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It is an easy response to this posting:

I NEVER go to GW unless I intend to buy.

Them having what I want or acting like turkeys decides the final outcome.

Being treated like meat with a wallet is an excellent way to kill a sale.

<<edit>> 500posts!!! hehehe

 kronk wrote:
Something about this whole story smells funny.

What do you mean smell funny?

 AduroT wrote:

 Lansirill wrote:

Mythal wrote:

Ashitaka wrote:

 BryllCream wrote:
Can store managers access this record? I'm curious as to what database the manager looked up in the op's story

It's been my experience in Canadian stores that they ask you for your name and look you up in the system when you buy something.
So they do have some sort of record accessible in their till computer that shows what you've bought.

That's kinda terrifying. I guess Canada doesn't have an equivalent of the Data Protection Act 1998 - the ombudsman would go off his rocker if checkout staff could access individual purchase histories over here.

They ask for your name in the states too. Everyone wants a mailing list, shopping history, etc. How else will they know how much more bread you buy when they put peanut butter on sale?

Anyone shop at Petsmart or Michael's or Best Buy or any other place that has those discount/club cards that they cashier always asks you for at check out? Will most often give you discounts on various items for using it. They're a means of tracking a customer's shopping patterns for use in market research.

Most stores do this under the guise of "research". That's how they get away with it. GW is no exception.

 MRPYM wrote:

 kronk wrote:
Something about this whole story smells funny.

What do you mean smell funny?

I don't believe that there is a GW database that keeps track of all of your purchases.

Perhaps this manager is doing it on his own. Perhaps not.

Perhaps he doesn't want anyone that doesn't buy anything to be in his store, or he doesn't want YOU to hang around in his store and annoy people.

I don't know you from Adam, but I don't believe a lot of your statements.

 kronk wrote:

 MRPYM wrote:

 kronk wrote:
Something about this whole story smells funny.

What do you mean smell funny?

I don't believe that there is a GW database that keeps track of all of your purchases.

Perhaps this manager is doing it on his own. Perhaps not.

Perhaps he doesn't want anyone that doesn't buy anything to be in his store, or he doesn't want YOU to hang around in his store and annoy people.

I don't know you from Adam, but I don't believe a lot of your statements.

Do you mean that you don't believe that there is a single GW database that contains all purchases of GW products associated with a given "user" (probably identified by a name and address or some other sort of idea,) or that there are no GW databases containing any information on GW purchases?

Edit: Single, not singular. Damn my word wronging.

 Lansirill wrote:

Do you mean that you don't believe that there is a singular GW database that contains all purchases of GW products associated with a given "user" (probably identified by a name and address or some other sort of idea,) or that there are no GW databases containing any information on GW purchases?

The former. I am aware that if you buy directly from the GW website using your login, you (and they) can keep track of all of your purchases that way.

I am NOT aware of any database that the GW "brick and mortar" stores use for the same purpose.

However, that's not my primary issue with this thread.

I'm not entirely sure the thread title make sense - a single event doesn't indicate a trend...

GW does keep a record on hand for the store to pull up customer records,

In the Arizona Mills Mall store before it closed, I had friends who worked there, and every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

He was 45% of the profits on the form I was shown.

 pities2004 wrote:
every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

bs. no store can prevent someone from leaving without buying. slight exaggeration I have to presume?

As for the records to be pulled up; only if you give them your information and that information can be shared amongst stores can it be even remotely true. if you DO give your information to them, then it is on you anyway as it is not a requirement of purchasing products in a store.

GW stores tend to log phone numbers/names for the purpose of special orders within the store. AFAIK, it's standard policy to ask for that information whether or not a customer is in fact making a special order, and that information does get logged into a system.

The "Buy something or GTFO" approach is typically bad, but as someone who worked the FLGS side of the hobby for over a decade, we do make exceptions.

The guy that comes in talking about how much money he saved by buying his minis online, won't shut up about it, and urges other players to follow his example?

That guy can play elsewhere.

 Raesvelg wrote:

The guy that comes in talking about how much money he saved by buying his minis online, won't shut up about it, and urges other players to follow his example?

