Saturday, January 06, 2007

Do people listen

I arrived at the shop at 9.45am this morning. The shop opens at 10am - there was already a woman stood outside in the rain - so I knew she would be trying to sell rather than buy, and that I wouldn't want it. (No-one has EVER queued up outside to purchase, and the quality of the books from those who do wait are ALWAYS appalling).

As I come in, there are very well spoken mutterings of "about time, I have been waiting in the rain for ages"

"Well I don't open until ten" I reply, but she barges past anyway, with a "20 minutes I've been stood there. Now - I've to sell you some books"

"What sort of books" quoth I, with a heavy heart and dripping coat.

"Oh, I don't know - all sorts - my aunt has died, and I'm clearing them out - there's thousands of them."

"we only buy certain kinds of books...."
"there are hundreds of pristine Readers Digest condensed volumes and paperbacks."

"I'm sorry" I reply "We don't buy Readers Digest or paperbacks - I just can't sell them....."

She interrupts with a "I don't expect a fortune for them, a couple of pounds each will be fine, there's a lot of beautiful book club boos as Well"

"I can't sell those either I'm afraid. It doesn't sound as if there are any there for me."

"Nonsense - I'll drop them off, and you can look through them all, pay me for the good ones, and then you can dispose of the rest."

Stifling a more appropriate response, I explain that I don't do that, as I would be flooded with unwanted books in the shop. If she wanted to drive past with them in the car, I could have a quick look and buy the odd one that was suitable, but I didn't hold out much hope.

"Oh no" she replies - "I can't be bothered with that - then I would have to dispose of the rest of them"

And with that she swept out of the shop.

1 comment:

Arcarhia said...

Oh you just know that she'd be the sort that would argue and argue and argue until you accepted that the pair of shoes that had clearly been worn were just an unwanted Christmas present and in spite of the fact that they were in the sale and they didn't have a receipt would expect full price back. Yes...I recall my retail days without much fondness in my heart.