Would Gamestop be in a better state if they respected customers?

[fireflame]

I France we don't have Gamestop but only a branch of Gamestop, Micromania, infamous for selling new games at a higher price than other stores, trying to sell insurances on games, and other problems. It is still making profits though.

Gamestop itself seems to be quite infamous here and in many other places I visit, to the point every time we talk about their financial struggle, someone posts to celebrate.So I was wondering if their strategies towards customers were playing a part in the issues they face, and if they would be in a better state if they respected customers, and their own employees-I read many reports about this as well-more.

The way people talk about Gamestop here sometimes gives the feeling it left a trauma on them, So I come to think the stores must be really awful there. If they were more honest, would they sell more and survive well, despite the competition of digital stores and Amazon?

 

[WestEgg]

I've honestly had pretty good experiences at GameStop in store. The staff were friendly and could talk about games, they didn't mind if I just looked and didn't buy, and they'd occasionally have events like Smash tourneys or midnight release parties.

 

[MrNewVegas]

The only meme that reaches the masses is GS TIV. There's nothing they can do about it. People are dumb and expect tons of cash for their old shitty games. Be happy GS is willing to take them.

 

[strife85]

I've had decent experiences at gamestop as well.

 

[blame space]

if someone had a good experience at GameStop, it means the employee wasn't doing their job correctly. you are not allowed to be "just looking" and every customer answer should have a relevant follow-up question designed to maximize profitability and demonstrate level 4 customer service. level. four.

 

[Deleted member 22587]

Gamestop's policies is probably what's killing them. Every associate I've encountered here in my state has been nothing but great. If anything, I'd say their enthusiasm about games has sometimes pushed me into buying something I wouldn't otherwise have looked at.

Yes, I'm easily persuaded.

 

[mr teaspoon]

It's a store where they sell video games. I really don't get what the big deal is. Ha ha, dumb clerks. Ha ha, magazine subscriptions. Who frickin cares.

 

[Biske]

Yeah of course.

If I could have shopped there without getting a lecture about preorders and membership and having to haggle over getting a new wrapped copy of games I'd have shopped there more.

You know why I like buying games from walmart, best buy or amazon? I tell them what game I want and they fucking give it to me without a god damn hassle.

 

[Illusion]

The business practices on the corporate side is what tickles down into the nonsense the employees have to deal with.

But I agree, if the sales practice respected the employees more I'm sure they would be more respected of a retailer. But they have YEARS of bad service to prove that they are worth shopping at. Which is rough when the competition is selling new games day one at $50 or Amazon and Ebay allowing you to find literally anything.

 

[Einbroch]

Probably. It's how retail works.

I worked in the shoe department of JCPenneys. We were on commission. I had a coworker who tried to upsell constantly, and would push for credit card signups. Did he make more money initially? Yes. But those people didn't come back as often.

My strategy was to give people what they wanted and to look out for their best interest. Will this $40 shoe do what you want? I won't upsell you the $70 shoe. Does it make sense to open a credit card when you're spending $800 on shoes for your church function? Sure, I'll let you know about it. And I had many repeat customers specifically asking for me. My coworker did not.

If someone feels comfortable and happy in a store they will return. If they feel that way, they'll even spend a couple more bucks for the experience. But if an associate is pushy and makes a customer feel like a wad of cash, they're just going to shop online. GameStop's policies are killing the company. Many of the employees are fighting against it, but when that's all upper brass cares about, it's hard.

 

[RROCKMAN]

The only meme that reaches the masses is GS TIV. There's nothing they can do about it. People are dumb and expect tons of cash for their old shitty games. Be happy GS is willing to take them.

Click to shrink...

It's more about the forced circle of life strategy and the "lol the game is new even though I tore off the plastic for a display copy"

There was also a period of time where GameStop would not accept returns on games because the plastic was taken off too, so it sounded absolutely stupid to continue going there.

 

[nenned]

Yeah of course.

If I could have shopped there without getting a lecture about preorders and membership and having to haggle over getting a new wrapped copy of games I'd have shopped there more.

You know why I like buying games from walmart, best buy or amazon? I tell them what game I want and they fucking give it to me without a god damn hassle.

Click to shrink...

I've never had this experience at any Gamestop I've ever been to.

But my answer to the questions is "no" simply because digital is on the rise and physical on the decline. No amount of customer respect is going to reverse that and that is a problem for GS.

 

[blame space]

Yeah of course.

If I could have shopped there without getting a lecture about preorders and membership and having to haggle over getting a new wrapped copy of games I'd have shopped there more.

You know why I like buying games from walmart, best buy or amazon? I tell them what game I want and they fucking give it to me without a god damn hassle.

