When I worked at GW retail my manager was always trying to get me to up sell the moms that would come in to by stuff for their kids. I would just be honest and try to give them the best and most honest advice I could. Then he was amazed at how many army boxes I sold to those moms at Christmas time and how they only wanted to talk to me about what to buy.
GW literally put the Game shop I worked for out of bussiness. We followed the rules to a T. Ordered stuff. It didn't show up for 6+ months. They told us they were no longer selling/distributing those things anymore. We had to charge back like 15k+ worth of shit and the store went under
So, you've convinced me, I subbed. However, as a subscriber, I will pester you forever until you stop using Citadel plastic glue, and move to the correct option, Tamyia Plastic Cement.
I worked at GW. Right after lockdown was over. Literally had days when no one came in the shop as people were still in lockdown mindset. Anytime someone walked in all the staff would decend on them out of boredom more than anything. Kept getting called in my the manager asking why I wasnt able to hit KPI's. There were no customers to sell to. This ended up forming the crux of me being asked to leave the shop. I was super angry at it at the time.
The store I now go to and it was the first store I ever visited back in the 90s, near the Scottish border, was a fantastic store. The staff amazing, in fact the store manager saved me from school bullies as I was getting bullied out side the store and he intervened and brought me in the store. He made sure I was OK, called my mum to let her know where I was. While waiting explained the hobby, had a quick game of 40k with him and when I left, gave me a box of the warriors of the imperium and paint box to take away for free. That was me then hooked on the hobby. I moved away and my new town the GW staff there where more interested in just your dosh. But the store shutdown a couple of years later.... Anyway I moved back to my home city round about the launch of 10th, visited my old store and the current staff are just as friendly and curtious than the ones I remember. They treat you like friends and won't give the retail sales pitch. They allow you to play games, build n paint, eat, drink etc.. just have fun and the staff of the are so lovely. They let my use 3d printed models in armies on parade, they don't mind if I have 3d printed parts on my models in games. This is where I feel sorry for the staff as I won't actually purchase anything as I have don't have much money, as GW is soooooo expensive also they never have sales. So I get my ideas from the store and then go on to places like wayland games which has discounts on all gw products. Even up to half price. But I feel for the staff, whom i know 2 of them on first name basis. Yet I've seen the opposite as well Metro used to be a good store, now your greeted upon entry by 2 staff at the same time all saying what you in for, what can I put through the till, no hello. That is a red flag for me and I walk out. As I work in retail and have worked in stores that do hard sells and I think it's wrong, and never do it. I treat customers the way I would expect to be treated, and I put it down to that manager of GW back in 96 who showed me a bit of kindness.
Never feel bad about 3rd party stuff in hobby stores for one simple reason - you are still bringing your "buzz" into the store. It is a bit like with digital piracy. Anyone that tells you it is harmful is a moron that can't see a bigger picture - free exposure, marketing, testing and so on. That's why some companies actually try to generate such buzz by special events, tournaments/competitions, giveaways...hell, sometimes they literally pay some people to be in some places for some time :D You being in the hobby store is always a plus for them because someone else is much more likely to come, buy and probably get hooked on this hobby...exactly because they can see with their own eyes the "humane" face of the hobby. Also, if you have good relations with the staff, it is simply a joy for someone like you to hang around.
In the milton keynes store we had a manager called Eiko (he was Scandinavian) and he'd let people paint a miniature and keep it if they were new. He also had boxes of armies for people to have a game. He was everything's that embodied the hobby at the time. He was all about the game and not selling as he understood that people needed to enjoy the game to make sales. He was great. The models sold themselves due to his attitude and enthusiasm. This was around 1997-2003 ish.
Hiya Max! Not sure if you remember me but we worked together in Swansea store while I was regional cover manager (and I can tell you that we smashed it, sales always went up when we worked together as opposed to me on my own). Glad to see you're doing well and keeping up with the videos, you did always have more Hobby stamina than me!
The same guy has been managing Cardiff store for like nearly 20 years now. Always see him when i pop in. I remember an awesome staffer there called Russell who i think left to become a mechanic and he smashed it with the kids apocalypse game nights on a Sunday, totally got me into the hobby.
See I used to love answers like that when I was a GW staffer, because I’d look over my shoulder theatrically at my manager, turn back & say “Don’t worry I also play Bolt Action and Warmachine! 🤫”
Even if you were just doing your job, It really warms my heart to hear your interactions. Thank you so much, the world is a kinder place with people like you.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video and will be subscribing to your patroon and will be keeping up with your tabletop project. Keep up the good work! With quality videos like this 100k subs isn’t as far away as you might think.
@@johnalexander7457 that is incredibly kind of you 🤘❤️ Just launched the beta test for the rule set and first two gangs in the discord last night if you’re interested 🙂
Former Cambridge key timer here. I completely agree with the ethical sales technique, over high pressure sales. I used to clash with the area sales manager, who was a feckless corporate shill that knew nothing about the hobby. Shout out to my shop manager, he was sound, and caught flak for me telling the area mamager to do one. I also used to get repeat sales through supporting the customer's hobby experience and great customer feedback.
I often visit the GW store at tottenham court road i kmow it has abit of a reputation but never had a bad exsperiance they only ever did the sales push once when they firsy saw me and now never again and had lots of good convos. They tried on my wife once and stopped when i walked over and apologised they didnt realised we where togeather. The guys and girls there are very polite. And showed a great intro to my buddy whos now a rabid world eaters player
So the mention of Cardiff staff at 10:49 is so true. I'll randomly dip into Cardiff every so often and get recognized every time, including them remembering that I don't really like them being in my face with it. It's like the only GW store I actually will regularly go into, just for that.
