Some of you may have noticed that I write a weekly article for BoLS meant as mindless fun for Fridays. They are non serious escapades into the mind of one 40k gamer, aka me. My last article has created some hate towards BoLS and me. I would like to make sure that all hate be directed at me.

Let me start by saying, what is the deal with everyone putting BoLS on some super pedestal? The people at BoLS are just dedicated gamers (like many of us) that want to share with the rest of the community. BoLS is not the New York Times nor the Washington Post. Granted, BoLS wants to be successful and be the central resource for all things wargaming. Just do not expect Pulitzer material, especially as long as they have me writing for them.

With that said, what is the problem with making fun of GW methods at training their employees? It is annoying and is only seems effective with first time buyers, not repeat customers. Vets which spend a lot of money over a long period don’t want to go through the same song and dance every time they enter a store. Which is one reason GW stores are typically not the hobby center for veteran players. It does not help that GW goes through employees like Octomom goes through lip injections, making most employees unaware of the old or experienced players.

GW has to change it’s retail philosophy; I get it, they are trying to think of the best way to convey their products at the same time sell them, up against an audience that would rather be playing with their Wii than drop a few hundred on minis they have to build, paint, learn rules, then take at least a few hours to play.

Especially in this economy shoppers do not want to be harassed at all. I know this because I have spent all my life as salesperson. Never have I seen a time when more people want two things.

  1. Only approach when approached by them first.
  2. Don’t want to be up-sold.

Consumers are savvy and know when a good deal is to be had and when bullshit is being played. GW’s current model runs counter to what consumers are looking for. Granted GW is targeting a very narrow audience. They want to get 10-16 year olds with rich parents. In the hopes that 1 and 20 of those kids will become lifers. GW does a good job of providing the tools to keep kids interested. They have paint seminars, game nights, and are generally supportive of getting kids involved. Not to mention, free day-care service.

With the high turn overs of employees it is hard to maintain a consistent comfortable environment. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, the large battle bunkers do a good job of maintaining staff as well as provide the space necessary to build a strong community. It is the smaller outlets that generate most of the problems, especially in high pressure mall settings.

If GW goal for there stores is only to break even for the purpose of creating exposure, then having a perfect customer service system is paramount. Not one so narrowly focused on a small target audience. Besides it should be the products, not the salesperson that should be doing the selling. It was never the dealerships that caused GM to go bankrupt it was the products and the way GM operated that caused them to go bankrupt.

The job of a GW employees should be information delivery, not beat you over the head with a sales bat delivery. For what GW is paying their entry level employees they are certainly asking a lot. Giving them some freedom can go a long way to improving sales and performance. Instead of forced sales pitches that any parent or tween can see through.

I also want to mention that YTTH has some great comments concerning my article on their site. Here is a link for anyone interested.

Questions for comment:

  1. What ways do you think GW could do to improve their retail image?
  2. Do you think GW stores should offer more than just GW games?
  3. What are the reasons for GW current retail model?