Out of Control Randomness

If I don’t let this insanity out it will truly drive me mad!

I am aware that I am hypocrite and if someone wants to make a button, I will pin it to my shirt and wear it proudly. Granted there are many things in my life that make me a hypocrite, I have chosen to share my thoughts on books and bookstores.

First, I would like to reveal the hypocritical aspect, just to get it out of the way. I own a Kindle, eBook reader, I love it. I have hundreds of books on it. It is like having my whole library with me everywhere I go. I love using it and honestly I don’t miss the crates of books in the basement that were on the verge of forming their own gravitational shadow.

Okay, I understand in this competing economy stores are being forced to become one-stop, everything to everyone shopping destinations. Somehow, though, I am offended by the local mega-chain bookstores (you figure out the two guys I am talking about) dedicating valuable shelf space to toys, boardgames, candy and dime-store junk. It started with the coffee shops, but hey that sort-of made sense, right? What goes better with the latest self-indulgent pulp fiction novel than a 5 dollar cup of coffee made with an important machine?

When I was a lad, one of my favorite memories was going to this public house on New Year’s Eve. In the area set aside for patrons waiting for a table were three ceiling high bookshelves lined with paperbacks. As a side note, I discovered Douglas Adams and the perfect bowl of black eyed peas that night. So my brain could allow for the combining of a “little restaurant” with a big bookstore.

Then came music. I see the business sense. Books and music tend to vie for the same consumer dollar. Having one store with both mediums makes sense, after all the “bookseller” doesn’t care which dollar pays his salary as long as he gets his check every other Friday. Sure, I can make that allowance; however, a bookseller, a true bookseller you know the type? The person that stands at home in rows of books and can help a customer find not only the book they had randomly heard about and forgot the title and author to, but can find 4 other titles that the customer will love. Customers walking into a bookstore deserve to be helped by that kind of person. As is the habit in those mega-stores booksellers are told to sell books for one hour, make over priced coffee the next and now they need to sell music. The way I see it one of two things will happen. The store will have a hard time hiring those miraculous souls that know books, coffee and music like the back of the hands or the store will hire anyone with a pulse and allow that aspect of the experience to suffer. I think we know which way things have gone.

I see the natural progression that leads to DVDs. Bookstores are now one stop entertainment hubs! I suppose I can even make exceptions for some of the toys, after all you need to keep the children happy right? Remember children can manipulate parents into buying all kinds of things, so there is all kinds of business sense there!

I walked into a bookstore last week. I wanted to find a new book to read. I felt the need to be in an actual bookstore. I didn’t recognize the place. I thought I had entered a convince store. More than half of the store was dedicated to things other than books. My favorite sections had been reduced by rows and rows, I stood confused and lost. It was like visiting a your hometown after a few decades. I recognized a few of the streets but it was too different to consider the place home.

I little piece of me died.

Like I said before, I know I am a hypocrite. I know that I caused this.

Funny Story

This past Tuesday, the new Star Trek movie was release on blu-ray. Normally this close to Christmas, I am not allowed, by my wife, to purchase things for myself; however, after a quick call to the wife the transaction was approved. So I checked around and noticed that a popular store (name withheld for CYA reasons) was advertising online that they had it for 19.99 which is a really good price for a blu-ray. This store has both brick-n-mortar and Internet storefronts; I figured that the price would be the same at both so Tuesday on the way to Physical Therapy I stopped and bought the movie.

Now I was in a rush and not paying too close attention, bad on me, but that night when I produced the movie from the bag I noticed that I was charged 23.99. I went back online and confirmed that the price was 19.99. At this point it was late Tuesday night and not worth the phone call, I would deal with it Wednesday.

Wednesday, I call the store and was told, after I explained that THEIR own website had the movie at $4 less, that they would not price match webstores. I pointed out that THEIR webstore allowed for instore pick up and was told that they did not match webstores.

So, at this point I really wanted to save that $4. I went onto the website, added the movie to the cart, confirmed the price of 19.99, selected pick up at store for the shipping option and completed the transaction. I get a wash of emails saying that my item was ready to be picked up and please bring the order number, etc, etc…

After work on Wednesday I stop again at the store and make my way over to Customer Service. I notice that the girl working the desk was very new and still in training, Holiday Help I assume. I waited in line and when finally called I stepped up and informed the girl that I had a return and a pickup. I handed over the reciept for the 23.99 movie and was given my money back… Now for the fun bit. I handed her the email order and off she went to the cage where the “pick-up” items were kept. She came back to me carrying the movie with a very confused look on her face.

She picked up the orginal movie and compared it to the web-bought one. After a moment of comparison she addressed me. “Sir, do you realize that these are the same movie.”

“Yep,” I replied.

“You just returned this one,” she said waving the 23.99 movie at me.

“Yep,” I replied.

“I don’t understand?” She turned to her trainer who was also becoming confused. With a smile on my face I explained.

“The difference is, the movie I returned was 23.99 and the movie I am picking up is 19.99.”

“But you bought the movie from us…” she started to saying something before she took up the receipts and showed them to her trainer.

The two custmer service employees looked at the receipts, verified that I was not up to any funny business and handed me my 19.99 and sent me on my way.

Let me tell you, that was way more complicated than it had to be. Aw well, I got my movie at 19.99.

– Brian