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Batousi
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
A Microsoft store aye?

So at any given moment, the staff can freeze, and once a year, the Red Rings will appear above the building like the Bat Signal, telling all customers that they can't buy shit for 4-6 weeks
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(Zombie) NitroAML
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Describing what a Zune is is fucking IMPOSSIBLE without referring to an ipod. It's not? Give me your best shot.
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spiderweb1986 promoted this comment (Zombie) NitroAML was starred

spiderweb1986
07/18/09

@NitroAML: The Zune is a portable media player. It plays MP3s, WMAs, and M4As, videos, and even has a radio tuner, AND a game store.

That wasn't so hard.
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Edited by spiderweb1986 at 07/18/09 2:38 PM spiderweb1986 was starred spiderweb1986 was unstarred

skaven
07/19/09

@NitroAML: "A Zune is like a Walkman. Remember those? No? I am now going to walk back into my office and hang myself..."
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heretrix
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
I hope they open one in NY. I might apply there for a second gig on weekends...If they are going head to head against Apple, the flagship store is here and there is plenty of retail space available.
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excel_excel
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
A Zune. Its like a um.....creative zen?
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Solertia
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
What's a Zune? That's an easy one! It's like an iPod, except...FUCK.
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GodxIsxInTheTV
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Sounds like it could be a good job. Too bad nobody wants to open up a business venture here in Detroit :(
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spiderweb1986
07/18/09

@GodxIsxInTheTV: Maybe not "in" Detroit, but off the top of my head I can think of four or five Apple stores in the Metro Detroit region (and a Sony store, too).

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these stores in the region eventually, but where is anybody's guess.
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Asbestos_Underwear
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Staff is required but not limited to phrases such as:

"Are you sure you want to go to the hardware segment of the store?"

"The store has encountered a problem and will now close"

"The sales pitch could not be initialized"

and

"You may now leave the store".
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MrBionic promoted this comment Asbestos_Underwear was starred

MrBionic
07/18/09

@Asbestos_Underwear: Everytime they re-stock, they have to close down and then re-open, and if you were in the middle of a purchase, you lose your purchase item and have to re-buy it.
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Scotsdale
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
We cant forget that for every iPod that Apple sells, Microsoft makes a ton of money.

Microsoft loves to play that theres a rivalry between them and Apple, but they're just playing the public. Microsoft, really, wants you to buy an ipod as much as it wants you buy a Zune - they win either way.

This store just helps play into that.
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MrBionic promoted this comment Scotsdale was starred Scotsdale was unstarred

Bootes
07/18/09

@Scotsdale: I think he's assuming Microsoft still owns Apple stock, but they sold it awhile ago.
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Phydeaux
07/18/09

@Bootes: Makes sense, but yeah, that's ancient history now. They dumped that 300 million when they started doing the crazy "hard drive based MP3 player that cost 500 dollars thing man that will never fly dump all that shit right now" thing.

I like how Gates, no matter how much I respect him, laughed at the iPod, and Ballmer, no matter how much I don't respect him, laughed at the iPhone, and bam, you have the name recognition of that of a Kleenex and you sell millions of the damn things.
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MrBionic
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
I couldn't upsell water to a person just dragged in from spending 4 days in the desert.
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FanBuoy
07/18/09

@MrBionic:

"Your sign says H20... now I'm just thinking, do we really need that many H's?"
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SaanZ
07/18/09

@MrBionic: Because the person's a vampire and wants only blood?
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MrBionic
07/18/09

@FanBuoy: What the H?

Ok, that was just bad.

I'm losing all my customers to the booth across the aisle. Mother****** set it up just minutes after me! He's got a lot of Bawls!
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Woden501
07/18/09

@MrBionic: Oh man Bawls freakin rocks. I'm not a fan of soda, not a fan of energy drinks, but Bawls is just so damn good! We had a Bawls rep at the GTA IV midnight launch at the Game Crazy I work at, and he ended up leaving a CASE of the stuff for each employee who worked that night. I was wired for the rest of the month!
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online.chaos
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Honestly, I wouldn't exactly touch this job without knowing one very important aspect of the job, which is if they do on site RRoD repairs or handle them. If not a store manager will probably have to deal with a lot of angry and ignorant customers for awhile as some people will definitely try to bring their RRoD 360s to store expecting them to handle it as an official Microsoft store.
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Phydeaux
07/18/09

@online.chaos: 1. RRoD isn't as big a deal with the new units as it was.
2. They probably have a pretty straightforward RMA process for Sales Monkeys to handle customer returns or repairs under warranty.
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spiderweb1986 promoted this comment Phydeaux was starred Phydeaux was unstarred

lolgreg
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
I'd work there, simply because I need the money. I would most definitely prefer working at a Microsoft store than an Apple store as well.
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Phydeaux
07/18/09

@lolgreg isn't serious: Here's the thing. I'd be comfortable at an Apple store because I can rival a Genius at being able to answer customer's questions. The pay is decent and, quite frankly, contributes to my Apple lifestyle.

