Early bird gets the worm and all that...

Customer comes in with a piece of paper. (This was Christmas Eve)

Customer: I need this book for my wife.
Me: I'm sorry sir. We are sold out of that title. We expect to have some more in by the second week of January.
Customer: But I need this book.
Me: I'm afraid we don't have any more. I can try to recommend another book that she might like, or you could get her a gift certificate.
Customer: NO. I need THIS book. I've looked everywhere today.
Me: Sir, I'm sorry. It was a surprise to everyone that it became as popular as it did so quickly. The publisher is out of stock until January.
Customer: She's gonna know.
Me: Sorry?
Customer: My wife's gonna know I waited too late to get her gift...



He seemed so frightened I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He was trying to shop for a Specific thing on Christmas EVE. Sympathy lost.

Am I on candid camera?

Customer: Do you have and he gives me a title.
Me: Yes.
Customer: Oh. How about and he gives me another title.
Me: Yes.
Customer: Oh. How about and he gives me a third title.
Me: Yes.
Customer: In stock?
Me: Yes.... Would you like me to grab them for you?
Customer: Oh. Umm... No.

and he practicly RAN out of the store. Anyone care to hazard a guess? Anyone?

Whoa Nelly

A Phone Conversation

Me: ____________ Books. ____________ speaking.
Customer: I'm looking for a book.
Me: Okay.
Customer: I'm looking for a particular book.
Me: Okay.
Customer: If you don't have it in stock can you get it for Christmas?
Me: If we don't have it I wouldn't guaranty it arriving for Christmas at this point. It might make it it but it might not.
Customer: Fine. I'll order it someplace else.
Me: Don't you want me to see if we have it here in stock already?

The Customer has already hung up.

Patience is a virtue right?

If only they were practical jokes....

A phone conversation

Me: Hello _____________ Books. ___________ speaking.
Customer: Hello. Is this ______________ Books?
Me: Yes.
Customer: Is there anyone there I can speak to?
Me: Ummmm You can speak to me........


??????

Not the only one

Customer: If I saw a book on a website can you order it in for me?
Me: We can take a look and see, we usually can. What site was it on?
Customer: The yoga site.
Me: Okay, do you know the site address or what the name of the site was?
Customer: The yoga site.
Me: Okay.

So I try a search for "the yoga site" thinking this is the name of the actual site.

Me: Okay is this the site?

I have www.yogasite.com up on the screen.

Customer: No. The Yoga site.
Me: Okay.

So I try www.theyogasite.com - It doesn't exist.

So I try a search for "the yoga site" again leave the search list up.

Me: I'm sorry I can't seem to find The Yoga Site.
Customer: It's the first one on the list on my computer.
Me: Well take a look at the search list here, maybe you can see what site it is.

The customer looks

Customer: It's the first one on my computer.
Me: Okay but I'm not sure what site it is and it's not coming up in my search I guess. You'll have to check at home and find out what the site address is. You can just give us a call with it.
Customer: It's The Yoga Site - why is it so hard for you to find. I shouldn't have to go back home to look it up you should have it here.


Seriously? At what point does trying to provide extra service become not worth it?

You Do That!

Customer: I'm looking for A Dance with Dragons in paperback
Me: I'm afraid that book hasn't been released yet at all. It's not even out in Hardcover yet.
Customer: Yes it is. It came out last year.
Me: I'm sorry but maybe we're not talking about the same book. The one I'm thinking of is the new one in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin.
Customer: Yes. That's the one. I've been waiting for it forever and it's suppose to be out in paperback now.
Me: I'm sorry, as far as we've been told they were hoping to have it out in hardcover this fall but it's still not done.
Customer: Well you obviously don't know what you're talking about, I'll go find it somewhere else.

And good luck with that. According to Mr. Martin's personal website he's till not finished writing the darn thing.
Please also see Mr. Neil Gaiman's journal entry:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

Are we talking about the same place?

Customer: You you have any books on Dr. Oz?
Me: Are you looking for a biography of Dr. Oz or the books BY him?
Customer: I'm looking for the book that was on Oprah.
Me: Alright, Dr. Oz's books are over here.
Customer: I didn't know you carried books here.
Me: Ummm Okay...?
Customer: Oh, and look you even have different kinds of books.
Me: Ummm Yes...?
Customer: Have you ever had tofu?
Me: Huh?
Customer: Do you sell cheese?
Me: Well, ummm, here are the Dr. Oz books, let me know if you need help finding anything else.



Completely random encounter there.... The store IS called ___________ BOOKS - Why is it so difficult for people to tell what we sell here?