I used to buy everything through my nearest GW store. Models, paints etc. Then they said they are cancelling in store painting and playing. I was prepared to pay extra to support the store before that decision. Now I go online or other retailers, for financial reasons and a little spite. I buy a lot of 3D prints off Etsy as proxies too as I won’t be playing in the store anymore. As people might have experienced only GW models in the store… 😂
I appreciate this style of content from you where you provide your take on the hobby. The first video that caught my attention was ex GW employee answers questions. Sorry about the GW response. I really like the entire scope of your content and hope you find a way to answer questions and provide your perspective for the community.
Thank you mate this is really good to hear. As I put a lot of man hours in to this game development it most likely means I’ll be doing more “talking” videos as the production time is considerably shorter.
As someone who has a job offer at the Warhammer Store & Cafe in Grapevine, Texas, your series on being an ex-GW employee has been incredibly enjoyable and helpful to me
07:36 Wow, I was an assistant manager at store 24 White Oaks Mall in Canada 2000-2001.....Our table was always open for painters, sad to hear that's the way it went. I had regretted leaving GW for a number of years as my first child required me to move to a different town, but around 2015 I started to hear things like this about GW and I no longer regretted leaving.
@@riggermortisfpv526 it only takes one decent manager to do things different. The stores are checked up on so irregularly head office wouldn’t even know
Thanks, these are always fun. I'm sure you'll do some more final question times in the future. I've seen another UA-camr talk about not being able to get on the content creators list. I wonder if you just did use the correct term, and the response is a bit of a "computer says no" response.
As a shop owner I can say to the first question "better product" is very subjective. Heck, that Gorilla Glue you mentioned, I've tried it and hated it, but I'm sure plenty of people love it, so in the end when dealing with customers and such questions I try to present options and where those options fit in and what benefits each has. Same with paints, I'll give an overview of different ranges we carry and encourage them to try a few different ones to see which feel the best to them.
I was a contract staffer at around the same time as you. One manager I had moved stores, the 2nd I worked under got fired. He left safe codes, receipts and other staffers contact details on the till, right next to a massive window. Stock was just not organised l, I spent an hour looking for starter boxes and he had stashed them right at the back of stockroom. He also sold solvents underage and at a discount to one kid who came in and asked me for the same, I said no. Needless to say he was reported super quick. I also didn't get my final paycheck as he got fired on my payday and my pay got lost in the drama
I haven't been in a GW for a couple of years now. I went to one and this particular manager took over and he was great. Eventually he moved to another store just as close so I started going there instead. He eventually left to do work in the NHS and was replaced by a more retail driven manager who sucked all the fun out of the store.
Happy to see your previous videos on this were blessed by the machine gods (aka the algorithm) so that I and others found it because I think they're very good and honest. I said in a previous video, which I don't expect you to remember don't worry, that I worked for GW retail for close to a decade leaving about the time you started but virtually every story you shared was an experience I had. It's funny, nice to hear, but also if there's anyone thinking to leave a comment saying "This Lizard of Doom guy is telling lies" I can assure you that he is not and if anything my earlier years in the job had some wilder times.
Great sales technique mate. As a former assistant manager and regional 'floating' manager of Electronics Boutique I'd hire you immediately with that method. Don't be pushy. Ever.
Unfortunatly my skin isn't thick enough to deal with the tactics GW asks their staff to push on patrons. I feel socially violated whenever I step foot into a GW store.
Wouldn't worry about not getting a pre release of a model, it would probably be no longer a legal model by the time it reached you in the post with current trends.
When I worked at GW I would just straight up say the carry cases are poop, go to like tabletop tyrant or get a magnetic box both superior than GW. Also tape and clippers, go else where patch spending £20 on clippers when you can go to BNQ or Tesco and get tape and clippers for £5. But they stopped selling superglue and green stuff a couple years ago because it’s bad and never sold well. Also I never realised they stopped allowing people to play and build freely in stores and still allowed people to do it very regularly and also played game so friends. Till a worker in a store in another city who I was good friends with came in and pulled me to one side and told me to stop as it’s not allowed anymore
I went into a Warhammer shop a little while back with my young son who is already mad about the hobby. We didn't have time to paint, but we don't have an official shop back home so I wanted to show him what it was like. I tried to start a chat with the manager, who looked older than me so I figured he was an oldbeard like myself. Never mind trying to sell anything, this guy could not care one jot. I don't know if he was having a bad day but there was zero atmosphere and zero love in that shop for the hobby from any of the staff. Luckily there was a third-party place nearby (with better stock, ironically) and the guy was far more enthusiastic and talked Templars with my son for a while.
As someone who only got back into the hobby a few years ago and only play blood bowl, the ‘what are you working’ question used to really bug me - it got to the point where the staffer at my local GW would ask it every week then started laughing whenever I said blood bowl as he knew there wasn’t really much he could ‘upswell’ to me.
its one thing about GW i always hated, like the staff in my local store have went through minimal staff changes for 20 odd years/ (in saying that i can still remember the old manager from when i started at 9 years old), but it is only in recent years that i no longer get the "sales pitch" from the staff walking through the door. i have 4 or 5 AOS armies, my old world lizardman army from before AOS and like half the factions of 40k to 2000 pt armies. i choose to order online only to avoid that until they stopped.
To continue your point about the sense of belonging and community. A lot of music stores have a sheet in the back of music teachers or music groups, or bands looking for a new member. So if you wanted singing lessons or guotar lessons, they had a list of people, or if you wanted to mess around with some other non-serious people, you could. Or if you wanted paid gigs, there were professional bands looking for tryouts. I feel GW are missing out on doing this in the local community. There are always shops with tables to hire for gaming, with their own little communities. If someone came to GW, and they said they lived in X area, the person in GW could tell them of the one or few places near them where they can take their new army and play there! And the store having the exclusive minis allows those who stay in their little communities to pop into the GW store and have an update chat on how things are going, how many people play X armies, or if anyone plays kill team or other game modes other than 40k. And that info can be used by GW to further the community. I feel this isn't done. You have to go find your small groups by yourself.
