We all find ways to unleash the built up stress at the end of the day, and for me, well it’s video games.  That point in the day I finally find some time to just crash on the couch, I can’t help but to reach for the game controller. 

When I’m ready to buy a new game, where do I go?  All the stores carry about the same titles, they all come in the same box, right?  It comes down to price, and service…  If I’m looking for a deal and I don’t mind waiting a few days I could scope out Ebay, or even Overstock.com.  The problem there is that I’m too damn impatient sometimes.. Why wait when I can run down the street to Best Buy or Circuit City and play it the same day?  Sure, I’ll end up paying a little more, but sometimes the instant gratification is worth it.

So when it comes to that ‘must have’ new game, which store do I choose?  Well that’s simple, Gamestop (didn’t see that coming did ya?).  I’ll tell you why – First off, I’m almost guaranteed to find the game I want, since there’s 3 Gamestop’s in about a 7 mile radius.  There’s one location in particular that I go to first everytime, although it’s the one furthest away, to me it’s worth it.

Gas cost so damn much these days, why not try the closest location first?  Here’s why – The manager of this particular store has an up on the rest, he makes the extra effort to know his customers. 

As I stand and stare at the behemoth of a wall covered in DVD style cases, the manager wanders over and strikes up a conversation. This on it’s own is a different experience, how often do you go into a store to find a lifeless hump slouched over behind the counter? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not everyone, and people have bad days, but you know what I mean…

He goes on to suggest a few titles that he thinks I’d enjoy.. Wait, how the hell would he know what games I like? Funny thing, not only was he right, but he referenced a conversation we had some weeks back when I was last in the store.  He remembered the fact that I like a certain style racing game, and that I’m not a big fan of sports games that play too ‘arcade-ish’ (-ish? what the hell?).  Lucky guess? Possibly.. but more likely, he views me as a valued customer, and his goal is for me to have a good experience and return the next time to spend my money there.

Having this experience makes me feel confident as a customer of that store.  I know that if I encounter a defective disc, I can exchange it without hassle… Don’t like the game I bought? No problem!  The manager made sure I knew their store policies, I can return it within 7 days for any reason, great!  This also leads to a key action: Recommending this store to a friend.  Word of mouth marketing is a big driver for most companies (or at least it should be..).  

I remember reading somewhere that a customer who’s had a bad experience is 5 times more likely to tell a friend, than if they had a good experience.  Well that’s not too surprising is it?  We should be talking about the places that treat us right as consumers, but the simple fact is you’re going to vent about those experiences that frustrated you, and left a bad taste in your mouth.

 I came across this article from BetterManagement.com, it’s a pretty interesting read.

 Love to hear some of your own experiences, good or bad.