Ben-DutkaWhen I was younger, there were no such thing as midnight launches. Perhaps I would've gone then. But these days, I find myself shying away due to an…unknown quality I can't quite pinpoint.
The hot story making the Internet rounds involves a GameStop manager getting into a verbal altercation with a customer during the midnight launch of Grand Theft Auto V . The story can be found at Pixel Enemy and the video is below, if you must.
I don't really know what it is, but I find the whole thing very dark and unsettling. I know most gamers will immediately just say the manager was a bitch, and obviously, she kinda is. But really, that customer creeps me out a little, too. The whole thing just has this incredibly negative, hostile vibe to it, right? And you know, whenever I see instances of midnight launches in videos, or hear about the goings-on from friends who have gone, I get only further convinced that I want no part of it.
Some may call it passionate fans congregating to get something they've been waiting for, a piece of entertainment they really want. But if that's the case, why do we see so many overtones of animosity and hostility? What's the deal? Why aren't more people smiling? This is a hobby, last I checked, and we really shouldn't be taking it too seriously. But there's something about the attitude of both the manager and the customer that makes me very uncomfortable. Not that I expected violence from that, but what was brewing in the air wasn't good.
Why, why does this seem to happen so often at these midnight launches?
Now I wonder if I should go to the PS4 Midnight Launch or just pick in the AM? Hmmmm also as side note: Went to rent GTAV from Redbox got a PS2 game. GTA is truly a phenomenon.
She's the manager? Wow… Neither one was in the 'right' zone, but your not supposed to act like a stuck up 16 year old girl when your the store manager. If I attempted that, the district manager would have canned me soon as he found out.
Game is great, buy it.
The worst part about that manager was that she could not keep her attention on the man's face to sincerely engage in an argument with him. Instead she does the usual 'omg-did-you-believe-this?' look to the crowd and talks to them to ground herself, plus steal their support. I dislike when people do that in arguments and can't take them seriously.
Of course the man obviously should have taken a breath and eased up immediate then left the wench. She was just childish and he was just angry.
LOL at the fool recording the video and his trash talk.
According to the article thats linked the manager was teh one at fault and got fired so she caused the "nerd rage" As for midnight launches I went to one to get FFXIV when madden was having a midnight launch and had no problems. Im expecting my PS4 launch will be the same
The article is severely biased in one direction, as expected.
Biased?
I don't get it, the article was like 8 lines and then a quote and the video. How was it biased?
Her being in the wrong is not a biased opinion, she IS in the wrong, she works in customer service, treated her customer very poorly, and tried to invoke a gang mentality with the rest of the customers there. She wanted to look cool. I really hope she did get fired, we don't need people like that around.
Because it doesn't mention the fact that both sides went nuts. We also have no idea what happened before that, or why she started to act the way she did. Furthermore, I have a very difficult time believing that quote; rather, I have a difficult time believing all of it is true. Sounds made up by an angry person.
It's not a firable offense, in my opinion. You give the customer a $20 gift card. Then you suspend the manager for a week and tell her to never argue with a customer in front of other customers again. Issue solved.
while the manager was out of line in some areas I think the dude needed to choose not to be offended and not escalate the point right then and there. If he had a problem he should've contacted customer service on his own time during the next day and not in the midst of a long line all there for one reason. but when he did lose it she needed to STOP what she was doing, pull him to the side and discuss the matter in as brief as time as possible and send him packing. If he resisted and wanted to make more of scene then she'd just call the police and have him removed. Simple as that.
It's clear the store wasn't prepared to facilitate a nerd rage right then and there at that hour.
It was handled badly on both sides and as I said, it just creeped me out. The manager acted like a bitch, yes, but the customer scared me more. That's the epitome of nerd rage; an attempt at formal confidence that falls very flat due to obvious social ineptitude.
yah, her attitude needed to change. it just feeds into the feeling I get sometimes from gamestop's that the customers are treated like second rate gutter trash.
I feel zero sympathy for the nerd and his rage though. It would seem to me he didn't have legitimate id in the first place and should be happy he even went home with his game that night.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 9/20/2013 2:29:42 PM
You guys must have a very low standard then.
I would never have classified his behaviour as being in a 'rage'.