@@sscjessica the other ones had such a spike recently and brought so many people to the channel I thought I’d revive it for one last ride. If it bounces back again then who knows. 🙂
I can't believe you showed me that WARMAG thing. I literally was thinking of making that exact same thing but was like, "Geez...this is gonna be a giant pain in the ass." Now your video comes up and the thing I want is literally there. I'm totally gonna get a few of those. (On a side note...I don't think I've ever wanted to buy anything from seeing a sponsored segment until today. On any video. Ever.)
Mate, this channel has all the right stuff to make it big, love inquisitor vids and these GW employee vids, you are a funny fellow, best of luck to you!
Funny at 10:35 I had no idea that the conversation was actually scripted but the interaction was pretty much word for word haha. I was at Cardiff's Warhammer store a week ago (Canadian tourist) first time visiting an actual GW location rather than my usual local hobby shops and I found it awesome to see such friendly staff. I was looking for a specific paint I couldn't find back home.
Oh it’s not scripted, it’s therefined result of having the same conversation over and over to find out what you could sell someone. It seems to be a collective hive mind that all GW sales staff develop. 😂
I have seen sprues with pieces STILL ON THEM in the bin at my store. I asked if they were just going to throw it away, and they said "well, we dont sell the individual pieces". Like bruh just give it away! Cut to new manager: I usually head into my store to get some paint and model of the month. Of course I'll buy some paint for a free model! But I've gotten book and the magazine as well. Issue is that the customer conversation you mentioned doesnt happen :/. They never really seem interested or try to engage me. I feel like I live in a part of the world where it's impossible to make friends. Or maybe its me? I dunno
It can be rare to find people with the same interests in the same area or even timezone, but social gatherings in hobby stores and community centers help. Bars and clubs are known places to hang and/or hook up, but you'd have to dig the vibe. I haven't tried the library yet as i have enough to read at home, but perhaps people are open to talk about books there.
Closest one to me is 4 cities over and until recently was unreachable by anything but car They just opened a light rail station directly overhead though so now you can go...and no one does
I really wish the people at my local store had your mentality. I basically started painting minis because of DnD and when I went there to get some supplies I got super judged because it wasnt warhammer or some TGC. Started buying stuff online lol
I've spent maybe 2 years trying to understand how to get on that list for my website... got sent down so many different paths that never go anywhere... so annoying
Do you know if warmag have or are planning to get a north American distributor? I'd really love to try their products, but the shipping rates to the us are just too high
It’s worth an email to them, there was a lot of demand for it on my review, Jullian that runs it is pretty sound, it may take a bit for him to email back but he does get back. 🙂
I’d strongly recommend getting your game on a table and play tested as soon and as often as possible with as many people as possible; all the world building, character design and backstory can follow but the core game mechanics need to be bulletproof and fun. (I run game making events for my PhD and so have helped a lot of people make games).
@@joemacleod-iredale2888 I’ve got the rules and I’ve just finished the character profiles with their abilities and scores. First alpha test starts tomorrow night and I’m going to be playing it over and over with two factions throughout the week then when that feels solid after taking notes and making lots of tweaks I’ll be releasing it to the discord to show how people break it in ways I didn’t expect. 😂
@ Sounds about right. I find that people really enjoy suggesting fixes and modifications after play-testing, these are sometimes great, but often make things unnecessarily complex. Sorry- reverting to lecturer mode and at risk of sounding patronising!
Trying to gwt on the GW press list with GW sucks butt on the wall is a definite power move. I first discovered GW just after 2nd edition was released. Ive owned many models, painted many and even owned the 2nd edition back in the day yet ,apart from on PC, ive never actually played it. I went in a store recently and their pitch was very much as you said. The stores feel quite sad now. Only the manager in, a couple of people painting. It felt cold and lifeless. Back in the 90s and early 00s there was always loadsnof people in store. They had several members of staff at all times. There were always games and painting on the go along with regulars juat hanging out. What happened!
Yeah, press list doesn't seem right, GW don't work with press. Maybe also know as content creator/Influencer programme as well. But I'm not sure why they wouldn't just correct them in that case as the intent of the email is rather clear
I know a bunch of former GW store employees. They pretty much all agree that it was fun the first few months but then the issues started piling on and the employee discounts were no longer worth the aggravation so they went looking for better jobs.
I used to manage a FLGS. If a youngling showed interest in GW games, I'd try and sound out how rich they were, and if they weren't rolling in money I'd gently try to steer them towards products that wouldn't break the bank
Dude. I've had to reach out to GW over a product issue. I was asking the rep what was needed, providing proof that it had been a known issue since 2008 (Ork Lootas missing an arm). The person replied back, "Don't be daft" and "You're waisting time" before thanking me for providing the information needed to prove I purchased the product on question... In the same email
@LizardofDoom My actual job is content writing instructions and responses for customer support. So I was wildly shocked to read that going, "I get there is free handing responses, but... Buddy.... How?" Their manager was on vacation, but they got the issue handled.
Fire starting in ole Lahn-don town! :) Propain is such a brilliant name, love it! You should definitely ditch the Prodigy reference, cool as it is, and go for a 100% original gang name. Looking forward to seeing more about the game. I can already see some Corgi 1/50 scale double-decker buses being used as terrain! And blowing up! :)
Have you got any more MDF terrain packs coming? A mate and I are trying to get into Grimdark Future Firefight but our LGS closes early on Saturdays, so I'd buy a Lizard of Doom basic terrain set in a heartbeat!
Does this mean there will be some more terrain coming in the Lizard of Doom shop. Picked up your barricades, and they are spot on. Hoping you do some more scatter like that for my junk filled desert!
they likely don't want former employees on their press list and you've also been negative towards them in the past and they only want hype folks on the presslist rather than people who risk being critical of them
I generally try and be super positive in most of my videos because I don’t want to dump on the hobby for anyone, but the staff thing may be the case. They could just say that though rather than fib. 😂
@@LizardofDoom yeah but if they admitted that it might open them to legal trouble. but given the old nda agreement that leaked a few years back it's clear gw don't want their staff going on to be successful in the hobby adjacent space, case in point duncan has gone on to not only run a painting channel but also to run a rival paint company with knowlage and experience gained while working for them
@@LiliaArmoury Wasn't this also the reason why, for the longest time, they stopped having their painters onscreen and only done in voiceover. Both Duncan and Louise left GW and then went on to be successful. LoD is slowly climbing in subscribers, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a thing against offering stuff to Ex-Employees. As others have mentioned much smaller channels than LoD have gotten onto this 'press list' because they're willing to sign those NDAs and are essentially just hype mouthpieces for GW.
