Not in Stock?

“I can’t believe you don’t have it in stock!”

When I hear that phrase a little piece of me curls into a ball. Knowing what is popular and what customers are looking for is my job and I do it to the best of my ability, but the sad truth is, I am human and sometimes mistakes are made. Or are they?

Each time someone complains about having to order a title they were hoping to pick up today, I have to step back and look at the larger picture. Is this a regular customer? Someone from one of the communities I serve? I say “communities” because, although the shop exists in one community, I serve a number of different communities who all have very different needs.

For instance, I sell to school districts in twenty six states. I’ve found products I believe in, locked in the best possible prices, and have begun to know these schools and what they are looking for. They in turn, share their knowledge of what is needed in the school market and guide me in the best practices for that market. It’s a win/win situation.

I also have a community of retailers who count on me to find the products their customers are interested in. They know that since I am also a retailer I will find a way for them to be profitable while making their jobs as easy as possible. I can find them many products from many sources, hand deliver them and give them the convenience of one simple invoice. They open my eyes to different trends in different areas and share great ideas for my own retail location.

There is an entire community of online shoppers who know me and trust that they will receive what they order. They know that if they are not fully satisfied, I will do whatever I can to change that. This was a huge learning curve and I am grateful to all of these patient customers who have shared their knowledge of the best ways to package and ship as well as how to describe the items for sale. Each morning is a thrill to come into work to discover what sales occurred while I slept.

These different communities all make up what I do and who I am, but a customer that walks into the store doesn’t know or care about that. Why should they? They care about their experience and the service they receive. When I don’t have something they are looking for I feel like I have failed them. Like I made a mistake. Not all of these instances are mistakes, but I do learn from them.

If a regular customer is looking for something I currently don’t have in the store many times they order it. By doing this they are telling me what authors or subjects they enjoy. Next time that author has a new book out or there is a new addition to that series, you can bet that I will have one in stock waiting for that particular customer. The entire store selection is built around the customers. I may not have every “bestseller” in the store at all times, but I do my very best to have just what my bookstore community is looking for. Each book is ordered with a customer in mind. If you walk through the door and find exactly what you are looking for, just know I was thinking of you when I ordered it. Thank you for selecting the perfect books to place on the shelves of your community bookstore!

Ah-Ha Moment

This week I had two new customers visit the shop. We are Facebook friends and just had to check out the store, they explained. That was an ah-ha moment for me. Social networking actually does work! Sure, I’ve received orders through Facebook and MySpace, but were these from new customers or regulars who just found another convenient way to order? This was the first time I was told straight out that my babble on one of these sites actually brought someone new into the store and what a fantastic feeling that is!

If you aren’t a Facebook , MySpace or Twitter friend of BayShore Books yet, please find me now. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Did you friend me? Great! Now as a thank you, watch for special deals just for my friends. You will never know when it’s coming, but when it does just stop in and let me know where you heard about it. This will help me know which deals you are interested in and which sites you are on. Another way you can help me to help you is to comment. Tell me what you like about the store, what you don’t, what inventory would you like to see more of or what authors would you like to hear from. We can have actual conversations now! How exciting is that? I can’t wait to hear from you!

Customer Types

Many people from all walks of life visit bookstores for many different reasons. In a small town bookstore it is easy to identify the different types that walk through the doors.

We have those in a hurry. They walk in, grab or order what they want and walk out.

Others have no idea what they want, but feel fortunate to have an independent bookseller to help them. These are the customers who are frantic because Sally’s birthday is tomorrow and they haven’t found a gift yet. Luckily, I know immediately from other visits who Sally is, how old she will be and what books she has enjoyed in the past year.

The browsers have yet to realize there is a difference between a library and a bookstore. They plop down in a chair with a stack of books and learn how to bake a pie or build a deck or decorate their house all while sitting in the bookstore. One such patron finished Breaking Dawn in its entirety the week it was released. Every day this high school student would sit in the back and read until we closed. Her friends would call and she would say “Can’t hang out today. I’m at the bookstore. Have you read the Twilight series?” She never bought the book, but I can’t pay for that kind of marketing!

Finally there are the chatters. They stop in every week or every month just to chat. They have never made a purchase and probably never will, but they have to be on top of whatever is happening in town. They stand by the counter or follow me from shelf to shelf complaining about life, their health, the government. They believe if no one is waiting to be checked out I have absolutely nothing to do, so they deserve my undivided attention.

I had one such customer, if they can be called customers, yesterday. Unlike most, this one is only in first grade. He has been coming in to visit since the day I opened over four years ago. By himself! It gives him something to do while his mom is in the bar across the street (parents, be careful what you tell your kids – they will most likely share the information).

In our usual routine he wandered the front of the store chatting away while I nod and say “really” and “hmm” in the appropriate places. Suddenly by the tone of his voice I realized something was different. He was no longer telling me about his day, he was sounding out book covers. This little boy was reading!! He was excited to show off his newly acquired skill, even though he “still likes football more than reading”.

