My experience at a GW store.

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**John Rainbow**

I went to the store in Chicago last weekend and the guy there was awesome too. They also had a lot of space and some pretty amazing store armies.

**Adam LongWalker**

Color Sgt. Kell wrote:
Hey! I've been there! I dont live in AZ but I visit there often and I've been to that gw. Luke is a real nice guy. He's the guy with the british accent right? Its usually pretty nice in there, just sometimes I have to wait a really long time to get a game in because it is so busy. One time though, a superior from GW came in and was watching him, and he was completely different. He tried to sell a lot more, and wasn't as friendly. Also he made sure to close the shop exactly at a certain time so he could take the required lunch break, wheras he usually let people play through it. Still not a bad store though.

Yea and probably I know the exec who visited that store and not in a positive manner. Recently his appearance at several GW stores during the Dread Fleet fiasco in trying to promote sales. Needless to say I've seen that kind of reaction of store managers in the Western part of the US when this Exec is around.

There are good GW managed stores if they are left to their own devices in how they are able to make their monthly quota. They know their customer base and know how to make a sale within their customer base. Things goes down hill when the higher ups get involved

**Color Sgt. Kell**

Yeah exactly. If they "loosened up a little" and just fit the regular clienteles needs and wants, (like times when they want to play games or release events) they would probably make a good portion more than trying only to sell a big army to a few little timmies

**Sir Samuel Buca**

I love my local GW, as an experienced sales guy, I can tell you that they're good. Not pushy, just suggestive, and asking if you need specifics, not general things. They ask how/what you paint, recommend brushes and shades for you.
The best part though is that they are in it for the hobby. They'll grab stuff out the cabinet to show you a PW technique, they'll teach you how to beat certain foes with what you have already, there's always people gaming/painting and they bendover backwards to help when you ask.

**-Loki-**

I have to admit, I've never come across GW staff like the internet likes to say are everywhere.

GW staff, in my experience, have always been friendly, not pushy, and interested in whatever projects I've been doing. I've brought my Tyranids in, and when asked how they were painted, answered with 'vallejo red and army painter strong tone wash', and they simply commented on model and moved on. No 'you should really use GW paints because others corrode your models'.

While I do agree it's obviously a store by store experience, I've somehow always managed to find good store managers.

**kb305**

nkelsch wrote:
MeanGreenStompa wrote:

If a store employee gets lots of those in a short space of time, say a month, they will reprimand and potentially fire him.

My GW must hate my ass because I buy mostly emergency paint/washes and that's pretty much it.

I did buy a Dakkajet once, but right now GW has nothing I need for my Ork army.

LOL that's all i buy too. The shipping charge on citadel paint from discounters usually kills it, making it about the same price if you just go into the store to buy it

They do always try to upsell me now that i think of it. I laugh a little inside everytime they try ("no, i dont want your gak citadel paint brushes, the brushes i buy are 10x better")

God, what a terrible job, blabbing that crap onto deaf ears all day then being punished for not "upselling".

**Skinnereal**

Lansirill wrote:
but if I make a large enough purchase to help the poor saps make their averages (last I heard it was $70/transaction) it's getting into the realm where I have a hard time justifying buying local instead of snagging Ye Olde Onliney Discount.

What a dim way to measure performance....

When I shop in a GW store, I would spend an equivalent of $40.
But, I'm usually in and out in a couple of minutes, the staff get a chance to point out the new stock, and they're on to the next sale.
If my 'little' sales are dropping their required average, I'd prefer to shop elsewhere than risk the employees quotas.

This must surely be measured against the store's monthly takings though, so buy from them for the monthly bottom-line, or risk the employee's stats.

**Grimtuff**

Skinnereal wrote:
Lansirill wrote:
but if I make a large enough purchase to help the poor saps make their averages (last I heard it was $70/transaction) it's getting into the realm where I have a hard time justifying buying local instead of snagging Ye Olde Onliney Discount.

What a dim way to measure performance....

When I shop in a GW store, I would spend an equivalent of $40.
But, I'm usually in and out in a couple of minutes, the staff get a chance to point out the new stock, and they're on to the next sale.
If my 'little' sales are dropping their required average, I'd prefer to shop elsewhere than risk the employees quotas.

This must surely be measured against the store's monthly takings though, so buy from them for the monthly bottom-line, or risk the employee's stats.

Nope, they have a daily (or hourly sometimes IIRC) ATV or average transaction value. When someone buys a pot of paint it drops the average (possibly due to most other GW products being much higher price in disparity). Multiply this by a fair few people over the course of the day and it will make it drop dramatically.

**Skinnereal**

Oh well. It's still silly.
It's to be expected, I suppose.

**Grimtuff**

Skinnereal wrote:
Oh well. It's still silly.
It's to be expected, I suppose.

The stores also have to match their monthly takings year on year. So say for example we had 40k 6th come out in June(?) last year. There had better be a fething MASSIVE release in that same month this year otherwise the staff are going to be pushing stupidly hard to match or beat last year's total.

