FLGS sucks

[jdrakeh]

My local game store just lost the last bits of my patronage!!

So I drop by today after a long hiatus to check out what I have been missing out on, and to get a look at the other 4e books (because I had only ordered the PHB anyhow). First, the owner and employees are facing computer screens containing WoW games and I only get a quick 'hello' as I enter the store (devoid of other customers, mind you). I do a bit of browsing around the minis that dominate three quarters of the whole retail space, then I move over to the shelves that contain the actual role-play books....

... I was shocked to find that the store had shrink-wrapped every single book... even the old stuff. That was the last straw for me. I left without buying anything or even saying a word to them. I guess allowing a prospective customer to actually peruse the stock is just too much for them. I might as well do my shopping at Amazon exclusively now... I at least get a steep discount over MSRP for the materials that I cannot look at physically.

You might want to start shopping down at Compleat Games & Hobbies on Tejon (downtown). It's not easy for everybody to get to, though I think it is easily the best game store in the Springs.

[Edit: I have no idea what local game store you're talking about, only that it isn't Compleat.]

 

[smootrk]

You might want to start shopping down at Compleat Games & Hobbies on Tejon (downtown). It's not easy for everybody to get to, though I think it is easily the best game store in the Springs.

[Edit: I have no idea what local game store you're talking about, only that it isn't Compleat.]

You are right. It was not Compleat Games, nor was it Gamer's Haven, but it is nearly right across the street from GH... but I will not go so far as to actually name it. Despite my frustrations, I don't feel it is necessary to call it out by name.

As we can all see, it is nice that Colorado Springs has several options for gaming... but not 14 like in Vancouver! I can at least go elsewhere, and then there is always Denver less than an hour away.

 

[jdrakeh]

You are right. It was not Compleat Games, nor was it Gamer's Haven, but it is nearly right across the street from GH... but I will not go so far as to actually name it. Despite my frustrations, I don't feel it is necessary to call it out by name.

Oh, yeah. I think I know which one you mean. I visited their mall location when I first moved to town and found their counter help to be both totally ignorant of the various products they sold and of what the store itself actually had in stock, as well as very unfriendly.

[Edit: Nevermind. Some quick Google searches revealed to me that yet another game store has opened on North Academy since I last ventured out that way in search of RPGs ]

 

[Digital M@]

But it wasn't an unfriendly environment!


What it sounds like to me is that people jumped in ready to say "HELL YEAH DOWN WITH THE MAN" while not actually paying attention to what happened.

Maybe I should change my first post to "In this thread, a lot of people who have never had to work retail in their lives."

Are u Kidding? Name any successful retail store that has video games set up for employees who are on shift?

Everyone on this board has retail experience. We shop all of the time, and each one of those experiences help decide where we do our shopping next? Is the store clean? Do I feel welcome? Do they have things I like? Were the employees friendly? Helpful? Knowledgeable? Was the pricing structure acceptable? etc.

I have worked retail and currently work in sales and consulting, customer service and support is never the customer's responsibility. As a retailer you will never satisfy everyone, but you had better try to provide a great store with great service.

IMO, as far as gaming stores, if they do not support on sight gaming with demos, game days, tournaments, etc, they provide little value. It is essential for the gaming store to create a feel of community for their customers, because gaming stores cannot afford to match the pricing of Amazon and the on site purchases during those events can be huge, not to mention the emotional tie it can create with the participants.

I can't believe someone could assume that people don't know what good customer service is.

 

[rgard]

This is very sad to hear.... In greater Vancouver we have over 14, not including comic book/sports card stores... 2 even opened additional locations!

Most have space where we run mini conventions/game days and no shrinkwrap...

You should all move up here...

Way cool!!! I'll be in Vancouver in 10 days for a week!!!

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Hey Smootrk, just jumping from page 2... its been a busy week and I haven't had time to catch up the the conversations here..

but wanted to apologize for any erroneous assumptions I weilded in my reply waay upthread... That was one of those knee jerk posts that I should have read over a couple times before hiting 'submit'.