That guy can play elsewhere.

Total agreement on that one.

I used to be that guy, but only because my old FLGS had massive issues getting stock in i.e. it was a vicious cycle in that he couldn't make orders unless he got 250 bucks at least for an order, but even then you'd have to wait a few weeks for that order to even be ordered, so no one would really order... My new FLGS has no such issue, and he owns 3 stores. So if it's not at the one I play at, it might be at the next one

Mythal wrote:
I'm not entirely sure the thread title make sense - a single event doesn't indicate a trend...

Do a search. You will see that there are literally hundreds of reports like this from across the globe on various forums. Whilst this may not be "company policy" per se; this edict has come from *somewhere* and managers are enforcing it as much as they see is acceptable.

Sure looks like a trend to me.

There are thousands of posts about reptilian shapeshifters impersonating celebrities and public officials on the web as well.

Just sayin'.

This is saddening to read, whenever I have visited a gw store I have found the staff to be extremely helpful and chatty.
I visit 3 different stores on a regular basis, all of which are small one man operations and usually have difficulty getting out due to the staff wanting to chat.

 pities2004 wrote:
GW does keep a record on hand for the store to pull up customer records,

In the Arizona Mills Mall store before it closed, I had friends who worked there, and every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

He was 45% of the profits on the form I was shown.

This sounds about right. And with lower order peons in access to said information, its pretty much a given that this would be the end result.

I was going to post some... information about how this data is used. In light of current events, though, I'll let GW tell you how they use it.

Facts.

1. GW data farms, just like every other company out there.

2. They use the information to gain sales.

3. The information is being collected on your purchases and site access.



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Copied from the GW's site.

And, yes. You are being tracked, so put on your best behavior.

 Monster Rain wrote:
There are thousands of posts about reptilian shapeshifters impersonating celebrities and public officials on the web as well.

Just sayin'.

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Try to counter my point with the absurdity of David Icke...

Rorschach9 wrote:

 pities2004 wrote:
every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

bs. no store can prevent someone from leaving without buying. slight exaggeration I have to presume?

As for the records to be pulled up; only if you give them your information and that information can be shared amongst stores can it be even remotely true. if you DO give your information to them, then it is on you anyway as it is not a requirement of purchasing products in a store.

What you don't know about salesmenship and the world today may shock you.

Rorschach9 wrote:

 pities2004 wrote:
every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

bs. no store can prevent someone from leaving without buying. slight exaggeration I have to presume?

As for the records to be pulled up; only if you give them your information and that information can be shared amongst stores can it be even remotely true. if you DO give your information to them, then it is on you anyway as it is not a requirement of purchasing products in a store.

Exaggeration yes,

But it worked every time.

 Grot 6 wrote:

Rorschach9 wrote:

 pities2004 wrote:
every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

bs. no store can prevent someone from leaving without buying. slight exaggeration I have to presume?

As for the records to be pulled up; only if you give them your information and that information can be shared amongst stores can it be even remotely true. if you DO give your information to them, then it is on you anyway as it is not a requirement of purchasing products in a store.

What you don't know about salesmenship and the world today may shock you.

Sure. So I go into a store, and I wish to purchase something. I find it (with or without help), I pay, and I leave. This is my usual interaction with GW stores. Where in that process is my information gathered without my providing it? (hint : it isn't as I never provide a store with my personal information).

That same store cannot make me purchase something before I leave either if I don't find what I want (or if I just happen to be stopping in to say hi, look around, waste time, etc).

@Grot 6 : Yes .. that's the GW website's policies. Who is talking about online purchases in this thread?



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 pities2004 wrote:

Rorschach9 wrote:

 pities2004 wrote:
every time a certain customer would come in the manager would tell the employees he can't leave the store without buying something.

bs. no store can prevent someone from leaving without buying. slight exaggeration I have to presume?

As for the records to be pulled up; only if you give them your information and that information can be shared amongst stores can it be even remotely true. if you DO give your information to them, then it is on you anyway as it is not a requirement of purchasing products in a store.

