE. THAT'S how to sell used games.

 

EB/Gamestop sucks ass around here, man. There's 1 in S.Burl, 1 in Burl and 1 in Williston. All 3 suck donkey nuts. The one in S.Burl is full of stuck up clerks.

[DreamTR]

This works both ways.

 

Cartain customers have this idea that "the customer is always right" and they have an attitude or chip on their shoulder towards employees at game stores, and game store employees are TAUGHT to be aggressive (I am speaking about GameStop/EB Games here) and pursue the subscriptions for Game Informer, GameStop merchandise, warranties, etc.

 

Easiest thing to do when confronted by a game store employee such as this? Kind say "no thanks" a few times, ignore, and walk out, simple as that. No need to press any issues.

 

A lot of problems I see on both ends are that game store employees and consumers all think they know "more" about games than the people that work at the store, or the consumers.

 

To be honest? Who the hell cares! It's supposed to be a pleasant shopping experience, be friendly, get in, get out, done. You have to know how to appease people and the situation at hand.

 

This is specifically related to the Monkey Ball game. How do you KNOW it was not turned in by someone who did not want it? There are people I know that get games for free in the video game industry, in sales, Sega marketing, friends of friends, etc. Everyone turns in games when they come out for their own reasons, so you can't just think that it's a store demo copy or something. Where I live, we have games that appear used on shelves the day after they come out, especially with all the random game companies nearby and employees of these companies selling off their freebies!

 

I'm not "defending" the guy here, but this situation could have been avoided by just not speaking to the guy further.

[Avid Fan]

I'm glad I'm friends with the manager of the EB I go to most of the time. So he doesnt even bother with the spiels.

I recommend growing facial hair, and long hair, wear a megadeth shirt and look pissed when you walk in, they tend not to F with you. It works. When I had short hair and no facial hair and wore normal t-shirts, they thought they could pester me. Not no more

[jpfalcon2003]

Terrible that happened to you. I have no problems at the mall in new Orleans. they are actually very friendly there.

[Uzumaki]

Remind me to pack up a bunch of dirt common 2600 carts for when the sales drone pesters me to sell my old games. If they say any old game, I'll dig the Atari's up and see them scratch their head.

 

If they still bug me anyway, I just may add in I have one more at home for trade in, an arcade machine called Sega R-360 which is a 9 feet tall monster with mind-blowing power requirement and defiantly requires a forklift to move.

[NovaXpress]

I go to Omaha a few times a year. I catch Husker games... play at an arcade over there near that mall (I think it is the 72nd and Dodge mall)... and I've been at the video game place nearby.

 

I'll avoid that EB games now. Thank you for the heads-up as I hate taht stuff. I just had a huge arguement with an employee selling me a NEW game that was already opened. If you open it... it is not new. That friggin simple.

Yeah, you're talking about the Family Fun Center on 70th and Dodge. Good arcade by today's standards. The EB is next door and Gamers is nearby on 72nd Street south of Dodge. And the Best Buy is on 76th and Dodge, which is where pretty much everyone I know chooses to shop for video games.

[Student Driver]

Man, I miss old-school EB, back when it was computer-software oriented with a side-business of video games. The employees tended to be older and non-pushy, they sold a wide variety of stuff for a wide variety of machines (I have stuff for TI, C64/128, Amiga, PC, Apple II, Inty, 2600, Bally, Timex/Sinclair, etc. purchased from a local EB), the store was more relaxed, etc. This thread reminds me of why I hate shopping in the modern, shoebox-sized angry-teen emporia that are EB/Gamestop/et al.

Yep, I worked for Electronics Boutique back in the early 90s. We never had to push ANYTHING on the customers. At the time, I remember them stressing to engage every single customer and to try and answer any questions they might have, but we were never encouraged to try and sell them stuff they didn't need. Ask if the customer needs any help, answer any questions they may have, keep an eye out for shoplifters, keep the store tidy, and that's about it. Of course, back then we did have to wear a button down shirt and tie.

