Posted on 09/15/2004 11:41:17 AM PDT by dandelion
Edited on 09/15/2004 12:00:32 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Looking for your copy of "Unfit for Command"? Having paranoid thoughts that Bookstore employees are hiding, damaging, or flat-out lying to you about the availability of the book?
Ah, quickly, dear readers! Before it goes away or crashes, let us visit that Shangri-La of Tolerance, the Border's Bookstore Employees Union Forum. There we shall find all manner of reasons for you to dust the tinfoil off your beanie, and place it proudly on your head...
As per the Border's Employees themselves:
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"takahashi" Posted: Aug 23, 2004 - 12:30 PM
We're "finding" that most of the few copies we're getting are damaged and need to be sent back, so sad. Too bad, Bushies! Regnery needs to be more careful. I'm hearing from people at 2 other stores that this seems to be common.
Why should we help destroy what's left of our country?
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Another poster DOES confirm that they have had the book, and even though she really, REALLY dislikes us, she still managed to sell the book. However, if they staff hates the book so much, why are additional books being "reserved" for staff? Perhaps they are being infiltrated by right-wing nuts in the Borders Union?
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"redheadpixie" Posted: Aug 23, 2004 - 04:07 PM
We've had rabid people in our store due to this book too. From a week before it was even released, people had been coming in or calling every hour asking for it. Of course, we had maybe 20 copies IT to us, which we knew would be gone immediately. And they were (but for one copy on hold for an employee, which I told someone to take and sell--because if someone on staff wanted it that badly, they should have bought it that night).
We got in an additional seven copies, which 3 went to our SPO clerk to give to special orders (yes, only three rabid customers actually ordered it after being informed we were OOS). The other four were left in the back with a note: For Staff. That amuses me.
I personally dealt with two venomous customers, making the same accusation about being liberal and purposely not carrying it. Thankfully, I have a fabulous phone voice and can be sticky sweet in explaining that there simply were too few copies printed, that we had already sold out of the copies were had been sent, and would be getting some as soon as the made a second run. One guy asked when that would be, I pressed, "When they make a second run."
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But just then, "takahashi" comes and makes the case for CENSORSHIP - ah yes, that's a family value!
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"takahashi" Posted: Aug 24, 2004 - 10:56 AM
You guys don't actually HAVE to sell the thing!
Just "carelessly" hide the boxes, "accidentally" drop them off pallets, "forget" to stock the ones you have, and then suggest a nice Al Franken or Micheal Moore book as a substitute. Borders wants those recommends, remember?
I don't care if these Neandertals in fancy suits get mad at me, they aren't regular customers anyway. Other than "Left Behind" books, they don't read. Anything you can do to make them feel unwelcome is only fair. They are the people pushing retailers to cut costs, don't forget. And they would censor your speech, your books, your music in a heartbeat, so give them a taste of it!
Don't get mad, get even!
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But in the interest of FAIRNESS (something the left wing does NOT promote), I am including a post from a true "liberal" as we used to know them...
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"classic-liberal" Posted: Aug 27, 2004 - 09:45 AM
Pardon me for mentioning this, but 'takahashi' seems to indicate that at least some Borders people ARE hiding, damaging and otherwise making the book unavailable. So there is a grain of truth to your 'rightwing nutcase' customers' suspicions! Our jobs as booksellers is to make sure the book gets its say in the marketplace...it is after all a tiny spot in a sea of anti-Bush-ness this season.
If things were reversed and you were looking for Michael Moore's book (if it had been published by a small press with a bad record of distribution) at a store run by Republicans, would you believe them when they said they were out? No, many of you would be saying exactly the same thing your customers are saying.
People, humor and common sense have kept me of any arguments. I say flat out that Borders' management are flinty-hearted, penny-pinching, stone-squeezing capitalists who would no more stand for the peons tossing sales out the window than they would poke themselves in they eye with a stick. This usually gets a laugh or at least a "Mmm, I guess so", and then I tell them that we sell lots of things we don't agree with, along with the opposing viewpoint. I take them to the section, point out some books on both sides, and wander off. Most of them buy something, and that's my job. And maybe some of them will indeed look at things in a more balanced way.
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And lastly, to show that YES conservative bookstore employees DO exist and even are members of UNIONS, we have this post as balance:
----------- "RTAtlanta" Posted: Sep 15, 2004 - 10:55 AM
I've been wondering what all the fuss is about concerning Unfit For Command..So, I actually read it and found it to be factual and forthright..I know many of you will think I am a traitor for saying this, but I was taught to always look at all sides and to be fair and balanced in my judgments..There is much truth in the book and I suggest you read it.
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And there we have it. Yes, some bookstore employees have been hiding books from us. But there are also other employees standing up for our right to read, even in the face of persecution from their leftist peers. Remember that, and be nice when we visit the bookstore over and over again, so we may be more tolerant than those narrow-minded facists who censor books. Just make sure to ask for "Unfit for Command" by name! It's sure to bring a frown to the face of every liberal in town!
Oh, and have a nice day!! :)
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Thanks to BigSky at FreeRepublic for this Hot Tip!!
UPDATE: Hmmmm - now the Borders Union site is "broken"... whodathunkit??
I posted the text of the discussion in CHAT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1217334/posts
makeitstop - Aug 25, 2004 - 02:23 PM
Post subject: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It wouldn't surprise me a bit, though what I've heard is that they are just too small to handle the demand.
Sounds like a lot of the book's claims are falling apart under close scrutiny, but of course the people who buy the book won't care about that.
And yeah, the Clinton book sold very poorly here once his book signing was over at the local B&N. It sold like hotcakes for the weeks leading up to the signing because we were the only place in the area that still had copies--B&N sold out almost as soon as the event was announced. I'm so glad we didn't have to deal with those hassles--I heard it was a total PR nightmare. But now the books are just taking up space.
I sent an angry email with various quotes from this.. here is my reply today:
Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com.
As you know, we have joined forces with Borders to create a co-
branded online store. However, we are not affiliated with physical
Borders stores and are not involved in their policy decisions for
their physical stores.
If you would like to contact Borders with your concerns, please
contact them directly at:
(800) 835-3257
Thanks again for writing, and we hope to see you soon at Amazon.com.
Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question:
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