GameStop Corp..

[Benstamania]

I worked at Circuit City for a few years and you want to see a steady decline....Wow. We had GREAT upper management at first and then that uber *****e bought out CC and ran it into the friggin' ground.

As far as I'm concerned CC should still be in business but upper management ruined it. It will happen to GS before to long...because at first GS had great upper management but now....

 

[amazingfantasy15]

In high school I worked at the precursor to GameStop, Funcoland and they were the same way about cleaning kits and the Funcoland card, which got you 10% off purchases. The people who sold more of those, defintiely got treated better, however, we also got commissions from those sales, it definitely helped in the drive to sell them. I can see corporate's view on wanted to sell more of their card, if you get benefits from the card, you'll go to the store more. I never go to GameStop because their prices are always the same as Best Buy, I have a Rewards Zone card at Best Buy so I go there to buy games since I'll get gift certicates for spending x amounts of dollars there. It's just a way to get loyal customers, pre-orders, cards that give you a certain percent off, it's gonna keep you going to that store.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I worked at Circuit City for a few years and you want to see a steady decline....Wow. We had GREAT upper management at first and then that uber *****e bought out CC and ran it into the friggin' ground.

As far as I'm concerned CC should still be in business but upper management ruined it. It will happen to GS before to long...because at first GS had great upper management but now....

I don't think it'll be so much management that is the end of Gamestop but more the way the industry is headed which appears to favor the digital download. I think games will eventually get to the point of how music and now movies are being sold/rented which is increasingly download, but I do think upper management will push that scenario into play faster, due to the poor treatment of it's employees and ultimately the customer.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Well you can. I realized I could change by not having to work those jobs. After Gamestop I decided to go back to school. Now I'm just a year and a half from getting my MBA.

Doesn't mean that you won't have to deal with sillyness like that anymore.

I mean, I work as a financial consultant, and we are still held to goals and projections as to what we need to reach in our career. I'm not even retail and I have to deal with similar sillyness.

When you work in a corporate world, you will almost always have to deal with some sort of silly thing like this.

 

[marvelman2006]

Doesn't mean that you won't have to deal with sillyness like that anymore.

I mean, I work as a financial consultant, and we are still held to goals and projections as to what we need to reach in our career. I'm not even retail and I have to deal with similar sillyness.

When you work in a corporate world, you will almost always have to deal with some sort of silly thing like this.

your right but theres a difference between getting retail accounts and incentives and simply meeting your team goals. when your getting paid to meet goals at a high pay rate you take it more serious then a minimum wage video game store with goals. thats how I am now with my admin position, I take my goals and daily duites much more serious now then I did when I was at old navy because there two entirely different beast.

 

[marvelman2006]

I don't think it'll be so much management that is the end of Gamestop but more the way the industry is headed which appears to favor the digital download. I think games will eventually get to the point of how music and now movies are being sold/rented which is increasingly download, but I do think upper management will push that scenario into play faster, due to the poor treatment of it's employees and ultimately the customer.

and also video game developers trying to kill the used game market which is something stores like gamestop thrive on. to an earlier post, I use to love funcoland and yet I never noticed they went out of business.

 

[Solidus]

Doesn't mean that you won't have to deal with sillyness like that anymore.

I mean, I work as a financial consultant, and we are still held to goals and projections as to what we need to reach in our career. I'm not even retail and I have to deal with similar sillyness.

When you work in a corporate world, you will almost always have to deal with some sort of silly thing like this.

Well of course lol but I've worked with many big corporations, not just from the retail side, and yes you have to deal with odd things, but to me GS was one of the worst ones I ever worked with. I've worked with many of the top liquor companies in the world, and yes silliness can be anywhere. But the thing is, many of it needs to be changed. To me Gamestop's business strategies I believe are weak. Turnover is one of the biggest expenses that can be avoided. Just from a business stand point it is short term to treat employees as they do which pushes high turnover. Some would say that the training is easy, but even still just in retail, with new employees almost all of them I have managed, make big mistakes that lose lots of money. So I just personally have found the cost of turnover to be too much, when you can help to cut it down.

