Game shops in dublin

RicardoSmith · 14-04-2003 11:11pm

If someone isn't happy in their job in a games shop, then they should leave. Its not the customers job to improve the job satisfaction of anyone. But it is their responsibility to tell the shop assistants if theres a problem and its the assistants job to pass that information to the managment. If no one listens then ultimately the shop will suffer and thats the managements fault.

However theres such a huge discrepancy in the prices in some shops compared to others, that it has to be deliberate. Its not something thats happens here and there, and thus occasional errors. Generally its consistant through a chain of stores and thus it has to be a deliberate policy.

Customers hate to be taken for a ride, so when they realise this is exactly whats happening you can expect some flak.

Arken Thell · 15-04-2003 7:12pm

I've worked in my job for years, (get it is in a store which sell games and no i'm not saying which one)
I love the ppl that i work with, I love the job, nI'm luckey that i have a couple of really cool managers, It's brilliant experience for dealing with the public and I'm working with games which in it'self is a hell of a lot better that some other jobs.

what i have a major problem with is that ppl think since i am a sales assistant that i have ultimate authority over the entire store, and that i should bow and scrape at theit very whim.

I'm human I smile am polite and do my best for the customers. If they treat me like rubbish they will ge a lesserquality of service. If they have a major problem they can talk to the manager or write to the company.
there is only so much things that i can do for them after all.
Most of teh times stores will sell games at the rrp.
some stores dont to undercut the competition YES it is deliberate.
it nice to be told that x store is selling it for cheeper. most of the time the price will get matched.
It when ppl Shout at you and make a scene which does actually cause alot of stress then just storms off.
Ask anybody in a similar form of retail you'll get the same thing.
I'm not complaining about all customers either.
Most of the time they are really nice curtious ppl so i'll be damned if a minority of ppl force me out of my job. I's not going to happen.
rember it's all give and take ther's only so much a person will take before snapping back and getting fired. Maybe you should think abotu all of the other times you've bitched at a lowley sales assistant and how much stres you've caused them and maybe the next time they might just drag you over the counter and bludgoen you to death with a stapler.
you never know it just might happen

deadl0ck · 15-04-2003 8:08pm

Where did the "don't shout" and "be polite" come from.

I was polite and nice...I'm just saying that Game didn't do anything about what I pointed out and it was really poor - the guy even lied to me and told me to check back as the regularly updated their prices

Arken Thell · 15-04-2003 8:23pm

Maybe you were being obnoxious, not saying you were but it's very objective.
Most of the time that dosent happen but did you ever consider checking again. even more receantly than a few weeks ago.
you probably came in when the store was busy or when the guy was up to his eyes in soemthing but he wasnt visably working, and he simply forgot, as lots of sales staff do have a tonees of things to do on a day to day basis.
It can happen, where a person does actually forget to do one thing.
but most of the time the price does get changed.

deadl0ck · 15-04-2003 8:33pm

I'm telling you I was nice ! I asked and said I would be interested in their second hand games and enquired how often they updated their second hand games prices, he said about every 2 week and aasked why - that's when Ipointed out that the second had game was only 2 Cent cheaper than the new one. Also, I was down there at lunch time on and the shop was practically empty

Arken Thell · 15-04-2003 8:41pm

Fair nuff then but have you actually checked reacently?
I know that prices did go down on alot of games over the weekend 'cos of the new budget range on GC and X-Box.
and if it was lunch time he was probably cover for ppl who were on lunch and he was probably doing other stuff.
what you are doing is saying that all ppl who work in game shops are like this which isnt nice. you just might have gotten the one prat on a bad day. we are all individuals with different things to do and differnt levels of ability.

deadl0ck · 15-04-2003 8:47pm

I wasn't talking about the service in all games shops at all. I was talking about the service in Game on the one time I said something about the prices to someone working there

RicardoSmith · 15-04-2003 10:30pm

Still upshot of all that is you get the best prices in Smyths or via the internet from the UK. Game which used to be cheap has now gone "deliberately" more expensive. More so since they took over that other chain of game stores GB. Anyone who works in a games store doesn't need to be told that they are more expensive. Its blatantly obvious.

Dr_Teeth · 15-04-2003 11:00pm

Game used to be great, before the Euro I spent over £500 a year there on hardware and software (from '98 onwards). I bought all my voodoos there, back in the day.

But they went to ****, as has been said. I remember clearly the day I stopped giving them my custom - when I saw them charging £45 for Black and White on its release! And that isn't so bad compared to what they're charging for games these days. ?60 for Battlefield 1942? Blow me.

Smyths and play.com are great!

Teeth.

TheAlmightyArse · 17-04-2003 8:31pm

Hmmmm.

GAME, Henry Street, Pikmin, Pre-owned, 19.97 euro.

How rare.

(PS, I bought it, so ner to the world!)

Absolam · 19-04-2003 2:32pm

Which Game, Deadlock? I'm guessing Arken Thell is also interested..

