So, any shred of loyalty and respect I have to ToysRUs is GONE

[joshimus]

First off, months ago I found out that they punish their employees for looking in the back room for stock for people. That made me very angry and disappointed that I could get someone written up just for helping me find a hard to find figure. But, they have rules, rules that I feel are a total disrespect to their employees.

Today, I go in and they have a bunch of boxes on a cart. Saw the 3.5 ML Infinite in which I have been trying to find Wasp. She's is in there, absolutely positive she is in there. Now, I know I can't ask them to open it so I grab my knife and a girl sees me. Basically I told her the hard to find figure is in there and asked if she could then open it. She simply said "no" and then said "now I have to take this cart to the back".

Basically, whomever was putting those toys out was on break and that cart should not have been left out, and instead of her opening the box so I can finally get the figure I have been waiting for, she takes it out back.

So I go to complain at customer service in which she ends up coming up to see what's going on as well as Manager on Duty. Basically I tell them that yes, I was going to open the box and I didn't mind putting the figures on pegs. Their response was "it's not your job to do that" then I followed up with "It's not out of my way and this way I can get the figure I have been looking for". I told them I felt I was being punished, that just because I was going to open the box, they felt I should not be allowed anything. They even told me flat out that even if I HADN'T tried to open the box, they wouldn't have opened it either.
So basically, the persons JOB it is to open it was on break and therefore my time means nothing and they for some ungodly reason, cannot open the damn box.
I left and told them that is bad customer service, especially when I could have put the figures on the pegs accurately, and left.

Ok, I get it. They have rules they need to follow. I get it, people open boxes and things happen. I get it, customers aren't supposed to do TRU's work.
As a collector though, knowing I am at fingertip reach of a hard to find figure, one in which I can take away from a scalper, them knowingly and acknowledging that even IF I didn't try to open the box, I'd still have to wait for someone else.
Their "rules" are nothing more than bad customer service. I mean, if it was someone they didn't see all the time, okay, but they know. I've been going there for 20" year. I've even helped customers before. All these things didn't happen so much back in the day. Hell, even go back 5 years, if you asked to have a box opened, one that was on the floor waiting to be put out, no matter the employee, they did it.

What the hell happened? I know Walmart is bad, but how did TRU slowly progress into a POS store?
It would be one thing if they got stock every week, giving me a weekly chance, but chances are we won't see another box for a few weeks until most of the stock is gone, even if they have another box in the back.
I miss old TRU, when things were simple and customer service meant that you don't punish your customers nor employees from helping your customer.

[MULTIPLEX]

I don't know dude. I would have gone about it a different way. Personally, if I knew the sealed box on the floor had the figure I wanted, I would have called a staff member to tell me if I can get the figure, if not right away, how long I'd have to wait. By opening boxes you are assuming the product prices are registered in the system. I don't know how it works, but what if you get up there to check out and it doesn't scan? Then you create more questions. Just saying...

[sarmick01]

First off....probably the reason they punish employees for checking things in the back is for scalpers taking everything and leaving nothing for anyone else and then getting numerous complaints because of it. Secondly....could you not have waited until someone put the figures on the pegs to get the one you want?

[JLvatron]

I apologize, but I'm going to play Lucifer's advocate. (That means New Yawk Lawyer )

It's reasonable that only TRU employees are allowed to open their shipment boxes. Denying others is normal.
There is a quality control issue at stake (if the box had the wrong contents or condition) that would get void if it were someone else opeining it.

Plus If you open it with a knife and cut yourself, they are liable.
Matrix, I'm sure there are New York Lawyers whose business is about scamming stores into lawsuits for customers who "accidentally" hurt themselves there.

Taking the box away from you sounds awful at 1st.
But if you take the above into account, then maybe they are obliged to return it to the back for the manager to re-inspect it, because a non-employee "tampered" with it.

Not accusing you of foul play here, but touch (or intent to) =tamper.

Now, if you had not indicated an intention to open the box yourself, then they should have told you to wait for the employee to return. That seems reasonable.

As for punishing employees for looking in the back, that's wrong. A store is dooming itself for discouraging customer service.