Click to shrink...

the fucked up thing is, when someone sells you what you ask for without interrogating you and trying to squeeze more money out of you, you're more likely to buy something else or come back in the future! or at least i am. gs employees are trained to treat every customer like their last, and maybe that's by design. i get that new games aren't profitable, but i also think if you lower the stakes on a transaction level, everyone's experience would improve. but what do i know.

 

[blame space]

i will never forget being told directly to gut 30 copies of COD ghosts in order to "maximize impact" the holiday season it came out. six rows, five deep, all opened and put on the floor to really flex our muscles.

 

[Odeko]

I probably would have gone back a few more times in the last few years if checking out weren't such a miserable experience, but on the other hand they're a physical media company in the Year of Our Lord 2019. They could have the best customer service in the universe and still probably wouldn't be long for this world.

 

[blame space]

"look at all the copies of this game we opened"

 

[Bit_Reactor]

I don't think it's about respect so much as you constantly feel like you're dealing with a traveling salesman and car dealer every time you go in there. That mentality works for a car dealership because it's one big purchase, when you go in there frequently or just want to grab and go being barraged with 50 million questions or being handed 3 ads for trade in deals or being constantly pushed towards the toys and clothes because "they're buy one get one for the 100th time this year!" it gets just...tiresome.

The store my gf and I go to isn't even one of the worst ones and it's really annoying that for example we both requested a copy of Yokai Watch 3 for 3DS to be reserved because we knew it'd be a limited release. They only reserved one.

We go to buy a game, and the typical transaction is:
Walk in > Get told about every single deal in the store already and get asked 5 times if we need help finding anything despite being regulars in the store > get handed a paper ad detailing all the trade ins and other things > pick up the game case to bring up to the line > Sit in line while 2 people manage (if that) to help the customers and listen to the upcoming sales pitches and upsales that I'm going to have to say no to > Get to the cash register and turn down warranty, turn down up sales, turn down the club card thing, turn down the presale/preorders, turn down anything else they might add > finally get my game and walk out after being told to take a survey.

If I go to Best Buy I just grab the game, go to the register and walk out.

There's a perceived "culture" I guess at Gamestop but I gave up on that long ago when I realized the only people still working at Gamestops are the people who can't/won't go anywhere else and are okay getting paid 5-6 bucks an hour to upsell everything and just talk about specific pushed games every day. As an enthusiast it's really tiring to see the only information pushed at me is the same 5 big titles from the AAA publishers every year. I knew more about StarLink going into that purchase than the rest of the store did.

It's just a mixed brand of trying to sell passion/enthusiasm about a medium but not willing to pay their employees well enough to keep them and/or reward that enthusiasm so the only thing that's left are the people who have already sunk too much time into the company to bail or the typical stoner bro who's there to do the bare minimum.

Generalizations and exceptions to every rule, blah blah blah, but there are so many problems with Gamestop that don't just boil down to "respect" so much as shady business and taking on the complete wrong mentality for the industry.

 

[Shining Star]

I know a lot of people don't like it but I like that the one here hires a lot of women. It makes me feel a bit more comfortable in there.

 

[TheMilkman]

I've never had a bad experience at a GameStop, so I can't relate to the "horror" stories

 

[bonch00ski]

Never felt disrespected, just badgered with offers to buy insurance or pre-orders which is the main reason why I don't shop there as much anymore.

 

[SparkleMotion]

Walk into Gamestop.
Get handed a flyer that is readily available on a stand.
Ask if I need any recommendations.
Take game to register.
Get a pitch on how I, a 38yr old person can break a game in pieces, or even light it on fire and get a replacement for free if I pay a fee bucks.
Get a pitch on at least 2 games to pre-order, then get a rebuttal after my refusal.

This is why I don't shop at Gamestop as much as I used to.

Click to shrink...

I've never had this experience. Every Gamestop I go to, they never try to force anything on me. It's only when I call the store do they do the pre-order spiel.

What's wrong with being asked for recommendations? I just give a polite "no thank you" and they leave me alone. You'd be surprised how many moms and grandparents go in there that actually DO need the help.

 

[Deleted member 4976]

I'd wager 90% of my Gamestop experiences have been terrible or more time consuming then they should be.

It's why I stopped going there and would rather buy games at the nearby Walmart.

Bonus: Walmart sells new games and not whatever shit Gamestop tries to pull.

 

[Secretofmateria]

The truth is that digital gets bigger and bigger every year, in that enviroment its gonna be tough for gamestop to keep up. Stores like best buy, walmart, and target at least have other revenues of income, but i imagine next gen consoles next year will give them a boost with people pre ordering boxes as well as wanting physical games and accessories to use immediately instead of waiting on a download.

