The Games Workshop Script

[benno_wallace]

It has long been one of my guilty pleasures, going into a games workshop store. I enjoyed watching the glee on people’s faces as they battled, intense concentration while painting their latest purchase and the spirited arguments between fellow gamers. Top of my list has always been wondering around the store looking at boxes looking for potential and items that peak my interest in the moment. I would casually pick up an upgrade sprue and see how I could use it for converting, or wandering over to the fantasy section to see how I can use pieces for my 40k characters. That pleasure seems to have been reducing with each visit lately to the point where my visits are becoming a chore. Within thirty seconds of entering the store I am hit by The Script. Forget the Gods of Chaos or the Lord of Mordor, it is the most malevolent force within the Wargaming Universe. Hearing a Games Workshop employee spout “Hi How’s your day going”, instantly brings my mind to a frustrated ‘here we go again’ response. I am going to be hounded with hollow questions about what army I collect, what system I play, how long have I been into the hobby, what was your first army, which is ultimately all designed to (un)subtly lead to asking me if I’ve seen the latest releases.
Having studied business I understand better than most that Games Workshop is a business first and foremost, and understand what that entails. What I don’t understand is how the Games Workshop top brass thinks that the recitation of a hollow script followed up with the “would you like fries with that” approach helps the bottom line. I was in my local store 2 days ago and was hit with the script by 3 different employees within 8 minutes. I made a point of giving one word answers and avoiding eye contact to let them know I wasn’t interested in conversation. I simply wanted to look at boxes and flip through the Blood Angels Codex which I had yet to see. Rather than getting the point to leave me be, all 3 employees continued asking away because the script told them it was what to do. I finally turned and walked out of the store midway through script recital 3. Had I been left to my own devises I would likely have walked out with an Imperial Eagle stamped bag having spent between $100 - $200 buying a codex and a couple of boxes of minis. Instead I left annoyed and frustrated having spent nothing. Lately I find myself avoiding a visit to the store and dropping some cash on a semi-regular basis, because as soon as I’m in there now all I want to do is leave.
Now I’m not looking to simply rant or run down Games Workshop over the service of the store, the guys there are trying hard to do their job, and that’s part of the problem, they’re always trying. Why not look for a solution that doesn’t annoy the consumer. If I got to McDonalds I want the script, but I don’t want it from my hobby store where creating individual models for gaming is part of the experience. Instead of teaching these guys a hard script, why not let them be natural. Yes I think they should pepper the conversation with new releases because in honesty its one of the reasons I’m in the store, but if I look disinterested let me be. Smarter marketing in conversation from your employees, as taught by employers, will lead to greater sales than hassling me with banal questions that are always the same. Don’t treat me like an idiot, treat me with value and I will return the favour. It is a fine line between a productive and profitable script and causing a switch off with the target market. Unfortunately the latter appears to be what the Games Workshop script is achieving. Perhaps I’m being overly critical of their approach, how would you prefer to be treated in the store? What are your opinions and most importantly what would make you comfortable in the store to make you want to spend your money there?

[Crae]

I can only agree. It is weird that a hobby related business chooses to do business this way, especially since they depend on customer contact to make a profit. They need to be personal and focus on the individual, since that is what they sell, a very personal and individual hobbyist, with a love for his personal and individual army. The game is a hobby and as such they need to understand, that they should approach us as such. I want staff members that work there, because they like being around people, that have a similar love for the game, as they do. Some one loving the game, is way more convincing, then a brainwashed scripted store employee.

[Jive Tyrant]

Look on the bright side, with the recent staffing cuts they won't have time to bother you in future.

I find once the staff have seen you a few times, especially if you've bought something before, they just say hello and don't bother with the script.

Maybe there was an area manager around when you went in, so the three employees were trying to impress him.

At first I was bothered by the script, and was replying with the one-word grunt, but then I mellowed out and went with it. They're just doing their job. But they shouldn't persist after you tell them you're already a 40K player and you're just browsing.

[krispy]

the script is a bit boring - i dont get to hear it often cos i dont live near a GW store - but when i do go there it normally shuts them up if you ask them some fluffy question or ash if they thought RT era 40k was more or less fun than 4th Ed ;)

last time i did this i got a "ill go check" and they never came back ;)

/krispy

[Kahoolin]

Perhaps I’m being overly critical of their approach, how would you prefer to be treated in the store? What are your opinions and most importantly what would make you comfortable in the store to make you want to spend your money there?I would prefer they treat me like they do in my FLGS, i.e. say hi and then sit there behind the counter working/surfing the net/reading, and let me be. Then if I need help I ask them, and they help me. That is how I like to be treated in all retail outlets.

[UltramarineFan]

I would prefer they treat me like they do in my FLGS, i.e. say hi and then sit there behind the counter working/surfing the net/reading, and let me be. Then if I need help I ask them, and they help me. That is how I like to be treated in all retail outlets.

See thats exactlh ow it works at my local GW store. Obviously they'll use the script on new guys but otherwise they'll just say hi and be there if I have any questions. My local must exist in some other dimension clearly.

[AbusePuppy]

I would prefer they treat me like they do in my FLGS, i.e. say hi and then sit there behind the counter working/surfing the net/reading, and let me be. Then if I need help I ask them, and they help me. That is how I like to be treated in all retail outlets.

This makes less sales and hence less money than the sales spam. You can say you hate it all you want, but in the end it still works, which is why GW and most other major retailers use it.

The real solution is to stop being a passive-aggressive jerk and just straight-up tell the redshirts "I don't need any help right now, but I'll ask you if I do." Getting all silent and mumbly or being rude doesn't in any way differentiate you from other gamers, who are usually like that whether they try or not. Man up and interact with another human being on a social level, as abhorrent as that may be.

[Mike Dunford]

I can only agree. It is weird that a hobby related business chooses to do business this way, especially since they depend on customer contact to make a profit. They need to be personal and focus on the individual, since that is what they sell, a very personal and individual hobbyist, with a love for his personal and individual army. The game is a hobby and as such they need to understand, that they should approach us as such. I want staff members that work there, because they like being around people, that have a similar love for the game, as they do. Some one loving the game, is way more convincing, then a brainwashed scripted store employee.

