...because I need to rant. I'm kicking ass and taking names, too.
This one is specifically about a book store, so I guess it's appropriate for a Stephen King website.
I live in Nashville. It's home to several interesting authors, one of whom is Ann Patchett. She opened a bookstore called Parnassus Books, one with *real* books and scheduled book signing events and children's hours. I love supporting mom-'n-pop efforts like this one.
I recently called Parnassus to see if they carried a certain title. The book was to be a birthday present for my very-difficult-to-buy-for father. I'd craftily paid attention when he mentioned the title and that he'd loved reading it as a kid, so getting a copy of it for him was going to be a coup.
Why yes, they told me; they didn't have the book on hand in the store, but they could definitely get it because it is available on a "print on demand" basis. I would have to wait only two days for it to be delivered to the store.
In all fairness, they didn't know the book was a birthday present, and that I was counting on giving it to Dad on the day that it was to arrive. What they did know is that I had already paid for the book in advance and that they were to call me as soon as it was in the store.
It added insult to injury that *I* had to make the call to learn that the book hadn't arrived, that the publisher (a local one) had erred...and that it was expected a full four days after the promised delivery date. I was told that it was indeed a rarity for the publisher to mess up like they had; it just doesn't usually happen.
I was livid.
I should never have been promised the book by a certain date. Had I bought it through Amazon, which I didn't want to do because buying from them defeats the purpose of supporting real, live bookstores, I could have received the book in time for Dad's birthday celebration. I guess the Parnassus people wanted the book sale badly enough that they were willing to stake their professional reputation on the timeliness of a third party. Bad move. They apologized over the phone, but that couldn't change the fact that I was still minus a gift for someone special.
Not only did they compromise their integrity, they also failed to say anything at all about the screw-up when I went in to pick up the book. They didn't bother to put it in a bag, they didn't offer a token bookmark, they didn't apologize again, they didn't recognize that this had been a colossal disappointment for me. This was one gigantic Bookstore Fail as far as I was concerned.
My father's birthday was still a fun one, and he received several small things from me that made the day a nice one. Once he'd received the book, he read it all in one day, and I know he enjoyed it....but caveat emptor, people: don't believe delivery dates, even when they're local, when you hear them or read them.
Okay; rant over. Next.
((((NN )))