I’m trying very hard to learn warhammer by playing on Table Top Simulator. Can’t afford it and I tried getting into to kill team in 2022 but never got my friends together
If you’re looking for people to play tabletop sim with there’s an online gaming channel on the Lizard of Doom discord. You might be able to arrange some games with some like minded people on there. 🙂
@@chrisl4999 here’s the thing, it’s not scripted it just devolves in to that for every staff member because it’s the shortest route to find out what to sell you!
Good luck in your gaming endeavors, and yes, GW has always had an odd sort term view of building customers. But that is what you get with unrealistic goals that retail stores (especially in my day) got landed with.
Its crazy how GW rather hire Managers or associates that know nothing of the game or common retail experience. At least the ones in my area in California. Funny that you mentioned the manager just up and leave. The ones ive mentioned had the same ussue minus robbing the till haha.
Might be worth sending feelers out to some other warhammer-tubers, this feels like someone in the communications department was told to dismiss that kind of email to avoid randoms trying to get free models
The bit regarding the staff asking you what you're working on currently. Ive experienced this in multiple shops, and tbh i find it annoying and nosey. Personally i prefer the greeting, and then talk to me if they ask questions. You dont see people in Asda asking you what you're making for dinner when you walk in. Definately a better option to just be more friendly than business minded to make people feel more welcome and be a potential new member of the WH Community
Don’t think GW’s are ghosting you because your channel is too small. I’ve seen videos of pre releases on YT by guys who look like they are making videos in there mums basement on an old Nokia!
When I worked at GW retail my manager was always trying to get me to up sell the moms that would come in to by stuff for their kids. I would just be honest and try to give them the best and most honest advice I could. Then he was amazed at how many army boxes I sold to those moms at Christmas time and how they only wanted to talk to me about what to buy.
That totally happened
@@r3dcoat397it’s a pretty mundane story, if it’s not true what does that even matter lol
Same here, but it was the area sales manager, I clashed constantly with that muppet (I was lucky enough to have a sound manager).
GW literally put the Game shop I worked for out of bussiness. We followed the rules to a T. Ordered stuff. It didn't show up for 6+ months. They told us they were no longer selling/distributing those things anymore. We had to charge back like 15k+ worth of shit and the store went under
I can't wait for the inevitable follow-up episode "EX GW Retail Staff Answers Your Questions: Resurrection"
@@cetx we’ll see how well it spikes again in another year 😂
So, you've convinced me, I subbed.
However, as a subscriber, I will pester you forever until you stop using Citadel plastic glue, and move to the correct option, Tamyia Plastic Cement.
I worked at GW. Right after lockdown was over.
Literally had days when no one came in the shop as people were still in lockdown mindset.
Anytime someone walked in all the staff would decend on them out of boredom more than anything.
Kept getting called in my the manager asking why I wasnt able to hit KPI's.
There were no customers to sell to. This ended up forming the crux of me being asked to leave the shop.
I was super angry at it at the time.
You have every right to be. Their middle management is shit.
Always steal from shit employers
The store I now go to and it was the first store I ever visited back in the 90s, near the Scottish border, was a fantastic store. The staff amazing, in fact the store manager saved me from school bullies as I was getting bullied out side the store and he intervened and brought me in the store. He made sure I was OK, called my mum to let her know where I was. While waiting explained the hobby, had a quick game of 40k with him and when I left, gave me a box of the warriors of the imperium and paint box to take away for free. That was me then hooked on the hobby. I moved away and my new town the GW staff there where more interested in just your dosh. But the store shutdown a couple of years later....
Anyway I moved back to my home city round about the launch of 10th, visited my old store and the current staff are just as friendly and curtious than the ones I remember. They treat you like friends and won't give the retail sales pitch. They allow you to play games, build n paint, eat, drink etc.. just have fun and the staff of the are so lovely. They let my use 3d printed models in armies on parade, they don't mind if I have 3d printed parts on my models in games. This is where I feel sorry for the staff as I won't actually purchase anything as I have don't have much money, as GW is soooooo expensive also they never have sales. So I get my ideas from the store and then go on to places like wayland games which has discounts on all gw products. Even up to half price. But I feel for the staff, whom i know 2 of them on first name basis.
Yet I've seen the opposite as well Metro used to be a good store, now your greeted upon entry by 2 staff at the same time all saying what you in for, what can I put through the till, no hello. That is a red flag for me and I walk out. As I work in retail and have worked in stores that do hard sells and I think it's wrong, and never do it. I treat customers the way I would expect to be treated, and I put it down to that manager of GW back in 96 who showed me a bit of kindness.
Never feel bad about 3rd party stuff in hobby stores for one simple reason - you are still bringing your "buzz" into the store.
It is a bit like with digital piracy. Anyone that tells you it is harmful is a moron that can't see a bigger picture - free exposure, marketing, testing and so on.
That's why some companies actually try to generate such buzz by special events, tournaments/competitions, giveaways...hell, sometimes they literally pay some people to be in some places for some time :D
You being in the hobby store is always a plus for them because someone else is much more likely to come, buy and probably get hooked on this hobby...exactly because they can see with their own eyes the "humane" face of the hobby.
Also, if you have good relations with the staff, it is simply a joy for someone like you to hang around.