 

..Al

 

The early 90s is when EB really changed, IMO.

 

(Begin rambling reminiscing about old-days of EB now.)

 

My (now-deceased) stepfather managed an EB from the early 80s through the early 90s; my mom met him because I was a little computer nerd, and he struck up a conversation with my mom because he was concerned that I was confusing Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 software (when I actually had both systems). It was pretty good for a while; it provided a decent living, and most of the employees had good side businesses doing at-home computer tutoring, database design for local businesses (I had to handkey data for a comic shop and a video rental store on a Franklin Ace for my stepdad). It was a nice, roomy computer store-- you could buy monitors, Franklin computers, etc. I remember thinking it was weird that someplace besides Radio Shack carried TRS-80 software-- made the Trash-80 suddenly seem like a legit platform. User groups met there, people traded PD softs, watched demos running, maybe sat down to do a little programming for fun. There was a little display of video game software, too.

 

Things began to change shortly after they began carrying NES software. First a little fourway in the back of the store, then the back wall, then a front wall by the entrance. Computer software shrank, the niche productivity stuff went out, the computers and peripherals (except joysticks) gone. Then the Genesis and TG16 came in (and we got free TG16s for home use!). EB started agitating for younger employees, younger store managers. The computer gurus started getting pressured to leave, and younger, cheaper, hipper kids with bad customer service skills came in. Who needed customer service any more? You didn't have to help people install Disk II controller cards in their Apple II+, you didn't need to know how to contact the local CP/M user groups, you didn't need to know compatibility issues between the 400/800 and XL line. You just needed to be able to say "this is the hot game of the moment." By 1992 or 93, the chain had changed completely, and all the old-timers were gone. My stepdad was no longer relevant, was demoted, and they began scheduling him one day a week. They wouldn't fire him, but they made it difficult to stay. So he left, and I didn't shop there again for years.

 

Eventually I began going in again when I picked up a PSX, but then they began moving the roomier stores to the narrow shoebox stores as leases expired chainwide; where I could put up with the angry teen crowd at the old stores since I had room to maneuver, I learned that I really hated having angry teens pressing up against me in a dinky walk-in closet-sized store so that they can see the latest Madden/FPS/Final Fantasy. So, again, I stopped going to EB. (I've since discovered that strip-mall EBs are sometimes nice and roomy, and less likely to have lots of shoppers at once.)

 

Interestingly, when the EB my stepdad used to manage made their move to the new shoebox location across the mall around 2001, they found old stock fallen behind wall panels in the backroom, and I picked up at retail a bunch of old stuff marked as generic 99 cent merchandise, including a 2600 Snoopy and the Red Baron and a copy of Microsoft Multiplan for the TI-99/4a. It felt kind of melancholy to poke through a bin of stuff the employees thought was "weird crap they found in the back room," knowing that it was merchandise I'd probably handled as a kid, merchandise my stepdad had probably unpacked from a box. They asked what the stuff was that I was buying, and I felt really old as I started telling them what their store had been like before they'd been born.

[MegaManFan]

So it's pushy employees at Gamestop/EB or idiot teens at Gamers. I guess that's why Wal Mart and Best Buy are selling so many games these days. The old school (pre-90s) video games stores were so much cooler. There weren't many back then.

 

I'll take the teens at Gamers at this point. They generally don't have the cajones to be pushy with a guy almost twice their age and clearly can't act like know-it-alls with me since they're not old enough to have ever played ColecoVision. And since the most insulting part of the conversation was being called a liar (I expect them to be pushy) here's a photo of my component cable along with Mrs. MMF's nunchuk, both of which arrived in the mail today:

[Tempest]

I bought my DS Lite at EB today. The person was pretty busy but managed to answer my questions and go in the back to get the games I wanted (it's a small store so some of the new stock is in the back). I wanted The New SMB, but the only one they had was a display copy so I decided to wait on that one. She asked if I wanted the display copy and I said no and that was that, no pushing it on me. They also asked if I wanted the warranty on the system and I said no, and once again that was that. I guess I just don't have pushy EB employees by me.