That's actually exactly why I think that the script is generally speaking a good thing - but like all good things, only when used as intended and in moderation.

Ideally, the employees should be using the script as a jumping off point to get to that personal focus. Of course, that only happens when you've got employees who can manage to figure out the difference between talking to and talking at. (Hint: one of those treats the listening aspects of conversation as something more than an optional extra.) From what I've seen, GW does have quite a few employees who have mastered that fine distinction, but it's not as widespread as it should be at the entry level.

As far as getting hammered by multiple script-wielding employees in the space of a few minutes goes, I'd call that a management fail. The black shirts should be encouraging their guys to focus on more than just their immediate surroundings, and try to remember who has already been approached.

[Kahoolin]

The real solution is to stop being a passive-aggressive jerk and just straight-up tell the redshirts "I don't need any help right now, but I'll ask you if I do." Getting all silent and mumbly or being rude doesn't in any way differentiate you from other gamers, who are usually like that whether they try or not. Man up and interact with another human being on a social level, as abhorrent as that may be.Ouch! I just said the sort of service I prefer. I am in fact quite a socially adept person and I am never rude, mumbly or silent (not since I was a teenager anyway ;)). I certainly understand that the best way to get what you want is to say it in a clear, confident and above all friendly way. When I'm in a GW store and they spiel me I just say "nah I'm right thanks mate, I'll grab you if I need you."

I just prefer in any store to go about my business, and get assistance from staff when I decide I need it, not when they do. I'll thank you not to misjudge me.

[eldargal]

I never have this problem.:confused: In fact, I am lucky if I can get two words out of the staff.

[Kirsten]

We don't have any stores over here, so no issues :p

Whenever I go over to the UK I visit a store and it is often amusing. Some of them are over enthusiastic and treat you as if you know nothing at all about the game, some of them, don't agree with whatever army you have designed ('you don't want a rhino for your berserkers???) but the best was a store in Liverpool where the two staff members were sat in a semi dark empty store painting models, and both looked up like gollum when I walked in, their sickly pale emaciated bodies flinching from the presence of another, from the light momentarily entering as they physically hunched up, "what does it want preciousss?"

[Kahoolin]

but the best was a store in Liverpool where the two staff members were sat in a semi dark empty store painting models, and both looked up like gollum when I walked in, their sickly pale emaciated bodies flinching from the presence of another, from the light momentarily entering as they physically hunched up, "what does it want preciousss?"Lol, if there was a like button I totally would have liked this post :)

[Kirsten]

It was a surreal experience I can tell you.

[addamsfamily36]

This makes less sales and hence less money than the sales spam. You can say you hate it all you want, but in the end it still works, which is why GW and most other major retailers use it.

The real solution is to stop being a passive-aggressive jerk and just straight-up tell the redshirts "I don't need any help right now, but I'll ask you if I do." Getting all silent and mumbly or being rude doesn't in any way differentiate you from other gamers, who are usually like that whether they try or not. Man up and interact with another human being on a social level, as abhorrent as that may be.


Sorry but there is so much that irritated me about this that i had to comment. firstly i wouldn't call someone you've never met a passive aggressive jerk.

yes this sales technique works on the newer player or customers that have never stepped foot inside a gamesworkshop store before, but regular customers and veterans get tiered of it very quickly. for example:

local gw at uni - been in there a fair few times throughout last 2 years, two members of staff know me by name and what army i collect, they smile say hi when i walk in ask how i am maybe engage in a conversation about my uni work etc and its quite pleasant im being treated like a person. the other member of staff which happens to be the manager has no idea of my name asks me the same question every time i walk in followed by "the speech" and it pisses me right off lol. a manager i have met more times than the part timer (who i have met TWICE) can;t remember my name when he can. Now im not saying he should have to remember my name far from it, but its good customer relations especially within that sort of environment to know your customers.

"But the money is in the new players" i hear you possibly crying (i don't know what you personally think but i hear this a lot from people) - well as much as they may be true its also very very wrong. yes a new kid will save up every ounce of pocket money to buy a £10/£15/£25 etc box set each week or month. on average sales they slap regulars about, HOWEVER...Regular customers or veterans save up their pennies over long periods or they have big pay days which makes them very happy as they walk into the store and spend 200-400 pounds either n one hit or across 2-4 hits on a brand new sparkly army. i spend more now as a veteran as i ever did as a new player because i can buy mass things when i can afford it.

BUT TREATING ME LIKE A CUSTOMER WHO HAS WALKED INtO CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE ISN"T GOING TO MAKE ME BUY THE NEW ORC BOAR BOYS FOR MY BLOOD ANGELS ARMY !!!


right thats the sales bit

now for the passive agressive bit- it's a known fact that alot of the customers of gamesworkshop stores are nerds, geeks, and what have you. so what im a geek once you get to a certain age people realise its not such a big deal lol. however i know a fare few regulars who have no social skills what so ever. One guy went to an all boys school, lives with his mum etc and has no idea how to talk to guys or girls. from going down the store i would sa he has grown alot and developed some social skills around guys but stick a girl in the room and omg its hard to watch. as to to point, people like him have no connfidence to say in effect "NO" to the sales pitch and end up being caught in a repeating web. so take it a bit easy on these guys.


ok rant over

[scadugenga]

The recent staffing cuts have made things a lot better, annoying sales pitch-wise.

The local Battle Bunker (Chicago burbs) has convinced me never to spend another dollar in their store. Not because of the annoying sales pitches, of which, I never get more than 1 from a new employee/manager.

Manager: Hi, blah blah blah, how long have you played?

Me: Since Rhino's came 3 to a box for $15.00, Land Raider's were 2 for $20.00, and my Eldar came 3 to a blister pack for $4.99.

Manager: Oh. Cool. So I guess you don't need any help?

Me: Nope. If I have any questions I'll come find you, thanks!

But rather because they've decided to close at 9pm. You can't get a game of 40k in when you get home from work ~5:30pm, have to eat dinner, pack up, and get to the store by 6:30/7.

They used to keep the store open once during the week until 10pm, which was perfect for a midweek game. (Which, as any married person will tell you--is much easier to schedule than a weekend night.)

The reason they're closing early? "I don't want to have to pay my guy overtime." For an hour.

Sheesh, have him come in an hour late. Or better yet, don't open until later in the day to begin with.

