Mass Layoff of Retail Staff

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**BrookM**

fitzeh wrote:
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

Me, I've applied for the vacant position at my local Store, so fingers crossed they are done with redundancies!

JESUS GOD NO!!!

Don't forget to bring your laptops people.

**JohnHwangDD**

Our bunker doesn't open until noon.

That makes sense, actually, to capture lunch crowd.

But really, they could do just fine with shorter weekday evenings (2pm to 8pm) + longer weekend days (12 to 9pm)

**generalgrog**

malfred wrote:
generalgrog wrote:
AlfredTheStrange wrote:
Windswept, I work in retail, I would not want you as a customer. Poor guy was trying to be as helpful as he could be and you go out of your way to embarrass him and his store.

on topic, shame to hear about layoffs I feel for the guys and gals losing their jobs.

If he really wanted to be helpful he could have offered to open the box and sell JUST the assault squad sprues. Then just replace the sprues later or sell the rest of the sprues as open box specials.

Results would have been a happier customer and at least a sale.

GG

I didn't think a redshirt had the authority to do that. Happy customer, jobless worker.

I've never been to a GW store. Is there no manager on duty?

GG

**BrookM**

GW Amsterdam is happily run in absence of the manager most of the time, though this has more to do with the actual store hiring uber responsible whackjobs who each speak three languages and imitate fat bastard or some other TV personality.

**Frazzled**

JohnHwangDD wrote:Our bunker doesn't open until noon.

That makes sense, actually, to capture lunch crowd.

But really, they could do just fine with shorter weekday evenings (2pm to 8pm) + longer weekend days (12 to 9pm)

No. They couldn't.

**Da Boss**

I've had a similar experience with lack of stock in my local GW, but I bought the battleforce

.

**Le Grognard**

windswept313 wrote:Yeah well i could care less if they change their hours, their staff, or their locations. They still suck... lol. I went to a GW store and i must say first off its over an hour away from me. Here is what i was thinking. Ill go down there have some good nerd talk with other like minded nerds and spend a couple hundred bucks and feel good while doing it.

Well i get to the store. Some people playing, some people painting, lots of crack all around. A red shirt comes walking up and nicely asks "so can i help ya?" I say "yeah im looking for Shrike where can i find him?" His answer is something to the effect we dont carry him in stores, direct order from website... hmmm ok i can dig that. "Alright, i need an eversor assasin and a couple Death Cult Assassins where can i find them?" "Oh we dont have those in the store we only carry the Vindicare and Culexus in stock..." but you can get that on the website.... Hmmmmm ok.. im now trying to make excuses for them i understand they are not the most popular models in the range and stocking them just takes up space and doesnt move. So i start talking armies and fifth edition with some of the guys painting. Some well versed folks to chat it up with. I appreciate the conversation and i begin to forget the trip i made. "Oh yeah mr. redshirt i need 2 boxes of assault marines , where can i find those?"...hmm there arent any on the shelf here next to the 4 boxes of Marneus and his Honor Guard. Redshitrt says, " Oh let me check in the back for you" right on... so i go back to my nerd talk with the locals. It takes about 5 minutes for him to come back with a 90$ battle force and look at me and say we dont have any assault marines here, but you could pick up this battle force there are 5 in them. Ok now i am pissed , so far you have had nothing i was looking for and your solution to my latest problem is you want me to spend more money than i wanted to to get 5 assault marines when i wanted 10...? So i take a slight step back, look at the people painting, position myself so my response can be heard by enough people. " So basically you have nothing i want in stock at a GW store and your answer is to sell me something i dont want nor need?"at that moment my wife is walking by with the Baby and my 2 daughters and i ask her to wait a sec because she has my bag in the stroller..Inside i have my laptop which i always keep with me. I pull it out set it on the counter next to some painters in clear view of the red shirts and proceed to load up, connect to the internet, bring up the GW site. The red shirt makes his way over and says cool you can order it right here thats nice... i look at him as he watches the GW site come up painfully slow then fail to load altogether due to the GW site being a pile of crap...So what do i do.. i laugh and load up Ebay i proceed to bid on an assault marine box set and next i load up TheWarstore and give them a call with my cell phone i order 220 dollars of stuff right there and then i look at the red shirt and go wow that was easy.. Oh and it was 20% cheaper. I guess my work is done here... i can at least say i bought stuff while at the GW store.

