GW staff.....

[kyussinchains]

I'm wondering how other people would feel about this

about a year ago, my friends and I would go to GW HQ on thursday evenings to play Epic, nobody paid any attention really until one week, a certain staff member (name supplied on request) noticed my friend using necrons and although the vehicles are all scratchbuilds, realised the infantry were from exodus wars, after initially being told he had to pack them away immediately, he was allowed to finish the game with the proviso "don't bring them back"

I'll just add that said staff member was not working, he was there in a gaming capacity...

now after this event, we took our custom elsewhere, for nearly a year we went to Maelstrom games in Mansfield without incident, now when Maelstrom closed down, we decided to go to WHW at short notice, as soon as he clocked us playing, the staffer was over again, casting his eye over the figures, but this time, anticipating something like this happening, we all took legit minis....

Fast forward a couple of months to last thursday, myself and a couple of other people were playing warmaster with 100% legit GW models, again the staff member comes over and eyes up the dwarf rangers I was using,  as they are snipped and mounted individually, he asked if they were pendraken dwarfs with a 'naughty naughty' expression on his face, I angrily told him they were legit GW dwarf rangers, he then proceeded to head into the back room, presumably to check this up on the computer

Every time this has happened, the guy has been off duty and playing a game elsewhere, EmpireAddict who was there quipped "ooh can you feel the love?" after the guy mooched off

I'm not very happy about this behaviour at all, every time I've gone to WHW to collect epic or WM purchases they say "oh you're very welcome to come and play" and most staff members come to have a look, another staffer said that he loves to see the specialist games being played

After the antics of this guy, I certainly don't feel very welcome any more.... especially since the most recent two times we've done nothing wrong at all.....

[AndrewChristlieb]

Id tell him to frakoff and complain to the manager. Let him know you left for a year alreadu because of the douch and you dont want to leave again. Most likely your business will be enough to get the manager to tell him to stop harassing the customers.

[kyussinchains]

heh I think he is the manager.....

but glad you agree with me!

I'm well and truly ready to forget about the place, but others think it's important that we keep playing there almost to stick two fingers up at them!

at least they haven't binned all the WM terrain like they did with the epic stuff.....

[Stormwind]

What an absolute tool.

I would have given him a piece of my mind.  You should use his name in an email to GW HQ.  Saying you feel unwelcome whilst using GW models will honestly get him a hiding.  The entire point of paying ££££££s for GW models and sucking up all their nonsense and hard sell is that when you have a nicely painted army at their events you can play it without getting lip from some little halfbreed who has his tongue stuck up Kirby's backside.

[wellspring]

With specialist games gone, you're lucky they even let you play them in the stores. Our newly opened local GW store is the first time I've ever had anything even approaching a positive experience with their retail clerks-- most have been rude and pushy. The manager at the new store is attentive, low-key, supportive, and oh by the way a much better salesman.

With that said, now that GW doesn't make any of the games I play anymore, I don't really have a reason to go. I'd much rather support my friendly local (independent) retailer. The kind who will carried specialist games in the store, and encouraged their play. The kind that carries other brands as well. I'm not saying boycott GW, but you can always buy their figures online, and they're not going anywhere. Your FLGS will go under if it isn't patronized.

In the long run, Epic and Warmaster and the like depend on Pendraken and Eureka and GZG and Steel Crown and the rest. That's the future. It may be personally satisfying for that clerk to get his comeuppance, and GW would probably appreciate you reporting him (you're no doubt not the first person he's offended). But if you want people to play with in five years, the way to do it is to support retailers and manufacturers who are still invested in Specialist.

[Edmund2011]

I understand how you feel... It's no good when you are treated as a suspect instead of as a customer...

Focus in enjoying the gaming and forget about the unhappy-clerck of Grey-Workshop...

[empireaddict]

Having been a slightly bemused witness to this incident (and the owner of said GW Dwarf Rangers), I thought I had better comment ...

In previous years this guy has always paused and said nice things when strange people like us pitched up to play WM.  Perhaps they've been told to police things more tightly; I don't know.

