This image is doing the rounds on the internet to be honest most of these grievances are applicable to almost any retail outlet. There was a time when I wanted to work in a bookstore, I was actually very close to applying for a job as a midnight shelf stacker in the Borders in Glasgow before I got my first job as a software developer. I think it was mainly because I hated working in a mobile phone shop, but also because I love books.
I miss Borders, but not because I ever bought any books there (I did occasionally but it was almost always cheaper on Amazon). I think that was their problem, they didn’t seem to care what they didn’t sell to people, they wanted to provide an environment where you could in fact just read the book in the store rather than buy it so that you might buy it half way through. This failed them because I think people just ended up reading the first few chapters in Borders and then ordering off of Amazon to finish the book.
- We hate when a book becomes popular simply because it was turned into a movie.
- It confused us when we were asked where the non-fiction section is.
- Nicholas Sparks is not a good writer … if you like him, fine, but facts are facts.
- We greatly dislike the phrase “Quick question.” It’s never true. And everyone seems to have one.
- Your summer reading list was our summer reading NIGHTMARE. Also, it’s called summerreading, not three days before school starts reading.
- It’s true that we lean to the left and think Glenn Beck is an idiot.
- We always knew when you were intently reading Better Homes and Gardens, it was really a hidden Playboy.
- Most of the time when you returned books you read them already — and we were onto you.
- Limit One Coupon did not mean one for every member of your family — this angered us. Also, we did know what coupons were out.
- It never bothered us when you threatened to shop at Barnes & Noble. We’d rather you do if you’re putting up a stink.
- “I was just here last week and saw this book there” meant nothing to us. The store changed once a week.
- When you walked in and immediately said, “I’m looking for a book,” what you really meant to say is, “I would like you to find me a book.” You never looked. It’s fine, it’s our job — but let’s be correct about what’s really happening here.
- If you don’t know the author, title, or genre, but you do know the color of the cover, we don’t either. How it was our fault that we couldn’t find it we’ll never understand.
- We were never a daycare. Letting your children run free and destroy our section destroyed a piece of our souls.
- Oprah was not the “final say” on what is awesome. We really didn’t care what was on her show or what her latest book club book was. Really.
- When you returned your SAT books, we knew you used them. We thought it wasn’t fair — seeing that we are not a library.
Via Shelf Life