Is service a lost art?
Before I leave Denver, one last anecdote about The Tattered Cover, a large independent bookstore based here. I was in the downtown store yesterday, looking for a rather obscure, $40 book. An employee noticed my puzzled expression (actually, that's my natural expression) and helped me track it down. It wasn't on the shelf but she checked the computerized inventory and offered to transfer it from another Tattered Cover store the next day. When I said I couldn't wait, she said, "Would you like me to call Barnes & Noble for you?" I got a flashback to "Miracle of 34th Street" -- the scene where Macy's new store Santa starts sending customers to Gimbels. Outrageous! But it certainly made me a Tattered Cover fan.
Has anyone had a similar experience? How's the service you get at chain or independent bookstores? Is it better than, say, restaurants or department stores?
While she always preferred The Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, 
Comments
I used to work at the Borders Books and Music in Columbia Crossing, and if a customer was looking for a particular book, we first told them which of our stores were listed in the inventory system as having a copy of the book. We then ALWAYS followed up with "Would you like me to call them to put it on hold for you? There are sometimes errors, and I'd hate for you to drive there and not get the book." Unfortunately, we were unable to have it transferred from store to store, which would have been a popular option.
Our second option was an offer to order it for them, which was generally a pretty easy process.
If someone needed it quickly and no Borders store had it in stock, we had the number for the Barnes and Noble up the road written down by the phone, and we'd offer to call them for the customer. It didn't happen often, and I never answered any calls from that store to us, but we always had the option available.
I really enjoyed working at that store. The money was never great, but the satisfaction of helping people find the books they were looking for was a wonderful feeling.
Posted by: Michael N. | July 28, 2008 2:16 PM