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I agree that there are better ways to run your company, and after working for blockbuster and being both and instore and online customer I would know.

But, I completely disagree that everything mentioned in the article is Blockbusters fault.

First and foremost, they get anywhere from 10 - 200 of any given movie in the middle of the week.  The number of actual movies that they receive at a store is based on statistical analysis of how well the movie did in the theater, if it went to the theater, and how well a specific store rents out all of their movies.  The last thing that Blockbuster does is take a guess, based on averages, as to how long people will keep a movie past the date it is due.

All of the math and the analysis that is done cannot combat the stupidity and unreliability of the average American.  Basically what I am saying, is that when you rent a movie and you don’t return it on time it screws the next guy who wants to rent that movie.  Not only that, but if you are going into Blockbuster after 7:00pm on a Friday or Saturday night, and expect to see a new release movie on the wall, I’m sorry but you’re not going to find it.  There have literally been anywhere from 50 - 300 people in the store from the time it opened until you got there.  Not only that, but the movie has been on the wall since the middle of the week, if you wanted it that bad you should have gone in on Thursday.

The long lines are another thing.  Partly, they are due to the fact that people steal.  People will steal anything they can get away with.  The rule is, if it isn’t bolted to the floor, or over 150lbs it will probably find a way to just walk out the door.  So, in order to not loose millions of dollars due to stolen inventory, blockbuster locks up their movies in order to make them harder to steal.  It takes a while to remove the movies from these cases.

Part of the long line problem is also the upsell.  Employees are instructed to upsell everything from food, drinks, more movies, and rewards subscriptions.  The reason? Because renting movies is not profitable like you would imagine.  Blockbuster historically has had to spend more per movie to get them early from the studios so that they can have them available on the release date for you.  Not only that, but Blockbuster is a for-profit company which requires profitable sales to make money.

Part of the long line problem is also you, the customer.  You know what you are going to need when you get to the front of the line. You will need your movies, your rental card, your ID, and your money.  This isn’t hard.  You just spent a half hour or more browsing movies thinking about which one you want to watch.  Think a step ahead, get your shit together and have it ready. You can literally speed the line up all by yourself.

I don’t work there anymore, I did during highschool.  I also don’t usually go there anymore, and I don’t use their online services either.  i just find it extremely frustrating when stupid people make stupid comments about things they have no idea about.  If you are angry about something, post about, talk about, and share your experience.  YOUR EXPERIENCE, do not assume that you know what is going on, and that you have all the facts unless you too have EXPERIENCED it from both sides.  I will also add, it has been years, things have changed, but the power of human stupidity, conceitedness, and short tempers all mixed together will astound every time.

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