Tough customers

[n0wak]

Prosumer: http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2005/06/13/are_you_a_prosumer_take_this_hand_quiz?mode=PF

I've been sort of lucky with the local suburban game stores. Clerks here and there seem to know their stuff, and a couple at an EB near my parents' home seem to have the same obscure game tastes as I do. Strangely (or not), they're all female. I don't know what that tells me about my tastes.

[Chris]

I have by a factor of a thousand billion found clerks at GameStop to be the least knowledgeable of any game retail chain I've visited. I consistently have experiences with those guys that are practically laughable. At least I know about games. The worst is when I hear people being blatantly misinformed. GameStop is now only visisted by me as an absolute last resort, if nobody else has what I need in stock.

EB I find to be more of a mixed bag.

[loonyboi]

Best Buy motherfucker tried to persuade me there was no way of hooking up a PS2 or an Xbox controller to a PC.

That's because from his point of view, there isn't.

You'd need a USB box from someplace like Lik-Sang, and you can't possibly expect joe schmoe at some random Best Buy to have any idea that such a place exists anywhere in the world.

Now if he tried telling you there are no native PC gamepads, then he'd be a complete jackass. But this doesn't qualify.

[Lechimp]

One time an employee at best buy asked me where to shelve a copy of the sims. I actually think Gamestop sucks more than EB Games, but apparently only in the city I live in. The people at gamestop try to be extreme and read egm while some of the people at EB Games are ok (some of the people at eb games still suck though). And at least EB Games doesn't try to sell you a ton of extra stuff every time you try to get something from them. Funcoland tried to sell you a cleaning kit every time you went there.

[Karimi]

Thats pretty interesting .

I usually don't have conversations with the clerk , unless its : "Is this here"," when will it be here", "you ripped me off". Gamespot guy seemed the smartest and friendliest , the EB guy is probably smart but just not friendly. For me I would rather shop at Gamestop, though the Eb guy would probably treat a gamer better i'd still like some friendly service. Either way we don't have any of those where I live , so I guess i'll have to make due with the Indians and other non-english expats who know nothing about games.

Lemme give a situation as an example

Guy : "Whens Fm2005 coming ?"

Clerk : "Next week"

Me : "It hasn't been released , its coming out in Christmas" (ie 3 months)

Their store policy is , if its not in the store its coming next week. Had to wait 2 months till Doom 3 came, so i heard next week alot of times...

[nsps]

Prosumer: http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2005/06/13/are_you_a_prosumer_take_this_hand_quiz?mode=PF

I've been sort of lucky with the local suburban game stores. Clerks here and there seem to know their stuff, and a couple at an EB near my parents' home seem to have the same obscure game tastes as I do. Strangely (or not), they're all female. I don't know what that tells me about my tastes.

Huh, interesting that prosumer used to come from "producer" instead of professional. So it sounds like a prosumer is someone who buys prosumer level products, eh?

Anyway, best to strike up some conversations with those female clerks with good taste. If nothing else maybe they'll give you a bit of the old employee discount.

I am so banned.

[RLacey]

I ignore store clerks except for when I want them to look for something for me. I find it safer to rely on my own knowledge and memory of reviews...

[nakke]

There is only one EB Games shop in Finland (as far as I know), and strangely enough, the first day it was opened the clerk there was English. And only spoke English. In Finland. Where English is a foreign language.

Like, what.

Pretty odd.

I was to that store yesterday, and there was two finnish speaking clerks. They were very nice, let me play the PSP for about 15 minutes ^^, and answered every question I made right (they even told me much about the psp..). I pre-ordered it, and everything worked fine.

[twmac]

All of that review was lame.

I work part time for a[mainstream,can't say in case somehow I get in tropuble] (an English spirits, wine and beer shop) off license. I've drunk almost everything we have in stock and can advise people on the choices they should make, be it whiskey, vodka, wine etc.

I do know that half the staff that are employed there couldn't tell you the difference between a merlot and a chardonnay. Let alonethat all wine is made from red grapes...

I only work 14 hours a week nowadays. It would be unsurprising if the franchise I work for got a bad review as most of the people who work there don't have a clue, nor do they have an interest in what they sell.

[miffy495]

I have one store that I completely have to rely on for my games, as it is the only one I can get to in less than an hour and a half. Frankly, I think I lucked in. I am in love with my EB. First off, every single clerk there owns a DS, and most of them have 'cubes. I've gotten to know them all decently well and they know me well enough to catch mistakes when I make them (You have a gamecube, right? You grabbed the PS2 Killer 7, man.)

There's not a single clerk in that store I don't like. Calgary North Hill Mall EB, you guys kick ass.

[brkl]

I work part time for a[mainstream,can't say in case somehow I get in tropuble] (an English spirits, wine and beer shop) off license. I've drunk almost everything we have in stock and can advise people on the choices they should make, be it whiskey, vodka, wine etc.

Although it doesn't sound like you have anything left to sell

Yeah, I know, I'm hilarious

[twmac]

Yeah, they very regularly run low on Jim Beam and San Miguel

I'm not joking, they do.

I think that the review (which is a bit rubbish) only works for the casual buyer/gamer... Which would make sense as they are the majority, and they are also the ones who could actually do with some advice and help with their purchases.

Maybe they should try getting that published in a newspaper or magazine that their target audience might read?