[scadugenga]

Lol, if there was a like button I totally would have liked this post :)

Indeed!

When I was in Dublin a few years back, I came across a jewelry store named "Gollum' Precious."

I laughed my *** off.

[AbusePuppy]

Sorry but there is so much that irritated me about this that i had to comment. firstly i wouldn't call someone you've never met a passive aggressive jerk.

Because the behavior he was describing was "being a passive-aggressive jerk," that's why. I'm not gonna say that the GW sales staff are all wonderful guys, but they're by and large human beings who are doing their jobs. They're doing what they're paid to do. If they actually do something untowards- like, say, persisting after you've already told them you don't need help- you have every right to be annoyed. But getting annoyed at that guy because he's doing what he is required to do by his employers? Yeah, that's being a jerk. And using it as an excuse to treat him like garbage? That's being passive-aggressive.


yes this sales technique works on the newer player or customers that have never stepped foot inside a gamesworkshop store before, but regular customers and veterans get tiered of it very quickly. for example:

local gw at uni - been in there a fair few times throughout last 2 years, two members of staff know me by name and what army i collect, they smile say hi when i walk in ask how i am maybe engage in a conversation about my uni work etc and its quite pleasant im being treated like a person. the other member of staff which happens to be the manager has no idea of my name asks me the same question every time i walk in followed by "the speech" and it pisses me right off lol. a manager i have met more times than the part timer (who i have met TWICE) can;t remember my name when he can. Now im not saying he should have to remember my name far from it, but its good customer relations especially within that sort of environment to know your customers.

Entirely true. But, by the same token, these people, in all likelihood, see hundreds of a customers every day, whereas there are only a handful of employees and managers, so it's not surprising you remember them better than they remember you.


"But the money is in the new players" i hear you possibly crying (i don't know what you personally think but i hear this a lot from people) - well as much as they may be true its also very very wrong. yes a new kid will save up every ounce of pocket money to buy a £10/£15/£25 etc box set each week or month. on average sales they slap regulars about, HOWEVER...Regular customers or veterans save up their pennies over long periods or they have big pay days which makes them very happy as they walk into the store and spend 200-400 pounds either n one hit or across 2-4 hits on a brand new sparkly army. i spend more now as a veteran as i ever did as a new player because i can buy mass things when i can afford it.

BUT TREATING ME LIKE A CUSTOMER WHO HAS WALKED INtO CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE ISN"T GOING TO MAKE ME BUY THE NEW ORC BOAR BOYS FOR MY BLOOD ANGELS ARMY !!!

1. Veteran players buy less than new players. This is pretty common knowledge in the industry and I don't really know of anyone knowledgeable who would dispute it. You obviously want to keep older players in the game, but you make your money by getting players into the game. Sure, you save up your money and add models to your collection, but that doesn't come anywhere near the kid who buys $600 worth of stuff because he wants to play with cool spacemen. Some veterans do, indeed, spend an inordinate amount on the hobby, but they are the exception, not the rule.

2. If it didn't work, they (and every other retailer in the world) wouldn't do it. It works. People are gullible and easily influenced. I'm not sure about how things are on your side of the Atlantic, but over here, car ads are the most annoying thing in the world, full of idiots shouting numbers as loudly as possible at you followed by two minutes of mumbled disclaimers. And yet they keep running these ads; why? Because, even if they annoy people, they still sell cars. And even though GW's sales pitch may annoy you, it still sells product. Get used to it, because it's not going to go away. Wear headphones, carry a "I am antisocial and incapable of relating to you about my army" sign, cover yourself in the blood of the innocent, whatever it takes, but GW is not going to stop liking money any time soon and it's amazingly unlikely that they're gonna change the spiel that they have redshirts give, so either learn to live with it or stop going to GW's stores.



now for the passive agressive bit- it's a known fact that alot of the customers of gamesworkshop stores are nerds, geeks, and what have you. so what im a geek once you get to a certain age people realise its not such a big deal lol. however i know a fare few regulars who have no social skills what so ever. One guy went to an all boys school, lives with his mum etc and has no idea how to talk to guys or girls. from going down the store i would sa he has grown alot and developed some social skills around guys but stick a girl in the room and omg its hard to watch. as to to point, people like him have no connfidence to say in effect "NO" to the sales pitch and end up being caught in a repeating web. so take it a bit easy on these guys.

Absolutely not. There is no excuse except an actual mental disability for not having developed social skills in the first twelve or fourteen or sixteen years of your life. I don't care if you were a geek/nerd/dork/spaz. Guess what: so were a lot of other folks and they managed to turn into human beings. This isn't "you can't enter the store unless you were elected Most Likely to Succeed at your school," it's being able to deal with strangers on a simple basis. How the f*** do you grow up without having learned that? Are you seriously suggesting that we give a little slack to people who apparently have been living in a dank hole for the past decade or more and only communicating via the internet and perhaps smoke signals? There is tolerance for eccentricity- which I support, being an eccentric weirdo with mediocre social skills myself- and then there is pretending that social cripples are somehow normal and okay so we should just bear with their little psychoses. Taking a shower, dealing with strangers, talking to a female without staring at any of her naughty bits or overtly hitting on her ten seconds after having met... how can you argue that it's okay not to have learned to do any of these things if you are a modern human being living in the 21st century?

If you lack the confidence to tell a salesperson "no," you need to do something about it, whether that means getting professional help for your social anxiety or something simpler. Expecting the rest of the world to bend to fit your own little peculiar definition of normal is not the way things should work, nor is it how the world ever has or will work.

Seriously, "going to an all-boys school" is no excuse for being a social misfit. I've been a nerd for longer than I've known what that word was and yet I still somehow managed to make friends and learn to talk with people. If some people have genuine issues- well, that's unfortunate and I would recommend some sort of counseling, as it's not always just a matter of "get over it you wimp," but at the same time it's not GW's fault or responsibility. McDonalds can offer to upsize your hamburger even if you have an eating disorder. TV commercials can tell you to buy now while supplies last, even if you have poor impulse control. Amusement parks can feature terrifying roller coasters even if you are afraid of heights. And GW can try and sell you plastic toys when you walk into their stores even if you are some sort of bloated, Aspergian freak. It is not the world's responsibility to coddle you and your flaws.