 

[RadzPrower]

It's clearly a case of "your mileage may vary" since there are highly contrasting stories of how Gamestop handles their customers. I can say I have actually seen both cases because I've been to so many over time and it also depends on how frequently they see you. Walk into a GS for the first time and they'll probably be more likely to try and sell you, but if you're a regular, they're probably going to just get you checked out and go.

Yeah, the sales pitch is a corporate thing, so it comes down to individual stores and sales people in regards to how heavy they follow said policy. The store here near the office, pretty much never push anything unless it's a new employee who doesn't know me.

 

[Ouroboros]

They should have stopped locating them always next to nail salon parlors. That was there real Achilles heel.

 

[Asriel]

Walk into Gamestop.
Get handed a flyer that is readily available on a stand.
Ask if I need any recommendations.
Take game to register.
Get a pitch on how I, a 38yr old person can break a game in pieces, or even light it on fire and get a replacement for free if I pay a few bucks.
Get a pitch on at least 2 games to pre-order, then get a rebuttal after my refusal.

This is why I don't shop at Gamestop as much as I used to.

Click to shrink...

Oh god, how disrespectful and awful. /s

 

[Deleted member 8860]

GameStop would have gone out of business long ago if all it did was sell new games/hardware with no upsale. The slim margins on those items aren't enough to cover the expenses of running a store.

 

[blame space]

i mean, i don't think "respect" is an incorrect thought process here. a lot of it does come down to respect. or at least the perception of being respected.

 

[RF Switch]

GameStop needed to make drastic changes years ago in preparation for the digital movement, but the higher ups were too greedy/stupid to do it. They spent money on the dumbest things. Before I left as manager they spent millions on some dumb scheduling software called Kronos that never worked. I was begging for more hours for our holiday staff that year because we couldn't handle the demand and on top of that we had to stay 85% compliant with that Kronos was telling us. Kronos loved to schedule our holiday staff without keys to open and close the store by themselves so I had to change it every week which lowered my compliance. I was then written up for not using the shitty software they paid millions for instead of using that money to pay employees to make their sales. That's just a taste at what was going on in the early 360/PS3 era

 

[adumb]

Respected the customer in terms of their business practices, or respected the customer as in respecting the scum that come through the door?

Because I wouldn't wish the latter on anybody in retail.

 

[bonch00ski]

Oh god, how disrespectful and awful. /s

Click to shrink...

Yeah I should have clarified that I was never disrespected just annoyed at the constant badgering to pre-order to buy insurance.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

The rise of digital distribution is killing Gamestop, not bad customer service

 

[Kill3r7]

I am not going to argue that pleasant customer service is not important but if that was all it took than GameCrazy would still be in business.

OP, what do you think is GS business model? Who are their primary customers (whales)? Why do you think they became the biggest videogame store in the world before faltering?

 

[SparkleMotion]

Yeah I should have clarified that I was never disrespected just annoyed at the constant badgering to pre-order to buy insurance.

Click to shrink...

Remember that these people live and die in corporate's eyes depending on how many pre-orders and insurance things they sell. They're usually cool people that are fine with you just saying no thanks. No need to get annoyed.

 

[Lys Skygge]

I liked GameStop until I worked for them for a season.

 

[LewieP]

I doubt a boost in customer satisfaction would have a meaningful large scale impact on the fundamental flaws in their business model going forward.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

I've never understood the hate and people celebrating over shutdowns like this are fucking clowns. Simple as that.

I go in, get what I need and tell them no when they try to up sell. Everyone's always been super nice and helpful for the most part. I think they could definitely tone it down in the up/cross selling, but that's my only real complaint. That aside, I'd like to see them ease up certain requirements I've heard of for their reps.

 

[Kyry]

Gamestops major issue seems to be that they hire order takers but want salespeople. Pay more than minimum wage and then you might be competitive with people who can make qualified sales.

 

[Spongehead56]

I'm sure the pushy sales techniques that Gamestop has required of their employees has played a minor role in their current troubles. But they'd still be doing fine if digital sales weren't a thing.

Digital sales are really what's killing them, not their customer service.

 

[Deleted member 7148]

When I go to a GameStop (which is very seldom now a days mind you), I get treated pretty well for the most part. I did have a GameStop near my old apartment that had an employee who was a massive asshole that I complained about in surverys a few times, but that was it. The manager jumped on that and made it right each time and I didn't see that guy anymore long after. 90% of the time the employees are pretty friendly.