[laffy]

this is the reason why stuff never gets put out...first opening stock is a sin and should never be done ... second hiding stuff is just as bad.. third crying to a manger just wont work as you found out... everyone is flipping out that the stores have no stock and bla bla bla but its their fault. im glad that toys r us is moving the rare stock to online sales.... im really sick and tired of the cry baby's on here lately and if things don't go there way ill cry about it... So sorry for the rant but its gone from laughing at the members to just making me turn my head in shame.
HAS ANYONE REALLY CLUE IN YET THAT TOY R US IS IN TROUBLE WITH LOW SALES. THINK ABOUT A WORLD WITHOUT TOYS R US AND ONLY BEING ABLE TO GET TOYS FROM THEM ONLINE? ITS GOING TO HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER .

[chovner]

You don't work there so you have no business opening the boxes and telling them you could just stock the pegs for them. You wouldn't walk behind McDonald's counter and tell them "Don't worry I'll make my own Big Mac", doesn't matter how long you've been going there.
Sorry I'm on TRU's side for this one.

[laffy]

Originally Posted by chovner

You don't work there so you have no business opening the boxes and telling them you could just stock the pegs for them. You wouldn't walk behind McDonald's counter and tell them "Don't worry I'll make my own Big Mac", doesn't matter how long you've been going there.
Sorry I'm on TRU's side for this one.

[elburrito]

When I was a kid, Toy "R" Us was a land of total magic that was only accessible by travelling to Washington State.

Once there, a kid could find [U]anything[U]. Portable video game consoles, Robotech Stuff, any Transformer, GI Joe or Star Wars one could conceive.

Now there is a Toy R Us in Victoria, but it is only so in name. Once inside, (concerning Transformers) one finds mostly empty pegs. The few toys that are there were there last month and the month before that.

Waves of TF releases either blow through in a day or don't show up at all.

To top that off, one does not get "assistance" from the staff, one gets "attitude", often combined with a good dose of ignorance. I stopped talking to them a while ago.

Before Toy R Us came to town, we had Toy City. It was great. Not as great as the US Toys R Us of the 80's, but definitely close.

They had reems of toys. And the staff were great. One time a friend and I were "discovered" assembling a micro machine city in one of the aisles.

Instead of berating us, that employee put our work on a display table and asked us to complete the city. Which we did.

Now that is how a toy store should be...fun! Toys R Us is not fun. In fact, the Victoria TRU pretty much sucks. They put Toy City out of business so they could suck.

If there were no Toys R Us, I say GREAT! Maybe the smaller stores would return. Toys and Wheels, Tanners, there were plenty. Just saying.

[sarmick01]

Do you really think they have fun when people constantly ask them for stuff they don't see and then go and complain about it? I'm sure some employees have more attitude than others but come on. Suck it up and wait like everyone has to.

[steamwhistle]

During the original Toys R Us MP-10 release time, I was in a TRU and saw an unopened box of MP-10 at the bottom of a skid on the floor. The skid holding various boxes of different shapes and sizes was also wrapped in plastic (to prevent falling). I paced around the store for 15-20 minutes hoping an employee would be unwrapping the skid soon. Nope. I didn't even consider unpacking the skid myself. Getting tired of waiting, I asked an employee about it. Then, there was some discussion with a manager, who checked their system -- I believe to see if there might be other stock in-store. Nope. She did note that there were a few preOrders/holds for it... (I think a "hold" as there didn't seem to be any deposit or payment made). Someone had apparently requested 4. I said "Wow, well I would just like to have 1..." and the kind lady seemed to think about it, and figured I should be able to buy one of the ones they had. She had someone unwrap the skid and safely deconstruct the stack of boxes, enough to pop out the box of MP-10s at the bottom. I was given one to purchase, and I thanked the three employees involved in my acquisition. I spent almost an hour in that TRU, but left with an MP-10, extremely happy. I really appreciate the work the manager and the employees there did that day.

As for "hiding" items in-store for fellow board members, I am somewhat undecided. I have done it before, and on the MsgBoard announced that I did so and with revealing the location... I think it is a positive thing -- that aboard member was able to get the item instead of a "scalper". But, as per others' opinions (which I have read since that incident), I can understand that such "hiding" also prevents other legitimate collectors from finding the item.

Hopefully, overall, TRU will get to make good use of their onLine shopping option and preSale offerings, and get proper supply out to the true collectors and adequate supply out to their stores for the casual ones.