Ho-Hum

I don't like to gloat but...(who am I kidding? of course I do!)

Customer service is such an intangible thing that it takes to measure it's quality is simply the words you say. As a part-timer, it is not my job to look after the counter. I can just stare at an empty counter and ignore all the waiting customers and won't get blamed! But because our section is so big, our titles so varied, and even though our unit has the most number of staff (currently we have 7 part-timers. 2 have been around for more than a year) while other units were lucky to have even 2, even part-timers were even called in to do what full-timers do; manning the counter. The rule really is that part-timers can man the counter only after one month of service. Well, I've been around for almost three months so...

Anyway. Customers come in all sorts of...variety. Their categories are so wide and varied that I shall just sum them up into two main categories: locals and foreigners. During my short time I noticed that most locals already know what titles they are looking for, and sometimes even come with ISBN ready. While at least 40% of foreigners would come saying things like "Do you have any books regarding ___?" Fill in the blank with the correct name of a person, place, country, ingredients.

Of course, we cannot please everyone, and for people who were not pleased, extra attention needs to be given. For example, if you want cooking books on casseroles, any titles, any authors, as long as it's about cooking casseroles, then sure we have several titles and only 1 or 2 copies of each, but at least the variety is there. But if you want pictorial books on Syria or Belarus, then I suppose our best offer is the travel guides.

Unfortunately, at least 40% of the searches I do the titles are either not in stock or we simply do not carry. But some people just can't understand that regardless of the size of our bookstore. And furthermore, since our counter is a part of the English Books Department, we can't do searches for Japanese and Chinese books. Normally we direct them to the respective counters and magazines as well. But people are insistent. And just rude sometimes. While I can help search for Malay books in the system, I won't be able to help you search for them on the shelf should you get into trouble. And when they do (which they always do anyway) I have to go all the way to the magazine counter (which handles Malay books as well) to ask for help!!

That's why in situations like that I always use these phrases:

"I'm not sure about this title since...but let me double check for you anyway, okay?" to be used when a title used to be a bestseller/new arrival and had been selling so fast the bulk quantity is no longer in sight.

"You know what? let me search for you in the system first, okay?" This is my favorite when out on the sales floor when customers treat you like walking computer databases and are oblivious to the stack of books in your hands! While it sometimes irritated me, it's important not to let it show. Of course, anyone who knows me would notice that I was being subtly sarcastic but to the customer it appeared as if I was giving them my full attention and even doing them a favor.

Just yesterday someone inquired at the counter for the first printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. SERIOUSLY! Those books are worth thousands these days!! Do you think we can just easily find them on our fast moving shelves!?!? And what's more, he even insisted that my colleague searched for it according to the publishing date in the book in our computer!

WTF

While we do entertain weird requests, sometimes, and even humor the customers, some things are just impossible.

*mutters incomprehensibly*

On another note, Farah's family, excluding Farah herself, plus a couple of kilos of brown cheese and some four packs of potato pancake things are currently in Malaysia. Oh. Four packs of potato pancake things excluded. I'm sure they are still in the country somewhere, just not in their original form hehehehe. Thanks again for the cheese xD.

Ta'ra!