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Don't have a opinion, never been in a GW store

As with other stores, it's been a bit of a mixed bag really, sometimes the staff are excellent, sometimes they can be really poor most of the times they are satisfactory

Haven't been to a GW since their iconic Meadowhall (or iconic to us Tykes, anyway) store closed, but their staff were always superb. The only dodgy moment was when one of them accused me of trying to kill him when he tripped over my foot in 1996.

I used to love their Mail Order staff, they just knew everything, even the really obscure models which I had to describe to them (eg "that space marine with the multi-melta arm", it wasn't his arm, he was carrying the gun, the staff member still knew which I meant). One Christmas they sent me a free Predator, Dreadnought and Rhino, back in the mid 90s!

I've worked in call centres since 2000 and I always, always answer the phone with the bright and cheery greeting I used to get from GW staff.

Iv had good.

Iv had Bad.

Iv had Hilarious ones too.

All of them are a Riot.

Essentially good guys with a job to do. Their main failing is that they do not know what is being released two weeks from now which is hardly their fault.

I get the standard "What are you in for today?" and a bit of attempted up selling at the till, but generally left to my own devices.

Nottingham city centre have the best staff!!! Always great (although they still haven't gotten my name of the board for most core game sales )

Corporate or individual stores?

Three types:
1) Hobby uber-fan they are the ones worth talking to.
2) If not talking about potentially buying something their eyes glaze over and then they make inane suggestions "oh, you need that then...".
3) Hard-core sales guy "pounces": "You want the latest shiny bit!", you can order at the terminal and get shipping here for free!!!

Pretty much any GW store I have been in.
When I demonstrate I know my stuff #1 hangs out and talks shop / tactics (cool!).
#2 type drifts away and pretty much figures if he talks further it would just hurt the sale (which is largely right which is kinda ok).
#3 is the bad. The brutally bad, you are wallet with legs to them. GW corporate A1#1 "right types" to turn around the stores the way they intended! And scare away small children in droves (much the same as a "scary" too jolly clown at a birthday party).

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Obviously they've been trained to ask any person who walks in "So what brings you in today?" "Have you heard of the game before?" "What army do you collect?" but I don't understand why people have such disdain for being asked a few basic introductory questions when they walk in to a store

That's not exclusive to GW. I can't speak for others, but I dislike having to take a quiz on entering a store. Store staff should acknowledge customers, certainly, and a simple 'Anything I can help you with?' is always welcome... but if the answer to that first question is in the negative, then leave me the hell alone. If I need anything after that, I'll ask.

 insaniak wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Obviously they've been trained to ask any person who walks in "So what brings you in today?" "Have you heard of the game before?" "What army do you collect?" but I don't understand why people have such disdain for being asked a few basic introductory questions when they walk in to a store

That's not exclusive to GW. I can't speak for others, but I dislike having to take a quiz on entering a store. Store staff should acknowledge customers, certainly, and a simple 'Anything I can help you with?' is always welcome... but if the answer to that first question is in the negative, then leave me the hell alone. If I need anything after that, I'll ask.

From my retail experience in and out of GW that's a terrible first question because it's a closed question. Never ever ask a customer a yes or no option. Ask a good open question and the only no reply is rude silence.

The one in Denver is friendly and welcoming. he's a bit of a salesman, but I've never found him overbearing or pushy. he's a good face for the company in my opinion.

 insaniak wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Obviously they've been trained to ask any person who walks in "So what brings you in today?" "Have you heard of the game before?" "What army do you collect?" but I don't understand why people have such disdain for being asked a few basic introductory questions when they walk in to a store

That's not exclusive to GW. I can't speak for others, but I dislike having to take a quiz on entering a store. Store staff should acknowledge customers, certainly, and a simple 'Anything I can help you with?' is always welcome... but if the answer to that first question is in the negative, then leave me the hell alone. If I need anything after that, I'll ask.

When it came to new customers entering the store I had two rules for my staff

1) Acknowledge them, even if you're busy, within the first few seconds.

2) Ambush them before they've had chance to draw breath and get their bearings, you're in for a bollocking.

The second used to drive my line manager mad, because he was of the "jump on them and don't let them escape" mentality, but running the best performing store in the area buys one a certain amount of feth you.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also "anything I can help you with?" is a bad opening, one should never ask a closed question when approaching a customer.

Sign of a poor (or poorly trained) salesman that.

 Azreal13 wrote:

 insaniak wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Obviously they've been trained to ask any person who walks in "So what brings you in today?" "Have you heard of the game before?" "What army do you collect?" but I don't understand why people have such disdain for being asked a few basic introductory questions when they walk in to a store

That's not exclusive to GW. I can't speak for others, but I dislike having to take a quiz on entering a store. Store staff should acknowledge customers, certainly, and a simple 'Anything I can help you with?' is always welcome... but if the answer to that first question is in the negative, then leave me the hell alone. If I need anything after that, I'll ask.

