Irate periodical lady.

[sweetjosephine]

Figured I should stop lurking and actually post

Comments

[sailorlibra2884]

Haha, don't send them to Borders!! That's where I work!!

I like it when the customers get mad and say "Well...I'll just go to Barnes & Noble then." I would love to say "You go right on ahead and do that, I'm sure they'll be happy to have you you crazy idiot."

Some people are just dumb.

[stiff_kittens]

I love how, when a customer does threaten to go to B&N, they expect soem sort of great reaction from us. As if we'll burst into tears at the thought of someone shopping at the competitor. Though I'm sure Borders Co. would prefer it if we did..

[eternalbob]

I do cry.

Tears of joy, that is.

[sweetjosephine]

we need some kind of "bookstore customers are idiots, and it doesn't matter which rival company you work for, you're still sympathetic to the other" club.

i know it's lame, but highlight of my day? calling nearby stores. cause i can hear the exasperation in their voice, and know that they're just as emotionally (and s ometimes physically) tired as i am after dealing with the customers.

[warpsmith]

Magazine lead is a stressful job. How are you holding up?

[sweetjosephine]

just fine thanks.

[nightlywander]

I'm the pseudo Head of Magazines at a Chapters (think B&N Canada style) in Ontario. I say 'pseudo' because it's a role I've had to assume rather than my being given any sort of title or fanfare. =) The problem I seem to be having the most these days is people calling in and saying, "Well, on the [insert magazine title(s) here] website it says it was out on the 1st! It's the 17th! Why don't you have it yet?!" and so and so.

I never realized how many peoples happiness relied solely on their magazines. ;p

[sweetjosephine]

as much as i enjoy magazines and how my job semi depends on them (by semi i mean, to some extent) it's not the same thing as reading a good piece of literature. just because you hang out at our store on sunday night, reading and buying magazines, does not mean you can call yourself a literary scholar. a b&n membercard holder, sure, but there's no reason to be elitist.

ps....LOVE chapters. when we get canadians in our store i always ask about chapters/indigo and dream of someday going.

i'm a nut, i know.

[threw_a_spark]

To be honest, unless they dragged on for say, 45 minutes or so, I usually loved the overly chatty customers, for the simple fact that I was getting *paid* to listen to them. Also, I feel that the chain bookstores have such a "you are the customers bitch make them happy at all costs" mentality, that there's no way they could ever hold it against me successfully that I spent too much time listening to customers (Although I was simple floor help, and The Man had taken away all my worthwhile responsibilities in the name of customer service. As in, people must spend too much time involved in tasks like "knowing the product" and "putting away product" that they have no time for "customers", so if we take away their jobs there'll be nothing left for them to do but satisfy the wandering populace's every whim.).

Even at Powells, I liked the chatty people, but that's only because they were generally a more intelligent breed than the Borders folk (no offense...I guess.).

[sweetjosephine]

Eh, to some extent, it's true... Powells does get a better breed than us chains. And I do like to talk to people, I'm generally a friendly person, but when I have other things I should be doing (most times, there's also go-backs, or messy sections, or other customers, or...etc) it's not the time to tell me about Juicy cutore (sp?) andhow you can only get it at once place, that I've never heard of, in town.

I think she thought I was a girl. My voice, while not overly effeminate, is pretty high and I do get "ma'am" over the phone a lot.