[Kahoolin]

I think you might be blowing this all a little out of proportion AbusePuppy. Not every retail store in the world has a sales policy like GW - in fact where I'm from only a few places do. It clearly doesn't always work, because no sales technique works uniformly on all humans. Not even sex. If you go to countries that are conservative about nudity for example, billboards with bikini models on them incite outrage, not spending sprees. Your assertion that it's somehow human nature to fall victim to that 1980s aggressive marketing garbage is unfounded.

I generally agree that there is a little too much slack for people who lack social skills though. Shyness is no excuse to be impolite.

[synack]

I'm amazed at the amount of people that read past the first two lines. The lack of paragraphs made my head hurt so much, I stopped reading. Mad props!

[Kirsten]

Certainly if people have the confidence to simply say 'not right now thanks' then that is easiest for everyone, but Abusepuppy do not simply attack people because they act differently to you. It reads like thinly veiled prejudice and is rather inflammatory, which I am sure is not your intent, so please think about what you are saying.

[lobster-overlord]

I never have this problem.:confused: In fact, I am lucky if I can get two words out of the staff.

That's cause you're a girl! :-P

And either

a) The staff is too scared of you being a gamer girl, and they see you as that elusive creature they don't want to scare away (note sarcasm in this as well...)

or

b) You must be in there buying for a boyfriend, thus you have a list of what you need to get and will leave you to your own devices.


I used to run a LGS in the Daytona area, and we would have people come in looking for all sorts of stuff. If it was a new person, yes, we were relatively scripted. "Hi, how are you today. Anything I can help you find?" and that was about it. After that it became a casual conversation if the customer was at all interested in talking, or if they were looking for something and needed help. Otherwise, it was back off, and let them go.

John M.

[Kirsten]

That's cause you're a girl! :-P

I used to run a LGS in the Daytona area, and we would have people come in looking for all sorts of stuff. If it was a new person, yes, we were relatively scripted. "Hi, how are you today. Anything I can help you find?" and that was about it. After that it became a casual conversation if the customer was at all interested in talking, or if they were looking for something and needed help. Otherwise, it was back off, and let them go.

John M.

This is the best approach, yes the script works well in some businesses, but a hobby like this is rather more selective, a blanket approach is not the best option. It is usually fairly easy to tell who is new and uncertain, and who is a veteran gamer. Save the speeches for the new people who are likely to need help, and do not use it on the others who really don't appreciate it. It is a niche market, most shoppers in a GW store know why they are there. Staff members can certainly make contact, say hello, but don't help anyone by launching into the shop talk, they get better results from simply chatting. Obviously this isn't the staff member's fault, it is a protocol handed down, but at the same time that doesn't make it any less annoying for a customer.

I know someone who used to work in a GW store and they were told that a customer must not be able to walk from one end of the store to the other without being intercepted. He ended up quitting his job because of these iron protocols handed down. Clearly a bit of flexibility and a bit of initiative is the best way forward. I stopped shopping in my local video game store because of their script, again, not the staff member's fault, but reminding me I can trade games in, whilst I am trading in a game is not sensible.

[DarkAngelHopeful]

...where they have changed they have typically increased, because they have gotten jobs and thus more money to spend than little timmy with his pocket money.

This is closer to the truth in my experience. When I was young, I had more time and less money. Now that I am older, I have more money and less time. The majority of my model buying has come as I have gotten older and started making more money.

[fade_74]

Absolutely not. There is no excuse except an actual mental disability for not having developed social skills in the first twelve or fourteen or sixteen years of your life. I don't care if you were a geek/nerd/dork/spaz. Guess what: so were a lot of other folks and they managed to turn into human beings. This isn't "you can't enter the store unless you were elected Most Likely to Succeed at your school," it's being able to deal with strangers on a simple basis. How the f*** do you grow up without having learned that? Are you seriously suggesting that we give a little slack to people who apparently have been living in a dank hole for the past decade or more and only communicating via the internet and perhaps smoke signals? There is tolerance for eccentricity- which I support, being an eccentric weirdo with mediocre social skills myself- and then there is pretending that social cripples are somehow normal and okay so we should just bear with their little psychoses. Taking a shower, dealing with strangers, talking to a female without staring at any of her naughty bits or overtly hitting on her ten seconds after having met... how can you argue that it's okay not to have learned to do any of these things if you are a modern human being living in the 21st century?


There are people with social disabilities. I deal with them every day. I work in a classroom for kids with emotional disturbances and behavior disorders. So yeah....some people do grow up without learning how to interact correctly with other human beings. People can and do, grow up without basic social skills. Those people have kids.....and guess what....the cycle continues. My point being that when you see people that lack basic social skills, they just might have a real mental problem.

As far as "how the F do you grow up without having learned that?" If you don't have someone to teach that to you......you won't learn it. Sociability is not a thing that comes from "Nature". That is something that is "Nurtured" into your behavior. ie. A person who is a bully....will usually raise their offspring to be a bully.

Learning how to patiently deal with people who are different from you is also a social skill. I agree with you that it's not okay for people to be like this. When people are like this you should be patient. You should take a moment and try to teach something to them, instead of just berating them for it. Using your example....whispered politely so nobody else can hear....."hey..I know she is pretty...but wipe the drool off your chin and quit staring"...then laugh a little with them. Or....wow man...go grab a shower....you're pealing the paint off the walls. (showering is always going to be a weird one to address...try to use comedy...usually it is a really awkward thing to talk about)

Just to sum things up. When you see someone who is having some problem, take a step back. Have a little empathy. Try to help them overcome the problem. Remember that your mom and dad didn't raise that person.

Wow.....sorry this seems so disjointed. It is my job though....I could talk for hours on the subject. lol

[Herald of Nurgle]

Actually it had paragraphs - it's just that the lines end in such a way that it looks like there aren't.
(Was meant to quote someone, sorry.)


The recent staffing cuts have made things a lot better, annoying sales pitch-wise.

The local Battle Bunker (Chicago burbs) has convinced me never to spend another dollar in their store. Not because of the annoying sales pitches, of which, I never get more than 1 from a new employee/manager.

Manager: Hi, blah blah blah, how long have you played?

