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Recently, My brother and I went to our local GW to see the new High Elves minis. I was fourtuante enough to put some of them together (which wasn't easy, a Saturday afternoon with a killteam game scheduled turns the place into a preschool) while my brother conversed with a young guy. Somehow, the conversation led them to say "I don't like Obama", which caused the manager to run to the hobby station and tell us that political discussions get heated sometimes, and that they probaly shouldn't talk about that. This I understand, we're in dc and everyone thinks they can fix the country. What saved us (because if my brother gets kicked out, I have to leave too since I'm his ride) was the fact that the kid who said 'I hate obama" was probaly about 13. My brother got a little angry, I just blew it off.

When I go hunting, fishing, or paint my little man dollies, I don't want to hear about that kind of stuff. Thats alway's been my philosophy.

It is important to know that I talked about much more than just the "wargaming hobby". Video Games, music, cars, along with much more and not a single complaint or threat was made by the GW staff.

Hearing some of the stories that the staff told me about all the wierd questions asked, I'm not surrpised that they act the way they do. One guy came in asking for a matress one day, and even better are the people who ask for WoW time cards.

This entire thread is why I haven't been in a GW store in years. I'll stick to the FLGS where they sell a variety of different game systems and freely encourage you to play and/or discuss every one of them.


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hyperviper6 wrote:Wouldn't a better policy be to explain why their game is superior to others?

Yes, that would be a much better policy. Rather than kicking someone out and potentially permanently losing a customer (personally, I'd never go back), the employee could have used this as a chance to sell his own product by pointing out the "obvious superiority" of the GW miniatures and gaming system....

Of course doing that risks being seen as a pushy redshirt trying to cram the GW hobby down people's throats.

There are smoother ways of handling it, but I really have to back GW on this play. I would have said something like "hey guys, we'd appreciate if you didn't discuss competitor's products while gaming/painting/hanging out here."

You also have to draw a distinction at most GW stores between "customers" (people that come in, spend money, leave) and "residents" (those that come in, hang out for hours, spend no or little money, and leave). Obviously there are some that fall into both, but Seeing as GW is providing a place to game, paint, and hang out for no cost, having a few self serving rules makes sense.

Funny, but they are probably being more pro-active than the FLGS that has people coming in with the uber-collection of whatever purchased off of the internet, going out to drink sodas in their car, and whining about how the store is doing poorly.

Maybe this guy was a little less tactful than he should have been...

HI all.
GW Redshirt meant to say....
'Please dont mention other companies products in our stores.It has been GW policy to run isolationist marketing for the last decade by providing isolated marketing outlets.(GW B&M stores.)Because its is so hideously expencive to run these B&M stores we have raised our prices way above inflation for years and can no longer compete in the open market.Therefore even though you may get much better value for money elswhere.We at GW feel we have to support an out dated and inefficient policy as our short sighted and incompetant corperate managment can not be bothered to change anything, sorry.'


TTFN

burning_phoneix wrote:Really, I don't see what's wrong with that. If I walked into a Mercedes dealership and struck up a conversation with several people there about how awesome my BMW is, the managers would go apeshit just the same.

Again where did the OP claim that the other games were awesome?
Where did he try to convince everyone to buy other stuff?

As with any retail chain there are good and bad amongst their employees, whilst as an employee they are an ambasador for the company it is not always the case that their veiws and opinions are shared by the company.
Only a few weeks back I was in my local GW store discussing non GW sideline projects with a mate, when the manager gave us both a flyer for a wargames show featuring loads of GW's competitors. This certainly hasn't caused me to stop buying GW product, if anything it made me respect GW for not only acknowledging there competitors but crediting their customers with the inteligence to make their own decissions when it comes to chosing which toy soldiers to buy.
GW arent so stupid that they think forbidding gamers to discuss other manufacturers products in their stores will stop them from buying from the likes of Privateer Press.
Sounds like you just ran into an over-zealous red shirt, if it crops up again have a word with the manager or give head office a bell.

oni wrote:I don't really see a problem here. It's a store policy, one in which I understand and find reasonable from a business standpoint, but most importantly it doesn't seem as though the employee over reacted. He made his point and left it at that.