But yes I know, there is silliness everywhere, but GS had too much IMO.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Oh yea, I wasn't defending Gamestops policies, since I pretty much hate going into their stores, as most of their employees are inept, and their constant badgering gets on my nerves.

Gall dernnit, lemme buy my games in peace!

 

[Solidus]

I know. It really is irritating. In our store, most of the customers were gamers, and most were pretty well informed. And bugging them, really just made them more mad. So I never did. And I hated being bugged too.

I usually just go to BB, they may ask if you need help, but that's as far as it goes.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

and also video game developers trying to kill the used game market which is something stores like gamestop thrive on. to an earlier post, I use to love funcoland and yet I never noticed they went out of business.

I don't think Funcoland went out of business I think GameStop just bought them out or they changed their name. The Funcoland I worked at in high school became a GameStop while I was in college, it had basically the same exact layout, just with a new name. In high school there was also a chain called Babbages that I liked, they all became GameStop's as well. I think all the smaller video game stores were just bought out by GameStop in the late '90s.

Well of course lol but I've worked with many big corporations, not just from the retail side, and yes you have to deal with odd things, but to me GS was one of the worst ones I ever worked with. I've worked with many of the top liquor companies in the world, and yes silliness can be anywhere. But the thing is, many of it needs to be changed. To me Gamestop's business strategies I believe are weak. Turnover is one of the biggest expenses that can be avoided. Just from a business stand point it is short term to treat employees as they do which pushes high turnover. Some would say that the training is easy, but even still just in retail, with new employees almost all of them I have managed, make big mistakes that lose lots of money. So I just personally have found the cost of turnover to be too much, when you can help to cut it down.

But yes I know, there is silliness everywhere, but GS had too much IMO.

You're always going to have high turnover in retail, because it's mainly just high school kids and they're getting paid minimum wage. There's really no incentive to stay loyal.

 

[socool]

I wish I had seen this thread before. I got a job at Gamestop yesterday and I start Monday. Now I'm a little nervous...especially since I'm coming off an easy job (Dunkin Donuts)

 

[Benstamania]

Just don't expect it to be a fun place to work. I tell EVERYONE that comes into GameStop that's a gamer, don't expect to enjoy working here.

 

[Havok83]

They dont know that annoying customers is one way not to have customers? One of the reasons why I prefer online shopping as opposed to going to stores is bc the eemployees bug the hell out of me. This isnt limited to GS. I hate when people are constantly coming up to me asking if I need help and telling me about current deals. I see the f-ing sign; I told you Im doing alright. If I need help, I'll ask; just leave me the hell alone. Thats what goes through my mind when I go out.

 

[Solidus]

I don't think Funcoland went out of business I think GameStop just bought them out or they changed their name. The Funcoland I worked at in high school became a GameStop while I was in college, it had basically the same exact layout, just with a new name. In high school there was also a chain called Babbages that I liked, they all became GameStop's as well. I think all the smaller video game stores were just bought out by GameStop in the late '90s.



You're always going to have high turnover in retail, because it's mainly just high school kids and they're getting paid minimum wage. There's really no incentive to stay loyal.

Ehhhh, the average age of Wal-Mart the biggest retail, is quite high. And Gamestop maybe, but lots including myself that worked there, especially managers were not high schoolers. And yes with kids your going to have a higher turnover rate but quite a bit of adults actually do work in the retail industry, just walk around Target, and Wal-Mart and that's (at least around here) pretty apparent.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Just don't expect it to be a fun place to work. I tell EVERYONE that comes into GameStop that's a gamer, don't expect to enjoy working here.

No dude, i wouldnt say that. It all depends on who you are working around. Iv worked at 2 different gamestops, didnt enjoy the first one but really enjoy the one im at now. This is the first job iv had where after 3 months i didnt dread going in to work. Our employees are all really cool dudes, we know how to treat the customer and thats why our store is near the top in the company, not just region or nation, the entire company.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Ehhhh, the average age of Wal-Mart the biggest retail, is quite high. And Gamestop maybe, but lots including myself that worked there, especially managers were not high schoolers. And yes with kids your going to have a higher turnover rate but quite a bit of adults actually do work in the retail industry, just walk around Target, and Wal-Mart and that's (at least around here) pretty apparent.