Me: Since Rhino's came 3 to a box for $15.00, Land Raider's were 2 for $20.00, and my Eldar came 3 to a blister pack for $4.99.

Manager: Oh. Cool. So I guess you don't need any help?

Me: Nope. If I have any questions I'll come find you, thanks!

But rather because they've decided to close at 9pm. You can't get a game of 40k in when you get home from work ~5:30pm, have to eat dinner, pack up, and get to the store by 6:30/7.

They used to keep the store open once during the week until 10pm, which was perfect for a midweek game. (Which, as any married person will tell you--is much easier to schedule than a weekend night.)

The reason they're closing early? "I don't want to have to pay my guy overtime." For an hour.

Sheesh, have him come in an hour late. Or better yet, don't open until later in the day to begin with.

Dang. Same things been happening for the past year at GW Northants, I guess, but that was because of the failure of the script itself - staff raised on the Script were starting to drive away buyers and were starting to piss off other people into setting up shop literally right down the road or buy off of discounters. But that's just a mild thing.
Main problem is, like you, we've lost time on the midweek late closing night... only it's 1900 that we close. Over the course of 3 years we've lost 3 hours somehow. And now the store opens at 1200 as well! It's madness, to be honest, on so many levels...

[CitizenZero]

As a recent and former employee of Games Workshop, I can say with confidence that there is NO SCRIPT. In fact, scripts ARE DISCOURAGED. What you are in fact describing is a person who is not doing their job in the proper way, leading to precisely the result that Games Workshop brass DO NOT WANT.

Up until the newest round of GW Manager meetings, GW Customer Service was governed by "10 Commandments." These included things like "Acknowledge all people who enter the shop" "Establish a Rapport with the Customer" and "Ask questions which obtain the best information concerning customer needs." - Those are verbatim, not to be messed with. The result however, is employees who are new/unskilled will form their own script as a way of doing these things as though they were a checklist. If you go in the store with any regularity, then a staff member who is doing their job would know you and have already established a rapport...in fact, I have never seen a "veteran" at a store delivered a script in my time with GW unless it was from a new employee or it was in a store they didn't frequent.

There is no "script," there is no conspiracy. It sucks that you have been treated this way, but it isn't the way GW would have you be treated.

As for the passive-aggressiveness jerkiness, I don't think that OP or AddamsFamily is an example of that...but you hear about examples of it A LOT in regards to this issue. Just read the majority of "methods" for "dealing" with bad customer service at Games Workshop! They always involve snarky/rude comments or behavior. Really, if you would just politely say "I am just going to browse, I'll let you know if I need anything" that would suffice...

Some of you act like passive-aggressiveness on the internet is a rarity haha...

[Kirsten]

There is no "script," there is no conspiracy. It sucks that you have been treated this way, but it isn't the way GW would have you be treated.

When you say recent and former, when are we talking about? If there isn't currently, there certainly was a big push for scripts in stores a few years back, whilst at uni I became good friends with the staff in the local store and got to hear all their complaints about upper management decisions handed down. It is something they have done and pushed a lot in the not too distant past. I hope that it has in fact changed and a bit more common sense is being used.

[CitizenZero]

When you say recent and former, when are we talking about? If there isn't currently, there certainly was a big push for scripts in stores a few years back, whilst at uni I became good friends with the staff in the local store and got to hear all their complaints about upper management decisions handed down. It is something they have done and pushed a lot in the not too distant past. I hope that it has in fact changed and a bit more common sense is being used.I worked with GW from the last half of 2008 right up until a couple months ago.

I will ad the caveat that I worked for GW North America, so really only have insight to the way things are ran on this side of the pond. :)

[Kirsten]

Fair enough, I was at uni from 2004-7, so not sure what it was like before or after, like I said we don't have any stores in this country, mail order/net shopping only, but certainly it was a problem then, luckily it was a fairly quiet store and I was well known, so we could just sit and complain about it rather than acting it out :p

[eldargal]

The fact I'm six feet tall probably doesn't help.

But really, a simple "May I help you with anything?" would solve any customer service complaints as far as I can see.



That's cause you're a girl! :-P

And either

a) The staff is too scared of you being a gamer girl, and they see you as that elusive creature they don't want to scare away (note sarcasm in this as well...)

or

b) You must be in there buying for a boyfriend, thus you have a list of what you need to get and will leave you to your own devices.


I used to run a LGS in the Daytona area, and we would have people come in looking for all sorts of stuff. If it was a new person, yes, we were relatively scripted. "Hi, how are you today. Anything I can help you find?" and that was about it. After that it became a casual conversation if the customer was at all interested in talking, or if they were looking for something and needed help. Otherwise, it was back off, and let them go.

John M.

[scadugenga]

Dang. Same things been happening for the past year at GW Northants, I guess, but that was because of the failure of the script itself - staff raised on the Script were starting to drive away buyers and were starting to piss off other people into setting up shop literally right down the road or buy off of discounters. But that's just a mild thing.


Good for the independent shops!

The Bunker (and the general exponential increase of MMORPG playing) has pretty much killed every FLGS in the greater Chicago area. There's one that survived the implosion, but it's about 40 miles away through rush hour/construction traffic, so isn't really an option.

And I think a second shop opened in the actual City, which makes it about as far time-wise to get to, unfortunately.

Ah, for the days of gaming stores in every other town...

[Lord Azaghul]

I would prefer they treat me like they do in my FLGS, i.e. say hi and then sit there behind the counter working/surfing the net/reading, and let me be. Then if I need help I ask them, and they help me. That is how I like to be treated in all retail outlets.

Ah, I love my FLGS. I"ve been hanging out there for several years now...even when I first starting playing GW games, no weird sales pitch, just a 'thanks for you business & have a nice day'.

If you want to talk games and hobby, they'll talk, but they know you're a plastic addict and you'll buy when you're ready!

There is nothing worse then being badgered by store employee's when you want to casually shop!
Casual shoping leades to casual purchasing, badgering kills that soooo fast

[BlackKnight15624]

I've had some pretty terrible experiences with GW's "Script" also. My local redshirt is a friend of mine from High School- he told me how they had to go through the checklist of things to say when the manager was around. I understand the need to bring new players in, but when a friend of mine HAS to give me the script every time a manager is around, it gets old.