He told her they had lost his business then came back to ask for her details when she offered to give his details out to the other customers, so he could escalate it and get her in trouble. He in no way went 'nuts'. If the customer scared you more Ben, then I seriously think you have a very low standard of the term crazy.
It is definitely a fire-able offence, anyone who has ever worked customer service should know this. What the manager did is a lot worse then simply argue with a customer, she tried to humiliate him and whether she was joking or not you simply CAN'T say "Does everyone want his details so you can email him". I worked in customer service for many years and managed for many years, and I would have fired someone on the spot if they acted the way she did.
@Temjin001
That is not true. A customer should never ever HAVE to choose not to be offended by a retail employee. Customer service exists to service customers needs, and good customer service means doing it while keeping a smile on their face regardless of your own entitled attitude. If this was a standard social situation then yes, the right thing to do is ignore her behaviour, but this is NOT a standard social situation.
You guys REALLY are over-exaggerating the customers behaviour by a LOT. I read this article first before looking at the video, and was waiting the entire time for him to go crazy, yell and scream or trash the store.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 9/20/2013 9:19:01 PM
Meh
Don't care to give you more of a response than that =p
Last edited by Temjin001 on 9/21/2013 12:27:10 PM
He crossed a line when he pushed for her last name. She is entitled to protect that information if she feels it necessary. And did I hear he gave her his business card? That's public domain for whoever gets their mitts on it.
Wow that was uncomfortable. This is what it looks like when people use their internet posting habits in a real life human to human exchange.
I can vibe with Ben's feelings, I went to the FFXIII one and there was a sort of creepy atmosphere. It felt like something awful was going to happen at any moment. Maybe it's just all the tension of months of internet angst built up that poisons a real life location where humans are supposed to be happy about a common interest.
If something like that happened to me I'd find it impossible to enjoy my game.
He's an Xbot. Lol
HAHA!! I know right! 🙂
He's just mad bc now he has to drive home and load 2 disc into his 360…. "Please load disc 2…"
hopefully he accidentally installs the 'play' disc (apparently causes texture and LOD issues)
Poor customer service and an entitled attitude, next. I don't care what time a day this was, it is a case study of America. You should feel uncomfortable, but you could see a lot worse watching some black Friday phone video.
Yeah cuz being American is what's wrong with these two :
somebody should have knocked that nerd out
Another reason why I've always used Amazon to ship a physical copy of a game to me on release day. Avoids all the people and hassle.
Did you get your copy on release day? I didn't get my copy until Wednesday 09-18. Amazon blamed UPS and the first customer service agent hung up on me when I called out his lie, because I checked with UPS and their were no delays on their part. When I spoke with the second customer service agent he ended giving me a full refund on my purchase.
Also out of curiosity what method of shipping did they use to get your game to you if it arrived on time?
my release day Amazon games show up at 9pm. Though, I suppose that's better than going to Gamestop!
Yes I got mine on release day. I'm a Prime member so I already have free 2 day shipping, but I changed it to release day delivery and they shipped mine out around 6pm on Monday to be delivered the following day. That's how it's always happened since I've used Amazon, unless I told them otherwise.
So, what were these social skill lackers actually sniping about in the first place?
I think she asked him for a photo ID and he got all offended. Not sure why, maybe it was her crappy attitude.
When I go to the liquor store and get asked for photo ID, I feel a little offended, even though they are doing their job.
But we didn't really get to see the entire thing, just the part where she asked for his photo ID, obviously there was something else beforehand otherwise the guy recording would have had no reason to record.
I got kicked out of store once because the guy thought I wanted my ID back too quickly while he looked it over. All I did was extend my hand when he appeared to be finished. People just suck.
I agree that the id had something to do with the conflict. It would seem he didn't have a photo id and instead tried presenting her a business card. Which would be why she said something like, "if any of you have a problem with him his business card info is right here"
Which if you think about it. He was representing himself as a business and not a person in this case, so his hissy fit about personal information was actually his public business information.
Ironically, he tries insisting she owes him her personal info, which any trained manager should know that is a definite no no.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 9/20/2013 2:11:17 PM
I wonder if he forgot his proof of pre-order payment, and she just wanted to make sure that he was actually who he said he was to confirm what was in her computer (from the pre-order).