Exaggeration yes,

But it worked every time.

Exaggeration does not further a point tbh. It just invalidates your legitimacy when making claims like that. Perhaps that person was just gullible. That still doesn't change the facts that you cannot prevent someone from coming into a store and leaving without making a purchase.

To the OP:

On this thread, you mentioned that you don't game at the GW store, that you only popped in to meet a frined.

On your previous thread , you said that you buy all your stuff at the cheaper FLGS but go to GW because there are more 40k gamers there.

 MRPYM wrote:

 motyak wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
No. Not in the slightest. You owe GW no favours, nor they you.

But let me ask this: Why don't you play at your FLGS?

They could just be a store and have no gaming space. That's just a guess though.

They have gaming space but at my store there is no reliable crowd of 40k gamer. I never know when I will be able to get a game.

I can't quite square the two accounts of the same situation.

Either you're hardly there, only turned up for a one-off game, the manager is digging into your data and being unreasonable.

Or you've been there a fair amount, he knows your army and your buying patterns from previous visits rather than invading your privacy and, not entirely unreasonably, pointed out that you use their facilities without ever sending income their way.

Or there's some other pattern of events. I'd love to know which.

 Grimtuff wrote:

Mythal wrote:
I'm not entirely sure the thread title make sense - a single event doesn't indicate a trend...

Do a search. You will see that there are literally hundreds of reports like this from across the globe on various forums. Whilst this may not be "company policy" per se; this edict has come from *somewhere* and managers are enforcing it as much as they see is acceptable.

Sure looks like a trend to me.

Games Workshop Data Mining got me zip. Same with Games Workshop Tracking Model Purchases. And my point was that the OP discusses a specific incident, not something he personally had observed in, say, a half-dozen stores.

For my part, I've never come across it in any of the GW stores I've visited; they don't complain that one of my Exorcists is kit-bashed from an Exorcist kit and a Whirlwind, they don't ask where I bought my models, and they don't kick me out for bringing models that I plainly didn't buy from their store. Sure, I'll buy some paint if I'm using the facilities, but that's just good manners, and I do the same when I use the facilities at an independent store.

Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:
To the OP:

On this thread, you mentioned that you don't game at the GW store, that you only popped in to meet a frined.

On your previous thread , you said that you buy all your stuff at the cheaper FLGS but go to GW because there are more 40k gamers there.

 MRPYM wrote:

 motyak wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
No. Not in the slightest. You owe GW no favours, nor they you.

But let me ask this: Why don't you play at your FLGS?

They could just be a store and have no gaming space. That's just a guess though.

They have gaming space but at my store there is no reliable crowd of 40k gamer. I never know when I will be able to get a game.

I can't quite square the two accounts of the same situation.

Either you're hardly there, only turned up for a one-off game, the manager is digging into your data and being unreasonable.
When I made that thread I was thinking about gaming there just for 40k games but later I found out what the best time for 40k at my FLGS. I came to the store for the one off game (I have not been there for months and did buy a model two months before).

Or you've been there a fair amount, he knows your army and your buying patterns from previous visits rather than invading your privacy and, not entirely unreasonably, pointed out that you use their facilities without ever sending income their way.

Or there's some other pattern of events. I'd love to know which.
The only other thing I could say I did mention if I could use other companies bases in store. I was told I could as long as I did not tell anyone where I got them.

So the store manager actually broke corporate policy (officially, you can't use third party components in a GW store) to allow you to play in his store, despite the fact that you don't buy models from him? Or did I misunderstand your post?

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Monster Rain wrote:
There are thousands of posts about reptilian shapeshifters impersonating celebrities and public officials on the web as well.

Just sayin'.

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Try to counter my point with the absurdity of David Icke...

The point, of course, being that accounts of something on the Internet aren't necessarily a reliable indicator of truthiness.

See also; chemtrails, Bigfoot.

Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:
The fact he can look your purchases up on the system is a little scary.

We buy some of our stuff from GW stores (and some from Dark Sphere) so we can feel relaxed about playing in their stores. If I felt we were under surveillance, if it were a compulsion rather than a question of goodwill, maybe we'd simply move on, play somewhere else.

