GameStop is investigating an incident between a customer and a store manager during the Grand Theft Auto V midnight release that was recorded and posted on YouTube.
Odds are that you’ve already seen the “Nerd Rage – GTA V Midnight Release” video that’s been making the rounds on YouTube over the past couple of days, and if you haven’t, voila – you’re welcome. The abridged version is that a customer was apparently angry that the store manager insisted on seeing photo identification before letting him pick up his Grand Theft Auto V preorder, but it all seemed to sort itself out until she apparently tossed a comment at him as he was leaving, saying (presumably not seriously) that she was going to share his personal information with the general public. That led him to return to the store and demand her information so he could file a complaint.
It’s hardly the worst retail “incident” to ever occur but it was still an ugly breakdown between customer and employee, and GameStop has now taken to Facebook to say that it’s looking into the incident. “Regarding the GTA V Midnight Release Video: We are aware of this incident and are currently investigating the situation. We regret that this happened, as we strive to ensure all customers receive a great experience when visiting our stores,” the company wrote. “We would like to extend an apology to the affected customer as well as any other customer that was offended by this event.”
The promise of an investigation would seem to suggest that reports that the manager has already been fired are premature, and the customers on the scene appear to be firmly on her side – although perhaps mainly because the disgruntled individual was holding up the line. Internet commenters seem more inclined to take the customer’s side, however, and it’s hard to argue that the manager wasn’t out of line, particularly near the end when she essentially celebrated with another customer.
Which side of the line you come down on probably depends largely on how many years you’ve spent in retail (and how many jerks you had to put up with) but the truth is that while everybody involved behaved badly, it’s the manager who’s responsible for keeping a lid on things – and who will, and should, shoulder the responsibility for failing to do so. We’ve reached out to GameStop for further comment and will update if and when we receive a reply.
Source: Facebook