A GW hobby center is not, nor can it be compared to other gaming stores so don't try and treat it as such. Would you walk into Yankee Stadium and start telling everyone how great the Red Sox's are?

Bet your I would shout how great the Red Sox's are in Yankee Stadium!

This thread is one of those that really annoys me.

Poster A says he was threatened by GW employee for the MERE MENTION OF ANOTHER GAME SYSTEM.

Then poster's H,J and P start accusing poster A of proselytizing the other games system, even going so far as to put words into poster A's mouth by saying things like' I wouldn't be happy if you walked into a dunkin donut shop and started talking about how awesome Krispy creme is. Totally missing the point of poster A.

The point being the draconian Fascist state that a GW store must be, to enforce the "hush hush" of any other talk of another game system to go all "brown shirt" on them and threaten to boot them from the store.

If someone did that to me I would certainly make a big scene while I was leaving and never come back.

GG

And you're perfectly allowed to be a drama queen.

Just like GW's perfectly allowed to toss you out on your drama causing arse in their privately owned and operated Games Workshop stores.

Don't like it? Don't go to an official GW store. Go to a FLGS. Games Workshop can't shut you up there, now can they?

generalgrog wrote:This thread is one of those that really annoys me.

Poster A says he was threatened by GW employee for the MERE MENTION OF ANOTHER GAME SYSTEM.

Then poster's H,J and P start accusing poster A of proselytizing the other games system, even going so far as to put words into poster A's mouth by saying things like' I wouldn't be happy if you walked into a dunkin donut shop and started talking about how awesome Krispy creme is. Totally missing the point of poster A.

The point being the draconian Fascist state that a GW store must be, to enforce the "hush hush" of any other talk of another game system to go all "brown shirt" on them and threaten to boot them from the store.

If someone did that to me I would certainly make a big scene while I was leaving and never come back.

GG

You do realize that GW fully reserves the right to throw you out on your for absolutely no reason whatsoever right?
You don't like it, don't go back. Simple free enterprise.

generalgrog wrote:

The point being the draconian Fascist state that a GW store must be, to enforce the "hush hush" of any other talk of another game system to go all "brown shirt" on them and threaten to boot them from the store.

Yes, or an employee got a little carried away. So either a minimum wage retail worker threw his weight around a bit or GW is a terrifying totalitarian regime. Lets decide which is the most likely.

Do you spend a lot of money at GW stores? If not, why wouldn't they be glad to be rid of you?

Wow... I missed the whole "Paint a target on Grogs back and FIRE" LOL

So basically an employee at a GW is allowed to overeact and threaten their customer with impunity, while poor ole grog comes to said customers defense and gets blasted for pointing the hypocrisy of the people taking the OP out of context.

Oh DAKKA how I love thee. :-)


GG

p.s. see njpc's post for another example of boorish behavior from GW people.

The staff would be right to have a quiet word to request discretion imho and if that is all that happened then I don't think there is any cause for complaint.

But General Grog's main point was a fair comment.
There are posts unfairly putting words in to the OP's mouth.

generalgrog wrote:Wow... I missed the whole "Paint a target on Grogs back and FIRE" LOL

So basically an employee at a GW is allowed to overeact and threaten their customer with impunity

I'm sorry, where was attempted assault brought into this? The guy was told, politely or otherwise to ixnay on the warmachinay. Is that is dispute? Who cares?
Leave the store. Don't go back. Don't treat the store like a clubhouse. They are there to make money, and only make money.

muppet slayer wrote:I was in GW the other day and i had just come from wargames heavan were i had bought a Warmachine model, as i arrived a friend painting in the shop asked me what i had bought, so i told him and we got into a discussion about other wargames with a few others.
Then one of the employees procede to tell us that this was no place for a conversation about non GW products and if we wanted to talk about that we could leave.

I'm not sure an employee doing the above was overreaction. I don't know the exact words the employee used were, but this sounds more like he said, "take it outside guys" rather than "if you dare breath another word about non GW products you will be forever banished!"

generalgrog wrote:Wow... I missed the whole "Paint a target on Grogs back and FIRE" LOL

So basically an employee at a GW is allowed to overeact and threaten their customer with impunity, while poor ole grog comes to said customers defense and gets blasted for pointing the hypocrisy of the people taking the OP out of context.

