Working at a game store

[Magic Myrmidon]

Mainly out of curiosity (and because of Spoony's Counter Monkey series) I'm curious how it actually is working at a game store. I suppose it does vary by store, though. Is it usually just being bored at a counter? Dealing with irritating people? Or is it decent, having conversations about something you enjoy? I mean, I know it's a job, so it's not all happy, but I'd like to hear from people who've worked/managed one.

[Templarkommando]

Part of me wonders if it's not a headache in some ways. Let me be up front by first saying that I've never worked at one, nor do I ever plan to. I have observed a couple of people that operate them, and there's one in particular that gives me pause.

There's a gaming store that I visit whenever my family goes to a nearby urban area. We live in a fairly rural location, so it's not a frequent thing that we get to visit. We don't look like country bumpkins, but I always get the same reaction out of the store's clerk. Every time that we go and visit - this can be me going by myself or occasionally my brothers and I go in together - the clerk watches me like a hawk. Every time I look up to the front of the store, there are his eyes watching me. I don't know why it is per se, but it's unnerving(because when I do go in and buy something, I frequently drop between $50-100), and I suspect he's trying to make sure I don't steal anything. I have never stolen anything from his store - and the last time that I "stole" anything involved my being a six year old that yanked a box of tic-tacs off a grocery store shelf. My philosophy in life is not to blame malice for what can be explained by innocent ignorance - maybe I look like someone else that comes into his store and takes things. Maybe he knows me from somewhere, but can't quite place it.

Here's why I suspect that its a headache: Tabletop gaming has been part of my existence since about 2003 give or take a year or so. I've made a myriad of friends doing it - friends that I probably would not have ever met in any other situation. These are people that are extremely important to me. Now imagine a job that you have to go to every day where those same people are suspects. That would tear me up personally.

[cobaltstarfire]

Every time that we go and visit - this can be me going by myself or occasionally my brothers and I go in together - the clerk watches me like a hawk....

It sounds like he was just doing his job. I mean, what do you want him to do, ignore you? He should be keeping an eye on all of his customers. When stock goes missing or breaks that means the store loses money, and that can affect the employees too.

[Solaris]

It could be that he's noticing you look at him, and that's drawing his attention so he can attend to you if you have a question.
I know I would want to be answering the questions of the guy who drops $50-100 every time he shows up, in the hopes of selling something to him.

[Kid Jake]

I've got a buddy that owns his gaming store and at least in our area there's just no market for it; he has to work a second job just to keep the lights on in the place. He's got a scant handful of semi-regulars that stop in to shoot the **** and browse, but outside of when he runs tournaments I don't think more than two of them are ever there at the same time.

It sounds like he was just doing his job. I mean, what do you want him to do, ignore you? He should be keeping an eye on all of his customers. When stock goes missing or breaks that means the store loses money, and that can affect the employees too.

Oh definitely, I worked in retail for about three years and if you made a grand and lost a dollar then corporate only cared about finding where that dollar went. We had our jobs threatened at least weekly for not basically patting down customers before they left.

Also, purchasing $100 worth of stuff seems like it should mark you as a valued customer but that's no indication that you aren't also a thief. I had a woman that would drop ridiculous amounts of cash every time she came in and would STILL attempt to smuggle out $2-$3 trinkets just for some perverse thrill.

That job really drove home the point that people are horrible just for the sake of being horrible.

[Templarkommando]

It sounds like he was just doing his job. I mean, what do you want him to do, ignore you? He should be keeping an eye on all of his customers. When stock goes missing or breaks that means the store loses money, and that can affect the employees too.

That's certainly possible, but that's what I'm getting at. Gamers are good people as far as I'm concerned, but the sudden paradigm shift of worrying that they're going to steal something that could change your livelihood... I just couldn't take it.

It could be that he's noticing you look at him, and that's drawing his attention so he can attend to you if you have a question.
I know I would want to be answering the questions of the guy who drops $50-100 every time he shows up, in the hopes of selling something to him.

I don't spend $50-100 every time I go in, it's just that's about what I spend when I break down and buy something - which is probably once or maybe twice a year.

[ComatosePhoenix]

Gaming stores boggle my mind, I really, really hate shopping at them. perhaps its just because most of my games come secondhand from garage sales or book stores but everytime I walk it my wallet cries. I almost never buy games or game bits at a store. At the same time I don't blame the counter guys for being suspicious of me, walking in, browsing for an hour, doing math on a calculator, slapping myself in the face, and then walking out. I have never seen an item on the shelf that went for less than $50.

[dps]

Also, purchasing $100 worth of stuff seems like it should mark you as a valued customer but that's no indication that you aren't also a thief. I had a woman that would drop ridiculous amounts of cash every time she came in and would STILL attempt to smuggle out $2-$3 trinkets just for some perverse thrill.

And then there's the type of customer who thinks that because they spent a good bit of money, they're somehow entitled to take some other stuff without paying for it.

[VincentTakeda]

Imagine your job is to hang out in a forum thread where nobody agrees with you, but you have to give their point of view polite consideration because you're a paid employee.

I don't know. I'm just guessing.

I'd probably be a horrible game store employee anymore because I prefer 2e, heroes unlimited and ninjas and superspies...

I'd last about 2 days before someone asked me for the latest MTG expansion and i'd be like 'GET THE PARK OUT OF MY STORE!!!'