Then again, my only other option is a store where the only interaction or acknowledgment you got from the staff was when they were accusing you of shoplifting. Bad times.

[CitizenZero]

I started the hobby at a FLGS, worked at an FLGS, and try to support any quality FLGS that I can. That being said, the majority of the ones in this area have failed at the #1 most important thing in providing customer service: Staying in Business.

It isn't the local GW's, it isn't an increase of MMO's, or really any other outside factor that is causing this...the ones around here failed because they weren't being run as a business first, they were more of a clubhouse with product. When you are too lazy to go into your backroom to look for something that your computer says is in stock, and your excuse is "It's a mess back there, I wouldn't be able to find it anyways." - that to me says a lot about the way the store is run.

I will take a GW over THAT kind of service any day, and If I didn't like "being badgered" I would say so...I find it very hard to believe that if someone was to say "I understand you're doing your job by asking me questions, but I would really just rather browse the store myself...I will ask if I need anything." Does anyone REALLY think that the employee would continue on hassling that person? REALLY? Because I don't really buy it...

[BuFFo]

I started the hobby at a FLGS, worked at an FLGS, and try to support any quality FLGS that I can. That being said, the majority of the ones in this area have failed at the #1 most important thing in providing customer service: Staying in Business.

It isn't the local GW's, it isn't an increase of MMO's, or really any other outside factor that is causing this...the ones around here failed because they weren't being run as a business first, they were more of a clubhouse with product. When you are too lazy to go into your backroom to look for something that your computer says is in stock, and your excuse is "It's a mess back there, I wouldn't be able to find it anyways." - that to me says a lot about the way the store is run.

I will take a GW over THAT kind of service any day, and If I didn't like "being badgered" I would say so...I find it very hard to believe that if someone was to say "I understand you're doing your job by asking me questions, but I would really just rather browse the store myself...I will ask if I need anything." Does anyone REALLY think that the employee would continue on hassling that person? REALLY? Because I don't really buy it...

I don't think anyone here is really saying that if GW didn't follow a robotic script, they wouldn't be in business anymore.

As a consumer, I know when a saleperson is a robot or not, and as a human being, I am more inclined to listen to an organic dialogue than something that was put into, then spit out of, a machine, and into my ears.

[CitizenZero]

I don't think anyone here is really saying that if GW didn't follow a robotic script, they wouldn't be in business anymore.

As a consumer, I know when a saleperson is a robot or not, and as a human being, I am more inclined to listen to an organic dialogue than something that was put into, then spit out of, a machine, and into my ears.I agree with you. As per my original post in this thread, I think that if a red shirt is coming off as Robotic, then they don't really understand what their job is...or are just not very good at it. The post you quoted was in regards to those who tout a FLGS' lack of customer service as a superior alternative to robots.

I'll take robots in that case. :)

[BuFFo]

The post you quoted was in regards to those who tout a FLGS' lack of customer service as a superior alternative to robots.

I'll take robots in that case. :)

Oh, I am sorry, I misunderstood your point, but it doesn't matter, as we see eye to eye anyway.

I just avoid the robots and don't go to GW stores anyway, personally. Those stores are the anthesis of the hobby in my opinion.

Go out of my way and deal with a Necron hassling me, or go local and deal with a Guardsman leaving me alone?

[Kirsten]

Go out of my way and deal with a Necron hassling me, or go local and deal with a Guardsman leaving me alone?

I don't know, being hassled by a Necron sounds kinda fun...

[BuFFo]

I don't know, being hassled by a Necron sounds kinda fun...

Wow, how ever should I respond to this?

......

:D

[Kirsten]

Ever seen Heavy Metal?

All I'm saying.

[scadugenga]

Ever seen Heavy Metal?

All I'm saying.

Nice...

[Kahoolin]

Ever seen Heavy Metal?

All I'm saying.Eww.

[addamsfamily36]

Hey all, WOW there has been a lot of posts since i last logged on.

I"m not really sure what to post, i was going to respond to the earlier comments, but i feel the thread has moved on. what to do:confused:

Ok main point - I wish my town had a local gaming store or miniature store for gaming that wasn't my local GW ( im a little bit shocked i typed that). But and whether or not the script exists, there has definetly been a new breed of managers at both my local and my uni gw's which are 200 miles apart (in the uk here) which have totally ruined the hobby for me. My local when at home has been run into the ground, its shut 2-3 out of the 7 days a week, which in retail is just bad. it makes me very sad:(

(side note) - i'm not rude to staff and no one should be, i was merely saying that some people don't know how to say please leave me alone politely, and will either be silent or panic or respond with various other defensive mechanisms.

[TSINI]

My own personal gripe with "the script" is that they arent actually interested in knowing any of the answers to the questions posed

"what army do you collect?" - if the answer isnt "the one on the new release shelf" then they will just point you to the 'old and dusty' shelves you've obviously scoured over and over before.

i have however met some great guys in stores, some have helped me a great deal with special character conversion ideas, painting techniques, new developments in washes etc, but these are often only 1 part timer per store - the guy who actually does love the games.

ignoring the script, my main beef with GW stores is the dogmatic GW only atmosphere in there. it's almost like talking about another game system would result in you being banned.

A staff mamber eagle eyed my Death corps commissar and rough riders from across the room, he walks over and is dissapointed that the whole army isnt death korps (cadian plastics of course) he then gets confused about my conscripts who have west wind production heads (gas masks and tin helmets - all they deserve) and notes it as a negative, as if its totally natural to think that anything non-GW is a blight on the hobby.

I've also had a (worryingly) heated debate with a GW staff member about how he thinks that forgeworld ruins 40k because they "go mad with the rules" he then quotes the vanquisher which i had in my hand as an example of forgeworld "taking it too far"

I stated that the vanquisher used to be an option in an old imperial guard codex (and it could fire both explosive and anti tank shells). he flies off the handle in a loud and superior voice about how i'm making it up and blah blah

so i've been in the hobby longer than he has, i dont hold it against him, just confused as to why it mattered? and why he thought that even a games workshop sister company making more fun and 'realistic' models in some cases, should be seen as a bad thing, in any way shape or form.

it's no wonder some people find it hard to have fun bending the rules from time to time, when the staff teach them that anything unofficial is the devil.

