(I’m on my very first day of in-store training, going over the basics of what is done. My boss mentions that no matter how big or how close to your heads the signs are, customers will always ask us something that’s written on the signs.)

Me: “They can’t really be that dense. Can they?”

Boss: “You’d be surprised.”

(A customer comes up to the counter just then and my boss takes over, as I don’t know my job well enough to serve yet.)

Customer: “Hi. Can I put down a deposit for [game]?”

Boss: “Sure thing!”

Customer: “Great! When does it come out?”

(There is a poster for this game literally ten centimeters to the right of his head hanging from the ceiling with the release date on it in emboldened letters, just like each of the ten posters for this game hung throughout the store.)

Boss: “[Date].”

Customer: “Oh, cool. Also, how much is [upcoming major console]?”

(There is a very large wall poster for this console directly behind him, amidst a display of boxes for this console that also has the price in very large numbers.)

Boss: “Console will be [price], though we’ve pre-sold out of the first two shipments.”

Customer: “Okay, thanks a bunch!” *leaves*

Me: “… That did not just happen.”

Boss: “Get used to it. It happens.”

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(I’m working my shift on a particularly lazy Sunday night, when two guys come in. I’m the only one out on the floor, as my other two coworkers are in the back. I greet the guys as they come in.)

Me: “Hey, guys. How are y’all doing?”

Guy #1: “Um, good. You?”

Me: “Doing great, actually. What brings you guys in here today?”

Guy #2: “Y’know, games. Are there any employees we can talk to, or—”

Me: “You are.”

Guy #1: “Girls don’t play games. Don’t lie to me.”

Guy #2: “And if you play games then list five characters from the same game.”

Me: “Connor Kenway, Haytham Kenway, Achilles, Charles Lee, and Ziio.”

Guy #1: “Assassin’s Creed, huh? Who’s the main character in the first one?”

Me: “Altaïr.”

(This goes on for several minutes, and my coworker finally comes out of the back.)

Coworker: “Hey, y’all need anything?”

Guy #2: “Yeah, actually. You need to hire her or something!”

Coworker: “We did.”

Guy #1: “Oh God, I’m sorry. We were quizzing her on Assassin’s Creed. And she kinda won.”

Coworker: “Yeah, gamer girls do exist. Guys just get mad when the girl knows more about the game than they do.”

(After buying their games, the two customers leave, and my coworker and I start to close up.)

Coworker: “So that happened. Why’d he say you won?”

Me: “He thought Ezio’s close friend was Leonardo di Caprio.”

This story is part of our Awesome Girl Gamer roundup!

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(We are family of three geeks, two of us over 40 and one nine-year-old. We don’t have much money, so we’re a bit technically behind the times. I set out to find a good Christmas present for our young one and turn up an inexpensive used Playstation 2. It comes with over 100 games, many that we don’t want. I take these downtown to the big games shop.)

Me: “Hi. I’d like to see what kind of trade-in value I can get for these?”

Employee: “Sure!”

Me: “I also have two store cards, one for me and one for my partner. I’d like to ask if the points from one could be transferred to the other to consolidate them, enabling us to throw one card away?”

(The employee puts the cards in front of the cash register. He stares at them, and starts to sweat a little, showing obvious signs of panic. This reeks to me of ‘new hire’, maybe even ‘first day’ material.)

Employee: “I’m sorry. I don’t remember how to do that. Please give me a moment to look that up.”

Me: “No problem. Absolutely.”

(The employee whips out a book and looks increasingly stressed as he studies several pages of literature. He gives me a helpless, encouraging smile. Then he turns around to the manager and asks him how to do it.)

Manager: “I’ll show you in a few minutes. Would you help these people?”

(The manager and employee switch places. The manager quickly fuses the cards. Then he glances in the direction of the games.)

Manager: “Playstation 2 games would fetch you maybe 20 cents each if I do them there. I would try an online classifieds site.”

(I nod, and put them back in the bag.)

Manager: “Or maybe [New Competitor] would want them.”

(The manager proceeds to give me directions. I have always loved the service at this store, and obviously this day is no different. I go back to thank the new employee before I leave. I head out into the chaos of the Christmas market and fight my way towards the other store, in the tiny, narrow street behind the immensely crowded square. The guy there was the owner and sole employee of a tiny hole-in-the-wall used-game shop that I love immediately.)

Owner: “For that pile of games, I can give you about €8.”

Me: “Great! Maybe I could trade them for something for my son as a Christmas present?”

(I look around and find two little Pokémon collectible stuffed animals.)

Me: “What is the price for these?”

Owner: “€5 each, but screw the extra €2. I could trade the games for those. Sweet.”

(These three people turned a jaunt that was already turning into a nightmare into a pleasant experience. Merry Christmas to them!)

This story is part of our Pokémon roundup!

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(I have recently started working part-time at a locally-run video game store while I’m studying Law at the college. We have just gone over Statutory Instruments in class. A customer who looks about 14 walks in, picks up a copy of GTA 5, and walks to the counter.)

Customer: “Just this game, mate.”

Me: “That’s £40. Can I see some ID, please?”

Customer: “You can just let it slide, right? I mean, what’s the worst that could happen to you? I’m clearly 18 and just forgot my ID.”

Me: “Actually, selling age-restricted goods to a minor is a statutory offense under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 where the owners of this shop would be liable for prosecution. All that needs to be proved is that you bought the game and we are liable. I would lose my job and this place would more than likely shut down, so that’s the ‘worst that could happen.'”

Customer: “…So, is that a no?”

Me: “A large no.”

Customer: *runs out the door*

Manager: *to me* “I’m glad we chose you over the other guy!”

Related:
Grand Theft Innocence, Part 6
Grand Theft Innocence, Part 5
Grand Theft Innocence, Part 4
Grand Theft Innocence, Part 3
Grand Theft Innocence, Part 2

(A customer comes into my video game store with his teenage son in tow.)

Customer: “Hi, I bought this game yesterday. The guy who was here said that if I changed my mind, I could come back and exchange it for another game.”

(I notice the game has not only been opened but actually played.)

Me: “Okay, but you played this game.”

Customer: “Yeah, so?”

Me: “Well, usually exchanges are when the game hasn’t been played.”

Customer: “Well, the guy yesterday didn’t say anything about that! I want to talk to the manager. He said I could just exchange it if we didn’t like it! I just want the other game.”

Me: “Fine. Just pick out the other game you wanted.”

(The customer goes to shelf, pulls out the other game, and brings it back. I notice the game he’s returning is $15, while the other game is $20. I ring up the difference.)

Me: “That will be $5.35, please.”

Customer: “What? Why?”

Me: “$5.35 is the difference plus tax between the two games. The game you bought yesterday is $15, while this game is $20. The difference is $5 plus tax.”

Customer: “No! The guy yesterday didn’t say anything about paying MORE for exchanging the game!”

(As the customer says this, his son looks down uncomfortably.)

Me: “You can’t exchange a $15 item for a $20 item without paying the difference.”

Customer: “I’m not paying extra! He said I could exchange this one for the other one! He didn’t say anything about paying more.”

Me: “Sir, you can pay the $5 plus tax difference and take the new game, or you may keep the game you have already bought and played. Or, I can call mall security, and have you removed.”

Customer: *hands over the cash and departs*

Customer’s Son: “Sorry!”