When it came to new customers entering the store I had two rules for my staff

1) Acknowledge them, even if you're busy, within the first few seconds.

2) Ambush them before they've had chance to draw breath and get their bearings, you're in for a bollocking.

The second used to drive my line manager mad, because he was of the "jump on them and don't let them escape" mentality, but running the best performing store in the area buys one a certain amount of feth you.

In my experience as a customer, pestering me may get you a sale but I usually leave in bad taste and won't come back. Hence why I haven't been to GW to buy something in a looooong time. Being aggressive can be a short term thing. It doesn't matter what I buy or how much it is, if I leave feeling ripped off chances are is because I was not given the chance to think.

A balance is needed. Wellington manager doesn't seem to understand this and I struggle to get a chance to look at anything.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Also "anything I can help you with?" is a bad opening, one should never ask a closed question when approaching a customer.

Sign of a poor (or poorly trained) salesman that.

Maybe. But also a salesman who's not going to encourage me to just turn around and walk straight back out of the store again.

I don't want to tell you what I'm working on, or how familiar I am with your product, or how long I've been playing. I'm not there to make a new friend. I'm there to look around, or to find something specific, and if I need help I'll ask for it.


Your 'good' salesman might work in some situations, but in my case he's just likely to cost you a sale.

Then he isn't a good salesman? Modifying your approach to the customer is key to success, but it is one of those qualities that can't be taught.

Either way, you can go into a sales situation with as adversarial an attitude as you like, a good salesman will find a way more often than not. I've done it and taught others to do it for years, seen it hundreds of times, sometimes in incredibly unorthodox ways.

Unless you're serious that if somebody came up to you in a shop and engaged you in a topic you're interested in in a witty and warm manner would send you scurrying for the exit, in which case you're a special case.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Then he isn't a good salesman? Modifying your approach to the customer is key to success, but it is one of those qualities that can't be taught.

Sure. And my point is that the approach that will succeed with me is to say 'Hi there? Anything I can help you with?'... at which point I will either ask for help, or say 'No thanks' and continue looking for whatever it is I'm looking for.

Unless you're serious that if somebody came up to you in a shop and engaged you in a topic you're interested in in a witty and warm manner would send you scurrying for the exit, in which case you're a special case.

I rarely scurry. My back's just not up to it.

But yes, if the sales guy insists on distracting me from what I'm looking for by trying to engage me in conversation, I'm going to leave and find a different shop where I can browse in peace. I don't go to shops to socialise.

 Swastakowey wrote:

 Azreal13 wrote:

 insaniak wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Obviously they've been trained to ask any person who walks in "So what brings you in today?" "Have you heard of the game before?" "What army do you collect?" but I don't understand why people have such disdain for being asked a few basic introductory questions when they walk in to a store

That's not exclusive to GW. I can't speak for others, but I dislike having to take a quiz on entering a store. Store staff should acknowledge customers, certainly, and a simple 'Anything I can help you with?' is always welcome... but if the answer to that first question is in the negative, then leave me the hell alone. If I need anything after that, I'll ask.

When it came to new customers entering the store I had two rules for my staff

1) Acknowledge them, even if you're busy, within the first few seconds.

2) Ambush them before they've had chance to draw breath and get their bearings, you're in for a bollocking.

The second used to drive my line manager mad, because he was of the "jump on them and don't let them escape" mentality, but running the best performing store in the area buys one a certain amount of feth you.

In my experience as a customer, pestering me may get you a sale but I usually leave in bad taste and won't come back. Hence why I haven't been to GW to buy something in a looooong time. Being aggressive can be a short term thing. It doesn't matter what I buy or how much it is, if I leave feeling ripped off chances are is because I was not given the chance to think.

A balance is needed. Wellington manager doesn't seem to understand this and I struggle to get a chance to look at anything.

I guess I just never really understood why people get their knickers in a twist over it. I'm far from a sociable person, given the choice between talking to someone and an awkward silence I'll typically choose the latter But I still don't really understand the animosity towards GW staff some people have. One of my mates spends more time griping about GW staff than I've ever actually been pestered by an actual GW staffer

Maybe I just exude an aura of "nothing I say is going to get this guy to buy something" and they just leave me alone after they've asked me their 3 or 4 canned questions.

I can't say I've ever felt pestered to buy something. If a staffer approaches me and spends their time talking to me I never feel any obligation to follow it up with a purchase, it was their choice to approach me. On the other hand, if I approach a staffer and start asking them questions and advice and opinions, I'll typically feel obligated to purchase something because it was me approaching them to waste their time.... but then that rarely ever happens at a GW so it's not really relevant (when I'm at my local hobby store I almost always buy *something* simply because I'm always asking him for advice and opinions on things ).

