GW new customer experience program?

[katurian]

So I saw this on the interwebs:

[url]http://careers.games-workshop.com/2014/01/15/customer-experience-interim-2-years-nottingham-uk/[/url]

"We are looking for someone to spend the next two years turning over every – and we mean every – stone to find opportunities for how we can improve the customer experience in our stores and recommend the ones that will work. We aren’t talking about incremental improvements; we want to completely re-imagine what it is like for people coming into our stores, engaging with and buying our wonderful miniatures"

So I'm curious: what could GW do that would make you want to come back to their stores. How would you reimagine the experience?

I guess the stock price hit maybe woke someone up overthere. Who knows.

[Mr Mystery]

Quickly armchair neckbearded mother's-basement-dwelling-would-be-captains-of-industry!

Now is your chance to not put Cheetos, but your money where your mouth is and get that direct feedback straight to where it's needed.

Or you could, you know, continue to moan and wail anonymously on the interwebs.

Whichever floats your boat.

[Caitsidhe]

Quickly armchair neckbearded mother's-basement-dwelling-would-be-captains-of-industry!

I don't fit any of this description but I'll be happy to bite. More information is required however.

Now is your chance to not put Cheetos, but your money where your mouth is and get that direct feedback straight to where it's needed.

Which market are we talking about. I think we have firmly established that the United States and Europe have very different markets and customers. What we Yanks consider customer service appears to be very different. I wouldn't venture a guess anymore as to what makes European customers happy. Games Workshop, by the same note, really shouldn't be guessing what makes us happy either. I'm happy to give feedback, but I'm not certain they really understand the problem and hiring someone with this wording feels like a public relations move.

Or you could, you know, continue to moan and wail anonymously on the interwebs.

Whichever floats your boat.

1. They need to hire a customer relations consultant for each different market. While certain things are universal, others clearly are not.

2. Don't insult our intelligence. They already know what people have be saying they want. They want lower prices, larger stores which provide gaming space, not to get the hard sell every time they walk in the door, and by in large balanced rules.

3. Quit insulting large portions of your customer base.

My commentary is based only on the United States where we don't have lots of clubs or private locations for gaming. We play at our points of purchase which is why we prefer independent stores to Games Workshop which continues to try to sell its wares in matchboxes, not provide gaming space, hard sell everyone who walks in the door, and do not provide bits. Our scene is often driven by friendly, local tournaments and the drive by Games Workshop to get rid of tournaments or discourage them has managed to drive down local gaming. For better or for worse, the tournament is part of the American psyche. It seems odd to alienate a large part of your customer base by talking about them as if they are the plague. If you want to be a niche market and not cater to certain people, then by all means don't be surprised when those people take you up on it and find greener pastures.

*Oh and get it through your head that the United States market isn't made up of kids and it probably won't be anytime soon.

[Eldar_Atog]

1. They need to hire a customer relations consultant for each different market. While certain things are universal, others clearly are not.

2. Don't insult our intelligence. They already know what people have be saying they want. They want lower prices, larger stores which provide gaming space, not to get the hard sell every time they walk in the door, and by in large balanced rules.

3. Quit insulting large portions of your customer base.

My commentary is based only on the United States where we don't have lots of clubs or private locations for gaming. We play at our points of purchase which is why we prefer independent stores to Games Workshop which continues to try to sell its wares in matchboxes, not provide gaming space, hard sell everyone who walks in the door, and do not provide bits. Our scene is often driven by friendly, local tournaments and the drive by Games Workshop to get rid of tournaments or discourage them has managed to drive down local gaming. For better or for worse, the tournament is part of the American psyche. It seems odd to alienate a large part of your customer base by talking about them as if they are the plague. If you want to be a niche market and not cater to certain people, then by all means don't be surprised when those people take you up on it and find greener pastures.

*Oh and get it through your head that the United States market isn't made up of kids and it probably won't be anytime soon.

I'd say you are on the right track. Here are my 2 cents:

1) Don't treat the independent stores as your enemy. They are not trying to screw you. Most of them make just enough profit to keep their heads above water. You need their support, GW... they don't necessarily need you.

2) You really need to move to a different release schedule. Most players only have maybe 2 or 3 armies at most. If those armies only get new kits once every 10 years, we are not going to buy from you very often. We're not asking for a new kit for every army every month.. but throw the lesser used armies a bone every once in a while. You might just see people get interested in that under used army if you move their troop choice to a plastic kit....

[Mr Mystery]

No no no.

Apply for job. Not whine on interwebs.

[This Dave]

Put a store closer than a 2 hour highway drive to my house and I'd shop there.

[silashand]

Put a store closer than a 2 hour highway drive to my house and I'd shop there.

I won't go unless there were a decent amount of space to actually game/paint/whatever and then only if I didn't get the hard sell every time I walked in the door. My FLGS knows what I play, they know what I like and they only tend to recommend those things I might actually be interested in. GW wants me to buy a new $1000 army every 3 days. While I think most of the GW staff I have met are nice people personally, them trying to keep their jobs keeps them from making it a pleasant place for me to visit/shop.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

It's too short notice for the stock drop to be a factor. My guess is that this is part of a broader strategy assessment as they consider the bricks and mortar side of their business. Especially considering the extent to which they're going all-in with digital products and the new webstore.

Basically this is a mystery shopper job, which a lot of companies do.

[Wildeybeast]

Interestingly, they don't require any actual experience or qualifications for this role, so pretty much anyone can go for it. If it were a permanent position rather than a two year post, I'd actually go for it. Two years travelling round the world, talking to hobbyists about what they want and reporting directly back to the CEO. That's an amazing job.

[Mr Mystery]

Yup. Plus doesn't mention remuneration, which puts me off as I'm in that enviable/irritating position that I struggle to find a suitable role that pays more than I'm on!