In the milton keynes store we had a manager called Eiko (he was Scandinavian) and he'd let people paint a miniature and keep it if they were new. He also had boxes of armies for people to have a game. He was everything's that embodied the hobby at the time. He was all about the game and not selling as he understood that people needed to enjoy the game to make sales. He was great. The models sold themselves due to his attitude and enthusiasm. This was around 1997-2003 ish.
Hiya Max! Not sure if you remember me but we worked together in Swansea store while I was regional cover manager (and I can tell you that we smashed it, sales always went up when we worked together as opposed to me on my own). Glad to see you're doing well and keeping up with the videos, you did always have more Hobby stamina than me!
The same guy has been managing Cardiff store for like nearly 20 years now. Always see him when i pop in.
I remember an awesome staffer there called Russell who i think left to become a mechanic and he smashed it with the kids apocalypse game nights on a Sunday, totally got me into the hobby.
Fun fact that manager didn’t give me a job there despite running a store on my own and having a glowing recommendation from another manager 😂
@LizardofDoom thats a shame 🥲
We're waiting for you to rock the fishnets + croptop + miniskirt fit max xD
@@Thirteenrats13 I do not earn enough money from this to give that image to the internet forever just yet 😂
@LizardofDoom what if I donate some sweet plastic crackady do and a warlord titan? (Final offer)
While that Skaven player may have been a touch rude. But there is no doubt he was offering objectively correct advice.
This comment coming from an account called 200 rats in a trench coat is hella suspicious 🤔
I was going to comment, but actually there are no comments on YT.
Yours,
James Workshop
@@chrisday9297 JJJJAAAAAMMMMEEESSSS! Meet me in the HQ car park in twenty minutes. It’s on.😂
It's always fun to reply to the "what are you working on at the moment?" question with "Star Wars Legion" or something else non- GW
See I used to love answers like that when I was a GW staffer, because I’d look over my shoulder theatrically at my manager, turn back & say “Don’t worry I also play Bolt Action and Warmachine! 🤫”
Even if you were just doing your job, It really warms my heart to hear your interactions. Thank you so much, the world is a kinder place with people like you.
@@virt5837 no thank you, that’s very kind 🤘❤️
Can't believe that Skaven player would do such a thing. How dare he try and force people into Skaven, when we all know Orcs are da best
Yeah 0:11 will you said that last time
I thoroughly enjoyed this video and will be subscribing to your patroon and will be keeping up with your tabletop project.
Keep up the good work! With quality videos like this 100k subs isn’t as far away as you might think.
@@johnalexander7457 that is incredibly kind of you 🤘❤️
Just launched the beta test for the rule set and first two gangs in the discord last night if you’re interested 🙂
Cardiff GW is my local and can conform the staff are nice, shout out to those guys
I can confirm this.
Former Cambridge key timer here.
I completely agree with the ethical sales technique, over high pressure sales.
I used to clash with the area sales manager, who was a feckless corporate shill that knew nothing about the hobby.
Shout out to my shop manager, he was sound, and caught flak for me telling the area mamager to do one.
I also used to get repeat sales through supporting the customer's hobby experience and great customer feedback.
I often visit the GW store at tottenham court road i kmow it has abit of a reputation but never had a bad exsperiance they only ever did the sales push once when they firsy saw me and now never again and had lots of good convos. They tried on my wife once and stopped when i walked over and apologised they didnt realised we where togeather. The guys and girls there are very polite. And showed a great intro to my buddy whos now a rabid world eaters player
That concept art looks amazing, looking forwards to seeing more!
@@TheDaemond6 thank you mate, I’m trying to make something familiar to a hobbyist but as original as I can. 🙂
@@LizardofDoomit won't let me put a comment on the video directly but I just want to clarify I 100% meant a RETAIL unit 😂😂😂
So the mention of Cardiff staff at 10:49 is so true. I'll randomly dip into Cardiff every so often and get recognized every time, including them remembering that I don't really like them being in my face with it. It's like the only GW store I actually will regularly go into, just for that.
Sounds like you were a great ambassador for the hobby, and a really cool guy too. Kudos.
Thank you brother 💪
I used to buy everything through my nearest GW store. Models, paints etc. Then they said they are cancelling in store painting and playing. I was prepared to pay extra to support the store before that decision. Now I go online or other retailers, for financial reasons and a little spite. I buy a lot of 3D prints off Etsy as proxies too as I won’t be playing in the store anymore. As people might have experienced only GW models in the store… 😂
I appreciate this style of content from you where you provide your take on the hobby. The first video that caught my attention was ex GW employee answers questions. Sorry about the GW response. I really like the entire scope of your content and hope you find a way to answer questions and provide your perspective for the community.
Thank you mate this is really good to hear. As I put a lot of man hours in to this game development it most likely means I’ll be doing more “talking” videos as the production time is considerably shorter.
As someone who has a job offer at the Warhammer Store & Cafe in Grapevine, Texas, your series on being an ex-GW employee has been incredibly enjoyable and helpful to me
@@damnits2200 glad to be of service 🙂
07:36 Wow, I was an assistant manager at store 24 White Oaks Mall in Canada 2000-2001.....Our table was always open for painters, sad to hear that's the way it went. I had regretted leaving GW for a number of years as my first child required me to move to a different town, but around 2015 I started to hear things like this about GW and I no longer regretted leaving.
@@riggermortisfpv526 it only takes one decent manager to do things different. The stores are checked up on so irregularly head office wouldn’t even know
@@LizardofDoom Really ? My DM Lionel was by my store at minimum once per month, but that was 2001ish era. Im out of the loop.
You seem very laid back, and fun to play a game with. I owned an independent store, and I agree with what you are saying.
"We'll be in touch." - The Prodigy's lawyers
Thanks, these are always fun. I'm sure you'll do some more final question times in the future.
I've seen another UA-camr talk about not being able to get on the content creators list. I wonder if you just did use the correct term, and the response is a bit of a "computer says no" response.