 

Tempest

[Lord Helmet]

That component cable makes a big difference. I got mine a couple of days ago

[EmOneGarand]

I work for EB, it's GameStop that makes us do that sheisty shit, I for one don't do it because I don't like being heckled either but I've had plenty customers who needed a swift kick in the ass for being utterly stupid. Had a women that bitched because she couldn't wrap her brain around the concept of Display Boxes.. "Why do you have Wii boxes if you don't have any Wii's!?" because their DISPLAY BOXES. I don't know what EB's your all talking about. Of the 20 some years I've played games and shopped at EB I've never had any employee try and force me into buying anything.. honestly you do have some assholes that work their but thats doesn't mean everyone who works their is the same. Most of the time you try and please the customer and it backfires because they think their always right when they don't know what their talking about. If your gonna bitch about EB bitch about GameStop, they don't know jack about games and pretty much run a monopoly.

[Shannon]

I'll take the teens at Gamers at this point. They generally don't have the cajones to be pushy with a guy almost twice their age and clearly can't act like know-it-alls with me since they're not old enough to have ever played ColecoVision. And since the most insulting part of the conversation was being called a liar (I expect them to be pushy) here's a photo of my component cable along with Mrs. MMF's nunchuk, both of which arrived in the mail today:

 

You oughta take that into the store and wave it in his face along with the supermonkey ball that you picked up new at another store.

 

Anyways I think it's all a matter of location. In my hometown the EB's, etc have gone waaaaay downhill in terms of employee attitude. Whereas where I live now they are alot friendlier. But they still have their shitty policies like the display copy, $3-$5 difference between used and new, stickers everywhere, overpriced classic software, PS1 games that look like every manner of disgusting thing has been done to them, etc, etc.

 

EB has gone waaaaaay downhill from, say, 10 years ago. The only problem they had in the earlier days were they tended to be a little too high priced.

Edited December 8, 2006 by Shannon

[Atariboy]

What do you expect them to do though with display copies? Sell a game used for each title they get in simply because its been opened and the contents stored? What happens if they run out, sell the display copy, and then get a new shipment? Take the loss selling two new games for the price of a used copy?

 

Or do you guys expect them just to line the walls with locked glass cases Wal-Mart style, or for them to take the loss from thiefs stealing games?

Edited December 8, 2006 by Atariboy

[Shawn]

So it's pushy employees at Gamestop/EB or idiot teens at Gamers. I guess that's why Wal Mart and Best Buy are selling so many games these days. The old school (pre-90s) video games stores were so much cooler. There weren't many back then.

 

I'll take the teens at Gamers at this point. They generally don't have the cajones to be pushy with a guy almost twice their age and clearly can't act like know-it-alls with me since they're not old enough to have ever played ColecoVision. And since the most insulting part of the conversation was being called a liar (I expect them to be pushy) here's a photo of my component cable along with Mrs. MMF's nunchuk, both of which arrived in the mail today:

 

Take it in and show it to them I would. And be sure to use a one liner like "See you dumb fuck" I say one liner cause I would only be in the store long enough to show say the line and leave giving them the one finger salute.

[MCHufnagel]

What do you expect them to do though with display copies? Sell a game used for each title they get in simply because its been opened and the contents stored? What happens if they run out, sell the display copy, and then get a new shipment? Take the loss selling two new games for the price of a used copy?

 

Or do you guys expect them just to line the walls with locked glass cases Wal-Mart style, or for them to take the loss from thiefs stealing games?

No, they can do what is done at Game Crazy. Put all new games behind the counter, either on the wall or on shelfing below. That way they can keep them sealed. Of course changing the counters might bite into their profits.