Bookstore Employees

[plinsenmayer]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C3309
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: Bookstore Employees
Date: 7/4/00 3:21 pm  (ET)

Hi:

Well as a former bookstore employee, I feel I should comment on this
subject. I worked part-time at Waldenbooks all through high school and
most of college (evenings, weekends & summers). I chose to work there
(rather than the local fastfood joints) because I was a bookworm, and
I saw it as a great way to be in the book world and earn some money.

Granted not *all* bookstore employees will fall into that category,
but there are many who do. Of course, my work there was (gasp) at least
13 yrs ago, and I do agree with joywitch that the sizzling US economy
has resulted in lower-skilled workers flooding the retail markets. But,
surely there are at least a few of the bookstore employees who love to
read & enjoy books.

In any case, I do not buy the argument that there wouldn't be staff
meetings and such about the HP restrictions. The penalty is too severe
for it to be ignored. Plus, believe me, if you unpack, shelve and sell as
many HP books (and answer phone queries regarding these books) as *any*
bookstore does, *all* employees are going to be very familiar with that
series (and, naturally, the hype surrounding Book IV). There's just no
way the employee could have been ignorant of that.

Now, Wal-Mart . . . that's another issue. I'm with Skimmel on that one
(although I do confess to having bought several sets of HP as gifts at
Sam's (wholesale club)).

My $.02 for today --

Penny