OT: Borders Books

cflame1 wrote:Sorry to hear about your upcoming job loss and your shop closing. I really like my Borders bookstore and am glad to see that it's remaining open.

Lucky you! <smile> We had plenty of customers coming in and saying they'd TRIED to support us. And they had. There just weren't enough of them.

Kahfree wrote: Books are great, and I love them. Maybe you can find a great state job in a state run library and rack up some great medical care, vacation and sick pay with a great retirement.

Lol! Do you have any idea what horrid shape Louisiana libraries are in?

ps. I totally understand the trip thing. I am planning a trip to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in June 2012 for my birthday. I want to see my roots but hope that I still have kids in my daycare. Its scary to own your own business...no chance for unemployment pay for me.

Indeed. If I had any idea what I was doing, I would consider opening a second-hand book shop. At least then I could have the fur kids at work with me....

The lady I want to go see has been a friend for more than 30 years, and she's not getting any younger. But I also want to do my trip to the Canadian Rockies when I am declared cancer free.

Big S wrote:There are two things we can give our children, one is roots, the other is wings. Sorry to hear of you job loss.

The most powerful gift in aiding both roots and wings is the gift of reading. If you love books, you can find anything your can dream of.

BlackSpinner wrote:Unfortunately when it comes to book stores staying with your "roots" doesn't help anymore, as many a local book store has found. The competition with the Internet and big chains is just too fierce.
The only local book store doing well here is a cooking book store that offers classes also, the GLBT stores and the second and book stores.

The problem, I think, which Borders had was that not only didn't they stay with their roots (book people selling books), they failed to move forward into the future -- competent internet presence, development of a quality e-reader, and so forth.

ozij wrote:I'm sorry to hear you're losing the job you love, Kira. I sure hope you will find a way of taking that trip 2 years from now.
I hope its a comfort to know so many of us are thinking of you!

O.,

It is a comfort. I'm working on saving $$ for the trip. It's that I may have to choose between that trip and a trip to Ireland to see a dear friend who is 85 this year. And that's a tough choice.

OutaSync wrote:Kira, I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe a door will open somewhere else.

Bev,

Hope so... I'll see what turns up. Or can be made to turn up.

roster wrote:K, All the best to you. What do you want to do next? It sounds like you can do well at many different things:

I like books, I like people, and I like bringing books and people together.

Not sure, Roster. First we have to get through the liquidation (read destruction) of a beautiful store. Then I'll see what I can find. I can do many things, but my passion is books.

bap40 wrote:I have been upset about all these bookstores that are closing. I have spent many, many hours at one or another of one of these stores. Every single book store in my area has closed! I would much rather browse in a bookstore than do it online as this is now my only option. It is so sad to see them disappearing. Hopefully libraries won't follow suit. Good luck in the job hunting market. Times are tough these days.

Brooke,

I know what you mean! I had a customer just yesterday who came in because she had found a book on line that she thought would meet her needs. When she actually had the book in her hands, she realized it wasn't what she wanted, and browsed the section, asking questions... and walked out with five books. Sure can't do that on-line.

Bons wrote:The computer said that the store had no paperback copies in stock. I'd already been to Barnes & Noble with no luck, so I figured I had to spring for a hard copy. Seven paperbacks were there on the shelf. So much for customer service; if the salesclerk had taken me to the shelf instead of walking me over to the computer, we'd have found them. Instead she said "sorry, we don't have it".
Their ongoing feud with AOL doesn't help either. If you have AOL you don't get any of their online promotions or coupons.

The thing the COMPETENT managers I worked with over the years always stressed was, "The computer lies. Take the customer to the section and make sure we really don't have a book. If we do have it, take it off the shelf, and place it in the customer's hands." They also said, "Never tell a customer we have a book because the computer says we do. Go to the section, get the book, THEN tell the customer we have it, and put their name on it so they can pick it up within 24 hours."

THAT is customer service. THAT is what keeps companies in business.

Kiralynx, sorry to hear you'll be losing the job you've loved. I've been a Borders customer for years, and it saddens me that the company is having to take these actions. The good news is that you are a SURVIVOR, and you'll come through this. I like the idea of you having your own shop...that would be a blessing to you and your community. Anyway, I wish you all the best.

Kiralynx wrote:
Sadly, Borders, which started as a company run by two brothers, forgot its roots.

Johnny posted something here awhile back about being customer-centric, and fulfilling a human need. And that's what Borders lost sight of, I think.

