spookyevilone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spookyevilone) wrote2009-05-06 02:36 pm
spookyevilone) wrote2009-05-06 02:36 pm
Entry tags:
Red, this one's for you.
I had to go into Borders today for work. Having been warned by Red that Borders has instituted a mandatory "Assault our customers with books they don't want and harass them if they get within 20' of you" policy, I spent the transit time thinking up how to politely but firmly answer the poor employees forced to be "helpful".
I was not even 10 steps into the front door when the first employee approached. I was asked if I needed help finding anything. I politely said no. She did not offer me a Make Book. I managed to find my way to the book I needed, had it off the shelf and in hand and was checking the pub date to make sure it was a recent printing, when opportunity in the form of an overly cheerful trainee trailed by her manager struck. The manager lurked behind, facing a shelf *. The employee asked if they could help me find anything, and when I said no and proffered the book I'd gone there to purchase, she asked if I'd be interested in checking out a book she had recently read and thought was "really great!!" - you could hear the double exclamation points.
Staring at her with a slight, bemused smile, I asked seriously, "Does it involve necrophilia with skin-sloughed chimerical human beings and other members of the undead class?" She blinked and said no. Before she could continue, I raised eyebrows hopefully and asked, "An epic war between homosexual fae and uptight Republican dwarves in a post-apocalyptic universe?" More blinking, but the light was going on. She said no and cut her eyes at her manager. I tried a third time, "The secret lives of underpants gnomes?" She was trying not to laugh as she shook her head.
The manager stepped over with a smile and tried to intercede, "Actually, it's about.." I stared him down, Icy Glare of Death firmly in place, and interrupted, "Harassment due to a store policy, wherein the customer is pestered to death when they clearly have zero interest in the title being thrust upon them?" He literally choked. I continued, "Please pass on my opinion that this Make Book policy sucks. It is not hand selling. Hand selling would involve asking me what interests me, not attempting to wheedle me into purchasing something that will keep you from getting written up and fired. High marks to your trainee. She was courteous and cheerful in trying to fulfill Borders' retarded, unreasonable, and disgusting new policy." The trainee had her hands over her mouth, trying not to let the laugh out.
As he stood there staring at me as though I'd just kicked his favourite puppy, I went to the cashier, handed them the book and the cash and stated I was not able to donate because it was a corporate purchase.
They're lucky I was warned about the policy. I leave it as an exercise of my loyal reader's imagination as to what would have happened if I'd been accosted unprepared.
* - By "Facing", I mean making sure the books all look pretty on the shelf, not ..standing toward the shelf.
I was not even 10 steps into the front door when the first employee approached. I was asked if I needed help finding anything. I politely said no. She did not offer me a Make Book. I managed to find my way to the book I needed, had it off the shelf and in hand and was checking the pub date to make sure it was a recent printing, when opportunity in the form of an overly cheerful trainee trailed by her manager struck. The manager lurked behind, facing a shelf *. The employee asked if they could help me find anything, and when I said no and proffered the book I'd gone there to purchase, she asked if I'd be interested in checking out a book she had recently read and thought was "really great!!" - you could hear the double exclamation points.
Staring at her with a slight, bemused smile, I asked seriously, "Does it involve necrophilia with skin-sloughed chimerical human beings and other members of the undead class?" She blinked and said no. Before she could continue, I raised eyebrows hopefully and asked, "An epic war between homosexual fae and uptight Republican dwarves in a post-apocalyptic universe?" More blinking, but the light was going on. She said no and cut her eyes at her manager. I tried a third time, "The secret lives of underpants gnomes?" She was trying not to laugh as she shook her head.
The manager stepped over with a smile and tried to intercede, "Actually, it's about.." I stared him down, Icy Glare of Death firmly in place, and interrupted, "Harassment due to a store policy, wherein the customer is pestered to death when they clearly have zero interest in the title being thrust upon them?" He literally choked. I continued, "Please pass on my opinion that this Make Book policy sucks. It is not hand selling. Hand selling would involve asking me what interests me, not attempting to wheedle me into purchasing something that will keep you from getting written up and fired. High marks to your trainee. She was courteous and cheerful in trying to fulfill Borders' retarded, unreasonable, and disgusting new policy." The trainee had her hands over her mouth, trying not to let the laugh out.
As he stood there staring at me as though I'd just kicked his favourite puppy, I went to the cashier, handed them the book and the cash and stated I was not able to donate because it was a corporate purchase.