At the same time, you can see the manager's point, can't you?

No I can't, he dose not own the store, GW dose, it a GW product, GW got my money, I should be able to play GW game in GW store with GW products. No matter where I buy GW products, GW get my money. I GW doesn't what my to use GW brought from non-GW store, then they should only sell there stuff in there own stores. It not my job to support a lose leader like there store front. Simply put if the GW store has game table that they use for open gaming, and I use only GW stuff, I should be treated as a GW customer because that what I am.

Mythal wrote:
So the store manager actually broke corporate policy (officially, you can't use third party components in a GW store) to allow you to play in his store, despite the fact that you don't buy models from him? Or did I misunderstand your post?

At the time I was asking for permission if I could, also I was still buying from the store. In the end I never did bring any third party products into the store and I asked on the same day I ordered a $30 miniature.

I can sort of see GW's point on people just turning up to play a battle, And never buying anything there. A lot of people do this I think. After all its not GW that care, If you buy there stuff elsewhere They still make there money. Maybe not as much as if you brought it from a GW store but they do still make there price that they sell the items to other independent stores for.

But See it from the managers point of view. He has to meet the requirements in order to keep his job, and the store he runs open. If people don't buy from the store and just go there to play battles. the Manager is likely to be "replaced" by some one more Keen on retail than they are for the Hobby. And that's is the biggest problem.

The managers have to provide those gaming tables, store sample armies, scenery and everything else you use to play to the game in the stores out of there store budget.

Now wile i don't agree with some practices the GW perform, I can actually see that some people that make the threads on here "over exaggerated" or only tell "parts" of the full story that suit them.

I honestly think that if you intend to play at a Store then you should support that store the best you can. Granted you can save a lot of money buying stuff online with the big discounts. But then you also save enough to provide your own gaming table at home in that instance.

GW stores are becoming more and more sale orientated, due to people just using them as glorified hang outs most of the time.

Noir wrote:

Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:
The fact he can look your purchases up on the system is a little scary.

We buy some of our stuff from GW stores (and some from Dark Sphere) so we can feel relaxed about playing in their stores. If I felt we were under surveillance, if it were a compulsion rather than a question of goodwill, maybe we'd simply move on, play somewhere else.

At the same time, you can see the manager's point, can't you?

No I can't, he dose not own the store, GW dose, it a GW product, GW got my money, I should be able to play GW game in GW store with GW products. No matter where I buy GW products, GW get my money. I GW doesn't what my to use GW brought from non-GW store, then they should only sell there stuff in there own stores. It not my job to support a lose leader like there store front. Simply put if the GW store has game table that they use for open gaming, and I use only GW stuff, I should be treated as a GW customer because that what I am.

You might want to - but it's not your right. The stores are retail outlets, not marketing for a wholesaler.

As others have observed, simply buying the occasional odd item in the store you want to use all the time is probably enough to earn you a slot at a gaming table. But the manager has to (a) make a sales quota and (b) not deal with people who think they're entitled when that ain't the case.

And, like others, I find the premise of this thread... unconvincing in the extreme. Especially the shape shifting aliens who have records of how many exactly pots of paint I've purchased.

 cerbrus2 wrote:

Now wile i don't agree with some practices the GW perform, I can actually see that some people that make the threads on here "over exaggerated" or only tell "parts" of the full story that suit them.

Yup, this is like a case study.

The opening post suggests the OP just turned up a couple of times at the store. But the nthe other thread suggests he's been in a lot, enough for the manager to notice he never buys, which to me sounds a bit different from looking up some creepy database.

 MRPYM wrote:
.

My local GW manager has a history of threatening to kick me out of the store if I do not buy anything

Cerbrus2 has a good point:

In order for the manager/solitary employee to keep his job he has targets to make.

So it is a bit personal on performance so if he feels certain people scare off customers he would have no problem telling them to take a hike. Especially if he knows those people never buy anything.

I tend to purchase at my local store proportionately to gaming events they hold that I attend. One has dropped all the games I play so I check once and a while but buy nothing.