Please send good thoughts to all those dealing with sleepless nights because of the job which will soon exist no more. They're closing more than 200 stores, and that's a bunch of people out of work.

Hi Kiralynx

Book sellers and librarians are amongst the nicest people I come across.

But it is as you say above, Borders lost sight of their customers.

I used to buy my classical music from Borders, but the area became a shambles, composers misfiled and misspelt, with no one responsible. I complained to the Melbourne Head Office - no response. Over the years I was very politely listened to by a number of young assistants, who all agreed with me, but nothing was ever done.

I stopped buying from Borders.

But they did solve the classical music problem, as I found out about a month ago. They stopped selling classical music, and closed that section down.

Which was the action of a company that has lost it's way

You have my good thoughts, Kiralynx, and it will a sad day when we can only buy books online

Mars

Kiralynx,

I am so sorry to hear about your job loss from this. I have always loved Borders and am sad for you that your store is being closed. I send you positive vibes and good thoughts that you are able to find another job quickly.

brazospearl wrote:Kiralynx, sorry to hear you'll be losing the job you've loved. I've been a Borders customer for years, and it saddens me that the company is having to take these actions. The good news is that you are a SURVIVOR, and you'll come through this. I like the idea of you having your own shop...that would be a blessing to you and your community. Anyway, I wish you all the best.

It saddens me that the company placed itself in the position of needing to take these actions -- I think I saw a figure that they're something like a half billion in debt to the publishers... and that has to hurt the publishers, too.

We'll get through this... but it's sad when a chapter of your life ends.

mars wrote:Hi Kiralynx

Book sellers and librarians are amongst the nicest people I come across.

But it is as you say above, Borders lost sight of their customers.

I used to buy my classical music from Borders, but the area became a shambles, composers misfiled and misspelt, with no one responsible. I complained to the Melbourne Head Office - no response. Over the years I was very politely listened to by a number of young assistants, who all agreed with me, but nothing was ever done.

I stopped buying from Borders.

But they did solve the classical music problem, as I found out about a month ago. They stopped selling classical music, and closed that section down.

Which was the action of a company that has lost it's way

You have my good thoughts, Kiralynx, and it will a sad day when we can only buy books online

Mars,

There's something special about going in a favorite shop and chatting about books or music. It's possible that the young assistants weren't ALLOWED to do anything.

We had a guy in our store who knew absolutely everything about the New Orleans music scene, and then some. He was a nut, but he knew music. One of the DFI (d@mnfoolidjits) we had for a manager fired this man for specious reasons, and then was amazed that the music section was no longer profitable. (Ours also went the way of the dodo.)

There have been five managers in the store since October of 2007. A couple knew books but didn't know how to manage. The rest didn't know either.

Borders Books in Metairie, LA closed its doors for the last time on Tuesday, 12 April.

So, I am no longer employed. Haven't sorted out what's next -- I'm in the middle of baking an apple-pecan cake with honey-vanilla topping to take to a get-together of fans of Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series tomorrow.

It was very sad to see the shelves emptying and know that they would not be re-filled.

Then the shelves and other fixtures were also sold. Ten of the 8' tall by 3' wide book cases, solid wood, with an oak finish, came home with me. If I'm lucky, this will get all my books up out of the stacks and piles, and organized on shelves. Imagine, if you will, books laid out, spine up, from the ten yard line of a football field to the opposite ten yard line... that's how many shelf-feet I've added. I also got some solid steel magazine display racks which will be great for putting catalogs and things in so that the houndly trio (two standard long-haired dachshunds and a beagle) isn't forever knocking them over. Three steel RDCs (rolling display carts) will become shelves for knick-knacks and such.

It was a trifle amusing to see the sticker on the elevator announcing "This fixture not for sale." Yes, we did have someone ask about it. (How they thought they were going to uninstall it, I don't know. It appears that someone also asked about buying the escalators at the St. Charles store.) Some of our shelves are apparently going to appear in a Nicholas Cage movie.

We also had some one ask about buying the carpet in the children's department... that didn't happen because, to be honest, it was rather worn.

Our manager brought in a cake which said, "Bye, Bye, Borders" on it. She did a superlative job, stepping in when our ostensible GM walked out the day the closure was announced.

Many of our regulars dropped in to buy a few last books and to say good-bye. I'm going to miss them. I've gotten some of my best reads just seeing what people bring to the registers.

It's hard when a chapter of your life ends.