{"id":29517,"date":"2019-05-06T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T14:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=29517"},"modified":"2019-05-06T10:00:47","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T14:00:47","slug":"bookseller-improv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=29517","title":{"rendered":"Bookseller Improv"},"content":{"rendered":"

A truly hilarious thread developed this weekend on Facebook in a group maintained by indie booksellers. A certain wry sense of humor develops when one works in retail, and the added fodder of customer comments regarding ordering product online – while they are SHOPPING IN THE BOOKSTORE – is sometimes just too tempting to resist. I thought I would share the conversation with you as a “sneak peek” into the mind of your friendly local bookseller, as they direct you towards the self-help aisle. (And watch for some of these folks on the local comedy club circuit – or at least as potential “guest posters” on this blog – in the future!)
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>The conversation\/comedy routine began with this comment and prompt from Keith Lewis, owner of Bookie’s in Homewood, Ill.:
\nToday at the local grocery store, I walked up to the customer service desk and said, \u201cI just wanted to let you know that I got apple juice at Whole Foods.\u201d Oh wait. No I didn\u2019t, because that\u2019s not a normal thing to do. Also I wouldn\u2019t shop at Whole Foods.<\/em><\/strong>
\nKeith’s post struck a nerve (or a funny bone or two, because over the next day or so, the following riffs were added on to the theme:
\nWhen I went to pick up my new contacts yesterday from my eye doctor, I asked them how they stayed in business when everyone orders contacts online these days….\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(from Bob Lingle at Off the Beaten Path)
\nFrom Luann Stauss:
\nI walked in, looked around, took pictures and then left after telling the owner that I was really glad real bakeries were still around. It’s a tough business and need the moral support.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\nSam Droke-Dickinson, owner of Dice \u00a0& Pen and Aaron’s Books in central Pennsylvania, offered:
\nI sat in the local pizzeria after asking them for recommendations for 10 minutes, ordering Domino’s for delivery three days from now, even though I was hungry for pizza now.<\/em><\/strong>
\nKevin Coolidge (My Shelf Books & Gifts) replied: Did you ask if Domino’s delivers? Maybe to that pizzeria?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Sam):\u00a0I just assumed that’s who they get their pizza from too… I mean doesn’t everyone?<\/em><\/strong>
\nKeith Lewis jumped in with this scenario:
\nI walked into Best Buy. I asked them if they had any used iPhone XIII Pluses. They said it wasn\u2019t released yet, so I asked them if they had any inexpensive ones. They said they only had the iPhone XS Plus. I took a free brochure about it from the counter.<\/em><\/strong>
\nFrom Roxanna Malone McGinnis at Get Lit Bookshop:
\n I went to the hair salon, looked at their style books, and told them that I save a lot of money coloring my own hair with Madison Reed. Then I told them they had a lovely shop and left.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em>
\nAnd from Fleur Gerble at Le Papillion Bleu:
\n I went to the local patisserie, took pictures of their nicest looking “g\u00e2teaux.”
\nWhen the lady asked what I was doing, I smiled to her, told her how wonderful it is to have that place in the neighborhood. Then I went home and made my own cake, it’s cheaper.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\nI went into a music store and played every guitar while the salesperson gave me information on each one. Then I ordered the one I liked online. Of course I then asked the clerk if he\u2019d stock my band\u2019s demo. I\u2019d give him a $2 discount off the price I sell them for!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(from Keith Lewis)
\nFrom Kevin Coolidge:
\n I went to the grocery store. Uggh, the prices. I made sure to let the clerk know that I don’t buy new food.<\/em><\/strong>
\nDebbie Austin Sullivan at Book Oasis stayed with the food theme:
\nI went to the market and took a bite of several items then put them back, didn’t like them after all.<\/em><\/strong>
\nFrom Amy Anderson Henkenius at Amy’s Bookcase:
\nI went to a jewelry store and tried on every ring, then I told the clerk, “I’m just going to get one out of a gum machine. Thanks, though. You have a nice shop.”<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\nAdded by Kathy Magruder, owner of Pageturners Bookstore in Indianola, Iowa:
\n I stopped in the paint store to ask if they would let me return that neon orange paint they custom mixed for me a year and a half ago. But I love their store!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\nAnd finally, this exchange begun by Kevin Coolidge:
\nI went to the grocery store. Uggh, the prices. I made sure to let the clerk know that I don’t buy new food.<\/em><\/strong>
\nIs this your BEST price for this Kraft Macaroni and Cheese?<\/strong><\/em>
\nand the ultimate zinger, from Fleur Gerble:
\n And can you match Walmart prices?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n 
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An amusing Facebook exchange between booksellers responds to annoying customer comments in their stores. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29517\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}