We

Every retail store in the history of retails stores are expected to increase sales over the previous year, push for multiple items purchased on one transaction and upsell the customer. Just be glad GW doesn't offer a credit card or some of you people would be really in shock.

**notprop**

Can someone get in here and make a Finecard joke please?

HBMC? Anybody?

**jonolikespie**

notprop wrote:
Can someone get in here and make a Finecard joke please?

HBMC? Anybody?

Ah yes, the new GW(tm) Finecard(tm). I was going to take a pic and post it but it was way too thin and broke before I could. I promise it is the best quality card in the world though.

**FlyingLandon**

Since we're giving props to our local stores, I have to give a shout out for the Memphis Battlebunker. I worked there, must have been 8 years ago, under Chris Shipley (I heard he's still in the company, but had transferred during a period that I had left memphis and since moved back). He always pushed us to not hard sell, but to just be ready with information. His idea was if someone is going to spend money, they're going to spend money. For the veterans, we really just acted like sounding boards to their next purchase, talking out pros and cons of the unit, general theoryhammering. For the new guys, we were to be a bit more probing, finding out what they felt their army lacked, and giving a number of suggestions of how to fill gaps and shortcomings in their army. And it was like this before and after I stopped working there, and always made the store a pleasant experience, because no one was ever pushy. I'm pretty sure when I was employed, that he had to have went bat for me a few times, because I know my sales numbers were terrible. But I ran events and helped new players learning the game better than anyone. To put a time frame on it, my employment ended because I couldn't move to full time when GW shifted to their current "No part time employees" model.

A lot of his management style is still going on there. Plenty of assistance across all player ranges. High level theory and painting assistance for vets, good advice and "here's how to paint your miniatures in a simple and have them not look like garbage" for newer players. Only big upsell I ever got was when I was trying to get back into the hobby in 5th, and was doing Dark Eldar, they still had a Dark Eldar battle box leftover from the re-release. It was more money than I wanted to spend, and more points than I was wanting to jump into, but it worked out in the end. Also, they totally let me piecemeal a 3/4s of a Rat Ogre together from the community bitz box for a Mordheim campaign some of us were in, instead of trying to get me to buy box.

But I agree with some of the other sentiment, that some of the corporate pushes from on high drag it down.

**ExNoctemNacimur**

My experience with GW stores have always been positive. I've been to a few in Australia and the one in Dublin. In all those places, the staff were really friendly and helpful.

**Flashman**

No issues with GW staff in Southampton. Friendly, chilled out bunch.

**furbyballer**

The Jacksonville, FL store manager is an awesome guy. Shout out to Peter and Gabe.

**Firehead158**

I have not been to the GW store in Scottsdale yet, considering it opened while I was doing my predeployment stuff. This kind of gives me a warm and fuzzy about taking the time to head down there and see what is going on there.

**Niccolo**

If you like a store, and would like a little tip to help out the guys working there (not just GW, but any place that uses this kind of metric) try and piggy back your purchase on somebody else purchase. If somebody is going to make a bigger purchase, see if you can give him the cash for your pot of paint, and put it on one bill. Ask if the guy at the register will ring up one bill, but split the cost on two cards. Maybe use this tactic and get a few people with smaller purchases together into one bigger one.

**ChocolateGork**

My local GW dude is a gakker

**B3AN**

DiRTWaL wrote:
I recently went to my local GW store in Scottsdale AZ. This store opened up a year ago or so, I don't exactly remember and I have yet to make a visit to it. I live about 20 miles away and I do not own a car and twenty miles is a long way to drive compared to stores in my area. I ended up around the store after visiting some friends in the area so I decided to come in and finally check it out. When I walked in I was in a room that was very decent size, there was about 15-20 people in there and I did not feel crowded at all (maybe having to excuse your self squeezing through around a table). I look around and there are 5 tables in the store, three realm of battle boards and two tables with felt on them, there was also a bar for painting and such.

I walked in and I was looking around and then the store manager came up to me and introduce himself. He came up to me and said "I don't believe we've met, I'm Luke." he was really friendly and a good salesman. He gave me the usually shpeel of asking me if I was already in the hobby, what army I played, etc. He continued to tell me how he runs his store. He told me that all his tables were always open for playing, he also added that he is there and he is always willing to help with painting and if I had any questions just feel free to ask. I went around the store and I was looking at devastators and I went to ask him what weapons were in it, he was modelling a some space marines of his own and it just happened to include devastators and he went through the box with me, and answered all my questions about it.

I continued looking around and a kid with his mom comes in and the kid is looking into the hobby, I was around him when he was talking, (I was eavesdropping a little). He got on the topic of painting and he kept saying that he is there to help with painting and that he even had a spray gun to help base models.

I was going to leave, and when I browse and not buy anything I like to make sure the manager sees me so he knows I didn't take anything. I left and said it was great to meet him and I hope I can find an excuse to come up there again. He then gave me some information, a calendar with events, and he even gave me information about a tournament that is to be held in April.

