the horrors of rental

[iLOVEcustomerservice]

so i've read a few posts about everyone griping and b***tching about retail and commerce and edible businesses. i'm sure there is someone other than me that works in a rental/retail business duo but i've yet to pass a thread of such, so in the meantime i though i'd gripe a little on my own about my job.

long story short, i work for the marvelous company know as blockbuster video. you know the one with the guinea pig and rabbit for a mascot? with our amazing online service that sends you cracked dvd's through the mail? yea that one. so i'm a manager and i've been working there for three years now and i keep asking myself everyime i get home from work what the hell is wrong with me.

now don't get my wrong, the pay is good enough to get me through college, yea i'm still a young one but whatever. If you guys out there think working in a grocery store is bad, imagine working in a business where the same people come back about 3/4 times a week. now there is a plus and a negative to this whole idea. you do get those some good customers whom you form a rapport with and get to know by name and they come back and make you smile.

But then you also get those smarmy bastards who like to complain about dvd not working and not being able to find what they want even when you lead them to the correct area to find it in. the best part is that they also come back 3/4 times a week. I've had dvd's thrown at my head, i've been called a racist when i can't rent to a customer because they have a xxx amount balance on their account outstanding and i've been accused of inappropriatly touching a customer while taking care of her at the checkout register. (mind you its all on camera, i never touched the woman)

So it's a fun life at blockbuster, i've basically signed my soul away and i deal with hell every damn day. the quotas are crazy to reach but i'm able to get whoever i'm working with to get the job done. oh that brings me to another point and grocery stores can relate to this one. throwbacks... ya know, putting stuff back on the shelves so customers can get them easily? there is no such thing as throwbacks in a rental industry, instead we call them running the returned tapes which can easily break 3,000 movies a night. think of it this way, we dedicate at least one employee to running everything and keeping the store... clean and neat. god forbid a customer would actually have to use their own eyes to find something.

yea... i've ranted enough for one night... next time, credit cards and video games... a beautiful strategy gone horribly wrong... until then, ja ne

[marty]

I think all stores have their fatal flaws, unique for each one. My fiance worked for Blockbuster once, but it still wasn't the job he hated the most, even after getting screamed at by someone on Thanksgiving day.

I mean, pretty much every retail store is used for "rentals," due to most return policies being so slack.

[hawkchick11]

My son's father worked for Blockbuster and now he refuses to even step foot in there.

I'm guessing thats why we have Netflix now

[Enigma]

I worked for hollywood video, most of the time it was okay, and people were cool. It seems like people would ge upset over the stupidest things, such as her husband returned her movie two days early, and somehow that was my fault.

And in a grocery store, you get to a point where you do see people at least a couple times a week, because that's if they like you, they'll look for your line.

[MrSunshineState]

So, I already know the answer to this question, but are you allowed to ban customers that throw DVDs at you?

[SuperB]

I worked in a video store back when only certain videos came out as "sell throughs" and way before dvd.

Guy comes in one night to rent three videos. I did not recognize him at all and his account was labeled as "ID" which means anyone renting under that account had to show ID. Usually this was done if friends of the kids or extended family members rented under the name and ran up late charges.

So I do my job and ID him.

He throws a fit. Pissed off beyond all recognition that he isn't recognized. I explain that it was his wife that put that stipulation on the account and why and he could talk to her about it but since I did not recognize him he needed to provide ID.

On his way out he throws out, "You don't know your job very well do you."

"I think I just proved I did."

Ironically, I found out he bowled in the same league with my husband (then fiance) who proceeded to mess with him every chance he got. Guy was a real arse.

[smileyeagle1021]

kinda OT, but I love blockbuster, they have a store only 5 minute walk from where I live. All the DVDs I've gotten through the mail have been in pretty good shape (ok, so one was broken, but they did a good job getting my a new working one ASAP), and the people at the store are the coolest people ever. Oh and the fact that they have a distribution center in Salt Lake helps, I get movies really fast (like within 2 days)

back on topic, I can bet just how many SCs you get, with all the hell I get just from people I get trying to cancel after deadline I can imagine what you get with people returning late.

[NightAngel]

I work video as most everyone knows. I was an ASM for BBV for 6 years and am now a SM for HV.

I love the job.
Love it.

Even more now that I'm at HV- so much more relaxed and our guests (overall) are happier. I think that's at least partially because the partners aren't as stressed.
Now, that isn't to say we don't get SC's but, honestly, I deal with a whole lot less than I did at BBV.

[Crazeyal]

Okay.. see the nice person smiling??



We are not supposed to attack each other. Imagine me smiling and holding a piece of chocolate cake.



Okay ok OK so I can't pass myself off as a sweetie-pie..

Look..

You sound like you'll fit in here fine. But you've got 6 posts and you joined THIS MONTH... It's obvious you haven't read too far into the archives. There IS a LOT here, mind you...

In a quick check of my history I've found...

Video Rental Store Management Sucks


An Old Story from My Video Days.....

The Ol' Bait and switch...or so the old SC proclaimed

People do at least see the signs, right?


Welcome to the boards.
Nice story.
Nuff said.

[greensinestro]

I have never really seen these types of actions take place at Blockbuster. Now, I have seen people argue with employees because they called ahead and were assured the movie they wanted would be in. Sometimes, I hear they go to the nearest store to raise hell about the DVD they received in the mail through the on-line service.

Me? I have never had a problem with Blockbuster, and have been doing business with them for over 15 years now. Sure, I hated it when I would try to get a new release and you saw nothing but empty shelves, but it never caused me to get angry. I knew I would have to wait for the hype to die down.

I've also seen people who hang out for hours, waiting on the return of that one movie they can't wait to see. I saw a guy one time, every time someone returned something, he would guard the drop off desk and ask the customer what movies they were returning so he could get his hands on it first. Please! I have more important things to be doing.