They'd be like 'I prefer tabletop games that use dice pools' and i'd be like 'your money is no good here soldier...'

I would be so fired.

[ImaWallaby]

I manage a small hobby store and some of the comments are spot on.
First, it can be boring. Very boring. Hobby shops are a small niche so there can be long hours without anyone even coming in. Not so bad on a Tuesday, but really screws up the books if it's a Friday or Saturday.
Second, thievery is RAMPANT. There are lots of small things that can be easily stuffed in pockets. Combine that with the fact that most hobby stores only have a single employee on the floor during a shift and things can be overwhelming if a lot of people come in at once.
Third, good employees are extremely hard to find. If they don't have the aforementioned problem with thievery, they assume that the only requirements of the job are too sit around and wait for someone to come in to whom they can vent all their nerdy angst about whatever particular product the customer happens to be interested in. Had one employee that was so much of a jerk to customers that didn't buy what he told them to that he started outright refusing to do special orders for them (if you've ever worked in a hobby store then you know that's where the big bucks are.) You would be shocked and appalled at how many people I've had to let go because they just didn't understand that not everyone wants the best of the best of the best, and that you can not speak to them in a condescending manner if they don't agree with your opinion. Munchkins make horrible game store employees.
The one I've noticed that no one mentioned is the complete lack of social etiquette around women and children. Now, I know I will be seen as old and out-of-touch at best (and downright caveman to some) but I believe that there are just certain behaviors and crude language that you don't use around young folks or ladies. Just seems uncivilized to me. However, most of the customer have no hangup about using profanity or vulgar terms regardless of the present company. This one is probably the biggest issue I have because most of those people are regular customers who spend hundreds of dollars every month, and there's only so many warnings you can give.
All in all, most of the people that patronize my store are honest, hardworking, fun-loving people who just want a place to hangout out with like-minded individuals. So I guess I can't complain. :-)

[cobaltstarfire]

Hey well I gotta give you kudos for actually expecting people to behave courteously.


The last time I was at the local game store here the manager himself was pretty discourteous...refusing to clean up his speech even with younger children present...ordering a whole pizza and chomping down on it in the middle of GMing a store event, and refusing to even run said event in a way that won't invalidate your progress for anywhere but at his store.

There are also other problems, like dealing with "problem" customers, by not dealing with them because they spend a lot of money. I know that game and comic stores have it hard, but there are some places I'll never visit again because there are customers who are rude/creepy and almost always there. I mean if that's what the store has to allow to survive I guess it has to, but it's sad.

[Seerow]

I haven't gone to a game store in 7 years, since the year D&D 4e was released. I actually went into the store to get a preorder for 4th edition. The guy behind the counter then proceeded to tell me no, I don't want to order that, because 4e isn't really D&D and how I was going to hate it and it was a waste of money.


Mind you, I was active on forums even back then, and was well aware of the controversies. But getting confronted by it from a guy whose job was supposed to be selling me stuff, not un-selling me on stuff disgusted me so much I walked out, and haven't gone back since. I get my books on amazon these days. Cheaper, more convenient, and less grognards trying to tell me what I should and should not buy.

[SwordChucks]

As a former comic/game store employee I have to say that it really isn't a hard job most of the time. You just have to be friendly and helpful. If someone wanted to hand me money for a game that I wouldn't want to play I'd just be quiet (while still helpful). If someone was interested in a game I liked I might give them an earful of why it was a good game.

I did have a lot of free time after cleaning the floors/bathrooms (the horror...the horror) that I would spend reading comics so I would be able to discuss and suggest those comics knowledgeably. There were a few counter monkeys that would come in and talk without buying anything but on a Monday when no one was coming in to buy anything any way, it was nice to have some one to talk to.

It was one of my favorite jobs even if it was the lowest paying.

[Lord Torath]

Question, SwordChucks: What percentage of your paycheck did you usually mange to avoid spending in-store?

[jedipotter]

Boring. Like a lot of small specialty businesses, it's very boring. Most weekdays from 9am to 12 pm your unlikely to even get a single customer. There is always a chance that someone will walk in, so you open, and wait. Even evenings can be slow. Weekends are about the only time it's busy, often too busy. But even then it comes in spurts.

The customer base is has bunch of anti social types, at best. And a lot of weird or strange people, to say the least. So you really do see a lot of real life characters.

Every five or so customers is a talker. And they talk like crazy. Most are just going crazy that they have no one to talk too. And they figure the game store is a good place. It's not so bad if it's a good topic you like, but even then you really should not talk too much. There is a fine line between ''sales talk'' and ''chat''. It's good to tell them about items for sale or coming out soon, but you don't want to talk about random topics. And no matter what, you will get people that just want to talk about crazy off the wall stuff that you know nothing about and can't relate too.

Theft is a big problem. You need to check inventory often. You need to watch customers. Groups are the worst, like three or more people as they can crowd together and block sight.

Some of the best times are game nights. When people come to the store to play games. You can't play, but you can watch and be entertained. It can also fill up the store.

[SwordChucks]

Question, SwordChucks: What percentage of your paycheck did you usually mange to avoid spending in-store?

Depends on what came out that week , but I did spend way too much on MTG. I'd say 30% on a "bad" week went back to the store. I rarely bought comics because I got to read them in store and I don't collect them anymore.