@@MoadikumMoodocks That very much could be the case 😂
As a shop owner I can say to the first question "better product" is very subjective. Heck, that Gorilla Glue you mentioned, I've tried it and hated it, but I'm sure plenty of people love it, so in the end when dealing with customers and such questions I try to present options and where those options fit in and what benefits each has. Same with paints, I'll give an overview of different ranges we carry and encourage them to try a few different ones to see which feel the best to them.
I was a contract staffer at around the same time as you. One manager I had moved stores, the 2nd I worked under got fired. He left safe codes, receipts and other staffers contact details on the till, right next to a massive window. Stock was just not organised l, I spent an hour looking for starter boxes and he had stashed them right at the back of stockroom. He also sold solvents underage and at a discount to one kid who came in and asked me for the same, I said no. Needless to say he was reported super quick. I also didn't get my final paycheck as he got fired on my payday and my pay got lost in the drama
I prefer you with hair. Dont worry about growing it back though as I just turned my tv upside-down and everything seems ok now.
@@Wastelander2281 you may need to change your UA-cam settings to Australian to resume normal hair functions
@LizardofDoom aahh yes, all better now
@@LizardofDoom I knew you would make an Aussie joke out of that lol
Walter White: I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it.
I haven't been in a GW for a couple of years now. I went to one and this particular manager took over and he was great. Eventually he moved to another store just as close so I started going there instead. He eventually left to do work in the NHS and was replaced by a more retail driven manager who sucked all the fun out of the store.
Happy to see your previous videos on this were blessed by the machine gods (aka the algorithm) so that I and others found it because I think they're very good and honest.
I said in a previous video, which I don't expect you to remember don't worry, that I worked for GW retail for close to a decade leaving about the time you started but virtually every story you shared was an experience I had.
It's funny, nice to hear, but also if there's anyone thinking to leave a comment saying "This Lizard of Doom guy is telling lies" I can assure you that he is not and if anything my earlier years in the job had some wilder times.
@@Psientologist thank you brother, much love 🫡❤️
Great sales technique mate. As a former assistant manager and regional 'floating' manager of Electronics Boutique I'd hire you immediately with that method. Don't be pushy. Ever.
Unfortunatly my skin isn't thick enough to deal with the tactics GW asks their staff to push on patrons. I feel socially violated whenever I step foot into a GW store.
Wouldn't worry about not getting a pre release of a model, it would probably be no longer a legal model by the time it reached you in the post with current trends.
When I worked at GW I would just straight up say the carry cases are poop, go to like tabletop tyrant or get a magnetic box both superior than GW. Also tape and clippers, go else where patch spending £20 on clippers when you can go to BNQ or Tesco and get tape and clippers for £5.
But they stopped selling superglue and green stuff a couple years ago because it’s bad and never sold well. Also I never realised they stopped allowing people to play and build freely in stores and still allowed people to do it very regularly and also played game so friends. Till a worker in a store in another city who I was good friends with came in and pulled me to one side and told me to stop as it’s not allowed anymore
your game sounds fun will keep an eye out for that!
Thank you, I’ll be putting out a bit more about it here on Sunday and I’ve put the rules in the discord for beta testing 🙂
I went into a Warhammer shop a little while back with my young son who is already mad about the hobby. We didn't have time to paint, but we don't have an official shop back home so I wanted to show him what it was like.
I tried to start a chat with the manager, who looked older than me so I figured he was an oldbeard like myself. Never mind trying to sell anything, this guy could not care one jot. I don't know if he was having a bad day but there was zero atmosphere and zero love in that shop for the hobby from any of the staff.
Luckily there was a third-party place nearby (with better stock, ironically) and the guy was far more enthusiastic and talked Templars with my son for a while.
As someone who only got back into the hobby a few years ago and only play blood bowl, the ‘what are you working’ question used to really bug me - it got to the point where the staffer at my local GW would ask it every week then started laughing whenever I said blood bowl as he knew there wasn’t really much he could ‘upswell’ to me.
I think GW doesn't want to call it a press list, as it would destroy the illusion that the content creators on it aren't bias in their favor.
its one thing about GW i always hated, like the staff in my local store have went through minimal staff changes for 20 odd years/ (in saying that i can still remember the old manager from when i started at 9 years old), but it is only in recent years that i no longer get the "sales pitch" from the staff walking through the door. i have 4 or 5 AOS armies, my old world lizardman army from before AOS and like half the factions of 40k to 2000 pt armies. i choose to order online only to avoid that until they stopped.
To continue your point about the sense of belonging and community.
A lot of music stores have a sheet in the back of music teachers or music groups, or bands looking for a new member. So if you wanted singing lessons or guotar lessons, they had a list of people, or if you wanted to mess around with some other non-serious people, you could. Or if you wanted paid gigs, there were professional bands looking for tryouts.
I feel GW are missing out on doing this in the local community. There are always shops with tables to hire for gaming, with their own little communities. If someone came to GW, and they said they lived in X area, the person in GW could tell them of the one or few places near them where they can take their new army and play there! And the store having the exclusive minis allows those who stay in their little communities to pop into the GW store and have an update chat on how things are going, how many people play X armies, or if anyone plays kill team or other game modes other than 40k. And that info can be used by GW to further the community.
I feel this isn't done. You have to go find your small groups by yourself.
Space Marines are the goodies! Never been a truer statement 👏
Said you were done last time... I hope you do another one either way!
@@sscjessica the other ones had such a spike recently and brought so many people to the channel I thought I’d revive it for one last ride. If it bounces back again then who knows. 🙂
I admit I'm the sort of person if I overheard someone needing help and I had experience I would politely offer help . Even thou I'm shy.
@@NudocPRIME I do that too, it’s nice to be helpful and hopefully it makes the hobby more accessible and friendly to people. Good work. 🙂
GW in stockholm is relly nice i relly chatty and helpfull
You have some channels with 1k subscribers (with less than 2 months existing) receving free stuff from GW, the size doesn't matter for them.
I may have to beat James Workshop in one on one combat to get on the list.