Easy fix. I took him to the children’s section and showed him books about football. There is a book about Brett Favre? He LOVES Brett Favre!! Too many words, though. The Clifford early reader was perfect. We sat at the children’s table as he sounded out each word, using the pictures as his guide. I couldn't come up with a single task more important than that moment. Soon he read the entire book! He promised to return today to read me another story. Maybe as an incentive I will let him keep the Brett Favre book as soon as he is able to read it on his own. No one else in Wisconsin would be interested in it anyway.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, the inventory is complete, in another week or two I should have everything completed that I didn’t have time to touch over the past two months. Whew! Soon I will be able to get back to what I love most, reading! Not that I ever stopped completely. I don’t think that’s possible. Reading is like breathing to me. I feel like I haven’t gotten through nearly as many books as I hoped by year’s end, but I have great expectations for this year!

I did manage to complete two young adult novels which did not disappoint. If you are as big a fan of Ellen Hopkins as I am, you probably finished Tricks months ago. What did you think? She never disappoints, does she? She isn’t afraid to tackle the tough subjects and she doesn’t tiptoe around the real issues. Her writing style is brilliant and amazes me with each and every addition. How can I possibly wait until September for the final chapter in the Crank trilogy??

The other new series I discovered is the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Have you read it? Oh, you must!! I couldn’t put it down! I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next with Catching Fire.

Many of our local favorites published new books recently, too. Victoria Houston joined us for her annual visit last month with the tenth, but thankfully not the last, book in the Loon Lake Mystery Series, Dead Renegade. Nelda Johnson Liebig completed the fourth book in the Carrie series, Carrie and the Homestead, and was generous enough to sign a few copies for us. Unfortunately she will be moving on to other adventures so this is the last planned for this series. Torture at the Back Forty is still a best seller and another true crime with local ties, The Monfils Conspiracy has been getting a lot of press.

Lately I have been reading a few intriguing titles to be released next month. Sorry, you will have to wait for my opinions on those.

What about you?

Have you read anything exciting over the holidays or that you are looking forward to now that things have quieted down?

A Holiday Message

We are here for you, but. . .

The holiday season is here and although we will do whatever we can to make sure your visit with us is pleasurable, there are a couple of dos and don’ts you should be aware of if you will be visiting us this season.

1. Please do not request a Barnes & Noble gift certificate.

Depending on our mood when waiting on you, we may politely offer you a gift certificate to our store or we may print off a homemade certificate to our competitor and let them explain why they won’t accept it.
2. Do not ask us to go on Amazon and order a book for you so you do not have to enter your credit card number online.

We would be happy to find the same title at one of our reputable out of print book dealers.
3. If you are interested in a book that went out of print in 1941, do not demand that we sell it to you for the cover price of a quarter even though it is now valued at $150.00.
4. Even if you have written and self published the only book your grandma ever read, (although she won’t even pay the $25 cover price on your paperback), do not email us the week before Thanksgiving demanding a book signing before Christmas.

Likewise, do not request a table in the store for you to sell copies yourself to your friends and family.
5. We apologize, but if you order a book on Christmas Eve, chances are you will not have it under the tree Christmas morning.

The week before shouldn’t be a problem.

Unless, like last year, the entire state is snowed in and your order is stranded in a city three hours away until UPS finally is able to deliver it to our home at 6pm on Christmas Eve.

If that were to happen again, we may not be able to deliver it to your door until 7pm.
6. If your son is in jail, we would be happy to mail him the books you purchase here depending on the rules of the jail.

Unfortunately, we can not mail out books you brought from home even if you did “tuck a little something in the pages” for him.
7. I realize you may be looking for a way to save; however we do not accept used books for store credit during the holiday season.

Any other month of the year we still will not give you $2 credit for a paperback with a $0.25 rummage sale price tag still on it.
8. If you purchase new children or young adult books to donate for the Christmas Toy program, we will be happy to give you a discount.

You may bring in new books purchased elsewhere, but we will not pay you a percent of the cover price.

I like to think of myself as a creative person. But not even I can make some of these up. Each of them is a real scenario from the past four years. If you recognize yourself in one, thank you for the chuckle!

Hunting Widow Special

The gun deer season begins this weekend and I know may of you plan on hunkering down in your deer stands and reading Sarah Palin's new book. Are you as excited about it as these folks? The reaction of the kids at the end is priceless!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Excitement Over Sarah Palin's Book Release
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

If you prefer a little light reading for the weekend, we are having a Hunting Widow Special. Today and tomorrow only all used romance novels are only $1.00! While your hubby is trying to bag a buck you can save many! Of course, trade credit will not be accepted, but seriously, only a dollar book? How often do you find a deal like that?

Saturday is the day to visit your local independent bookstore for America Unchained. How much of your spending can you do with only locally owned independent businesses that day? Bring in your receipts, receive a discount at BayShore Books and help your community at the same time. While you are here, pick up a new book for NEWCAP's Christmas Toy Program and save even more. Can you think of a more perfect way to spend your weekend?