Theres a saying that goes if you are over 30 and still wearing a name tag, you did something wrong. You see a lot of that in the retail sector, at least in terms of the low level employee, the ones dealing with the customer. It doesnt require a lot to do that kind of work, which in turn means those employees are easily replaceable. Big reason why you see a lot of turnover in the retail industry.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I wish I had seen this thread before. I got a job at Gamestop yesterday and I start Monday. Now I'm a little nervous...especially since I'm coming off an easy job (Dunkin Donuts)

Dude the job is really easy, not a lot of thought goes into, the biggest concern you'll have is your fellow employees. If you have good managers and good game advisors, you'll enjoy working there. Iv been on both sides, iv had the good and iv had the bad, BIG difference.

 

[Benstamania]

I have a good Assistant Manager, and the other 3rd key is great.... our manager is cool outside of work but she causes so much freaking stress ON the job that it's not funny.

I'm hoping to get a stock room job soon, I'm just kind of "tired" of dealing with the public...and the stock room guys aren't ever overly pressured like the poor sales associates.

 

[Solidus]

Theres a saying that goes if you are over 30 and still wearing a name tag, you did something wrong. You see a lot of that in the retail sector, at least in terms of the low level employee, the ones dealing with the customer. It doesnt require a lot to do that kind of work, which in turn means those employees are easily replaceable. Big reason why you see a lot of turnover in the retail industry.

With out a doubt that can be a part of it, but there is way more to it than that. It's what I've spent the past half decade learning and there are arguments on both sides I will admit. . Even with no skill, there are costs that are behind turnover, most are not "direct costs".

 

[Justkidding]

I used to love the old Funcoland, and the Gamestops in my area were pretty good. Never liked the Edge card, having to pay $10 was lame, and the deals weren't that great since games costed a lot and I never went to buy new ones that often.

If I had more time, and games were good I'd most likely get an Edge card now. But since most games now only take an average of 6 hours to beat I just hit up the Redbox and pay $2 and I'm good. If I want used I usually hit this local comic/dvd/video game store in town.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I have a good Assistant Manager, and the other 3rd key is great.... our manager is cool outside of work but she causes so much freaking stress ON the job that it's not funny.

I'm hoping to get a stock room job soon, I'm just kind of "tired" of dealing with the public...and the stock room guys aren't ever overly pressured like the poor sales associates.

Yea i know what ya mean. Our manager is a cool dude, but he's still a manger, not crazy about working with him, but he is FAR better than the last manager i worked with. I mean my manager now is just constantly telling me how we can do better to make the company more money, but i just tune him out, i really dont care about the company. I care about me, if doing more means im gonna get a cut of that by all means ill do it, but im not doing anything extra just because our District Manager thinks it'll make a few extra bucks.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Yea i know what ya mean. Our manager is a cool dude, but he's still a manger, not crazy about working with him, but he is FAR better than the last manager i worked with. I mean my manager now is just constantly telling me how we can do better to make the company more money, but i just tune him out, i really dont care about the company. I care about me, if doing more means im gonna get a cut of that by all means ill do it, but im not doing anything extra just because our District Manager thinks it'll make a few extra bucks.

You sounds a lot like Peter Gibbons from Office Space right now.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

You sounds a lot like Peter Gibbons from Office Space right now.

LOL.

I need to go rewatch that movie. Its been some time since i last saw it.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

you have my sympathy mate, i work in a camera store here and we too have to try and push this crap, adds on and photocover and print accounts

you feel like a tool, i'd rather get the money in the till than lose the sale totally

the way it works is if my target is 1000 in sales i need 25% extra in add ons and 30% in photocover(insurance)

to thats £1000 in sales, £250 in add ons and £300 in a 5 hour shift

 

[guitarsingerguy]

Unfortunately that's how corps work man. The Edge card is damn near the same as selling an extended service plan. It's basically free money for Gamestop. Unfortunately corps are there to make money.