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I've been going to the same gamesworkshop for about 3/4 years and this is the first time I've ever had any trouble there, or heck, in any store I've ever been into. Over the years I've had good experiences and have spent at least £800 there (That's a LOT to me, as I am only 14 and that constitutes many Christmases and birthdays) and was appalled at the customer service I got off a new member of staff today. I came in early by bus, bringing in my smaller case with a small 40k force in because I wanted to buy a big £60 case and couldn't carry both that and my large case home on the bus. I was disappointed to find that they had run out of cases but then the staff member instantly started pressuring me to buy something with the £60 in my pocket. He wouldn't lay off me saying that its not a free store, but was called away to lie to little Timmy (He lied about stats and rules to him then told him to buy a very mediocre army based on the false rules he told him) coming in to play a starter game. I settled down to play a game when I remembered I forgot my main rule book (I couldn't carry it in my little case anyway, it wouldn't fit and I didn't have little one) but figured that my opponent did, so we started to play a match. He then comes up to me specifically and asked to see my rule book, I said I left it at home because it wouldn't fit in case. He told me to pack my stuff up and leave the table and you can't play today. I wasn't exactly happy, as the manager would of let it slide, but I though it was kind of reasonable so I packed up.

I then started to look through my army books devising new lists and what to buy next, then he asked me what I was doing. I said making an army list, he said you can do that at home, so buy some paints or you'll have to leave. I said I didn't need paints and wasn't going to let him bully me into it. He then told me to leave and I got, understandably, agitated. He even threated to call the police, and when I asked what I am doing wrong, he said your doing nothing. I said I couldn't leave, as I didn't have a bus to catch until 5:30 (He kicked me out at 1:30) and he said he didn't care, this isn't a day care. With my parents in work I could do nothing but wait in a busy town with hundreds of people walking past with no supervision ( I wonder if he understands abduction) with a valuable looking case. While I was waiting some kids walked past and kicked my case over, leaving a raider almost beyond repair. Then I had the luck to randomly find another bus to near where I live (Still a good 45mins away, up hill) and took that, having to buy a new ticket because it was a different bus. While I guess that part doesn't matter, it just shows how he screwed up my entire day. So after all that Wall'O'Text I wanted to ask can he do that, kick me out because I wasn't buying something or playing a game? Is that what gamesworkshop has become now? Because it certainly isn't the friendly environment I was used to, nor the customer service I expected from a loyal customer who has went there for years. When I told my mum she was incredulous and wanted to right letters to HQ and everything, I said I would simply talk to the manager (A really nice fellow) to try sort things out. Sorry about the rant, but I just want to know if when I confront the manager i'm complaining about a disagreeable staff member who is enforcing rules or a disagreeable staff member who is simply being rude. Thanks

Quit whining because you were asked not to loiter. Remember why any store exists: making money. It isn't a library or a lounge.

Holy run on post.

If you want to hang out, go to a club.
It's a shop not a social centre.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Quit whining because you were asked not to loiter. Remember why any store exists: making money. It isn't a library or a lounge.

He wasn't loitering, he was partaking in the hobby that the 'Hobby Center' exists to cater to.

I find most GW staff intolerable and their policies absolutely ridiculous that is why I now try to go in the store for as little as possible, ordering stuff online and going to a local miniature wargaming club instead.

Get in touch with the manager ASAP. Explain what happened and at the very LEAST, demand that the employee in question sincerely apologize to you the next time you're "loitering" in the store.

If you get that, leave it alone. If not, never spend another dollar in that building.

Ha ha ha!

 undertow wrote:

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Quit whining because you were asked not to loiter. Remember why any store exists: making money. It isn't a library or a lounge.

He wasn't loitering, he was partaking in the hobby that the 'Hobby Center' exists to cater to.

Agreed.

He was basically kicked out because he did not have a rule book. or wold not spend his money on something he didn't want. If the manager is as nice of a guy as you say he is I would say talk to him first and explain what happened. See where it goes from there.

Since you are 14 i'd have your mom go into the store and yell at the employee for awhile, that would make me happy.

High pressure sales tactics are something I frown upon.

However, assuming UK laws are anything like Canadian ones, people do not have a 'right' to stand inside a private space, like a store. The store's employees are empowered to ask someone to leave for any reason that isn't a protected classification (for example, telling someone to leave because of their skin colour would likely be... unwise), but the store isn't responsible for the particulars of everyone's day.

He may have been a jerk, but no, it's not their responsibility to provide you a place to hang out for 4 or 5 hours either.

