GameStop Girl Worries

Post Reply New Topic

I hope that I would not be insulted or deemed too naive by saying this. However, for the past few months there was an individual at GameStop that was seriously flirting with me. At first I didn't know how to take it. I'm sure that being on the spectrum; most people around here understand what I'm getting at. Eventually, though I learned to really look forward to seeing her there. We were always chatting about video games before I bought something. Being that I'm not a forward person at all, it took me quite a bit to act on these apparent advances, but I won't lie. I really enjoyed her company.

I recently finally got up the nerve to ask for her number, and she told me that she was flattered by the fact that I asked for it but she said it wasn't really appropriate to have a relationship with the customer. I just apologized, and bought what I came in for. She clearly wasn't insulted, and I did my best to avoid acting as though anything had changed. In fact, she later had a conversation with me about the game I bought last time. Later of course my feelings were crushed, but I saved that for private.

I realize of course that some people in the neurotypical world just enjoy flirting. Though I don't understand that, I'll of course let it be that it happens and my mother even explained that could have been what was going on. On the other hand, I shared this story with a few friends and they suggested that similar experiences are really common there and that GameStop might even be a particular retailer that uses flirting with customers as a way to create sales. They also suggested that I could have misinterpreted the high-pressure sales tactics as flirting. Apparently GameStop employees are supposed to extremely friendly towards individuals and some even remember other people's gaming preferences as part of a way to get them to preorder items.

Previously, I hadn't realized that there was so much controversy surrounding the GameStop organization. My friends were pointing out some things to me. Apparently, a leaked employee training video and numerous allegations of sexism have tarnished their image online. Also, apparently, GameStop has people post things publicly online whenever people discuss employment there. For instance, the Wikipedia talk page on the GameStop article accuses some edits of the article as being too much in line with the 'GameStop corporate office' as though someone were writing it that way on purpose.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Was she just using a bit of a sales ploy? Was she actually trying to get my attention and I was too late or she got cold feet, or am I missing something entirely? Note that I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I realize customers like to feel good and sales drive business, so I'm not trying to demonize anyone at all.

From what you describe the employee was being friendly, but not really flirting. It is company policy at most businesses for employees to be civil and friendly with employees. They will actively seek to hire people with very friendly dispositions to fill jobs that involve dealing with the public. Also, in jobs that include the incentive of earning a commission on sales, or tips, the smarter employees will do their best to present themselves to the public in a friendly manner. This is not evil or bad, it's just good business sense. After all, would you rather buy at a place where the sales staff is surly, or at a place where the employees are friendly? And which place is more likely to get repeat business from you?

I think you have simply been misinterpreting the girl's friendly manner as flirting, when she was just being friendly. Whether she was being friendly just for the company, or also because she is a friendly type of person doesn't really matter, as it was in the context of sales person, not in a personal social situation.

Don't take your misinterpretation badly. It happens to everybody from time to time, although we on the spectrum tend to do it a lot more. Just enjoy being non flirty friendly with her and others, until you find someone who is interested in more than just casual friendship.

Possibly, but she may also have been just a friendly-flirty person naturally. I don't think she was out to dupe you into buying a game.



No. Definitely doesn't sound like this. Sorry to be blunt, but you're much better nipping this thought process in the bud, or at least don't act on it (i.e give your number again).


I don't think you're missing anything. You just made a simple mistake and you both handled it well (i.e she explained nicely why she couldn't take your number, and you were able to chat later). I don't think either of you lost face.

it happens, and i think you know everything about what happens. you did everything you should have done(noticed,acted,and retreated) take it as a life lesson and know you did it right. i have a hard time getting things right in that line, sometimes you just can't tell.

This. There is just one reason why she was apparently flirting with you.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I've had people think I was coming onto them just because I smiled when I said hello. She may have no idea that it seemed like she was flirting. I wouldn't dwell too much on it, it's a common misunderstanding.

I'm seeing more and more females working at the Gamestops around where I live and every single one of them act flirty to the male customers. I honestly feel that it's a tactic to sell more stuff and it's despicable. For example, I'd walk into a Gamestop that I hadn't been to in months and the girl at the counter would just act so happy to see me, asking me where I've been, etc. I didn't even remember who the hell this girl was.

Thank you all for the responses. It's meant a lot. I'd like to comment on everything that's been said thus far, but I first want to say that I understand that I had to have misinterpreted something. I'm glad nothing ill has come out of this besides my hurt feelings, which I haven't shown as I said, and I won't act on it again as Lene has said. I won't bring it up. I'm glad that we didn't loose face however.

I know that businesses, of course, would prefer to higher happy people. It makes good sense, and no, I would never want to shop at a place that was full of unhappy individuals. However, the people at GameStop seem a bit too friendly. This girl in question was always getting up close to me, occasionally touched me without asking and waved to me from the outside of the window when I went by. Unfortunately, our local store doesn't have much cliental, so I couldn't tell if they treated other customers this way. I'm not saying there's some kind of sick duping going on, and I'm not being accusatory. However, like Shadewraith brought up, they have a tendency to know a lot about my gaming preferences and me as a person from what I've told them. While I figured at first this was just them being nice and remembering a customer in a store that seems to never have any, I suppose they could be 'keeping notes' so to speak for recommendations. That's what another friend of mine suggested. The kind of behavior Shadewraith is talking about is totally what I was getting at.