tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post8963089783238899709..comments2024-03-13T07:34:24.149+00:00Comments on The Age of Uncertainty: "Do you have that cookery book with the red cover?"Steerforthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-9125698184247090262013-01-05T10:11:17.092+00:002013-01-05T10:11:17.092+00:00Cat - It's amazing how common those enquiries ...Cat - It's amazing how common those enquiries were. I think Google has made a huge difference, both in a positive way (booksellers can now type these random words into a search screen) and a negative (so can the customers, who don't need to visit bookshops any more to find the information).<br /><br />Booksellers were human search engines.<br /><br />Anon - Thanks for reminding me about this book. I read about it last year and then forgot all about it.<br /><br />Chris - That's wonderful - "Jewish fellow" - I shall use that one!Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-30351452837700109852013-01-04T18:45:31.656+00:002013-01-04T18:45:31.656+00:00One of my favorites, related by a former student o...One of my favorites, related by a former student of mine who worked for as time at a huge book-o-plex: A woman had been watching Oprah; Oprah had recommended "East of Something, by, um, I can't remember the name, but he was a Jewish fellow." I think she quit and went to grad school that day (my former student, not the Oprah lady).<br />Chris Matarazzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17885109959459471509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-32751875603266905022013-01-01T23:12:19.086+00:002013-01-01T23:12:19.086+00:00They have produced a collection of "weird thi...They have produced a collection of "weird things customers say in bookshops" based on a blog. (Jen Campbell Published by Constable and Robinson.)<br />Someone looking for a book about this size to fit in the gap on the shelf. Very funny. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-48189964471801148492012-12-31T14:48:29.151+00:002012-12-31T14:48:29.151+00:00I had my mother, a retired librarian, read this po...I had my mother, a retired librarian, read this post.<br /> She laughed and then told a story about tracking down a book for a patron based on no other information but "blue with a dog on front."<br /><br />CatherineCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09559564041324931602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-4465423652150439252012-12-29T22:18:00.890+00:002012-12-29T22:18:00.890+00:00I suppose you're right. I've always felt l...I suppose you're right. I've always felt like a 'lurker' - reading dozens of tweets every day, but rarely contributing any of my own. I admire the brevity of Twitter, but the 140 rule usually defeats me. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-67626620040977946032012-12-29T21:50:15.527+00:002012-12-29T21:50:15.527+00:00Steerforth, if you read people's Tweets, you a...Steerforth, if you read people's Tweets, you are using Twitter. ;-) There's no rule that says you have to Tweet. Keep writing!Lucy R. Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08632983296994349550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-73459489214994927702012-12-29T09:05:00.834+00:002012-12-29T09:05:00.834+00:00Carol - I don't think anyone minds a faux pas ...Carol - I don't think anyone minds a <i>faux pas</i> - I've made a few myself, much to the amusement of some customers. <br /><br />Tim - In most cases, I like the review links and take pleasure in seeing someone's book do well. But there's one author who, although his book is already very successful, still feels the need to tweet links to every single positive customer review he gets on Amazon, which is a bit sad.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-89559532656940779672012-12-29T03:22:52.585+00:002012-12-29T03:22:52.585+00:00Can I tell you about the great review my cat got?Can I tell you about the great review my cat got?Tim Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14681067872556519250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-88074701881444709612012-12-29T00:31:45.043+00:002012-12-29T00:31:45.043+00:00Like Andi in the Attic, I owe you and every other ...Like Andi in the Attic, I owe you and every other bookseller an apology. I try not to be dense, but I'm sure I've committed my share of faux pas. It's called distraction ... and lack of focus! <br /><br />Hope you and your family will have a very happy new year! xoxox CarolCanadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-89361400224587740892012-12-28T23:08:10.216+00:002012-12-28T23:08:10.216+00:00Annie - Yes, I'd forgotten about the random no...Annie - Yes, I'd forgotten about the random non-book enquiries, like "Do you sell directors' chairs?" I suppose there was a connection, usually - you <i>read</i> in a chair and need a <i>lamp</i> to see.<br /><br />Brian -Didn't Billy Joel used to be taken quite seriously in the pre-Uptown Girl era? Ditto Stevie Wonder. The 80s were a bad time for 70s music heroes. <br /><br />When I was a manager, I probably spent too much time on the shop floor, but I liked to create the impression of being omnipresent, so I still got to deal with a lot of customers. I also remember how the really stupid ones were too dim to realise that they were in the wrong and yes, they looked at me as if I was the idiot. Happy days.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-65009391560699226532012-12-28T21:56:54.675+00:002012-12-28T21:56:54.675+00:00As a manager and (later) buyer, during my years wi...As a manager and (later) buyer, during my years with Canada's big box bookstore I rarely worked the floor. That said, I'd earlier treaded the carpets as an employee of Sam the Record Man, the country's big music chain.<br /><br />Two customer interactions stand out. The first, occurring each and every day, had to do with confusion over the way our inventory was displayed:<br /><br />Customer: "I can't find your Billy Joel albums."<br />Me: "They're right here, sir."<br />Customer: "Oh, I was looking under 'B'... you know, 'B' for Billy."<br /><br />I think it says something that no fans of David Bowie or Ella Fitzgerald were similarly confused.<br /><br />The second interaction - which occurred only once - began thusly:<br /><br />Customer: "I want a record by Simoné."<br />Me: "I'm not sure I've heard of Simoné."<br />Customer: "Oh, c'mon. Simoné! Simoné! He's a world-famous South American folk singer."<br />Me: "I'm embarrassed to say that I don't really know much about South American folk singers."<br /><br />In truth, I wasn't embarrassed at all. And "Simoné"? It turned out that what the customer wanted was a recording of "El Cóndor Pasa" by Simon & Garfunkel.<br /><br />I felt like a genius when I figured it out. The customer thought I was an idiot.Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-1501469267650428112012-12-28T21:01:30.977+00:002012-12-28T21:01:30.977+00:00Ah... I don't miss it but I have fond memories...Ah... I don't miss it but I have fond memories. My favourite one was a simple query, but it tickled me. "Where can I get a lamp?" Um, in a shop that sells lamps? <br /><br />Booksellers, we have ALL of the knowledge. <br /><br />These days I work part time in a public library. It brings it all back. A recent dopey customer of the day: 'do you have anything on here for children?' 'Here' being the internet.Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15941917503687179585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-66384898219773270582012-12-28T20:02:04.433+00:002012-12-28T20:02:04.433+00:00The Queen of Whale Cay is one of my favourite book...<i>The Queen of Whale Cay</i> is one of my favourite books. If I could be reincarnated, I'd definitely come back as a wealthy lesbian speedboat champion in the 1930s. <br /><br />I don't think booksellers minded the confusing information - it made the job more interesting. What we couldn't stand were the chippy customers who would get angry when we couldn't decipher their cryptic clues. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-17113685296707601992012-12-28T19:37:33.526+00:002012-12-28T19:37:33.526+00:00Lovely post.
I'm afraid I have been an idiot c...Lovely post.<br />I'm afraid I have been an idiot customer in the past. I wanted a book called 'The Queen of Whale Cay' and asked for 'The Queen of Wally Key'. Have got embarassed asking for 'A Woman Looks at Men's Bums' that I wanted to buy for my friend for christmas and sent an assistant on a wild goose chase looking for the wrong title by the wrong author. I apologise to all booksellers everywhere. xxAndi's English Attichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04136573194920355678noreply@blogger.com