Now, this takes assumptions with local and federal law in another country, please feel free to point out if the UK does have some such legislation in place, and I'll cheerfully redact my commentary.

I see both sides of this.

On the one hand, the store is not a place to just hang out. Would you hang out at any other store like that and expect to be allowed to stay? What I also noted was that you said you were browsing the rulebooks, this means handling a lot of the copies that are meant to be sold and putting undue strain and use on them when you are not intent on buying them. It may not be malicious or intentional. but you are wearing out their product without any intent to buy.

But on the other hand, you are a fairly longtime customer and should be known by this point.

I'd discuss it with the manager.

Yeah, this is both not ok and totally not unexpected at a GW. I don't even get why you HAVE to have a rule book with you if you already know how to play. What, you need a receipt for every goddamn thing on the table now.

The worst part is that from all the talk about busses it sounds like you don't live in an urban area with a ton of stores. Find a local shop with a store owner who isn't a tool if at all possible. It's such a different experience. Night and day.

Also, if you're 14 I congratulate you on your posting prowess. Much more legible than SO many fully grown idiots. Also, long post does not a run-on make. Pretty sure your punctuation was alright.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Quit whining because you were asked not to loiter. Remember why any store exists: making money. It isn't a library or a lounge.

Loitering? I think you may have me confused with the stereotypical teen here, as this is a really unfair comment. This is a store I regularly visit and spend lots of money at, am I not thinking I would be afforded just a little respect? Your store may be 'Just a store' but when the manager is around, it becomes more of a community. Everyone is nice to everyone and everyone shares tips on how to play/paint the hobby we are all into. When did gamesworkshop decide to kill of the community it has been developing for decades, because it obviously hasn't succeeded other non of us would be here (well, you Warmachine people can stay ). The problem is there are no other hobby stores around that I know of, and no other GW's within easy reach. So that store IS my warhammer life, if that becomes somewhere that I cannot play the game, then the game will end for me altogether.

Edit @ Curran, I wasn't browsing their rule book, I was looking through my own codex which I had room for in my case, and the main rule book we used belonged to my opponent/friend. Also thanks for the comment on my posting, I try to type up everything on Word first before I post. I have quite bad dyslexia (Why would they spell it like that? Why is there a Y??? ) so I like to use word to check my spellings and such.

You could also go to the store and take a dump on the bathroom floor, but that's just me

 curran12 wrote:
I see both sides of this.

On the one hand, the store is not a place to just hang out. Would you hang out at any other store like that and expect to be allowed to stay? What I also noted was that you said you were browsing the rulebooks, this means handling a lot of the copies that are meant to be sold and putting undue strain and use on them when you are not intent on buying them. It may not be malicious or intentional. but you are wearing out their product without any intent to buy.

But on the other hand, you are a fairly longtime customer and should be known by this point.

I'd discuss it with the manager.

He said 'my rule books'

And to anyone saying its a store and not for hanging out, you are right on the same page with GW. WTF is my incentive to not purchase everything online and play in my basement if I can't hang out at the hobby store?

Just because you patronize a store doesn't entitle you to waste space. I have heard the line "do you know how much money I spend here?!?" as a bartender often enough to know that no customer is actually paying our bills. Did the employee go about it the wrong way? yes he did. But no one is entitled to hang out in any store just because he has nothing better to do.

Ah, my mistake then, misread that. Sorry!

 powerclaw wrote:

 curran12 wrote:
I see both sides of this.

On the one hand, the store is not a place to just hang out. Would you hang out at any other store like that and expect to be allowed to stay? What I also noted was that you said you were browsing the rulebooks, this means handling a lot of the copies that are meant to be sold and putting undue strain and use on them when you are not intent on buying them. It may not be malicious or intentional. but you are wearing out their product without any intent to buy.

But on the other hand, you are a fairly longtime customer and should be known by this point.

I'd discuss it with the manager.

He said 'my rule books'

And to anyone saying its a store and not for hanging out, you are right on the same page with GW. WTF is my incentive to not purchase everything online and play in my basement if I can't hang out at the hobby store?

Perhaps none of his friends play wargames?

14 years old, been going to the store for 3/4 years, has a dig about the staff talking to little timmys.

Best bit.

That is ridiculous and I honestly can't believe some of the posts I'm reading in response to you.

Definitely don't let this slide, stop spending money there and call and let the manager know exactly why you wont be buying from them anymore

pities2004 wrote:You could also go to the store and take a dump on the bathroom floor, but that's just me

Like you personally would really do this???? *rolls eyes*

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Just because you patronize a store doesn't entitle you to waste space. I have heard the line "do you know how much money I spend here?!?" as a bartender often enough to know that no customer is actually paying our bills. Did the employee go about it the wrong way? yes he did. But no one is entitled to hang out in any store just because he has nothing better to do.

powerclaw wrote:

 curran12 wrote:
I see both sides of this.

