Chronos Games and Gifts — Local services in Beaverton

I’ve been trying to give this place the benefit of the doubt for a little over a year, but it’s become apparent to me that I can’t support this business in good faith, anymore. Here’s my major complaints that I have gathered in the last 14 months of visiting this store:

Having loud pop-punk or vocaloid music play over the speakers is not conducive to a decent customer experience. In fact it’s rude, and off-putting, especially as an autistic person that can’t deal with excessive sounds layering on top of each other. The loud music makes it incredibly hard to focus on shopping.

The business phone, and how it’s handled, is also very unprofessional. First off, the synthwave ringtone is both unnecessarily loud, and incredibly distracting. Second, and most importantly, I have endured the experience of four different employees opting to interrupt a sale/conversation to answer the phone, instead.

On that note, neglecting over-the-counter customers, in order to prioritize answering the phone is simply unacceptable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a distributor calling, a customer asking for pricing & availability, or even if it’s God himself calling about when you open/close. It’s straight-up insulting to have almost purchased a product, only to be interrupted by the counter person to stop the sale, and answer the phone. (Especially when it becomes a 2-5 minute phone call)

If this phone prioritization is because of employees choosing to do so, that’s one thing. But it’s apparent that prioritizing phones over in-store customers is a backwards company policy that makes you, Chronos Games, look like you are actively resentful of in-store customers. Either have the resources available to have someone designated to answering phones, or hire enough employees to actually help all of your customers at all times. If a mom & pop shop with two employees can do it, then you don’t have an excuse to not also do so.

There’s one employee in particular, who I assume is one of the people who actually runs the business, and she’s rude. (The older one, not the younger one. The younger girl is pleasant and very professional) On multiple occasions will this older one look up the price of a single, and DRASTICALLY overprice a damaged/heavily played card as a near-mint listing on TCGPlayer. Pricing $35 for a $30 card is understandable, as the business needs to make money, but to sell that same card for $50, and it’s not even near mint? Really? You all understand you’re actively competing against both internet, AND proxies/my printer, right?

Finally, the point of sales system is genuinely a POS. It’s cute when there’s temporary issues with the card reader, but it’s not cute when those same issues become permanent and the employees are apathetic to it. If a food truck can handle a Clover Tablet point of sales system, then I don’t understand why you can’t shell out the money to have a similar one. Customer experience supersedes overhead costs, especially when your business has four different competitors in very close proximity.

As far as positives go, the atmosphere is very akin to old-school clubhouse local game stores. The selection of products is exceptional, and the inclusion of import products & plushies is also a very clever way to etch out a niche in this community. It would be nice if I could actually buy these things, without having to be interrupted by phone calls that can wait, and that’s why I can’t give this place more...

UPDATE 11/6/2021

I’m so disappointed in how my partner was treated in this store. It’s embarrassing they’re charging over charging for tales of aria 9.00 per back but 100 a box which is a 116% up charge . How does that make sense?

When asked about it the manager and employee behind the counter patronized, ridiculed, and made fun of my partner for this. It’s amazing how someone rather make another individual a bad guy instead of admitting for their own fault.

The costumer service here is in the sewer, will not be visiting again and I discourage any one else from coming here. Go to Mox Or any other local shop that has fair prices and treats their costumers with respect.

very clean and organized multiple Pokémon binders for you to flip through single Pokémon cards they also have display case with some first edition cards so lots of magic flesh and blood Pokémon when I was there Pokémon packs were four per person you can play with other people different types of games there’s a seating area multiple plushes multiple board games...

Straight up terrible if you have any questions related to board games, different games from a company who makes others that are out of stock, fun games for 2, twice now i’ve asked for information or suggestions and gotten sorry I don’t know both times. Once they contacted their board game person for suggestions, which was appreciated, but the service and information here relating to anything other than collectible card game sales is atrocious. I just use reddit to look up information when I go there, because asking any of the people working there has been an exercise in futility. The store also smells pretty gross. 🤮 Unfortunately it’s the only board game store nearby the apartment. I guess i’m more of a board game dnd role playing kind of person and this store seems to be geared towards magic the gathering and...