I stand over what I said; if you go in with an attitude (or are perceived to have an attitude) you'll get one back. But if you're nice, it's a rare thing that we won't try to help you out.

As for pricing, well thats a whole different story, and largely out of our hands. I still think a customer should vote with their feet; a company losing sales quickly changes its prices, in my experience.

super_furry · 19-04-2003 4:11pm

Game have been going steadily downhill ever since they took over the Electronic Boutique stores, whether it's from a percieved lack of competition or what, I don't know. Nowadays I buy all my games in Smyth's or Xtra Vision, who are surprisingly good when it comes to price although they have a very limited selection.

Absolam · 19-04-2003 5:01pm

Funny thing...Electronics Boutique took over the Game stores..they just wanted the name...

super_furry · 19-04-2003 8:00pm

Really? Well that could well explain it, as I always thought game were much more competative price wise than Electronics Boutique.

Underscore · 19-04-2003 8:18pm

Actually, they were always both owned by the same company, and they just changed the name of the EB stores to Game after a while. Oh, and I'm not sure about cheap prices for second-hand games, but today I got 2 Gundam DVDs and the entire series of Gunbuster for €6 in Game. (DVDBoxoffice.com are currently selling those Gundam DVDs for €25 each, and Gunbuster on VHS comes to a total of $50 or so from Amazon.com.)

Arken Thell · 19-04-2003 9:15pm

Actually your wrong EB bought game about four years ago but kept it quiet but at the time it was big news in gaming circles.
As for the prices has anybody noticed game actually being a hell of alot more competitive ??????

I've seen alot of games like primal for €60 maybe the've turend over a new leaf?

TheAlmightyArse · 19-04-2003 9:41pm

I managed to afford the aforementioned 2nd hand copy of Pikmin and a shiney new Metroid Prime from Game t'other day from trading in 5 old GBC games. I needed surgery after the severity of gob smackage.

RicardoSmith · 20-04-2003 12:55am

Originally posted by Arken Thell
Actually your wrong EB bought game about four years ago but kept it quiet but at the time it was big news in gaming circles.
As for the prices has anybody noticed game actually being a hell of alot more competitive ??????

I've seen alot of games like primal for €60 maybe the've turend over a new leaf?

I hope you are being sarcastic. €60? competitive? I haven't bought anything in EB or GAME in well over a year. Smyths wipes the floor with them on price. Smyths also have a loyalty card scheme these days that makes them even cheaper again.

EB were always a lot more expensive than Game. The fact that EB bought Game explains a lot about their prices. I've seen old cards like TNT2's for €150 in some of the game stores sitting beside GF4MX's for €150-200. Their hardware especially, has rocketed in price.

Easy-C · 20-04-2003 4:46am

Is there any Irish sites that sell games cheaper?

Absolam · 20-04-2003 9:54am

Mmm..went to Smyths for Primal (saw the ad, read your comments Ricardo) no Primal, €65 when they get it back in. I didn't have one of their Loyalty cards tho, how much difference does it make?

Underscore · 20-04-2003 12:15pm

Buy from www.dvdboxoffice.com. Their prices for newer games are usually pretty good (Eg €38 for MGS2 on the PC, compared to €45-50 in Game) , and shipping is free, so it doesn't really matter that they're not Irish.

Retr0gamer · 20-04-2003 7:49pm

Don't bother with Primal. It's a waste of your time and money. There's far better out at the moment.

Arken Thell · 22-04-2003 8:09pm

Havn't bothered playing it to be honest i was just using it as an example of a latest release.
And yes believe it or not €60 is competitive, come on before the euro changeover you were paying similar or equal ammounts.
Plus i've seen smyths prices and the service isnt great. the only place where i've gotten deacent service is game.

Thorbar · 22-04-2003 8:23pm

What level of service do you need for buying a game? You pick it up off the shelf walk to the counter and pay. I personally feel that game is overpriced and doesn't have a great selection of PC games and the few times I've darkened their door I haven't been overly impressed with the staff.

Drakon · 22-04-2003 8:53pm

*cough* XDCC *cough*

RicardoSmith · 23-04-2003 12:20am

Actually I was commenting on Symths PC game titles as that what I'm mainly into. Though I have a PSONE I only have a couple of games for that as I prefer PC gaming in general. So my comments were mainly in reference to PC Game prices.

The Smyths loyalty card gives you 10% AFAIK

€60=£47 well maybe you're happy to pay that for console games but personally, it would have to be a mega title for me to pay that. I maight consider paying that for GTA3 or GT3, but in fact no, I'll wait for them to drop in price.

Of recent game releases I can't think of a game that qualifies as a mega title. In fact I might have paid this for one of the premier flightsims, but in fact other then the over priced FS2002 (an insane price) flightsims aren't even as expensive as that.

As for Primal, even if I was into that kinda game it doesn't look that great and the reviews have been mixed. Most seem to suggest style>substance. Certainly not a mega title. €60? money>sense.

Someone has out a webpage together which some might find interesting. http://www.iol.ie/~pkb/gwi.htm

Game shops in dublin

Comments