On the one hand, the store is not a place to just hang out. Would you hang out at any other store like that and expect to be allowed to stay? What I also noted was that you said you were browsing the rulebooks, this means handling a lot of the copies that are meant to be sold and putting undue strain and use on them when you are not intent on buying them. It may not be malicious or intentional. but you are wearing out their product without any intent to buy.

But on the other hand, you are a fairly longtime customer and should be known by this point.

I'd discuss it with the manager.

He said 'my rule books'

And to anyone saying its a store and not for hanging out, you are right on the same page with GW. WTF is my incentive to not purchase everything online and play in my basement if I can't hang out at the hobby store?

Agreed. He went there to play which is like free advertising for the store. I have never been to a store where it was buy something or get out and I am thankful for it.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Just because you patronize a store doesn't entitle you to waste space. I have heard the line "do you know how much money I spend here?!?" as a bartender often enough to know that no customer is actually paying our bills. Did the employee go about it the wrong way? yes he did. But no one is entitled to hang out in any store just because he has nothing better to do.

Sorry bars are not the same as gaming stores. Also can you honestly expect me to believe that every time you went in to your FLGS to play that you spent a large amount of cash there as well??

I would talk to the manager first, before you take your money elsewhere. If he knows you as a loyal customer he will probably take a positive view on things. If you straight away threaten to take your money elsewhere, the manager may give you up and kick you out.

 curran12 wrote:
Would you hang out at any other store like that and expect to be allowed to stay?

People expect to be able to do it at bookstores despite how much the employees and managers dislike it.

I can't tell you how many teenagers I've wanted to kick out for clogging the aisles(which is technically a fire hazard) or people who come and sit and read entire books(that they never buy!) the whole day.

Sorry bars are not the same as gaming stores. Also can you honestly expect me to believe that every time you went in to your LFGS to play that you spent a large amount of cash there as well??

In before the 'but he just wanted him to buy some paints' comment!

I highly recommend looking for a gaming club to join. There are, mostly, two types:

a) Your club has an own venue to play, usually involves paying a monthly fee, but certainly the best solution as it's a great atmosphere to hang around and you got no pressure. Buy everything you want online or second hand at maximum discount.

b) Your club plays in a FLGS that allows you to play there. No fees, but there's the rule of "Buy where you play": try to shop at your FLGS if you can afford it. Usually, they also offer a slight discount of 5-10%.

It's rough if you're 14, as this is a very young age and you don't seem to know many people who also wargame, but I am pretty sure you're on Facebook and lots of gamings clubs / groups also have Facebook groups you can join.

And, of course, there's the internet, google and ask around!

Secondly: report the manager asap. I'd recommend letting your dad report him as the complaint of a 14 year old will not be taken seriously by a lot of people.

Thirdly: GW doesn't have "hobby stores" anymore for a long while now, those are normal retail stores.

Filthy Sanchez wrote:
Get in touch with the manager ASAP. Explain what happened and at the very LEAST, demand that the employee in question sincerely apologize to you the next time you're "loitering" in the store.

If you get that, leave it alone. If not, never spend another dollar in that building.

Seriously, do the above. Despite the "internet sensationalism" posts in this thread, it sounds like the employee was extremely rude and most managers will not tolerate that. I find it likely that the manager would apologize, or have the employee apologize, and all will be well. If not, simply take your gaming and business elsewhere.

Honestly, as a small business owner myself. I REALLY don't want the legal responsibility of an underage child in my store all day. Especially if you aren't buying anything. It doesn't matter if you are a pinnacle of good behavior, it's just not worth the financial/legal ramifications.

If you get injured/abused/etc etc in my store I have no proof you have permission from your parents to be there, if they even know where you are....

You get where I'm going with this..If I have a tourney with underage children, their parents escort them and they are aware there is a set time for said child to be picked up within reason. My store is not a daycare for your child to hang out for 5+ hours.

Do you have the right to not shop here?..sure, but I have the right as a shopkeeper to not babysit an underage child either whose parents may not even realize their child is an hour away in the city; which in itself smacks of super parenting in my opinion..

I'm on board the "talk to management" train. Go to a hobby store to partake in the hobby, and get kicked out for not spending dosh? For real?

It wasn't the shop owner or manager who did this.

GW has for a long time had a policy of entertaining younger players in order to build up their customer base.