[Krimsonscythe]

The fact I'm six feet tall probably doesn't help.

But really, a simple "May I help you with anything?" would solve any customer service complaints as far as I can see.

As a Senior management retailer my entire working life, I'm 50, and someone who is frequently recruited for my customer service skills I have learned this is not the best approach. Though I agree with Eldargal's point.

I do staff development as part of my responsibilities and have a hefty success rate. One of my very simple basic precepts is to never ask "May I help you?" Its a close-ended question that will most times elicit a defensive "No".

Instead I try to teach sales associates to simply acknowledge the "guest". Simply say," Hi, welcome.I'm here if you need anything." Sometimes even a simple nod to show the customer you are aware of their presence and genuinely happy they are there is all that is needed. "Good morning" works amazingly well....

Too many times the problem is with the Store Manager and hiring process. I'm more interested in hiring individuals who smile and are genuinely happy to be at work and working. Not simply someone who is looking to make his/her hobby a job.

I can teach product knowledge but teaching someone to smile is tough stuff, that has to come from within.

Eric J

[razcalking]

One of my very simple basic precepts is to never ask "May I help you?" Its a close-ended question that will most times elicit a defensive "No".

Instead I try to teach sales associates to simply acknowledge the "guest". Simply say," Hi, welcome.I'm here if you need anything." Sometimes even a simple nod to show the customer you are aware of their presence and genuinely happy they are there is all that is needed. "Good morning" works amazingly well....

Too many times the problem is with the Store Manager and hiring process. I'm more interested in hiring individuals who smile and are genuinely happy to be at work and working. Not simply someone who is looking to make his/her hobby a job.

I can teach product knowledge but teaching someone to smile is tough stuff, that has to come from within.

Eric J

Interesting insights. Always good to hear the opinions of someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

[Levitas]

Its the norm in the US as appose to the UK, where its becoming more popular, or rather forced upon reluctant retail staff. I've worked in retail and lived in both the UK and the US so I can really sympathize with the guys who are forced to use 'the script'on both sides of the pond, specially UK staff. Us brits dont like it at all, its an invasion of privacy and goes back to an Englishman and his moat - a very english mentality. Americans are much more open and dont hold as many reservations. After moving to the states it grated on me for months, but you get used to it. You know they dont give a rats furry *** if your having a nice day but they will ask none the less, and as they are mots probably commission based they will work harder to get your wallet open.

GW know its a super geeky hobby, and that they have to snare all wandering consumers with ruthless tactics. Like some girl/boy on a first date who wants to name all the kids you will have and explain why they are allergic to grass - just so you love them. GW wants to be understood as a retailer and a business, to explain its weirdness to the curious. Combine this perspective with sales talk from across the pond and you get the script. It jars and it annoys. Shut up GW, we understand you ok, let us browse...stop embarrassing your staff, who are indeed good people who enjoy the hobby and need to pay bills.

The answer is too learn a few words of a rare language and master a confused look. They will leave you alone.

[Kahoolin]

I've worked in retail and lived in both the UK and the US so I can really sympathize with the guys who are forced to use 'the script'on both sides of the pond, specially UK staff. Us brits dont like it at all, its an invasion of privacy and goes back to an Englishman and his moat - a very english mentality.That is so true. I read that it took much longer for telephones to catch on in England than it did everywhere else, because the Brits were horrified that anyone could just call them in their own house without being introduced or invited first. For ages only eccentrics in England had phones in their homes, everyone else used public ones.

My dad is English, so I was brought up with that cultural influence. I feel it's really rude when someone I don't know pretends they are my friend. It's the same reason I hate telemarketing - it's fundamentally rude and invasive. I know who my friends are, and I get to choose them. Strangers shouldn't get to approach me intimately like that. I even hate giving my name to the people in Starbucks/Gloria Jeans. That fake "personal touch" just seems worse to me than treating me with polite distance. So yeah, I think in some cases the hatred of the script can come from the way you were raised rather than your asperger's quotient.

[CitizenZero]

Insistence of the notion of a "script" is comical, as is commission based sales for GW Red-shirts...I expect that it may stem from the same mentality that has people wearing tin foils hats so the government can't read their thoughts.

I especially like the part where GW convinces their hobbyists to act like "a retailer and a business" in order to disguise this depressingly geeky hobby from a nation of pitchfork wielding jocks and ****s, hell-bent on denouncing that which is "weird." Please tell us more tricks so we can help stop these Red Shirts from embarrassing themselves, for their own good....

Human beings are scary, and thusly any attempts at interaction are to be deemed ruthless from here on out. Thank the Old Ones for Web Orders!

[Denzark]

GW Geek: Hi, how are you today?

Me (running through my head a termionator-esque list of responses ending in 'F*ck you Arsehole'): Fine thanks, how are you?

GW Geek: Yeah fine, what brings you in here today?

Me: Just browsing thanks.

GW Geek: Great, let me know if you need any help.


Job done.

[CitizenZero]

GW Geek: Hi, how are you today?

Me (running through my head a termionator-esque list of responses ending in 'F*ck you Arsehole'): Fine thanks, how are you?

GW Geek: Yeah fine, what brings you in here today?

Me: Just browsing thanks.

GW Geek: Great, let me know if you need any help.


Job done.Where is the part where they attempt to scan the barcode that they assume is on the back of your neck in order to learn your most precious secrets?

By many accounts, it usually occurs sometime around "What brings you in here today?"

[Kirsten]

Insistence of the notion of a "script" is comical

Except of course for the minor issue that it is true, and very common in many shops, GW included.

[CitizenZero]

Except of course for the minor issue that it is true, and very common in many shops, GW included.If I hadn't worked for Games Workshop I may be inclined to agree. Any semblance of "script" is single handedly the device of the individual you are speaking with at any given moment.

GW wants it's employees to obtain information about the customer in order to determine that customers needs, preferably through the use of open ended questions, because they result in more information. What many mistake for a script is really an employee not skilled enough in their job to tailor those questions to the individuals they are speaking to, couple with the EMPLOYEE not giving a damn about the customer they are speaking to.

The only thing even remotely close to an actual "script" is that GW wants it's employees, who by this point have used their best judgement based on the wealth of information and rapport they have established, to actually use the words "purchase" or "buy" when pitching that product.

