Last time we learned how to put the books back. Or more specifically, to not put them back at all unless you are doing it right. Today I'd like to cover a new topic: How to Ask For Help.
Let me begin by saying that I totally understand when people want to look for something themselves. Browse away. It's fun to find things for your own. We get it. You are not obligated to accept our help.
But we will offer to help you. We offer out of politeness, and also because we know more than you.
Oh, I'm sorry, that might have sounded mean. But let me clarify.
I don't mean, of course, that we are smarter than you. Okay, we're definitely smarter than a percentage of people who shop in our store, but when I say we know more than you, I mean we know the store better than you, and our inventory better than you.
So if you don't ask for our help, or you don't accept our help, don't get mad at us when you can't find something. Definitely don't make ridiculous accusations. "Did you all get rid of your travel section or something?" "I guess you guys don't carry graphic novels." "Do you not have music anymore?"
Wrong. False. Stop being ridiculous. All you have to say, and this really shouldn't come as a surprise, is, "Hi, I'm looking for _______." We will spring into eager action to retrieve what you need.
Which leads me to another point. If you want to browse the cooking section, please ask us, "Can you point me to the cooking section?" But if what you want is Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, then please. JUST SAY THAT. If you want something specific, just ask for that thing. Otherwise something like this is bound to happen:
LADY: Hi, can you point me to your travel section?
ME: Sure, I'll walk you over there. Anywhere specific?
LADY: I'll just look around, thanks.
ME: Okay, my name is Amy if you need more help.
(Five minutes later, she re-approches the info desk.)
LADY: Why don't you have any books about Kenya?
ME: I could literally slap you.
That last line ever only happens in my head, of course. But can you understand the frustration? Some version of this conversation happens almost every day I'm at work. If this lady would have just said, "Could you please show me books about traveling to Kenya?" then she'd be happy and I wouldn't feel like slapping anyone. That's a win-win.
The other good reason to ask us for help is because we know things you couldn't possibly know. We know which school books we do and don't have, and we can retrieve them in 4.6 seconds flat. You could too, if twelve people had asked you for To Kill A Mockingbird in the past two hours. We know the title and author of that book you heard about on NPR yesterday morning, and we know that our store is sold out but that the Cool Springs store still has copies. We can call them and have one held for you. We know that $30 hardcover you're about to buy is coming out in paperback for half the price next week. We may even know the title of "that one book about some brothers and I think there's a bird on the cover." I once found a book for a lady and all she knew was that the word "Rose" was somewhere in the title.
We can be especially helpful when you don't know what you want or what you need. I wish more people understood this. My bookstore is not McDonalds. Or Wal-Mart. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those places. But no one is working at Borders because they lack the skills to work anywhere else. Almost everyone is college educated (more than one of my colleagues has or is working towards an advanced degree), and we are all avid (sometimes rabid) readers. Our staff covers a broad spectrum of interests and specialties. You like history and politics, you see Andy. You want high-brow lit? Evan's read books you wish you were smart enough to have even heard of. Luanne can tell you the author and title of just about every genre novel in the store. I can pick out a book your 6th grade son who hates reading won't be able to put down. The list goes on.
So if you want to browse, browse. You are welcome to stay in our store for hours at a time. Curl up in a chair and read a whole book for all we care. Don't break the spine, of course, because then we can't sell it. And don't leave a mess, because this isn't your living room. And don't steal things, because that is wrong.
But if you need something specific, you're always better off asking. And if you just want some suggestions, we're pretty good at those. We like reading. We want you to like it too.
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