A promotion that sounds nice on paper is not always a good time for the people who actually have to make it happen. Take, for example, GameStop’s upcoming Trade Anything Day. The video game retailer is branding Dec. 6 as a lax day for trade-ins, when customers will be able to bring in nearly anything and get $5 store credit. PR-wise, it’s a great pitch. But the workers who will have to process — or more likely reject — the unfortunate things people try to trade that day are buckling up for a bad time.
To fully understand where the negative sentiment is coming from, it’s worth knowing that GameStop workers already have to deal with all sorts of garbage due to the trade-in program. You’d think people would have common sense when selecting what they might offer in exchange for money, but no. GameStop customers are known to sometimes bring in disgusting hardware, like crusted-up controllers full of hand gunk or consoles full of cockroaches. Broken gaming peripherals are common. If that’s the case on a normal day, now imagine what might happen when people are told they can trade anything?
That’s the tagline, but the fine print is way more discerning. Some stipulations make sense. You can’t, for instance, bring in hazardous chemicals or weapons. Other options are sure to stump customers: no tablets, computer peripherals, or specific types of VR headsets and flat-panel displays. (While live and dead animals are a no-go, Gamestop will, however, accept taxidermy…) Asking people to read is the first hurdle, expecting them to use common sense is the next mistake.
“They’re going to allow the dregs of humanity to come in and make our lives a living fucking hell for $5 in store credit?” one worker wrote in a GameStop subreddit thread discussing the promotion. “Absolutely not … if I’m working that day, I ain’t entertaining anyone who comes in with that shit. Fire me. Don’t care.”
Should customers bring in something that qualifies, they get $5 in trade credit that can be applied toward GameStop purchases. Stores are supposed to then take what they’ve received and donate it to a local charity. The workers have to figure out what charity they’ll partner with, and have to do the leg work of coordinating the donations themselves. Some workers are hoping this means that customers might bring in items like food cans, which could benefit people in need. But most workers are expecting the worst.
“God Help Us,” another thread title reads. “I just know I’m going to have to handle some nasty shit … [I’m] gonna have so many customers asking me ‘HoW cOmE yOu CaN’t TaKe iT iN’ cause we can’t bro.” The thread continues with an appended crying emoji.
Making matters worse, store managers say they found out about the promotion alongside everyone else. But no amount of prep work will be able to stop a daring customer, really. In the past, customers have stabbed workers during heated arguments inside stores, or robbed them for valuables. A day that will be rife with misunderstandings and potentially expensive merch does not make a particularly promising combo for minimum wage employees who are already being overworked.
“This is their worst decision,” one worker declared. “And I’ve lived through cricket wireless days. And display cover art for the whole wall. [I’m] saying no to every single trade that day.”
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Author: 360 Technology Group