Example: "So since you just finished painting your extra goblins to get ready to play the new edition of Fantasy, would you like to BUY those movement trays we talked about?"

If that is your definition of a script, perhaps you would fit in just fine in Hollywood. :)

[Kirsten]

There is a lot more to it than just suggesting people buy something, I know someone who worked for GW, they had pages of instructions on how to approach the customer, what to say, how to say it. He left in the end because so much was being proscribed, managers were watching like hawks and had to affirm that every staff member was doing what they were supposed to. They had to ensure that every person entering the store was approached within a certain amount of time, and without getting a certain distance into the shop, they had to point out the new releases and the direct order point, and if a person bought something, had to ask if the person needed any hobby supplies or a white dwarf subscription.

It is very similar to my local video game store, when you are browsing you get asked if you need anything, at the till you are asked if you want the accompanying strategy guide, if it has a multiplayer option, then they ask you if you need any more controllers. If it can be played online, do you need to update your xbox live subscription, do you need any microsoft/sony vouchers, do you need any peripherals, and then, as you leave, don't forget you can trade in games once you are finished. It was the same every time. I haven't been in a GW store for a few years, it may have changed since, but GW's approach used to be the same.

[CitizenZero]

Some of your points are applicable, yes you must acknowledge a customer within 30 seconds of them entering the store. You are also asked as an employee to determine whether or not the customer you are speaking with has the necessary hobby supplies.

What it turns into is "Do you need any glue with that?" Which is the easiest way to figure it out, although it is a method that is actually abhorred by Games Workshop itself...which during training tries to break people of their "fries with that" mentality.

I wouldn't say managers "watch like hawks," but their job is literally to make sure their employees are doing what they were supposed to...so that much is indeed true I suppose.

[addamsfamily36]

Some of your points are applicable, yes you must acknowledge a customer within 30 seconds of them entering the store. You are also asked as an employee to determine whether or not the customer you are speaking with has the necessary hobby supplies.

What it turns into is "Do you need any glue with that?" Which is the easiest way to figure it out, although it is a method that is actually abhorred by Games Workshop itself...which during training tries to break people of their "fries with that" mentality.

I wouldn't say managers "watch like hawks," but their job is literally to make sure their employees are doing what they were supposed to...so that much is indeed true I suppose.

Im sorry, but denying a script exists is comical

ok you worked for gamesworkshop. UK or US?

I've been in several (and by several i'm talking mayb 15 plus which i think is a fair amount) gamesworkshop's in the Uk. Now the regular staff pick up on my answers the first time i walk in and then they don't pester again or ask again. But the manager's (the ones supposed to be better at the job than the full timers....supposedly..) ask me the same and im talking almost the EXACT same questions in each store. Now ok i don;t mind someone asking me if i need glue if ive jsut brought a tonne of plastic, or paints even etc, its polite sometime helpful cause you can forget, and i appriciate its a sales technique ive worked in retail for 8 years i get how it works. BUT to deny they don't have a script pah. ok there might not be an actual panflet or instruction book called "the Script" but im sorry there definetly is a tonne of guides rules intructions etc that basically become the script. Either that or the managers have each other on facebook and they discuss ways to talk to customers in the same manner.

As for staff being watched like hawks..been in a shop many a time when managers watch sales, games, etc like hawks, only to blame the staff for a fall in sales etc at a later date even though they followed "the script"

sorry rant over

[addamsfamily36]

Apologies for the poor grammar and spelling, as you can see the current state of GW stores really infuriates me. :(

[CitizenZero]

I understand where you are coming from AddamsFam...I worked for GW in the US, so can only really speak for this side of the pond. Regardless, the examples provided don't really paint a full picture of your experiences...I can't really refute any of them based on my lack of perspective. What I can say is that I have not denied the fact that there are guidelines to working at Games Workshop, earlier I quoted a few of their "Ten Commandments," which up until recently was the model for how they expected their employees to behave.

Two of these were "Establish a rapport with the customer." and "Ask questions which obtain the best information concerning customer needs."

These often get *******ized and distorted into Johnny Redshirt asking the same questions to every person regardless of any other factors, which is annoying and "script-like." What I am contending is that any script-ish lines come from individuals, NOT Games Workshop itself. What bothers me is when people criticize the company itself, when really they should be looking at the individuals who they are dealing with face-to-face.

It's easy to paint GW as the big bad wolf, but that is a very close-minded and uninformed assertion...welcome to the internet I suppose :/

[CitizenZero]

HA! Curious that the BoLS lounge doesn't allow that word.

[addamsfamily36]

Apologies, i didn't mean to imply you didn't say there were guidlines etc.

As for the UK vs the US, i can safely say on this side of the pond although it might appear to be simplemindedness on the "redshirts" front, I'm gonna have to blame or point the finger at the company. my reasons are from experiencing it first hand.

I have several good friends within the company and several who have worked for them for many years but have now moved on to other jobs. All were perfectly fine, treated me like a person because they knew me. However they were all told if not guided to speak to customers in a specific way. Ok most if not all of them took these guidelines treated them like the pirate code and wiped their ***** wit it lol and used a bit of brains and spoke to the customers on a better level. But a lot of the management staff coming out of late has been very SALES orientated. which is fine its a buisness, but when it gets to the point where their technique treats you like an idiot to the point of insult well im sorry i got to point the finger at GW. They in the UK are definetly producing a new breed of manager, iv;e had great managers over the years, one now works at london plaza (its one of the biggest stores to work at in the uk), but the recent output hasn;t been great. the last 4 managers at my local have driven the store into the ground. its closed 3 out of 7 days of the week. all the older customers have moved on, the younger members aren't beign brought in because the shop always looks empty etc etc.

So although it may be different that side of the pond, there is something amiss over here (maybe not everywhere) but theres definetly been a decline.

Gamesday was a prime example 2-3 years ago wet set a record of most tickets sold by any stor on day of release ( and we are a small 2 man store in a small town) last year we sold 4 :(

[Nabterayl]

In other words, there's a difference between what GW employees do and how GW as a company would prefer that its employees behave. It could be that GW has good goals for how it wants its employees to behave, and is just bad at instructing/incentivizing its employees to behave in that way.