Current Location | mason ]
[ noise? | DC101 ]
So, today in between reading the unreal amount of Shakespeare I have assigned, I decided to pop into my livejournal, check everything is ticking over in the expected fashion, check my friend-page, that sort of thing. However, I had the remarkable misfortune of reading a post that popped up on the GMU community page, which I'm friends with. Then, I read the post which was a horribly misinformed blahblahblah about the evils of the 13-digit ISBN system at the bookstore. What was particularly interesting about this little nugget was that it was such a crime because they didn't understand the transition between ISBN's [clearly, this person would have been unable to pick up the phone while they were busy being confounded online and call the bookstore to ask about it, because I promise, someone would have been happy to help, or perish the thought, gone in and asked about it.]
Now, considering my current predicament, I should be no great defender of the bookstore, but still, what annoys me is how bloody lazy it is. People are motivated enough to get online, look up their books, look other places to buy them, and then when confronted with something confusing they instantly assume the bookstore is trying to cheat them. Despite the fact that they've put up all the information you need to take your business elsewhere, and in the most current form.
Of course, I know the bookstore isn't obliged to put that information online, they do it in the hope it will encourage online ordering from them, and it does. It also makes it easy and convienient for students to access the information they need about books, they is no other place that will do that, of course, people don't even have to deal with the bookstore and their nasty, dirty website, they could email their professors. I always find it amazing how many people complain about the bookstore, when it really works hard. You can come down there and someone will help you, no it might not be perfect, but it's there. That person will fall all over themselves to help you, but you might need to say "excuse me, I need help." Obviously that's way too much to ask of a customer. Also, I think about murphey's vs. the bookstore, and there's no bloody comparison. The bookstore will help you find your book, order it, or tell you as best they know when it's coming, and then sell it to you. They will call you if you order it, they will package it up, so all you have to do is pick it up if you order online. They will definatly have the books your professors asked for, in the correct editions. Also, surprize, surprize, they have a lot of used books, it's not their falut your professor ordered something they couldn't order used in bulk. Whereas, from what I understand about Murphey's, you don't choose your book, or what condition it's in. Some steely faced, miserable person hands it to you, and you take it. You don't get to look it, or choose or anything, you just take it, because you're possessed by trying to "get a deal" or just not shop at the bookstore. Correct me if I'm wrong, if they don't have the book, the unfailingly cheerful individual who will "help" you will probably go, "uh, we don't have it." and then you go home. That's it.
That also concludes how much I hate people bitching about the bookstore.
If you don't like it, don't shop there.
[ noise? | DC101 ]
So, today in between reading the unreal amount of Shakespeare I have assigned, I decided to pop into my livejournal, check everything is ticking over in the expected fashion, check my friend-page, that sort of thing. However, I had the remarkable misfortune of reading a post that popped up on the GMU community page, which I'm friends with. Then, I read the post which was a horribly misinformed blahblahblah about the evils of the 13-digit ISBN system at the bookstore. What was particularly interesting about this little nugget was that it was such a crime because they didn't understand the transition between ISBN's [clearly, this person would have been unable to pick up the phone while they were busy being confounded online and call the bookstore to ask about it, because I promise, someone would have been happy to help, or perish the thought, gone in and asked about it.]
Now, considering my current predicament, I should be no great defender of the bookstore, but still, what annoys me is how bloody lazy it is. People are motivated enough to get online, look up their books, look other places to buy them, and then when confronted with something confusing they instantly assume the bookstore is trying to cheat them. Despite the fact that they've put up all the information you need to take your business elsewhere, and in the most current form.
Of course, I know the bookstore isn't obliged to put that information online, they do it in the hope it will encourage online ordering from them, and it does. It also makes it easy and convienient for students to access the information they need about books, they is no other place that will do that, of course, people don't even have to deal with the bookstore and their nasty, dirty website, they could email their professors. I always find it amazing how many people complain about the bookstore, when it really works hard. You can come down there and someone will help you, no it might not be perfect, but it's there. That person will fall all over themselves to help you, but you might need to say "excuse me, I need help." Obviously that's way too much to ask of a customer. Also, I think about murphey's vs. the bookstore, and there's no bloody comparison. The bookstore will help you find your book, order it, or tell you as best they know when it's coming, and then sell it to you. They will call you if you order it, they will package it up, so all you have to do is pick it up if you order online. They will definatly have the books your professors asked for, in the correct editions. Also, surprize, surprize, they have a lot of used books, it's not their falut your professor ordered something they couldn't order used in bulk. Whereas, from what I understand about Murphey's, you don't choose your book, or what condition it's in. Some steely faced, miserable person hands it to you, and you take it. You don't get to look it, or choose or anything, you just take it, because you're possessed by trying to "get a deal" or just not shop at the bookstore. Correct me if I'm wrong, if they don't have the book, the unfailingly cheerful individual who will "help" you will probably go, "uh, we don't have it." and then you go home. That's it.
That also concludes how much I hate people bitching about the bookstore.
If you don't like it, don't shop there.