Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
Thats a shame, my wife and I were born and raised in Columbia and didnt get into Warhammer until after I was stationed elsewhere. We had been planning on visiting the store next time we went home.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/25 12:24:24
meaples wrote: I hate to be the devil's advocate but there is usually something more than meets the eye here. As much as we would love to call GW a faceless corporate entity hell bent on sales and nothing more, there is always a reason that he must have quit voluntarily.
And, for the vast majority of the time, the person opts to resign rather than get fired because he feels that it will look better for his future hiring prospects. The company will typically give the employee the option to resign rather than being fired for the sole reason of avoiding having to pay unemployment.
Alternatively, he might have left because he didn't agree with the direction his supervisor wanted him to go.
But, if the company had absolute cause to fire someone (such cause that would negate any attempt to collect unemployment), they wouldn't have given him the chance to resign. The manager would have shown up with the termination papers and probably and HR rep.
notprop wrote: I just read the OP again with my Commercial Managers head on, Warning this is Arch-pedantry but people like this do exist and are drawn to middle management like moths to a flame;
- Uninsured activity possibly including minors without parental consent.
- Un-supervised activity on premises or store understaffed if this room was in use during store hours.
- Possible leasing issues if designated storage areas are being used for sundry Front of House activities and/or Out of hours.
- Premises in use for longer hours - who's paying for utilities?
- Employees on property for longer than opening hours - health/welfare and work /life balance issues and liability.
- Nice artwork now who's paying to clean this up when the Landlord sees it?
None of this counters the fact that on the face of it the Manager seems to have been doing a stand up job but there are many people that could and would over look good results to make a point and/or show someone they are the boss/don't get too big for your boots.
Jebus knows I've work for some bell ends like that in my time.
Agreed, although if I were his manger's manager, I'd be wanting to know either why he'd given permission, had been so out of touch as to be unaware that these things were happening or hadn't taken action sooner.
Of course, given the nature of middle management, the two individuals could be involved in their own little circle jerk and none for it would matter.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
Given how homogenous their stores have become, I just don't think they like independent attitudes. GW recruit people who are a good fit. Maybe his managers decided that while he was good at selling, he wasn't a good fit because he wasn't towing the line. Drawing 80s style orcs on the walls and setting up a gaming room is doing stuff that makes the shop look different to the others, maybe even embarrassing others that don't offer these things. By doing non standard things and doing well smacks of challenging the management. People should be in the shops buying GW not playing games and other non-spending activities. Individuality is bad, don't ask questions and be a good little drone.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
RiTides wrote: Our local GW manager ended up opening and running an independent FLGS a few years after the GW Bunker left Maryland. So, there's hope
Titan?
Dropzone Games, but maybe Titan qualifies, too!
I still drop by the St. Thomas GW on occasion, and even a year on it still has a only fraction of the customers after GW ran Dave out on a rail. I wish I could've taken a picture showing Saturday evenings before, when the store was generally packed with players, painters, and shoppers, and what Saturday nights have been like since, and sent that to GW customer service.
He didn't get fired he quit. It could all be nothing more then his boss saying "you know all that work you've done in the back room? Turns out we aren't allowed to use it for gaming purposes" to which he replies "that's bs I'm outta here"
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
So a GW store with a dedicated gaming area and tournament support was out selling other stores? Usually numbers are the only thing companies like this care about. They dont care how you do it, just sell sell sell. I dont understand their logic, the game room and tournaments were holding the store back from even more sales lol? No chance the sales were due to those differences i guess.
Boycott the store and tell the regional manager directly that you wont be shopping there any more.
Games Workshop Careers Website wrote:
About the Job
Do you want to be responsible for growing sales by running your own Games Workshop retail store?
Are you excited by working on your own, engaging with all your customers, understanding what’s important to them, and responding appropriately?
You will be responsible for and expected to make all the decisions to drive sales in your store all of the time. We will provide you with broad guidelines and access to a variety of support to allow you to do this effectively.
We know that the real challenge to growing sales is to provide a consistently exceptional standard of service to every customer no matter what. For those of you that meet this challenge, you will be financially rewarded with a proportion of your sales growth on top of an already competitive salary.
Evidently what they say and what they do are not quite in line with one another.
Or there's more to it, as others have stated.
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
From the looks of it, the guy "commissioned art" on the building that GW is leasing...as in, painted on the walls.
I can't think that would have been approved.
Howard A Treesong wrote: Given how homogenous their stores have become, I just don't think they like independent attitudes. GW recruit people who are a good fit. Maybe his managers decided that while he was good at selling, he wasn't a good fit because he wasn't towing the line. Drawing 80s style orcs on the walls and setting up a gaming room is doing stuff that makes the shop look different to the others, maybe even embarrassing others that don't offer these things. By doing non standard things and doing well smacks of challenging the management. People should be in the shops buying GW not playing games and other non-spending activities. Individuality is bad, don't ask questions and be a good little drone.
Games Workshop does not own the buildings that their stores are part of. They lease.
Having art "commissioned" for the walls? Might violate the terms of the leases and leave GW as a corporate entity not the manager in question liable for the costs of refurbishing the space.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/25 23:41:30
ahzek wrote: To be honest, if his numbers were good he'd essentially be allowed to run his store how he wanted to run it.