GW obviously has a poor idea of how to stock there stores and on top of that there selling practices are a bit off. I would think if i dissapointed a customer not once or twice but three times in 15 miutes i would be looking to offer some empathy and regard for the customers plight. I know the money i spent is going to GW either way but i think it was important to let them see that they are not needed much at all and the mere presence of their stores should be just a tad more respectful to an internet capable world where we dont need the stores we just need the magic of a place where nerds can congregate and enjoy our experience. Stock your store with everything and some day everything will sell.

Bah ive said enough.

*Rant Off*

Uh, didn't this rant thread get locked in Discussions because everybody was calling you a tool?

IB4TL

**Kilkrazy**

I don't think we need to start down that road again.

**Kilkrazy**

More to the point, all the economies are suffering and only people like Dominoes pizza are doing better.

**mattyboy22**

Kilkrazy wrote:More to the point, all the economies are suffering and only people like Dominoes pizza are doing better.

Until the get sued for making someone fat....

**AcervusVlos**

This is odd, especially because my local game shop just got a few fliers which seem to indicate that a new store in Austin might be hiring...

What's the deal here?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

fitzeh wrote:
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

Me, I've applied for the vacant position at my local Store, so fingers crossed they are done with redundancies!

JESUS GOD NO!!!

Shut your noise you! Got my interview date now!

**Scottywan82**

What store, MDG? What location?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Not sure if it's appropriate to say, so I shall refrain.

Fitzeh knows though, thats how we know each other. Him and his stupid Stunties.

**Anti-Mag**

I don't understand why people are barking at Windswept. He made a commendably swift execution of a GW stores flaws. Their push selling is despicable, especially on gamers who clearly know their stuff. I also work in retail, and if someone demonstrated to me that my service was conclusively poor and that his alternate options were 20% more positive, he'd have nothing but my respect. I appreciate that people here might have friends who work in GW, or who are employees themselves, but the fact that the stores are poorly stocked and dubiously marketed don't always fly with mature gamers. So acknowledge the fact that he made an excellent point that the previous 1000 kids in the store didn't.

**Reecius**

For crying out loud, give the store and the guy a break. So they didn't have a box or two of things in stock, that happens in retail ALL THE TIME!

And so you walked into a store that sells things, and they tried to sell you something. Holy tap dancing christ, would would have thought?!?!?!?!?! Wow, so lets get this straight....sales people....try to...sell you product. Dur!!

So get off the high horse unless you have a perfect record of never, ever making a mistake or a bad call with a customer, the guy tried to get you the closest thing to what you wanted that he had. No reason in the world to be a dick about it, its not as if the guy was trying to be mean. If you are not enough of an adult to politely refuse and leave, then you are not much of an adult. Compain about it to your wife when you leave, but why put on a big show in the store just to be an A hole? I could just imagine my reaction if I was that guy and someone came in and made a huge scene over something I had no control over and then when I tried to get him as close to what he wanted as possible, he tried to humiliate me publically. What a dick.

But whatever. The battle bunker in LA is bad ass. Huge stock, tons of big tables, good hours to play, nice staff. yes they attempt to sell you stuff, BUT THAT IS THEIR JOB! Crap, if you are going to go in and play at a location you should be buying stuff anyway. You don't walk into any retail store and expect them to NOT sell you their product, that would be idiotic.

**Polonius**

Anti-Mag wrote:I don't understand why people are barking at Windswept. He made a commendably swift execution of a GW stores flaws. Their push selling is despicable, especially on gamers who clearly know their stuff. I also work in retail, and if someone demonstrated to me that my service was conclusively poor and that his alternate options were 20% more positive, he'd have nothing but my respect. I appreciate that people here might have friends who work in GW, or who are employees themselves, but the fact that the stores are poorly stocked and dubiously marketed don't always fly with mature gamers. So acknowledge the fact that he made an excellent point that the previous 1000 kids in the store didn't.

Look, that'd be fine if his point wasn't exactly cutting edge. I just don't see any honor in making a scene, I guess. He clearly was aggravated, and wanted to vent some of his frustrations, and that's fine. It happens to all of us. That it came at the expense of a few clerks makes it rude, and certainly in no way commendable.

I mean, if you've been in the hobby for any length of time and are really counting on a GW shop for anything other than a game with a noob that doesn't know any rules, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

**Anti-Mag**

Fair enough, but I don't think a box of assault marines is asking too much.