I think one problem that game stores have is that many of the employees, and some owners, don't see it as a 'real' retail business. Part of this is due to training and experience. 'Real' retail businesses provide training and spend a fair amount of time educating employees on the value of customer service... because it is worth it. Successful game stores, like the Source in MN, either learned this the hard way and survived or were lucky with owners and staff. There is no overarching corporate headquarters to come down and say 'your employee standards of conduct will be _____'
Might not be a bad thing for an interested party to toss up on a web page of 'running a game store for dummies'

 

[smootrk]

Hey Smootrk, just jumping from page 2... its been a busy week and I haven't had time to catch up the the conversations here..

but wanted to apologize for any erroneous assumptions I weilded in my reply waay upthread... That was one of those knee jerk posts that I should have read over a couple times before hiting 'submit'.


I think one problem that game stores have is that many of the employees, and some owners, don't see it as a 'real' retail business. Part of this is due to training and experience. 'Real' retail businesses provide training and spend a fair amount of time educating employees on the value of customer service... because it is worth it. Successful game stores, like the Source in MN, either learned this the hard way and survived or were lucky with owners and staff. There is no overarching corporate headquarters to come down and say 'your employee standards of conduct will be _____'
Might not be a bad thing for an interested party to toss up on a web page of 'running a game store for dummies'

Its all good. Even I have mellowed since I first posted. Your post (and some other posts) only demonstrated that more detail should have been offered in the opening post... hard to paint the big picture with just a few lines of text.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

The Complete Strategist has come up with a pretty good solution to the damaged new book thing I think. When new book comes in that they know is going to sell well (like say 4E) they keep the boxes with the stock behind the counter BUT they put a browsing copy or two out on the shelves so people can look at that one.

Yeah, they sacrifice one book to the wolves but it's just that one book not a whole shelf of dog eared product that they eventually will never sell...

 

[Lhorgrim]

I only have one option for buying gaming stuff in person in my area. I have to drive around 45 minutes to Lexington to go to any other stores. There is a store that I like in Lexington called the Rusty Scabbard. They have a wide variety of stuff, and the people working there always ask if there is anything they can help me find. If you are in the area I give them my seal of approval for what that's worth.

That said, the one shop in my town does put the F in FLGS. The owner puts in tons of hours, and while his personal specialty is Magic the Gathering he has put the effort into educating himself about games and comics. He is also open to suggestions from customers about ways to improve the store experience.

In the past I had made most of my purchases online to save money and to avoid the commute to Lexington, but now I buy exclusively from my FLGS. I want him to succeed and I want the store to stick around. I have never played D&D in a store before. It has always been at someones home/dormroom/library, but this store has broken me out of my shell and now I'm playing there on Saturdays.

As for the OP, I feel your pain. I have been to several game stores where I really felt like I was imposing on the staff just by being in the building. I have experienced employees that came across as very condescending when I had questions about games with which I was not familiar. I have seen eyes roll when an employee had to take a break from his MtG game so I could actually buy something.

I have experienced good and bad customer service (and I have worked retail in hardware and clothing stores for some perspective). The bad cust serv does tend to stand out more in my mind, because I do expect at least the basic "Hi, how may I help you today." unless the employees are busy with other customers. I do remember the really good ones though, and almost every one was good because they were enthusiastic and knowledgable about their products. A pleasant attitude and a smile can go a long way toward making a customer's experience a positive one.

 

[Oryan77]

Then you proceed to the product area. And look, the books are wrapped to prevent people from flipping through them and leaving without buying. On seeing this, you immidiately prove them entirely correct by leaving without purchasing something.

Wrapping books is never a good idea for any store. Wrapping it up isn't going to help a store make a sale, so why do it?

I never buy books from the local stores. I'm in the camp where saving me money by buying online is more important than supporting Joe Blow. But, I do go in and browse around and flip through books. On occasion, I even buy dice, a few minis, or whatever catches my eye that I feel is worth buying. I wouldn't even be there buying those items if my first intention wasn't to browse through a new book.

There is one gaming store in my area that wraps books. I stopped in once, realized I couldn't browse the book, left the store, went to the other store, browsed the book there, then bought some dry-erase markers when I saw them on display. Which store do you think has the most potential to make a few bucks off of me? A store should entice people to buy something, not eliminate the entire chance.