Why I don't support my LGS

[Mark CMG]

I think the "F" in "FLGS" should stand for Friendly and Fun!

 

[Kahuna Burger]

just another story from the trenches of small business retail, but I would never have even considered turning away a customer who made it in before I could lock up. Let them know "we're closing up" sure, but tell them to turn around? I regularly let people in AFTER I had locked up if they knew what they wanted and could pay cash if I'd already had started the credit card machine doing its thing.

Now I worked at a pet supply store, not a gaming shop, so some of the accomadation was based on the fact that people often needed these items in a way that most people don't really need their miniatures that night, but it was the same in terms of having to provide a level of service to compete with the box stores and on line retailers. We couldn't just sit there and say "you should buy from us and not petco/petsmart/pets.com because we're the Friendly Local Pet Supply." We had to earn it. We also had a similar issue of "customer service vs product knowlege", and worked to provide both.

I don't see a customer eltitlement issue here unless "entitlement" has been expanded to mean "expects retail help to have minimal retail skills."

 

[Umbran]

I want them to hire somebody's who good at one and can learn the other. You know, like every other successful small retailer in the country does.

Evil Big Boxes like Wal-Mart and Best Buy succeed through volume and marketing. Small businesses like the corner drug store or the local appliance store suceed through good service, or being the only place in town. Far too many game stores are depending on the latter when customers want the former.

However, given that they are small businesses, in a niche market, they are caught in a bit of a bind - people who are proven to be good at their jobs can demand greater pay than those without a proven track record. They can't generally offer benefits, much less a really high hourly wage.

Yes, someone who gives poor service may lose you some income. But, he also costs you less. It is a precarious balance point, but so long as the benefit exceeds the detriment, it's the unskilled labor for the win!

 

[BryonD]

Here's the deal. You aren't that important. For every hostage-taking consumer out there, at least one hundred well-adjusted human beings exist who are ready to step up and buy things from retailers simply because they want or need them, not because they need the retailer to grant their every wish like some kind of fairy godmother. For normal people, consumerism is about. . . ah. . . consuming, not acting out bizarro control fantasies with the cash register clerks at the local brick and mortar store.

First, your interactions with reality clearly differ vastly from mine.....

That said, I'll just repeat my point: Thank you for clarifying that me shopping from Amazon and telling the rude LGS people to find someone else to support them has your endorsement and that I'm actually helping, not harming when I do it. I'm glad to know it.

 

[BryonD]

This thread is about the extreme evil of retailers who won't throw themselves on a pyre for the consumer

Can you provide provide the quotes that back up this claim?

 

[jdrakeh]

Can you provide provide the quotes that back up this claim?

You need to re-read this thread. I already address this on Page 2. I misread the OP's post and admitted as much. That said, many posters have suggested that the retailer's duty is to operate as the individual consumer demands and that, my friend, is nonsense of the highest order.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yes, someone who gives poor service may lose you some income. But, he also costs you less. It is a precarious balance point, but so long as the benefit exceeds the detriment, it's the unskilled labor for the win!

Given how poorly comics and game shops do nationwide, I don't know if I'd describe that as a winning strategy.

 

[Corvidae]

You need to get down to either Topeka, KS (home of Gatekeeper Hobbies) or Colorado Springs, CO (home of Compleat Games & Hobbies). I've lived in over a dozen cities in the US and these two stores are among the best that I've ever seen. Both are owner operated and both make your stereotypical game store look horribly bad by comparison. Also, though their game selection is lmited, Just Imagine in the tiny town of Ridgecrest, CA is a great store service-wise.

There are truly great stores out there, you just have to look in order to find them -- but then again, that isn't the point of this thread. This thread is about the extreme evil of retailers who won't throw themselves on a pyre for the consumer

Just to put in my two cents, Gatekeeper is great, but so is "Tabletop games" in nearby Kansas City. I guess I have been spoiled. My two local games stores are the best I have ever been in.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Well, as they say - vote with your wallet. I don't believe in buying from somebody just because it might support a small business. You have to give some reason to make me want to shop there other than your existence. Since small businesses cannot usually compete on price, service is where they need to beat the competition.

 

[Corvidae]

To be clear, I wasn't expecting him to extend store hours. I was expecting him to not be a jerkface about it. Does wanting someone to not be a jerkface count as a bizarro control fantasy?

And why is deciding not to go there 'hostage taking'? I didn't like his service, so I'm going somewhere else. That's how the system works.

Just wondering, are you sure he was being a "jerkface"?

I work in a restaurant/bar and I will let people know when we are closing because otherwise they forget. I will then remind them again about 10 minutes later because they get caught up in talking and forget to finish up their drinks so we can close before we have to go take their drinks away from them (there are times when we must legally do this). In addition to this, I have a lot more than simply customers to worry about. I have employees, the customers the next day, (the restaurant must be cleaned and if I have my employees doing it too late they do a bad job because of tiredness and bad light). There are many considerations, not just the customer there at the moment. It may be that he wanted you to be aware that he was closing so you could be sure to get what you needed before the store closed.

I do not think it was unreasonable for him to want to close when the store said to close, perhaps he was not as tactful as he could have been, but he "could" have been trying to make sure you knew you had limited time so you could get what you needed.

I am not saying this is the case, I am saying it "could" be. I would talk to the owner if you can and explain what happened. I promise the employee will be talked to about tact.