If a manager has 'suggested' he quit then his numbers weren't good
He was actually Top 5 in SE region for sales.
He quit because of the direction his manager was going to force him to go
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
Kanluwen wrote: From the looks of it, the guy "commissioned art" on the building that GW is leasing...as in, painted on the walls.
I can't think that would have been approved.
Howard A Treesong wrote: Given how homogenous their stores have become, I just don't think they like independent attitudes. GW recruit people who are a good fit. Maybe his managers decided that while he was good at selling, he wasn't a good fit because he wasn't towing the line. Drawing 80s style orcs on the walls and setting up a gaming room is doing stuff that makes the shop look different to the others, maybe even embarrassing others that don't offer these things. By doing non standard things and doing well smacks of challenging the management. People should be in the shops buying GW not playing games and other non-spending activities. Individuality is bad, don't ask questions and be a good little drone.
Games Workshop does not own the buildings that their stores are part of. They lease.
Having art "commissioned" for the walls? Might violate the terms of the leases and leave GW as a corporate entity not the manager in question liable for the costs of refurbishing the space.
Most commercial leases only have stipulations against structural changes or anything requiring permits/planning permission. Because commercial premises are normally essentially big empty cubes that the tenant develops to suit their purposes.
As long as things are put right should the tenant leave then there wouldn't be a problem. I would imagine that even if he didn't have permission, if the guy had the attitude he's reported to, then he would have painted over them should it have become necessary.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/25 23:55:37
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
ahzek wrote: To be honest, if his numbers were good he'd essentially be allowed to run his store how he wanted to run it.
If a manager has 'suggested' he quit then his numbers weren't good
He was actually Top 5 in SE region for sales.
He quit because of the direction his manager was going to force him to go
So why did his manager come and investigate the store?
Nothing really adds up here.
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Uhmm. Yes they do. And he (Josh Wimberly) was doing rounds of all the local stores.
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Uhmm. Yes they do. And he (Josh Wimberly) was doing rounds of all the local stores.
Even a cursory glance of Google says that Josh Wimberly is "head of retail recruitment", not a "regional manager".
Watched a bit of the video and got bored. Still, I'd strongly recommend he take it down ASAP. Even if your reasons are just, dissing your previous employer is a bad move and looks worse to future employers. Usually, if you separate on better-than-bad terms your previous employer will give you a good recommendation and it's generally expected that you will do the same.
There's a good chance that future jobs will Google their managerial applicants. For the sake of his career, this guy should either clear up or anonymize (reddit is good for this) his commentary.
Of all the fetching places that enthusiastic gaming places need to be shut down, South Carolina is the last man. We are suffering badly. I seriously feel for you man. What a sham.
If you are ever interested in playing 15mm battlegroup (WW2) we got a group of guys in Charleston with some crazy awesome dedicated terrain and space. I left 40k awhile ago and never looked back.
Still got my DE though. If you can't find a game, we love well painted, narrative games. If all else fails hit us up bother.
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Uhmm. Yes they do. And he (Josh Wimberly) was doing rounds of all the local stores.
Even a cursory glance of Google says that Josh Wimberly is "head of retail recruitment", not a "regional manager".
It's the same freaking thing. His job is to manage the managers.
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
ahzek wrote: I can tell you from my own experience, there are no regional managers, just a sales manager for the country/ overall region.
If you don't see anyone from higher up you're doing ok.
If you see someone you're doing something wrong.
He may have recieved a visit due to an issue and decided to quit, but the visit wouldn't have been without purpose
The visit wasn't just to his store. He was making rounds to multiple stores.
"Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people." -Harry McDougal (Outlaw Star)
"Hey, I don't make the rules, I just twist them to my purpose." -Celia (Order Of The Stick)
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Uhmm. Yes they do. And he (Josh Wimberly) was doing rounds of all the local stores.
Even a cursory glance of Google says that Josh Wimberly is "head of retail recruitment", not a "regional manager".
OMG, the plot thickens, what was really going on here? so you think the OP is lying about everything? it's a conspiracy
please enlighten us all what really transpired here.
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Uhmm. Yes they do. And he (Josh Wimberly) was doing rounds of all the local stores.
Even a cursory glance of Google says that Josh Wimberly is "head of retail recruitment", not a "regional manager".
And in that cursory glance I found this gem...
Assist with the on-going development and training of Management.
So... yeah, he's still doing "regional manager" stuff as part of his current job.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/26 03:13:53
It wasn't an investigation. He was just showing up as a walk around. He was scheduled to visit more stores after.
Considering GW purportedly no longer has regional managers, I can think of absolutely no reason for a manager's "boss" to be showing up just to have a walkaround.
Same thing happened at the Columbia Maryland GW, random management check. The higher up gave the local manager a hard time, too. That local manager, Tony, was and is awesome. GW's corporate attitude / pressure on employees is quite bad, though. Seeing the way the higher up treated him was one of my last straws with GWHQ... although I'd still go by the store to get paint / etc when I could just to support Tony. It's awesome that two other GW managers in Maryland are at their own independent stores now.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/07/26 04:03:44