Oh DAKKA how I love thee. :-)


GG

p.s. see njpc's post for another example of boorish behavior from GW people.

What hypocrisy? He called a toy company a fascist state.

In the words of the immortal bard:

I once was in a GW and somebody mentioned Warmachine, of course the GW employee comes over and starts talking about Warmachine with us and has the gall to mention that he has a Khador army. Even worse the other employee working mentioned he had a Cryx army and when I brought up Flames of War the first employee had the indecency to admit that he had a Panzergrenadier company, a Panzer Grenadier Company!

I'm never going back to store, ever.

Kanluwen wrote:And you're perfectly allowed to be a drama queen.

Just like GW's perfectly allowed to toss you out on your drama causing arse in their privately owned and operated Games Workshop stores.

Don't like it? Don't go to an official GW store. Go to a FLGS. Games Workshop can't shut you up there, now can they?

That's what I do. My FLGS actually serves sandwiches and coffee-drinks.

avantgarde wrote:I once was in a GW and somebody mentioned Warmachine, of course the GW employee comes over and starts talking about Warmachine with us and has the gall to mention that he has a Khador army. Even worse the other employee working mentioned he had a Cryx army and when I brought up Flames of War the first employee had the indecency to admit that he had a Panzergrenadier company, a Panzer Grenadier Company!

I'm never going back to store, ever.

Well, at least you survived. That must have been quite a trial for you.

generalgrog wrote:This thread is one of those that really annoys me.

Poster A says he was threatened by GW employee for the MERE MENTION OF ANOTHER GAME SYSTEM.

Then poster's H,J and P start accusing poster A of proselytizing the other games system, even going so far as to put words into poster A's mouth by saying things like' I wouldn't be happy if you walked into a dunkin donut shop and started talking about how awesome Krispy creme is. Totally missing the point of poster A.

The point being the draconian Fascist state that a GW store must be, to enforce the "hush hush" of any other talk of another game system to go all "brown shirt" on them and threaten to boot them from the store.

If someone did that to me I would certainly make a big scene while I was leaving and never come back.

GG

Fascists? Brownshirt? This thread has been Godwin'd!

It's not unreasonable to think that there's more to this story, broseidon.

Saldiven wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:And you're perfectly allowed to be a drama queen.

Just like GW's perfectly allowed to toss you out on your drama causing arse in their privately owned and operated Games Workshop stores.

Don't like it? Don't go to an official GW store. Go to a FLGS. Games Workshop can't shut you up there, now can they?

That's what I do. My FLGS actually serves sandwiches and coffee-drinks.

I like your game store. Mine's just located immediately adjacent to a Starbucks kiosk and a Qdoba...

Kanluwen wrote:And you're perfectly allowed to be a drama queen.

Just like GW's perfectly allowed to toss you out on your drama causing arse in their privately owned and operated Games Workshop stores.

Don't like it? Don't go to an official GW store. Go to a FLGS. Games Workshop can't shut you up there, now can they?

Like clockwork as always Kan.

Just becuase GW is from the UK doesn't mean they hold the same "Can Do No Wrong" soverign right that the Queen has.

But thanks for taking the 'reasonable' view again...

brettz123 wrote:Would you think it is ok to walk into a bookstore and start talking about how awesome another bookstore is down the street? Would you do that in a restaurant? Now I don't think what you did was wrong or even rude but talking about someone another competing product in a store does seem like a reasonable reason for an employee of the company to discreetly and respectfully ask you to either stop or leave.

Actually I think I should be able to talk openly about a product in a shop. I wouldn't go up to a stranger and tell them to shop elsewhere, or approach a member of staff or the owner and rub their nose in the fact that I can buy the same stuff cheaper elsewhere, but I *do* expect to have private conversations with friends and family that discuss the product. When I go into a bookshop like Waterstones I do talk openly with my wife or friends about the prices of things on the shelves and whether I have seen them cheaper or valid alternatives elsewhere. I don't expect to have to talk in a hush to avoid the watching eyes of staff for fear of being asked to leave.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:And you're perfectly allowed to be a drama queen.