I can't believe you showed me that WARMAG thing. I literally was thinking of making that exact same thing but was like, "Geez...this is gonna be a giant pain in the ass." Now your video comes up and the thing I want is literally there. I'm totally gonna get a few of those.
(On a side note...I don't think I've ever wanted to buy anything from seeing a sponsored segment until today. On any video. Ever.)
@@GrimdarkKing The guy who runs it is really sound too so it’s nice to be supporting a business ran by nice people 🙂
Great video! Happy to Sub and raise your Numbers!!
@@mikemartell365 much appreciated 🫡
Appreciate the campaign shoutout 😁
Is there career progression for store managers so you could work your way up to be area manager or something like that?
Very unusual, the regionals usually come from head office
@LizardofDoom thanks for answering!
Really intrigued by the new game. Especially given it’s based in Britain!
@@SpicyPetePaints it’s based in a modern day fantasy alternate universe, more specifically, in the fictional city of Grotport 🙂
i’ve missed these! love seeing these videos❤mainly because i’m nosey😂
Man i wish there was a games workshop on my continent.
You must be in either Africa, South America or Antarctica. Pretty sure I can rules the last one out ….
Wanted to get some magnets but the shipping was going to be about as much as what I was paying for everything 😢
going to go out on a limb and say its not going to be the final time
love your content and definitely gonna give your punk gang war game a try
@@keithknight1665 hell yeah brother! Booked the first sculpt today 🙂
New subscriber here, You had me at "compete with them"!
Mate, this channel has all the right stuff to make it big, love inquisitor vids and these GW employee vids, you are a funny fellow, best of luck to you!
@@craigofcimmeria5215 thank you brother 🤘❤️
Anyone remember Simon at Games workshop Leicester in the 90's? Best GW employee ever!!
Who does paint the starter sets
If you mean the ones in store that’d be the shop staff when ever there’s a slow period 🙂
@ oh cool, thanks for replying
Everyone knows GW sends out stuff early to content creators not a secret at all. Mind blowing they would lie to you about it
Funny at 10:35 I had no idea that the conversation was actually scripted but the interaction was pretty much word for word haha. I was at Cardiff's Warhammer store a week ago (Canadian tourist) first time visiting an actual GW location rather than my usual local hobby shops and I found it awesome to see such friendly staff. I was looking for a specific paint I couldn't find back home.
Oh it’s not scripted, it’s therefined result of having the same conversation over and over to find out what you could sell someone. It seems to be a collective hive mind that all GW sales staff develop. 😂
I have seen sprues with pieces STILL ON THEM in the bin at my store. I asked if they were just going to throw it away, and they said "well, we dont sell the individual pieces". Like bruh just give it away!
Cut to new manager: I usually head into my store to get some paint and model of the month. Of course I'll buy some paint for a free model! But I've gotten book and the magazine as well.
Issue is that the customer conversation you mentioned doesnt happen :/. They never really seem interested or try to engage me. I feel like I live in a part of the world where it's impossible to make friends. Or maybe its me? I dunno
Places like that do exist so it's not just you
It can be rare to find people with the same interests in the same area or even timezone, but social gatherings in hobby stores and community centers help. Bars and clubs are known places to hang and/or hook up, but you'd have to dig the vibe. I haven't tried the library yet as i have enough to read at home, but perhaps people are open to talk about books there.
There’s not an actual Games Workshop within 50 miles of me. I haven’t been in one since I was about 10. I have 2 FLGS’s though, and they’re awesome.
Closest one to me is 4 cities over and until recently was unreachable by anything but car
They just opened a light rail station directly overhead though so now you can go...and no one does
0:10 - Haha. At least you're honest about it.
I really wish the people at my local store had your mentality. I basically started painting minis because of DnD and when I went there to get some supplies I got super judged because it wasnt warhammer or some TGC. Started buying stuff online lol
@@Jonas0Wahl I love D&D, used to get people come in all the time picking out paints for their characters scheme 🙂
I've spent maybe 2 years trying to understand how to get on that list for my website... got sent down so many different paths that never go anywhere... so annoying
@@Geekmandem I’ve got your email, I’ll get back properly this evening, you’ve emailed me on the right day 🙂
Do you know if warmag have or are planning to get a north American distributor? I'd really love to try their products, but the shipping rates to the us are just too high
It’s worth an email to them, there was a lot of demand for it on my review, Jullian that runs it is pretty sound, it may take a bit for him to email back but he does get back. 🙂
I’d strongly recommend getting your game on a table and play tested as soon and as often as possible with as many people as possible; all the world building, character design and backstory can follow but the core game mechanics need to be bulletproof and fun. (I run game making events for my PhD and so have helped a lot of people make games).
@@joemacleod-iredale2888 I’ve got the rules and I’ve just finished the character profiles with their abilities and scores. First alpha test starts tomorrow night and I’m going to be playing it over and over with two factions throughout the week then when that feels solid after taking notes and making lots of tweaks I’ll be releasing it to the discord to show how people break it in ways I didn’t expect. 😂
@ Sounds about right. I find that people really enjoy suggesting fixes and modifications after play-testing, these are sometimes great, but often make things unnecessarily complex. Sorry- reverting to lecturer mode and at risk of sounding patronising!
How many 32mm minis can fit in the 4L box?
45 if they’re chunky like the jump packs, easily more than 50 if they’re smaller and don’t overlap their base 🙂
@LizardofDoom thanks for the info, just trying to calculate how much my Waaagghh will cost to store
60x 25mm bases is my current record for a 4L box (poxwalkers) ranks and ranks of them. Probably around 45-50 32mm bases (my Plague Marine case).
@@MrTumnus1987 cheers ears
There is no press list in Ba Sing Se 😁
Trying to gwt on the GW press list with GW sucks butt on the wall is a definite power move.
I first discovered GW just after 2nd edition was released. Ive owned many models, painted many and even owned the 2nd edition back in the day yet ,apart from on PC, ive never actually played it.