**Polonius**

Anti-Mag wrote:Fair enough, but I don't think a box of assault marines is asking too much.

I don't either, but stuff sells. I think that a more polished or higher ranking sales rep could have handled the situation better (placing a call to mail order, breaking out sprues, whatever it took), but if a store doesn't have something, it's not always the fault of the people there. That would be a box that if I were stocking the shop would probably go five deep at least, but that's just me.

When a person has been aggrieved, they can seek the comfort and succor of others. They were wronged and suffered at the hands of fate, and all good people would treat them kindly. However, when an aggrieved person turns his hurt into anger, and unleashes that upon those who were at best indirectly responsible for his suffering, he has stopped becoming a candidate for sympathy, and become unto himself a harmful agent.

**Reecius**

Damn plonius, lay some more of that verse on me! This time, I want it in imabic pentameter!

**Anti-Mag**

The tales of reward at GW's hands far ouweigh the negative aspects in most cases, and at least GW hires people who know what they're on about. Customer service might be a different matter, but people have posted on here recently about getting near enough free Stompas just by calling up GW direct.
It's unfortunate that the store had five Marneus Calgars, which is obviously an attempt to suck in new players with the ''wow'' factor. I just get the impression that older players have to make sacrifices, with GW coming out the loser. His methods might be slightly more cutting than regular customers, but the man has a point. You aside Polonius, I don't think many other people on this thread have given that much attention. People should just appreciate both sides of the coin.

**Polonius**

Reecius wrote:Damn plonius, lay some more of that verse on me! This time, I want it in imabic pentameter!

I did get a little rococo there, didn't I.

@anti-mag: Of course he had a point. I guess, did anybody in that shop not know that there were internet discounters?

The way I see it, a customer went to shop, they didn't have the items he was looking for, and attempts to order them went badly. The customer than made a small scene in an attempt to humiliate the shop staff.

I see a failing of business, and possible negligence, following by deliberate malice. I'm see why the customer was angry (and there's a reason I now call every shop to check for my items before I drive out), but his response was a temper tantrum.

I tried to say it politely above, but here's a simpler way to put it: getting screwed is no excuse to be a dick.

**windswept313**

Polonius wrote:
Reecius wrote:Damn plonius, lay some more of that verse on me! This time, I want it in imabic pentameter!

I did get a little rococo there, didn't I.

@anti-mag: Of course he had a point. I guess, did anybody in that shop not know that there were internet discounters?

The way I see it, a customer went to shop, they didn't have the items he was looking for, and attempts to order them went badly. The customer than made a small scene in an attempt to humiliate the shop staff.

I see a failing of business, and possible negligence, following by deliberate malice. I'm see why the customer was angry (and there's a reason I now call every shop to check for my items before I drive out), but his response was a temper tantrum.

I tried to say it politely above, but here's a simpler way to put it: getting screwed is no excuse to be a dick.

actually i never said i tried to huiliate them.. i just opened up my laptop and tried to get on their site and couldnt so i went where i could get stuff... I wasnt condescending or rude or blasphemous to the all might GW staff and Retail Gurus. I simply solved my problem and educated a couple gamers in there as well. Noone complained that i did it.. I put this in here to describe why i think that GW has to make changes to the way they do business. They just dont do it right enough.

I think people interpreted my post as i was rude to these people i was not. I may have sighed and talked plainly on how i felt but i didnt insult anyone. I think people her just need to understand that this is what I did at the store I went to. Like i said i could go back there tomm and they may have everything i wnat. I just found it odd that some of the most common peices were no avaialble in a flagship store on a Saturday afternoon and the salesman was doing his job by trying to get me what i needed but it was poorly executed is all. I was there for maybe an hour and had some great talks with some fine gamers.

Lets not turn what i said into something heretical against a retail store because it wasnt. The original topic was on the layoffs and i simply put forth my scenario where i can see why they would need to make some drastic changes. So calling me names, locking my posts, proving how much of a fanboy you are and such is not called for.. if you love your shop more power to you... if you have been through situations like this then you understand.

Let me know who else can go to a Flagship shop and look for 9 different items and not find a single one and i wont feel so bad.

