It's been a bit, so I thought I would check in... The bleeding at the store has been slowed, but it has not been fully stopped. There are some other issues that are causing our woes that are not financial. I'm not certain how to approach these as they involve elements that are in delicate balance with other parts of my life. I lost one of these parts for an extended period of time a while ago, and nothing has made my soul ache more than that vacancy of being until things got rectified. I'm not certain I can go through that again...
In other news, there was a point very recently where I almost dropped my keys on the floor of the store and walked away. I have never felt more unappreciated in my own place of business as I did at that moment, and I am still not fully recovered from it. I am trying desperately to give our customers more of what they want in the way of events and regular games, but the overall response is that of "no one caring" or "bitching that things aren't EXACTLY as they would like them". I'm not looking for people to be dancing in the aisles, but some acknowledgment that we are trying to make things even better than they have been before would be nice.
Currently I am encountering enough apathy from long-time regulars on some days that it is becoming difficult for me to care as well. Many folks are no longer showing up to things at the store because they are under the impression that what they like will always be there.... until it's not... Then they will whine and cry and moan and lament and they will blame me...
...and that is the point where I will either snap, or just not care enough to get angry...
Now, I am just stirring in the juices of my own self-pity, but there is some meat of truth in my soup of despair, and that makes want to curl up and disappear...
-- GopherDave
People bitch a lot. I know I do. And I guess that you take a lot more bitching than you probably should because people all have some idea of how they would like things to be at the place they like being at, and nothing is ever exactly perfect for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you are feeling under-appreciated. I really really missed the Gopher while I was gone on my last trip, and I really enjoy being back. (And I've been trying to show my appreciation by spending more money.)
Are there things that I'd like to be different at Gopher? Sure. Do I bitch when things aren't exactly how I'd like them? Probably more than I should. Do I know others who do the same. Definitely. I'm pretty sure this holds true for every regular at the store. Is it unfair to you? Yeah. I guess it is.
I have no idea where I'm going with this. I'm sorry you are feeling unappreciated. Truth is, gamers are by and large a bunch of little kids in much larger bodies. And little kids are all about self-fulfillment, without really thinking about consequences. The store is pretty much a really big day-care center, where you don't get paid by the hour, but by how much shiny you can sell to the children (us).
I really hope the situation improves for you! The holidays are stressful enough without having to feel like crap for other reasons.
Wow, curmudgeon, how very apt. I must agree with with you. I think that gamers for the most part DO take their FLGSs for granted, and thus do not show enough appreciation for the things that the owners do for them. A lot of us feel entitled.
ReplyDeleteHolding the various events and game nights is not easy. I'm sorry that I have not been able to show up to as often as I would like but scheduling conflicts have stopped me from attending.
Winter is tough since I live out of town and I hate driving in the cold and snow, so it is not as easy to just "stop by" as it is when it is warmer. (and with a storm predicted for this weekend it is possible I might not make it to the Champions game).
As curmdgeon says, the holidays are an especially stressful time of year and I hope things get better for ya, buddy. If you really need to vent I am here for you.