I went in a store recently and their pitch was very much as you said. The stores feel quite sad now. Only the manager in, a couple of people painting. It felt cold and lifeless. Back in the 90s and early 00s there was always loadsnof people in store. They had several members of staff at all times. There were always games and painting on the go along with regulars juat hanging out. What happened!
@@7H3541N7 The business people took over unfortunately
I worked for GW in the 90s , the rot started then
Interestingly the reason GW's super glue is pants it because they put retardant in it to make is safer for kids.
@@Buggritt I used to like when they made a thin and a thick super glue. The thin one with the brush was pants but the thick one was pretty good.
@LizardofDoom I remember those days! Don't know of it was just me but I was constantly gluing the lid to the bottle
GW might call their early access list an Affiliate Program instead.
Yeah, press list doesn't seem right, GW don't work with press. Maybe also know as content creator/Influencer programme as well. But I'm not sure why they wouldn't just correct them in that case as the intent of the email is rather clear
"How are you painting them up at the moment?" - With a brush 😉😉
This is my new answer to that question 😂
I know a bunch of former GW store employees. They pretty much all agree that it was fun the first few months but then the issues started piling on and the employee discounts were no longer worth the aggravation so they went looking for better jobs.
"what're ya workin' on?" Every. Time. Lol
Not a bad thing, just funny
I used to manage a FLGS.
If a youngling showed interest in GW games, I'd try and sound out how rich they were, and if they weren't rolling in money I'd gently try to steer them towards products that wouldn't break the bank
Dude. I've had to reach out to GW over a product issue. I was asking the rep what was needed, providing proof that it had been a known issue since 2008 (Ork Lootas missing an arm).
The person replied back, "Don't be daft" and "You're waisting time" before thanking me for providing the information needed to prove I purchased the product on question... In the same email
@@jnmmcgraw wtf 😂
@LizardofDoom My actual job is content writing instructions and responses for customer support.
So I was wildly shocked to read that going, "I get there is free handing responses, but... Buddy.... How?"
Their manager was on vacation, but they got the issue handled.
Fire starting in ole Lahn-don town! :) Propain is such a brilliant name, love it! You should definitely ditch the Prodigy reference, cool as it is, and go for a 100% original gang name. Looking forward to seeing more about the game. I can already see some Corgi 1/50 scale double-decker buses being used as terrain! And blowing up! :)
C H E E S E
🧀
Liked and subscribed 👍
Have you got any more MDF terrain packs coming?
A mate and I are trying to get into Grimdark Future Firefight but our LGS closes early on Saturdays, so I'd buy a Lizard of Doom basic terrain set in a heartbeat!
@@Deefry I’ve got the beginner friendly stuff but I’m going to be working on some more city stuff soon 🙂
@@LizardofDoom Awesome :) I'll keep an eye out!
Does this mean there will be some more terrain coming in the Lizard of Doom shop.
Picked up your barricades, and they are spot on. Hoping you do some more scatter like that for my junk filled desert!
@@PigGibbon Aye there will be some more coming in the future when I’m a little bit further along with the game 🙂
@ Fucking A!
What sort of models would you use for testing your rules?
theres no stores near me :(
they likely don't want former employees on their press list and you've also been negative towards them in the past and they only want hype folks on the presslist rather than people who risk being critical of them
I generally try and be super positive in most of my videos because I don’t want to dump on the hobby for anyone, but the staff thing may be the case. They could just say that though rather than fib. 😂
@@LizardofDoom yeah but if they admitted that it might open them to legal trouble. but given the old nda agreement that leaked a few years back it's clear gw don't want their staff going on to be successful in the hobby adjacent space, case in point duncan has gone on to not only run a painting channel but also to run a rival paint company with knowlage and experience gained while working for them
@@LiliaArmoury Wasn't this also the reason why, for the longest time, they stopped having their painters onscreen and only done in voiceover. Both Duncan and Louise left GW and then went on to be successful. LoD is slowly climbing in subscribers, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a thing against offering stuff to Ex-Employees. As others have mentioned much smaller channels than LoD have gotten onto this 'press list' because they're willing to sign those NDAs and are essentially just hype mouthpieces for GW.
@@luketfer certainly seems like it but i'm not an insider
I really appreciate the candid nature of this video, open and honest, G Dubz might not like it but fuck the pleeeeece bb
I’m trying very hard to learn warhammer by playing on Table Top Simulator. Can’t afford it and I tried getting into to kill team in 2022 but never got my friends together
If you’re looking for people to play tabletop sim with there’s an online gaming channel on the Lizard of Doom discord. You might be able to arrange some games with some like minded people on there. 🙂
11:50 oh wow. I never realized that part of the convo was scripted. 20:35 Gotta know the super secret hand shake.
@@chrisl4999 here’s the thing, it’s not scripted it just devolves in to that for every staff member because it’s the shortest route to find out what to sell you!
Good luck in your gaming endeavors, and yes, GW has always had an odd sort term view of building customers. But that is what you get with unrealistic goals that retail stores (especially in my day) got landed with.
Its crazy how GW rather hire Managers or associates that know nothing of the game or common retail experience. At least the ones in my area in California.
Funny that you mentioned the manager just up and leave. The ones ive mentioned had the same ussue minus robbing the till haha.
Might be worth sending feelers out to some other warhammer-tubers, this feels like someone in the communications department was told to dismiss that kind of email to avoid randoms trying to get free models
Why would a skaven player want to create more rivals to deal with? The more skaven there are, the more backstabbers there are.
The bit regarding the staff asking you what you're working on currently. Ive experienced this in multiple shops, and tbh i find it annoying and nosey. Personally i prefer the greeting, and then talk to me if they ask questions. You dont see people in Asda asking you what you're making for dinner when you walk in. Definately a better option to just be more friendly than business minded to make people feel more welcome and be a potential new member of the WH Community
Don’t think GW’s are ghosting you because your channel is too small. I’ve seen videos of pre releases on YT by guys who look like they are making videos in there mums basement on an old Nokia!