My problem with GameStop mostly stems from policy and how they treat their employees. I know several people who's worked at GameStop who have told me horror stories about how themselves or co-workers were treated by district managers and corporate. The general consensus I got was that the lingering feeling of being fired at any moment never goes away there. Not to mention all of the social media stories I read too. It seems like a pretty miserable place to work and that makes me feel bad for not giving into their sales pitches, like I'm contributing to their poor treatment by not purchasing a super duper power card or preorder a bunch of shit. I don't want to shop at a store and feel guilt-tripped to buy shit I don't want/need.

I also agree with complaints about the sales pitches. I feel like I'm constantly being pressured to buy/preorder/subscribe/etc. That's why I buy almost all of my physical games at Best Buy. I can order it online, walk in, grab it, and go; in and out in a matter of minutes without any employees hassling me. Best Buy does a great job of having employees on-hand to help at any time while also just leaving you the fuck alone. GameStop would be a better place if they did the same.

 

[Psychonaut]

My biggest issue with GameStop (and most people's, I assume) is their trade-in value, and I wouldn't say that comes down to "respect." That's just capitalism being shitty and knowing they can ream consumers without consequence. Seriously, I bought Control for $60, walked in two days later to trade it in and got offered $20.

I've always had mostly pleasant encounters with the actual staff. I still go in occasionally to pre-order Switch games. It's just that their trade in policy probably did more to harm them in the long run than it did to help.

 

[Sexy Fish]

I stopped going to my local one when the last "new" copy they had of a game was opened. Just went across the street to Target instead. No idea why that became a thing at certain locations.

 

[Tyaren]

Except one time I had a pretty good experience in the one Gamestop in town (which I hope won't close). The exception I am talking about:
On the PS4 Pro launch day I walked into the GS to ask if they by chance still had any PS4 Pros left to exchange for my older PS4. The GS employee told me they were all already sold the moment they opened the store that day. I then left the store, but immediately realized I should've asked when exactly the next delivery of Pros will arrive. I went back into the store, but the employee I had talked to earlier was now talking to a customer and so another employee came up to me. After I asked him when the new delivery will arrive, he just said: "Oh, but we still have Pros in the back. :)" Which they indeed had and I was able to exchange my old PS4 for one.
Why the hell did the other employee lie to me they were all sold out immediately?

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

It was always a hassle going to Gamestop with them trying to get me to preorder stuff I didn't want, them trying to give me open copies of games, and them having some kind of opinion of my purchases. I don't care if they could never get into the Earth Defense Force games, or whatever. Plus I never got my preorder bonuses. They were always out of them.

 

[LiK]

Every GS is different. It depends on the managers and their employees. There was one (which closed) near me which had the most pleasant kids working along with a cool ass manager. I only went there twice but it was a good experience and they were super helpful and chill.

Sadly, another GS that was in business way longer (before the mall restructuring closed all the shops there) had the worst manager with the worst employees. They didn't even allow me to return some brand new sealed games cuz of "policy" one time. Kid had a stinky attitude and pissed me off. This was back when I was young and less wise so I didn't think to call corporate. I returned the game to another store instead. Horrible place. Glad they're gone.

 

[qwerty999]

We don't have Gamestop here in the UK, but we have CEX. If they're doing well, then why is it that the likes of GAME and Gamestop aren't doing well?

Does anyone (including any CEX employees) know the answer to this?

 

[banter]

I've had good experiences in gamestop before, but not nearly as many as I've had bad experiences. Unfortunately the good experiences come from stores that aren't crammed full of people, aka, aren't making as much profit. I've also known too many people who've worked for them (from management to seasonal hires) to have any respect for them as a company.

In today's market, with the prevalence of digital stores and convenience, you MUST have good customer interaction to maintain business. There has to be some reason people go out of their way to go there instead of doing more convenient and often cheaper shopping.

 

[Deleted member 426]

I went to GAME which is the UK version, and the staff seemed pretty enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I had a good experience. They're pretty expensive which is why I usually steer clear, they've just not adapted to the times. I don't think they're a bad company though, people complain a lot, but I don't think they're worse than any other major high street store.

 

[Lukar]

To be completely honest, I've rarely had a negative experience at a GameStop. Most of the ones I've went to have had friendly and knowledgeable staff. They are salespeople, yes, but most of the time, this is how it's gone when I've walked in:

"Is there anything I can help you find?"

"Nope, just looking."

"Okay, if you need anything, let me know."

They haven't been pushy or anything, even at checkout, and when they do recommend another product or service, they don't push it any further once I tell them no thanks.

I'm not trying to dismiss others' bad experiences though. I have had a few, and I don't doubt there are some subpar stores out there. But I think it's just also important to point out that it isn't really the norm, is all.

 

[Camwi]

I think selling used games as new counts as being disrespectful to customers. I don't know if things would change for the company if that stopped happening, but I can say that I would start shopping there again.