They're lucky I was warned about the policy. I leave it as an exercise of my loyal reader's imagination as to what would have happened if I'd been accosted unprepared.
* - By "Facing", I mean making sure the books all look pretty on the shelf, not ..standing toward the shelf.
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OMG.
I am dying. I am laughing SO HARD. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU. I love you.
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... though if I had a spycam, I could recreate it..
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As I started to move out of that area, he approached me and said something along the lines of, "I couldn't help but notice the type of books you were looking at. I just finished this book and loved it. I wouldn't have recommend it to you if you'd been looking through the fluffy new releases but, since you weren't, I think you may like this."
As it turns out, I did. When I went back and thanked him for the recommendation later that week, he was very pleased.
To me, that's how you do it. If it's forced, it's pointless and borderline insulting.
P.S. I would very much like a copy of The Secret Lives of Underpants Gnomes.
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P.S. Your birthday's coming up. I'd ask if you've been a good boy, but that's a self-answering question.
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P.S. I have been a good boy lately, though! In fact, just today in Email at work somebody said, "Dang you're good!"
P.P.S. I'm not sure if I'm even going to be able to go, but there's this thing at Ground Zero this Friday that you might find interesting.
http://www.darktwincities.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=6163
I'm hoping to go, but still not 100% sure I'll be able to make it.
P.P.P.S. I just wanted to add another pp. We should do something soon, though, if you're free.
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Superstore-chain-looks-to-apf-15135741.html?.v=1
Our reaction to that article can be found in the comments here:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/index.asp?layout=talkBackCommentsFull&articleid=CA6656280&talk_back_header_id=6598880
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-bs
could I respond to this?
I'm surprised it took customers this long to get wise to it, but I don't want anyone to avoid Borders because of this. A firm, No thanks, (or even, sorry I don't want a make item if you want to be subversive) is cool by me, you won't hear another thing about them.
Borders seriously burned its bridges with publishers last year as they, in a bad economic climate, sent a lot of books back to claim credit on pre-exsisting agreements, rather than paying their current bills. This was done to pay down debt, but publishers are upset with us. This plan is specifically to show big publisher's what the market power of the company is.
So, yes, if you come into a borders you might get an enthusiastic recommendation for one of a couple of books. That doesn't make the people that work there robots. They have to start with a book, that is pushed, and heck, lots of folks are just buying a gift, etc.. please, please, just say 'no' and then the bookseller that was dying to just find out your needs and help you has done their duty and can help you out.
They're good at their jobs, and love books, and want to sell books. They've also probably read a ton in their interests, and if not yours can radio and get you someone in the staff that reads what you read.
I feel fairly safe here talking about these things, and I'm fairly sure it is clear what I do, just remember Booksellers are actual people, most of them making about 7.50 - 9.00 an hour. If you are upset with this policy, there is a customer care center on the website you can call. I'd complain about the policy itself, not the folks that have to implement it. The stores are still there. And might not be if people stop spending in them.
I'm just a fan of borders.. um, could we keep this post between us? I'd be happy to answer any questions raised in private message.
Re: could I respond to this?
I used to love Borders, but I won't voluntarily be going into their stores until these policies change. Which I sent to their customer care email address. I don't like being harassed when I shop, especially not when I shop for books.
Re: could I respond to this?
Re: could I respond to this?
As a bookseller, if someone is a reader, my one small joy in my job is finding something they haven't read that they should have. And even if it gets me fired, I'm not going to stop doing that. You're going to get an honest recomendation from me.
But, unfortunately, you are going to get some recomendation. I have to engage every customer that comes within my firing distance, and firing distance it is, and at least ask you if you want a recomendation.
I personally, don't want to be engaged when I go into a bookstore, I want some space to browse, and if I want a recomendation, I'll ask, and I hope for a good one. So, agahst, a little bit.
It varies from store to store, our store, well, we recognize reality, and our GM understands that we are booksellers, and not robots. Some others I've heard horror stories about booksellers required to *carry* a copy of the make item until they sell it.
Its an ugly time. The wolves are at the door. But please do remember, if someone is working at Borders it is because they love books, and they are probably more pissed off about this than you. After all, for the customer, it is a nice bookstore that has for some reason turned strange, for us, well we have to deal with this over and over :)
Re: could I respond to this?
I personally, don't want to be engaged when I go into a bookstore, I want some space to browse, and if I want a recomendation, I'll ask, and I hope for a good one. So, agahst, a little bit.
And this is the crux of my issue. I don't want to be bothered. If I have questions, I know where to go.