'I Think I Can Manage' is a weekly column by retailer Steven Bates, who runs Bookery Fantasy, a million dollar retail operation in Fairborn, Ohio. This week, Bates updates us on a prior storyline, which he wrote about on four occasions (see 'Breaking Away; Breaking Away, Too; Breaking Away, Three; and Breaking Away, For?').
Who says there's no justice?
Long-time readers of 'I Think I Can Manage' might recall an early column (or three) about an ex-employee, who after sabotaging our inventory and intentionally running off our customers opened a store in competition with the Bookery. Plundering our livelihood as an insider, then joining up with a silent partner from out of town, this former manager sought not just to compete, but to hobble us, stealing away the customers and reputation we had worked so diligently for so many years to nurture. Needless to say, we were blind-sided. After all, this was an individual in whom we had placed both trust and responsibility, someone we had trained and let loose, with near-complete autonomy, over a branch store catering to gamers (a vital part of our bottom line). In short, we felt betrayed.
After many false starts, this ex-Bookery games manager finally opened his shop, encountering numerous difficulties and setbacks. Ironically, the store opened about the same time the gaming industry was officially declared 'in a slump.' He was somewhat successful in luring away a segment of our customer base, though we regained a few who had stopped shopping with us because of this guy! We weathered the situation remarkably well, thanks largely to my Assistant Manager, Chuck Casto, who ably assumed the reins of the gaming store; and a great staff, most notably Adam Taliscka, Jon Brougher, and Andy Coen. Of course, our loyal customers made the transition even smoother, running demos and tournaments and just supporting us in all the ways that really counted.
Bookery Fantasy Games & Toys survived the breakaway employee's attempt to undermine us, growing stronger and more profitable despite a lull in the gaming industry. Rumors about the ex-manager's problems trickled back to us through a gamers' grapevine: credit problems with contractors, busted by games manufacturers for various violations of policies, run-ins with other competitors. Most intriguing was a story that the out-of-town partner had grown weary and distrustful, and sought to replace him only months after opening.
In March we received news that the silent partner had indeed parted ways with our ex, citing the business equivalent of 'irreconcilable differences.' Seems he, too, had finally seen the truth. Along with that news came an even more intriguing revelation: another ex-Bookery employee and games manager would be taking over!!! Scott, a good friend who had worked for us before heading off for grad school, was returning to the Dayton area and taking over this foundering store. Now, Scott is someone we like, respect, and trust, a man of impeccable integrity, and he's also someone we'll be honored to call a friendly competitor. The gaming business, at least in Dayton, just got a lot more interesting.
Last week, we got a call from the out-of-town silent partner, a gentleman named Pat. Pat wanted to clear the air about a few things, fill us in on the transition in power at his store, and, basically, apologize. He'd been sucked in by our former games manager's lies and exaggerations, and felt that things had been poorly handled on his end. When the deal started to unravel, and he knew that he had been duped, Pat told me he printed out one my ICv2 columns and read it to his soon-to-be-ex-manager/partner. He told the guy 'This is what your ex-employer said about you; now it's happening to me. What does that tell you?' A few days later, our friend Scott was running the store.
As bitter and depressed and angry as I was last year when our games manager broke away to open his own place, this turn of events has me equally enthused, energized, and elated. Justice has been served; the karmic wheel is complete. I can look back on the situation and be proud of the way the Bookery handled itself--honorably, with dignity, and maturity -- and know that we took the high road. Whatever the future may hold, we're prepared.