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:
----------
"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?
----------
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?
----------
"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."
----------
But just then, "takahashi" comes and makes the case for CENSORSHIP - ah yes, that's a family value!
----------
"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!
----------
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...
----------
"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.
-----------
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.
----------
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!! :)
-----------
Thanks to BigSky at FreeRepublic for this Hot Tip!!
UPDATE: Hmmmm - now the Borders Union site is "broken"... whodathunkit??
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1216705/posts
But since the Borders Union page is mysteriously "broken" now, I thought others might like to read what we found on the page...
Has anyone sent these comments to Borders Corporate offices?
These are the people, remember, who are oh so "liberal". Don't forget how "liberal" are the people who damage property and want to prevent you from reading printed material they dislike.
Hard copies of a few pages are on their way!
Interesting how this happens. The other day there was thread on FR taking the Kerry people to task for mocking Zell's southern accent on the Kerry website. That page went down pretty quick, too.
Printing several copies of this and taking them down to two local Borders where they'll be inserted into various books and pubs.
I managed a copy from the local B&N. I make sure and buy my political books directly from the hippie chick who works the front in the evenings.
Corporate Headquarters
For general inquiries contact us at:
Borders Group, Inc.
100 Phoenix Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734.477.1100
Customer Care
For general questions or comments regarding Borders store experiences, please send email to ccare@bordersstores.com.
Questions or comments about a visit to one of our Waldenbooks or Brentano's stores? Email: ccare@waldenbooksstores.com.
If you prefer to talk to us by phone, please call our customer service center at 888.81.BOOKS. Hours of operation are 7:00 AM—9:00 PM CT (Central Time) Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM—7:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM—7:00 PM CT on Sunday.
As Red Ivan and I were just discussing, who buys books at brick-and-mortar bookstores nowadays anyway?
That's so pre-blog.
Meanwhile, the book sells 89,000 copies in one week. Go ahead, little "liberals," shoot your spitballs at the free market, at courageous John O'Neill and Regnery, and at the American book-buying public. Little misfits.
Thanks, done!
But the Google cache still has it all. Be sure to click on the "cached" tab for each entry.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=site%3Awww.bordersunion.org+unfit
Why thank you, you fabulous freeper you! I'm putting that lil' sucker up now...
Google Cache still has it!
I say.. no big deal. If kept up, there will be a bookstore chain that will see the conservative market and pounce. 10 years from now Borders will be scratching their heads just like CNN is now. If a bookstore wants to cater to a liberal customers base then so be it.
Here's the actual cached link, sorry, my bad...
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:4NKXE4jckiwJ:www.bordersunion.org/BB-printview-t-1195-start-0.html+site:www.bordersunion.org+unfit&hl=en
PLEASE PING YOU LIST!
This was originally posted on www.lucianne.com
I had sooo much fun reading those posts! Liberals are always good for a laugh but they are also such idiots. I mean they have no common sense. I am sure glad that they don't work for me.
I am still shaking my head and laughing. Borders probably doesn't know what hit it! The site is now DOWN! LOL
Reality check: This practice is not going to better your chances of getting a date with her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.