I've never encountered a redshirt myself, but as for my local store owners, well...


... If I followed their advice I'd be knee deep in a Skyshield Landing pad running Grav Cents and WS Bikers!

Although the big fellow, he is mirthful enough to say it all with an evil chuckle and plenty of nefarious hand-wringing and such. It allows one to laugh along while you pick out your paint pots and hum over the model racks. He will then moan loudly when you only buy $100 worth of stuff, while giving you a discount.

The other fellow is the quiet sort, chimes in with little blurbs about tactics which are incredibly insightful, then goes back to sloooowwwwlllly painting some massive blob of WFB infantry.

Kind of like Holmes and Watson, except they switched fatnesses.

 Grimtuff wrote:
Depends entirely on the person in question.

Exactly. The current and previous staff in my town were absolute gents, who regularly went above and beyond. The first one here was a muppet who allowed customers figures to be stood on by children when entered in a painting contest.

A better question again would be, "What's your opinion on how GW treats its staff?" as I certainly have several of those.

The store near me has a good guy running it... Had a good conversation about D&D 5.0 with him and its comparison with 3.5


He's never given me a hard sell on anything I've purchased there. I will admit I would buy from him less if he had; I hate the hard sell. Especially after working in retail in a gaming store for a while.

He doesn't mind if you bring a toddler into the store, or if you play specialist games, or if you use models that aren't 100% GW models... I saw a game of WFB there with a guy using some KoW minis as unit fillers. Although they always made the first casualties.


In short, I haven't seen what people complain about at the stores I've gone to, but people are people and some are @$$hats and some aren't.

My local store's usual manager is a really nice guy, really helpful (helped me get hold of a copy of space hulk from another store when it sold out), chatty and enthusiastic. some of the other managers for other stores that I've been to have been really nice as well. there are two staff that I have met when they have been covering that I would be glad to never see again, one had absolutely zero interest and knowledge of the hobby and the other was rude as hell and really unhelpful.

Only been to one official store in years, but I was not impressed at all. The rep just sat there and had limited conversation with clear regulars that weren't buying anything.

Barely said a word to me the entire time I was in there. I asked for a price, which I later found on the box and she did not know the price off hand. Some boxes had prices on them, others did not.

Besides the fact that there was no interest whatsoever in my business, which is fine I can shop on my own, she was actually complaining that someone had left ONE space marine mini there.

"He said he would come and pick it up and I haven't seen him all week."

Some regular said yeah he lives a good 40-60 minutes away, he'll probably just get it next time he comes in for a game. Her response was something along the lines of "I'm not a storage facility."

Just ridiculous.

 JamesY wrote:
Nottingham city centre have the best staff!!! Always great (although they still haven't gotten my name of the board for most core game sales )

Well, you're obviously biased as you surely used to work there!

Nottingham has the only GW official stores I've been to this year, and I have to say all the staff are pretty friendly. I know its their job to ask what hobby you're doing/planning, but they always seem genuinely interested in your answers.

I think people answering the poll based on experiences of a decade ago are being a little unfair to current staff. Remember GW hires by attitude now .

My local store is GW Coventry. The manager there, Dave, is great. I do not know him personally but he has a real love of the hobby, is genuinely interested in what you are doing and never tries to push any sales on you. Just what I want really, he seems happy to talk to you for 15/20 minutes about the game systems/minis or is just as happy if you walk in and want to keep yourself to yourself and just have a browse. I think retail staff everywhere find this distinction difficult to make.

The store near me is like a mobile phone store. They bounce on you the second you enter and act as if you're best friends. No good.

And the v-neck top tucked in jeans thing makes me a feel a little uneasy.

As someone who has both worked in, managed and owned a mobile phone store, I resent that! You've clearly only been in the gak ones!

Excellent, at least for my local store, its a one man operation and the manager is such a good guy, helpful with any questions and is a good laugh.

Have been to other stores where they are a bit too pushy about me buying stuff, rather than just enjoying the time spent down there, but thats their job after all.

 Azreal13 wrote:
As someone who has both worked in, managed and owned a mobile phone store, I resent that! You've clearly only been in the gak ones!

The gak one's is all thats' left, I did like that one in the High Street, where you wandered in and said 'I'd like a nice phone, with some freeby stuff, for not much' and that tall bloke would sort it out,,,beats going into a shop for a top-up and trying not to make the children they are passing off as staff these days cry

I've told you, start wearing trousers in public and people will cry much less often!

I can't go into a GW store without them pushing crap down my throat. I walk in with a couple grand worth of painted models, and now I need to buy more in order to feel comfortable in your store using what I have? No thanks bro.

Mine isn't bad, but you can see he is discreetly trying to get you to buy stuff. I don't blame him for trying to keep his job.