Steve is just chipper
I don't need an alarm clock. As a first-time father of a bouncing one-year-old I get a wake-up call at 7.30am, no matter what day of the week.
I feed and play with Taylor, it's a nice way to start the day. Then get ready to leave for work at 9am.
It takes about 15 minutes to drive to my store in Hartlepool, the same length of time it used to take to travel to CHIPS head office - but that was in the opposite direction.
I wanted to be on hand 24-hours a day in case of any problems. It's a sad fact of life but you don't want to be facing an hour's drive at 3.30am on an icy morning if the alarm goes off.
I arrive at 9.15am and before opening I cast an eye over all the posters displays to make sure nothing has fallen down during the night.
It's great because in this game we use lots of posters and large stand-ups to promote the latest products. I can have Lara Croft standing right next to me one day only to be followed the next by a great big Ork or a giant dinosaur - which just doesn't give me the same warm feeling inside, I can tell you.
I like to change the displays often, giving the store a fresh new look - without the need to redecorate.
While preparing the shop ready to be invaded - by customers rather than the space variety that kicked off this industry in the 70s - I switch on all the overhead monitors and PODS. These are display machines, namely PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox.
The monitors can run a variety of things but on this occasion I have them displaying an in-store DVD, showing all the best bits from the current crop of best sellers. It can be quite noisy but I make sure the sound is just right so people know they have walked into the video game world.
It's not a huge shop, just 48sq ft, so it is easy to spot if anything is wrong. I don't want my store to be just another place to buy video games but a complete video game experience. The look on people's faces that first time they enter says it all.
The shop is filled from floor to ceiling with thousands of games, accessories, hint books etc. In fact, everything a gamer could possibly want. And then there is me - a complete source of information - ever keen to share my gaming wisdom with the world.
The store opens at 9.30am and in between serving customers I write a cheque to CHIPS for all the stock I have received over the last week. If I was a single-site operator I would have to spend all day on the phone sourcing games, finding the best price and battling to get small deliveries and it would be a nightmare.
"Excuse me, mate;" says my first customer of the day. "I got this game from America and it won't work on my GameCube." "Simple," I say. "You need a Freeloader disc. Spin this before you run your game and it will work fine and dandy." First sale of the day!
"My dad has bought a big plasma TV but the picture from my PlayStation 2 looks all fuzzy on a screen that big. What can I do?". "No problem. If you use an RGB cable the picture will look fantastic," I say, dropping the money into the till. Another satisfied customer.
It's all in a day's work for a specialist retailer like myself. It's a common misconception that the large electrical retailers are my competitors. This is not so. The more games machines these chains put out there, the more customers I have to service. Thanks guys
Christmas was a very busy time for me and my reputation rocketed as I often had games which other stores didn't and could pass on my specialist knowledge to anxious parents determined to get their hands on the "must-have" gift. However, I have to keep plugging away and building more and more custom.
Noon and my delivery arrives from CHIPS warehouse. I get really excited when I finally start opening the parcels and think how Taylor will be at Christmas in a few years!
The first parcel reveals a host of second-hand games, a PlayStation 2 console, some new releases and a new and second-hand steering wheel.
Next up is some older looser cartridges for my glass cabinet. This is ideal pocket money stuff for the kids, not to mention the box of Pokemon cards (yes, they are back) that I pull out next. I could go on, but you get the picture.
The reason I love opening the deliveries is because I haven't ordered any of it. That's right, non, nothing, zippo! And yet, as if by magic, I need it all. Now, before you start wondering if CHIPS has employed Gandalf to run the warehouse I should let you into a little secret - The EPOS system.
This clever till system monitors every transaction I make and passes the information back to the warehouse which automatically sends me the required stock. As I said, like Christmas - but with science applied.
In between customers I can also use the EPOS system to check my turnover and profit percentage for the week so far. I have been doing this every week since I opened and it still hasn't sunk in yet that it is actually my money. I worked for CHIPS for 14 years in the company stores and I keep having to pinch myself to remind me it is my store.
Before the big CHIPS van leaves I hand over any second-hand games, consoles and accessories I have bought in, but don't want. These are returned to CHIPS warehouse, as are overstocks, and my account is credited - oh, the joy of sale or return.
It still takes about an hour to run through my new stock and refill the shelves and, of course, any customers must be served immediately, so it can take a lot longer.
A flustered couple come to the counter and hand me a list of four games they simply MUST buy. They explain their house was burgled and these games were taken, along with their son's PlayStation console.
They need to replace it for their heart-broken son. I tell them that the console is no problem as we have both new and second-hand. The games may be more difficult as they are quite old. I check the EPOS system. I only have one game in stock but I can see that there is at least one copy of the other three games in a branch of CHIPS somewhere in Britain and a few quick calls secures the games.
The parents are delighted. Success!
After the stock is all sorted out I have lunch. This does not involve a lengthy three-course meal in a nice restaurant - a sandwich and a cup of coffee is on the menu today.
A student comes through the door with a bagful of games he hasn't played for a long time. I scan each item through the EPOS system recording the price I will give for trade-in against another game or for cash. These figures are updated each month via CHIPS so I don't have to spend many hours of precious family time working out the figures myself.
The customer decides to trade the games in and use the cash to buy new ones. This is great for me as it increases my stock of second-hand items and increases my turnover. I ask the customer to fill out a form to state the goods are his to sell and his name and address.
I tidy the shelves, clean and re-price any second-hand goods and place them in the locked display cabinet next to the counter. After a busy weekend this cabinet can be practically stripped and it is always a good feeling to fill it back up again.
At around 4.30pm it begins to get quieter and I test out a few new releases. Some people would say I was just playing games - I prefer to call it product evaluation. It is okay to read a review but you can't give your real opinion until you have played it yourself.
After a flurry of office workers intent on buying the latest release, I lock the doors at 5.30pm and start to tidy up, count the float and cash up. I vacuum the floor and tidy the shelves AGAIN.
I set the alarm - crossing my fingers that a spider doesn't set off the sensors during the night - lock up and leave for home.
I arrive home at 6.15pm and play with Taylor. My partner, Tracey, puts Taylor in the bath and I use my home computer to keep my accounts up to date and work out my VAT.
Paperwork was one of the main worries but it only took a few weeks and a bit of advice from CHIPS and now everything is pretty straightforward.
Once Taylor is in bed Tracey and I sit down to dinner and discuss the day. After a few hours chilling in front of the TV or reading reviews, it is time for bed and I do sleep, very deeply, - unless, of course, that spider decides to move!
This article first appeared in Business Franchise Magazine, June 2003
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