The only complaint about the store was the clientele and it was mostly high school freshman and sophomores, so it got a little annoying but they're kids and they are having fun. There was also an older gentleman late 20's maybe early 30's with a ten year old kid, don't know if it was a father son, uncle nephew, or cousin cousin but the guy was a little annoying but he was probably entertaining a ten year old so again nothing really they can do about it. I know I wouldn't walk in to have a pick up game there, but I wouldn't cause I live too far away, but I would have to bring a friend to play if I did live closer.

Grading this whole experience I have to give it an A for what the store had, with my only complaint being the people left to their own devices I could not knock the store so overall it was a whole lot better than what I thought I was going to see.

If you get a chance and your in the Gilbert/Mesa area check out Empire Games. It has over 10 plus fully flocked and painted tables, a fully stocked painting bar, and a great staff. I went there back in Nov 2012 and was just blown away. They specialize in table top gaming and are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They will help you with painting and modeling as well. Great place IMO.

Here is the link to the store page. Check out the pics. Look how HUGE this store is!

http://www.empiregamesaz.com/pmwiki.php

**stratassj**

I have to agree that Peter in Jacksonville is a great guy, hasn't once trued to push any upsell on me. Always helpful when I need assistance with modeling, or painting.

**pities2004**

DiRTWaL wrote:
I recently went to my local GW store in Scottsdale AZ. This store opened up a year ago or so, I don't exactly remember and I have yet to make a visit to it. I live about 20 miles away and I do not own a car and twenty miles is a long way to drive compared to stores in my area. I ended up around the store after visiting some friends in the area so I decided to come in and finally check it out. When I walked in I was in a room that was very decent size, there was about 15-20 people in there and I did not feel crowded at all (maybe having to excuse your self squeezing through around a table). I look around and there are 5 tables in the store, three realm of battle boards and two tables with felt on them, there was also a bar for painting and such.

I walked in and I was looking around and then the store manager came up to me and introduce himself. He came up to me and said "I don't believe we've met, I'm Luke." he was really friendly and a good salesman. He gave me the usually shpeel of asking me if I was already in the hobby, what army I played, etc. He continued to tell me how he runs his store. He told me that all his tables were always open for playing, he also added that he is there and he is always willing to help with painting and if I had any questions just feel free to ask. I went around the store and I was looking at devastators and I went to ask him what weapons were in it, he was modelling a some space marines of his own and it just happened to include devastators and he went through the box with me, and answered all my questions about it.

I continued looking around and a kid with his mom comes in and the kid is looking into the hobby, I was around him when he was talking, (I was eavesdropping a little). He got on the topic of painting and he kept saying that he is there to help with painting and that he even had a spray gun to help base models.

I was going to leave, and when I browse and not buy anything I like to make sure the manager sees me so he knows I didn't take anything. I left and said it was great to meet him and I hope I can find an excuse to come up there again. He then gave me some information, a calendar with events, and he even gave me information about a tournament that is to be held in April.

The only complaint about the store was the clientele and it was mostly high school freshman and sophomores, so it got a little annoying but they're kids and they are having fun. There was also an older gentleman late 20's maybe early 30's with a ten year old kid, don't know if it was a father son, uncle nephew, or cousin cousin but the guy was a little annoying but he was probably entertaining a ten year old so again nothing really they can do about it. I know I wouldn't walk in to have a pick up game there, but I wouldn't cause I live too far away, but I would have to bring a friend to play if I did live closer.

Grading this whole experience I have to give it an A for what the store had, with my only complaint being the people left to their own devices I could not knock the store so overall it was a whole lot better than what I thought I was going to see.

Well its GW, it tends to attract the younger crowd in the retail stores, plus you're in Scottsdale *snobsdale* So obviously mommy and daddy can afford more GW miniatures.

I've always had a good experience going to GW in Scottsdale, there used to be one at Mills Mall in tempe located next to a very poor area, it was closed down due to failure in sales. It was in a bad location the Scottsdale location does a lot better. It's not a very big store only has three tables but Luke does bring in more when they do tournaments and such. I go up there every few months when I see a friend who lives in North Scottsdale as I am in Gilbert and it's a good drive.

If you live in the east valley I recommend Empire Games.

**Sgt.Hakan**

I wish I had a GW store nearby- the closest for me is over eight hours away! All online ordering for me...

**Firehead158**

B3AN wrote:

If you get a chance and your in the Gilbert/Mesa area check out Empire Games. It has over 10 plus fully flocked and painted tables, a fully stocked painting bar, and a great staff. I went there back in Nov 2012 and was just blown away. They specialize in table top gaming and are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They will help you with painting and modeling as well. Great place IMO.

Here is the link to the store page. Check out the pics. Look how HUGE this store is!

http://www.empiregamesaz.com/pmwiki.php

I second this. I play there regularly when I am home. The staff is very helpful, very friendly, and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this store.

**Valkyrie**

I generally have the same experience at my GW too. The typical clientel is a bit more mature around the uni student age, so there's very few kids there. It helps build up a closer knit community in my opinion which is what GW should be focussing on rather than short term profits by selling starter sets to kids. The older group also allows for more interesting discussions, and we can also smoke and swear without getting disapproving looks from parents etc.

**Rainbow Dash**

the GW back home was great, the one here... not so much