OR
Maybe he just had to pay by cheque 😉 so she had to take down some personal info.
Giving out personal information is one thing, I don't really know why he asked for her phone number. But he was entitled to ask her name.
I like getting asked for my ID. Makes me feel like I'm in university again.
eh, what a mess..
the thirty-something over weight dude living in his mom's basement feels a little 'man-lier' now that he's asserted himself after having been offended.
I personally believe he was fully entitled to behave the way he did. She was trying to make a fool out of him in front of other customers, I don't know if you've ever been made a fool of in front of a large group of people, but it is extremely hard to deal with. He handled himself very well, a lot better than I would have.
EDIT: Not only that, but it is completely inappropriate for anyone in customer service to behave this way.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 9/20/2013 1:48:06 AM
that's wonderful to know akuma.
Gamestop should hook up with Doritoes and make Midnight Launch flavors of everyone's favorite tortilla chip.
Gamestop could have grab bags at the counter along with special 'double caffeine and corn syrup' Mountain Dews.
Imagine how this scenario would've played out if the manager offered him a free big of Doritoes for his distress…. err. wait. no then all the gamers in line would feel entitled to a free bag as well so scratch that.
better yet, the receipt should have a special "Midnight Meal" Taco Bell coupon for such events. That way when the bag of Doritos is eaten just a block down the road a person could top off with a healthy meal of Taco Bell before hitting up their new game for 8 hours in an 'all nighter' gaming session.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 9/20/2013 10:19:37 AM
Not saying I act like a total fool.
What I meant is, the guy doesn't really say very much, just repeats himself a lot, must have been very flustered. But when I have to deal with bad customer service people, I spend most of the time pointing out the incompetence of the customer service person. I like making them squirm.
OUTRAGEOUS! I mean look at all them OUYAS!
it's OnLive part 2 =p
And off topic and a sad piece of news today. Hiroshi Yamauchi has died today. Anybody who is a gamer today should be grateful to this man. RIP sir, and thank you for the memories you helped create, and for making my childhood so much fun.
Either way shes in the wrong too. She handled it poorly. A good manager would never Involved other customers and would never result to trying to make any customer look bad. I understand both sides and after the video if this is the worst that comes from a midnight launch, thats easy to deal with. Its the violence that sometimes occurs, mostly with consoles that is stupid, and the whole reason I preordered my PS4 from Amazon. So I haveto wait 16 hours later than a few people, oh well.
Idk she did look lik a bitch but he should have dine the smart thing and left it alone got his game nd left be the bigger person
Am I the only one that thinks she is m ore in the wrong. Sure he is a tool, but that is no way to deal with a customer especially if you're the manager. She lacks professionalism, if you work im retail you should expect to deal with situations like this and do so with class. If the customer is an idiot simply put on a fake smile until they leave the store.
Nope im with you. That wasn't customer service. Unfortunately for her she might get what she asks for. She thought it was great it was videod but now its all over the web and thats not good for her.
No you are deffinitely right, the woman is the one in the wrong by far.
She was trying to justify herself in front of everyone else and make him look like and idiot.
At the end of the day, you work in customer service, I don't care if your customer is yelling and screaming at you, you NEVER EVER turn anything back on the customer.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 9/20/2013 1:46:49 AM
Without any beginning to the vid it appears that she did start the altercation, flustering the fellow.
No Akuma, the customer is not always right. But the manager should've pulled the customer aside and settled the matter out of view of the other customers.
Actually wackazoa, there is a very well known term in customer service which is "The customer is always right". It basically means that you should always treat a customer with respect especially in situations when a customers information is incorrect. It is a way of thinking that everyone in customer service should have. You have NO right to argue with a customer or humiliate them. "The customer is not always right" is an entitled attitude that gives the impression you think you are better than your customers.
If a customer says "you're a lying bitch" you don't say "No I am not" you say "I am sorry you feel that way".
Acting that way is called bad customer service, and is the reason why she got fired (if she did). Bad customer service is a stigma that no business can afford to have, it will cost you money. Most people would rather go somewhere else where the customer service is better.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 9/20/2013 9:28:33 PM