But like I shared at a Mac forum:

"I'd work in one of these places, no sweat.

Wanna know why?

It's the Microsoft mantra of "we don't care how much it costs us, we're going to go into a field and fuck with people, even if we lose money the first few years" embodied into a retail store.

You can bank on there being no sales quotas, no live or die expectations. Show up, look pretty, speak nicely, fawn over the equipment and generate excitement in the customer."
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Phydeaux promoted this comment Edited by Phydeaux at 07/18/09 11:54 AM Phydeaux was starred Phydeaux was unstarred

Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
07/18/09

@Phydeaux:Said it better then I could. Plus the perks.
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Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Depending on the perks and such, this could be great. New store chains are always a great place to start, or recharge a retail career while avoiding the burn out. And Microsoft already has a pretty kick ass reward/training program for retail employes of other chains. Nothing like free systems, games and Live.
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ShaggE: Cracking Eggs Of Wisdom
07/18/09

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: I play way too much Fallout 3. First thing I picture when reading your post is a store manager using the Bloody Mess perk to "protect the company assets".

On a less psychotic note, I agree. I could see this job behooving many gamers. I'd do it if a store opened up around here.
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NKato
07/18/09

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: I think they're opening the first store somewhere in the Seattle area. There's bound to be at least one Apple store in Seattle. Right? (I haven't seen one during my trips up there, though...)
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Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians. promoted this comment NKato was starred NKato was unstarred

Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
07/18/09

@ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.: Aye. Biut it depends on the gamer too. Lots of gamers I know would make craptastic employees. It swings both ways tho, lots of causal gamers make crappy employees too.
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gold163 (° д° )
07/18/09

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: Let's just say that lots of people would make crappy employees in general. XD
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Polterg3ist plays bass in a band
07/18/09

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: And being forced to sell some of them things Microsoft puts out would make me feel hollow inside.

"Why, yes, of COURSE Perfect Dark Zero is a good choice. No, Vista is perfectly stable all of the time, if you're nice to it and as long as you don't forget to get Windows 7 as soon as it comes out!"

EDIT: That's the trouble with being a gamer on the street before a gamer for a retail chain: you know what's shit and what's not but you have to sell it all.
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Edited by Polterg3ist plays bass in a band at 07/18/09 11:47 AM

Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
07/18/09

@Polterg3ist: BURN HARDER!: A good retail employee can sell anything, but still will list the facts to the customer and let them decide if it's what they want. People like Vista, People like PDZ, But never impose your likes on them.
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Phydeaux
07/18/09

@Polterg3ist: BURN HARDER!: Maybe I only feel the pain having worked at a RadioShack franchise, but at my current job (cellular industry) that I've been at for five years, I'll come right out and say that, even something that would make me more money, is crap and direct the customer to something more appropriate to their needs.
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Kobun promoted this comment Phydeaux was starred Phydeaux was unstarred

Kobun
07/19/09

@Phydeaux: Exactly. I've done time at Sears and know that it pays to be honest with your customers, particularly when you'll be seeing them time and time again. I could never bring myself to lie to a person and never paid much attention to commission rates. Find out what the customer needs, show him his options, caution about any possible future needs, and let him decide. I can't stand pushy salespeople myself and have walked out of stores before to buy elsewhere, and I had no intention of doing the same to others.
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M1911
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
Who -isn't- looking for Dwight Schrute?
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Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.
07/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Seeks a Few Good Store Managers
I applied for this along with 20 other jobs yesterday. Seattle's job creation rate may be higher than it's unemployment but to us unemployed it doesn't seem that way.
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Phydeaux promoted this comment

Phydeaux
07/18/09

@Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.: 20 in a day?

You deserve the best job you can get. Best of luck out there!
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Dangeresque (Kojima-san doesn't have to make Metal Gear any more)
07/18/09

@Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.: I applied to three yesterday. I've just been unemployed for long enough that it's hard to care anymore, hard to think anything will come of it.
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Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.
07/18/09

@Phydeaux: much appreciated! Yeah that was just yesterday. I've been steadily applying for around 5 a day for the past month. It sucks.
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Hey_Blinkon
07/18/09

@Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.: Applying to the same job 20 times doesn't help. It isn't like buying lottery tickets :P
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Kobun
07/19/09

@Eville1 rocks out with his rooster out.: The thing I hate about applying for jobs these days is that every company seems to have its own distinct HR system, so you can't just send off a resume with cover letter anymore. Re-entering the same data again and again can take an hour or two and is a major pain.
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