Dear /lit/,
I'm a bookseller at Barnes and Noble. That's what they call us, "booksellers." I would like to apologize to you all.
Barnes and Noble is, as you know, as large corporation. Their goal is to make as much money as possible. For that reason, they instruct us booksellers to act a certain way to our customers:
1) Do not go to great lengths talking to the customers about books.
2) If they ask you for an opinion on a book, always give the answer, "It's great!"
3) When at the register, always, always, ALWAYS, try to sell the customer a B&N membership card.
4) Always ask for email addresses so the customer can get "free coupons" (i.e. Spam ads).
5) And, once again, NEVER talk to the customer for too long.
For that reason, I'm sorry. I see you all walk up to the information desk with copies of books I absolutely adore. However, I'm forced to simply help you find whatever it is you're looking for and then quickly depart to find the next customer to help. I speak on behalf of all booksellers: We would LOVE to talk to you! However, the corporation tells us we cannot.
/lit/, next time you go in to Barnes and Noble, really ask your bookseller what they think of a piece of literature. I mean, REALLY ask them. You'll notice them get a little uncomfortable. That's because they probably know that they can talk for hours about that book... but unfortunately the store managers are watching them from their offices on little cameras posted up all around the store.
Truly sorry.
>>7999041
I wonder if this is true at Half Price Books too. But I get the feeling it's not. When vinyl is sold they'll talk for a good lot of time, but none of them will ever talk with me about books.
>>7999041
>5) And, once again, NEVER talk to the customer for too long.
You have to apologize for this? I want for you to fuck off when I'm checking out books. I don't care if you like something I'm buying, you most likely didn't have anything meaningful to say about it anyway.
>>7999041
Is that why the qt3.14s never seem interested in my patrician books I'm buying?
>>7999063
We're not going to try to make you talk to us. But if you try to have a conversation with us, we will usually move through it super fast so we can ditch you and get back to shelving. If you want to be left alone then we don't talk to you.
>>7999041
Did they also tell you to smirk condescendingly at kids who look like they are trying to be "smart" by buying "smart people books" but are really just genuinely into that stuff and feel embarrassed that people would think that's the reason they read.
>>7999166
Maybe you should stop caring what people who work at a book store think about you especially in regards to your intelligence.
They make what? $10 an hour? Who cares.
>>7999166
I remember feeling the same way. I think that's why I always order books on Amazon
>>7999041
It sounds like you should commit suicide
>>7999508
When you're a kid things like that seem like a very big deal.
Obviously I'm not like that anymore.
>>7999041
>Large corporation asks its entry level employees to act like normal retail employees.
Are people surprised at this?
Though I did work at Whole Foods for a while, and it was nice that they didn't tell us to do anything like this. Apparently, people are okay with paying double if the employees make them feel special. I actually looked forward to talking with and helping customers since it was the least mind numbing part of my day. That being said, retail sucks no matter the form.
>>7999041
Was this why I couldn't get Jasmine (read her nametag) to talk to me about "The History of Sexuality" by Michael Foucault that I was trying to buy?
I work at barnes and noble too and the only thing in op that is true are the emails and member cards.
They like staff being savvy in literature and everyone in my store has vastly different tastes and preferences
We're encouraged to talk about books to vustomers and make recommendations based on their tastes and our own...it's a business. They'll buy more books that way and enjoy their experience here
So Barnes and Noble is from Soviet Russia.
I want to be left alone when I'm shopping, sounds like they've got a good policy.
>I mean, REALLY ask them. You'll notice them get a little uncomfortable.
incredible bait
>>7999041
Any decent store manager worth his salt would allow those staff that are capable of it to have deeper/longer discussions about literature with customers. A relationship with customers is more likely to keep returning and buying from the store as opposed to just looking at a book there and then buying it on Amazon.
I can understand the caution about allowing the more 'autistic' workers to get into discussions, though.
It's OK, OP. It's no one's fault, its part of the cycle of the cosmos. I accept your apology.
>>8001209
I just like them to stfu and let me do my shopping in peace.
>>8001233
Well, I do too, but if a customer is the one to initiate a conversation (which is generally what OP's post is about), it's a different discussion than if I'm not trying to engage the staff in discussion.
>>8001209
This guy is calling you autistic, OP. Are you just going to lie down and take that?
>>8001239
That or I'm calling OP's manager a dumbass. OP will know which of those options fits best.
>tfw had a 15 minute conversation about Proust with a small local bookshop owner
fuck B&N
>>8001239
he's keeping his silence as he was told to do. Don't you get it.
>>7999041
Recently had a conversation with a clerk at a small local bookstore about translations of Republic.
Nobody at B&N ever says shit to me lol. That sucks man sorry to hear, honestly.
>>8001290
I was talking to an independent bookstore owner when doing Christmas shopping for my family and friends a few months ago. He told me that his book merchant friends have stories where a customer would ask them to recommend or describe a book, and then buy it off Amazon on their smartphone in front of them. Thanking them for their advice, of course.
Is this just an inevitable and acceptable symptom of modern capitalism, /lit/? Or do local independent bookstores deserve our support?
>>7999508
what does their pay have to do with anything?
>go into B&N
>half the store just shitty pop culture toys
>walk out
Funny, I used to love spending my days in there before I actually got into literature.
>>8001374
Don't you like mugs that advertise to your pleb friends that you read Dickens?
>>8001314
>Is this just an inevitable and acceptable symptom of modern capitalism, /lit/? Or do local independent bookstores deserve our support?
both
>>8001374
One zone of the store is ETG and there might be a small area of Funko shit and board games, other SHC
Don't act like half the store is toys
>>8001392
naw dude I want that Minecraft creeper mug
>>8001407
Nah, them anime plushies are where it's at.
that's an odd way to go about it. when I worked for sunglass hut we would have to have conversations with people and learn 3 things about them before trying to sell. if I worked at Barnes and Noble I'd ask what your favorite books are and authors and genres then recommend ones that are similar or you haven't read yet and sell you loads of shit.
>>7999041
I only use you guys for gunpla desu.
