| lgkmas | 08 Sep 2009 5:07 a.m. PST |
Okay, this is NOT directed at FOW itself. But FOW have a large part in causing this rant.
I went to the FLGS on Saturday. They stock FOW/Batlefront miniatures but it is not a large part of their business. They are a puzzle, adult games (not that type!) FRPG, WarHammer, Games Workshop store with a small historical section. Now I do NOT use FOW rules in any way shape or form, except when my nephew visits and he is a FOW player.
My rule set is another type entirely.
I went in and ordered what I needed to make up my unit, under my preferred set of rules.
The Saturday guy, who only comes on for Saturdays, looked at my order and told me I had got it wrong. I thought he was talking about the catalogue codes so I checked the catalogue. No, it turns out he was consulting the FOW books. Apparently, under FOW I had either too many models for one platoon or not enough for two. And then he told me I couldn't have more than one platoons worth because that was what was allowed under the rules.
I told him, politely that I did need exactly the number of models I had ordered and he got very upset with me. He virtually slammed the rule book down in front of me and pointed to the page. I explained, again, politely, that I did not play FOW and I needed these models for my own preferred rule set.
I thought he was going to have a heart attack. His attitude seemed to be How dare anyone not play FOW! Also, how dare I buy Battlefront models to play in other than FOW!
Now, I stress I know that FOW/Battlefront don't have this attitude. But some of the fanboys are making me sick.
I almost thought he was going to refuse to sell to me.
And I know from past experience that the owner sees Historicals as not a core part of his business and he is quite happy for the Saturday Fanboy to handle the sales there and cater to all his friends. So no point in complaining.
I am a mature (well okay very mature, all right, old) man. I have the money to spend and I know what I want. Why can't I buy what I want without some dork, who is young enough to be my teenage grandson, trying to tell me I don't understand what I want. sigh! |
| Brent27511 | 08 Sep 2009 5:36 a.m. PST |
Sounds like the guy was a douche bag, Let the owner know, and enjoy painting you figures. |
| Texas Grognard | 08 Sep 2009 5:47 a.m. PST |
Indeed! I truly despise Fanboys of all stripes. I have to deal with one every Saturday at my LGS. By the way lgkmas what rulesystem do you use? Salut y'all! Bruce the Texas Grognard |
| Ed Mohrmann | 08 Sep 2009 5:52 a.m. PST |
Igkmas, I admire your restraint ! In too many cases,
but thankfully not all, nor even most, young/ignorant/rude
seem to be packaged together… |
aecurtis  | 08 Sep 2009 6:03 a.m. PST |
Online discount retailers don't argue with you. Feel free to point that out to the owner. |
 John the OFM  | 08 Sep 2009 6:46 a.m. PST |
"This is a store, right? You sell things? Well, then sell me these." I think the store owner needs to have a stern talking-to with the lad. |
| nycjadie | 08 Sep 2009 7:02 a.m. PST |
At least he showed some interest in getting you what he thought was the correct items. I think that part of his thought process demonstrates an interest in good service, but his demeanor sounds terrible. |
| Jakar Nilson | 08 Sep 2009 8:04 a.m. PST |
Somebody got a link to the Viz Comics GW parody? This sounds *way* too close to that strip… |
| kyoteblue | 08 Sep 2009 8:45 a.m. PST |
Yes this sounds like I read it before only it was GW. |
| Austin Rob | 08 Sep 2009 10:18 a.m. PST |
I would have a talking to someone who worked for me and did that. I agree that he was initially trying to help and that is good, but at some point you have to let it go. I would like for a client to tell me if one of my clerks acted like that. While we may promote certain games, like FOW, because they bring in new customers and players, we would never attack someone for using the minis for something else. We joke that it's fine with us if you want to shoot them with BB guns, blow them up, play WRG, whatever. As long as you keeps buyin' minis, what do I care? I mean, I want you to enjoy them (since that will keep you coming back), but if blowing them to smithereens is what you enjoy, more power to ya! Rob |
| lugal hdan | 08 Sep 2009 11:55 a.m. PST |
Rob – surely you jest about using figures for WRG? That's a defensible cause for ridicule! ;) |
| CPBelt | 08 Sep 2009 12:41 p.m. PST |
This is what happens when hobbiests run a store. Same old story we've heard 100 times from games to models to comics. You name it. Happens in Orlando as well. |
| jdginaz | 08 Sep 2009 12:57 p.m. PST |
Igkmas, I can sympathize with you. While I've not have a clerk tell me my order was wrong, I do get tired of guys asking me which army I'm building when I'm checking out the FoW wall at my local shop. I do realize that mostly they're just being friendly, but it's the look I get when I tell them that I use another set of rules and don't play FoW. They either give me this blank look like they had no idea that there possibly could be other WWII rules or start to tell me how superior FoW is to all other rules because you don't need pages and pages of charts and can still get a historical result. At that point I usually ask, what is a historical result? One side wins and the other loses? I can just roll dice and get a "historical result". jdg |
 McKinstry | 08 Sep 2009 2:14 p.m. PST |
After all is said and done, a not insubstantial percentage of the populace are idiots. This idiocy can take many forms and you encountered the retail version. |
| Mikeeeean | 08 Sep 2009 5:03 p.m. PST |
You showed admirable restraint, I probably would have walked, and ordered online when I got home. I have very little patience with crappy service anymore. To me talking to the owner would be pointless since he hired the ass, and as you said, "… he is quite happy for the Saturday Fanboy to handle the sales….". JK |
| Patrick R | 08 Sep 2009 5:08 p.m. PST |
I had the same problem when I worked in a store. Kid enters, looking for a particular GW figure which is not in stock, but me and others point him to figures from another brand, almost as good and much cheaper than the GW ones. He looks at us as if we were heretics. He must have wondered if GW didn't have an emergency number to call the game police. We told him there were no laws preventing people from using figures from other brands, but in the end he was tempted, but figured that the other players would probably point him out and start screeching as soon as his figures hit the table and declined. Orthodoxy and conformism are in our nature … |
| lgkmas | 09 Sep 2009 12:06 a.m. PST |
Hey Tex,
I'm using Battlefront WWII. Just moving from Philippines 41/42 into France 40. I just seem to like the earlier periods. To the rest, yeah, I know he was an idiot but I did end up getting what I wanted, albeit very begrudgingly. Money talked in the end I suppose or maybe he just wanted to get me out of there before I tainted his FOW purity. regards |
 Murphy  | 09 Sep 2009 6:31 p.m. PST |
I'm there with you. I probably have one of the largest FoW truck collections in Indy. I am constantly buying trucks for AK47.
When I tell folks that I don't play FoW at all but AK47 Republic and I need the trucks for the war effort in Bongolesia, they look at me like I've done the nasty with my Elvira look a like trailer trash hottie second cousin and that it's been put out on youtube… I've also watched a counter monkey lose a stores business from a lady that wanted to buy Mage Knight for her son, but counter monkey insulted her for not buying Warhammer… |
