A GameStop manager recently made the news for all the wrong reasons, as she berated a customer during the release of Grand Theft Auto V. Negativity is something that, unfortunately, dominates the headlines in all journalism, and especially in games journalism.
Bu today, I’d like to offer some positive vibes by talking about my GameStop manager.
Well, he’s not my manager, as I don’t work for him, but I gladly would if I were able to.
This is a guy who is the exact opposite of a corporate clone. A gamer that enjoys having particular consoles in particular places based on factors such as where he’s sitting and whether or not his wife is in the same room. Remember, folks, the Wii U’s Off-TV feature lets you play a game while the significant other watches The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Furthermore, he’s passionate about the consoles; he won’t tell you “Get the such and such because it rocks,” if such thing doesn't actually rock. Instead, he isn’t afraid to give his opinion, even if it means losing a sale.
But the best thing about my GameStop manager is that he keeps in touch with his customer base. With the holiday rush coming on, GameStop is hiring extra hands to help with increased sales. Instead of going through a traditional process, he’s hired on his regulars. For midnight releases, he isn’t afraid to mingle with us as we wait in line, munching on pizza and sipping the drinks he’s provided.
Simply put, he cares about us. It’s hard not to care about him, too. He’s everything a GameStop manager should be. It's a joy to arrive at 10:00 PM, 2 hours before Grand Theft Auto V releases, and see him chatting with people already in line. Sure, I have to put pants on if I ever want to walk into his store, and sure, Amazon doesn’t require pants to be on when I order from them. But Amazon doesn’t care about me (at least, that’s my assumption). My GameStop manager, however, does care about me. He appreciates my insight and my opinion.
So thank you, Mr. Manager. I’ll gladly continue to give you reservations for as long as you stay around.
(Actually, we just call him manager.)