But, as my comment at the time suggested, this might indicate an attitudinal shift.  However, if anything it has reinforced my desire to keep going back to WHW and play with the WM minis that I purchased from them over many years at some considerable expense.  Perhaps if the blisters had been cheaper, I wouldn't have needed to snip the minis and thereby generate suspicion?

And if our presence now irritates them, then that's fine by me.  Let's keep doing the 'press to test'.  But, of course, we do need to be scrupulous about using only GW minis if we're to retain the moral high ground!

I wonder if the guys playing BB in Bugman's that evening also got a close mini inspection?

[Irisado]

I've been to Warhammer World quite a bit, and I did ask about Epic gaming there once, and they told me that there would be no problem, so long as I reserved a board first, as they'd need to put the terrain out specially.

Unless there is a rule that specifically prohibits playing Specialist Games, then just ignore this particular staff member's actions.  You just stay calm, and say that there's no rule against playing Specialist Games with GW figures in Warhammer World.  If he wants to go and check on his computer that all the models are legitimate, then just shrug your shoulders, and carry on playing.  It's his time he's wasting.

[calmacil]

I've had a few games of WM at WHW, we've never had anyone inspect our miniatures. I do have a few Kalistra figures in my Orc army, but i can't remember if I've ever used them at WHW. Maybe this guy is fairly recent, and trying to impress?

The only trouble we've had with Staff is when they used to have specific nights..... Thursday was veterans night, Wednesdays was young 'uns night. We never really took much notice of this, and we were amazed when a guy came over on a Wednesday and told us "you're too old for a Wednesday gaming night"  there were plenty of tables, so we ignored him

Also, now i think about it Thursdays used to have lots of random games on. There were people playing WWII games, Western games, and all the figures were non-GW (usually wargames foundry) I'm guessing they've stopped these people playing? a shame, i used to like watching their games and having a chat

[David Wasilewski]

Ignore him. Sounds like he's on some kind of power trip? What it all boils down to is this; unless you're told you can't play by an 'on duty' red shirt (or blue shirt or whatever colour it is nowadays) he's just another member of the public.. I'd be minimally polite but try and ignore his comments unless he says something outrageous. Stop, long pause. Look at him for a long uncomfortable moment then just carry on as though nothing's been said. He will hopefully get the message.

I've only been there once to play warmaster but we were welcomed and one of the staff actually took pictures to put on the facebook web page for the lenton store.

Of course, you can't tip up with any non GW figures though or it could be all blown out of the water by this guy.

Dave

[kyussinchains]

thursdays at WHW are a shadow of their former self, since they stopped ppl using warhammer historicals, it's been pretty quiet there....

[eastern barbarian]

If he ever approaches you agian especially if he is off duty, I would look him up and down and then ignore him and if he says something else I would say that you will be making a formal complaint about him to GW HQ.

[FistusMaximus]

i am surprised to hear that you were allowed to play specialist games at all.

in our local GW store specialist games were entirely forbidden since GW has stopped active support. (means the thing that happened ages ago, no more specialist games magazines or specialist games related articles in the WD, no active promotion anymore, but still normal production, not the recent total end of production)

we were not even allowed to bring specialist games models in the store to paint.
just let that sink in for a moment.

seriously, we felt like total outcasts. the dirty street dogs everbody wants to keep out of the city.

[wellspring]

in our local GW store specialist games were entirely forbidden since GW has stopped active support. (means the thing that happened ages ago, no more specialist games magazines or specialist games related articles in the WD, no active promotion anymore, but still normal production, not the recent total end of production)

we were not even allowed to bring specialist games models in the store to paint.
just let that sink in for a moment.

This isn't the first time I've seen someone say this. At this point, I'd be playing at another (independent) store. They need the business.

[FistusMaximus]

At this point, I'd be playing at another (independent) store. They need the business.

problem is that there was only one independent store where you could play, which closed down.

there is one more store, but they are incredibly small and have no space at all for gaming