Just like GW's perfectly allowed to toss you out on your drama causing arse in their privately owned and operated Games Workshop stores.

Don't like it? Don't go to an official GW store. Go to a FLGS. Games Workshop can't shut you up there, now can they?

Like clockwork as always Kan.

Just because GW is from the UK doesn't mean they hold the same "Can Do No Wrong" sovereign right that the Queen has.

But thanks for taking the 'reasonable' view again...

Do you think before you post or just immediately start in with the insults?

In the US, stores reserve the right to refuse service to you and remove you for pretty much any reason excepting race.

That means if you're sitting around in the shop, not buying anything and basically doing nothing but word of mouth advertising for a competing company...your arse is out the door faster than you can holler "BROWNSHIRTS! BROWNSHIRTS!".
GW is not alone in this practice, especially not in their own bloody shops.
Last time I checked their shops said "Games Workshop" not "Games Workshop and Privateer Press Superhappy Funtime and Sharing Shenanigan Shop!".

You might need to check again.

Just sayin'...

Kanluwen wrote:
In the US, stores reserve the right to refuse service to you and remove you for pretty much any reason excepting race.

Indeed.

It is a common law, any shop, as a private property and business, may remove you. However it is the commonly understood practice in civilised nations to do so for unreasonable/antisocial behaviour of one form or another, not talking about another manufacturer's product.

"so there you have it, the new toyota 'hyperion'!"
"I liked it, it's certainly more comfortable to drive than the audi 'omega', but it's not as fuel efficient, I wonder if I could ask you how it compares on luggage capacit.."
"GET OUT OF MY SHOPPE!!"

Drawing comparisons and coming to conclusions would be a fairly reasonable topic of conversation, being kicked out of a shop for that is fething ridiculous. Of course, 'Dissing' GW would of course fall under unreasonable.

An independent FLGS is a completely different story.

GW doesn't run them, and there's no reasonable expectation of GW being able to shut out their competitors or any kind of material relating to them.

Oh, and by the by...
How many of these tales of woe do we get on Dakka?
How many of them relate to people being complete and utter tools, just not y'know...mentioning that in their post?

I've yet to see a GW shop threaten to throw someone out, or use physical violence against someone who's just mentioning Warmachine, Infinity, Flames of War, etc.

I have, however, seen them ask someone to please not bring Warmachine models in and then take up the painting space.


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MeanGreenStompa wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:
In the US, stores reserve the right to refuse service to you and remove you for pretty much any reason excepting race.

Indeed.

It is a common law, any shop, as a private property and business, may remove you. However it is the commonly understood practice in civilised nations to do so for unreasonable/antisocial behaviour of one form or another, not talking about another manufacturer's product.

"so there you have it, the new toyota 'hyperion'!"
"I liked it, it's certainly more comfortable to drive than the audi 'omega', but it's not as fuel efficient, I wonder if I could ask you how it compares on luggage capacit.."
"GET OUT OF MY SHOPPE!!"

Drawing comparisons and coming to conclusions would be a fairly reasonable topic of conversation, being kicked out of a shop for that is fething ridiculous. Of course, 'Dissing' GW would of course fall under unreasonable.

And how do we know that there wasn't another reason for someone being asked to leave?
We're getting the story from someone who's clearly butthurt enough to post it on the internet and whine to a bunch of complete strangers.

People are still making claims as if the OP went into a Mosque and try to convert everyone to Zoarastoism or Rastafarianism for lawks sake.

Have you never been in a supermarket and said to someone ,"ooh look, them there Plum Duffs is tuppence a ton cheaper at Apu's Kwik-E-Mart!"

Well, fair do's it is highly unlikely that you will have said that but you get the giste.
Like Howard said, that sort of chit chat is par for the course.








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I have, however, seen them ask someone to please not bring Warmachine models in and then take up the painting space.

How do you know that is what happened in this case?

You are correct Kanners we don't know what happened so it is not really worth getting riled about.
If the member of staff was polite and or the OP wasn't flashing his warmachine around (oo-er missus) then there is no big deal either way imho.