**windswept313**

Anti-Mag wrote:The tales of reward at GW's hands far ouweigh the negative aspects in most cases, and at least GW hires people who know what they're on about. Customer service might be a different matter, but people have posted on here recently about getting near enough free Stompas just by calling up GW direct.
It's unfortunate that the store had five Marneus Calgars, which is obviously an attempt to suck in new players with the ''wow'' factor. I just get the impression that older players have to make sacrifices, with GW coming out the loser. His methods might be slightly more cutting than regular customers, but the man has a point. You aside Polonius, I don't think many other people on this thread have given that much attention. People should just appreciate both sides of the coin.

Thank You Sir.

Now please back on topic i dont want to hijack threads.

**Polonius**

windswept313 wrote: Ok now i am pissed , so far you have had nothing i was looking for and your solution to my latest problem is you want me to spend more money than i wanted to to get 5 assault marines when i wanted 10...? So i take a slight step back, look at the people painting, position myself so my response can be heard by enough people. " So basically you have nothing i want in stock at a GW store and your answer is to sell me something i dont want nor need?"at that moment my wife is walking by with the Baby and my 2 daughters and i ask her to wait a sec because she has my bag in the stroller..Inside i have my laptop which i always keep with me. I pull it out set it on the counter next to some painters in clear view of the red shirts and proceed to load up, connect to the internet, bring up the GW site. The red shirt makes his way over and says cool you can order it right here thats nice... i look at him as he watches the GW site come up painfully slow then fail to load altogether due to the GW site being a pile of crap...So what do i do.. i laugh and load up Ebay i proceed to bid on an assault marine box set and next i load up TheWarstore and give them a call with my cell phone i order 220 dollars of stuff right there and then i look at the red shirt and go wow that was easy.. Oh and it was 20% cheaper. I guess my work is done here... i can at least say i bought stuff while at the GW store.

(all emphasis added by Polonius)

I'm sorry if I got the impression you were trying to humiliate the employees or cause a scene, but reading your post it seems to me that you wanted to make it clear that you were upset, that you wanted to make the staff feel bad, and that you were venting at least some of your anger at those around you.

I apologize if I totally misread your post, but it seemed that you wanted to be a big man in the GW shop, and than tried to brag about it online. If I'm wrong, than feel free to correct me.

**windswept313**

Yes i positioned myself at the counter and spoke clearly in a non abbreviated tone that was easy enough for those within a 6 foot raius could hear me cuz im not meek with my opinion as a customer. I was not rude or condescending i was just direct the staff apologized for the lack of stock and yadda yadda yadda....

Yes i laughed to myself.. i guess that did come across as i laughed out loud like Dr. Evil and made everyone bow to my uberness as i went online and paid less for my insurance by switching to Geico.....

*Sigh* i guess all in all i had a bad experience shopping. Wrote a post about it... got flamed immediately without any questions to my actual demeanor and now im looking for sympathy from like gamers who may have encountered the same dissapointment. Cmon guys talk to people a little ask them questions like " did you really say those things like that?" I would say well not exactly like that.. most of that rhetoric in my post was somewhat of an internal monologue that got lost in the stark, drab, ambiguous land of internet forums.

**Polonius**

All right, well Windswept, let me be your guy for a moment here. It is impossible to tell tone from the internet, at least with any nuance or complexity. That basically caused the problem.

You posted a story, twice, that was clearly written in, let's just call it an emotionally charged state. You described a frustrating but not horribly awful shopping experience, and than wrote your response in a way that did make you look like a bit of tool.

Many of us here have had joe jobs, a lot of use work/own/are regulars at various shops, and we see this sort of behavior. Yes, many of us, myself included, leapt to conclusions about your behavior, but we did so based solely on the information and tone that you provided.

I think the reaction was hot, and while posters should be more careful in the assumptions they make about posts, I think that you could have and should be in the future far more careful in describing your experiences, at least until we get to know you a little better. After nearly a full page of text, I think most people here assume you had your say. If you still need to explain yourself, by all means do so, but it's not horribly fair to expect every person that responds to ask for clarification on every point you made before shredding you about it.

So, in short, I think if you tried re-writing your experiences a little more coolly, people would react better. It sounds like you framed the story a little roughly, and people ran with it. Easily fixed, of course.

**frgsinwntr**

mass layoffs... ugh... just a sign of the times....

**syr8766**

So...any actual confirmation of the aforementioned rumors of store closings and/or layoffs (besides Canada, which is confirmed due to the merger of US and CAN into NA)?

**JohnHwangDD**

It was pretty clear to me that he was venting his speen on Dakka, as others have done before. I think a lot of others were reading more into it than what he intended.

But if we just had video of the thing, that'd help a lot...