Hi, I'm new!
I've worked retail a few years now, and a call centre briefly in the middle of that, so I have a few stories to tell I thought I'd introduce myself with a happier and sillier one first though:
One of my jobs has been a bookstore. One day after the hype for Twilight had started, a bit older than middle-aged woman came up to me while I was shelving...
Woman: Excuse me, can you help me?
Me: I can try, what are you after?
Woman: Well, my granddaughter was wanting to get that Twilight book... What do you think of it?
Now, to be perfectly frank, I enjoyed the Twilight books the same way I enjoy sappy romance novels. They're predictable, the main character tends to just be a shell that you insert yourself into, the 'hero' is always brave and handsome, and there's a happy yet extraordinarily predictable ending. The only difference being, in romance novels you usually get a steamy sex scene (or two!).
So I used the diplomatic answer that I've made up for these occasions.
Me: Well, it's very popular, a lot of people are really enjoying it!
Woman: Yes, but what do YOU think of it?
Me: Weeeeeellllll.... It's predictable and the characters aren't that good and the writing is sub-par
Woman: Ok. Well... The thing is, we're devout catholics. Do you think I should get it for her? She's only 12 but she really wants it...
Whoaaaa lady. I think you just answered your own question there.
In the end, she was being so nice about pestering me for an honest opinion that I told her I wouldn't let *my* kids read those books at that age... I ended up steering her to the YA fiction section and, since she wanted only happy, non-fantasy/sci-fi, I showed her to The Princess Diaries and she was quite pleased with that purchase. I can only hope she didn't get in too much trouble from her granddaughter
I've worked retail a few years now, and a call centre briefly in the middle of that, so I have a few stories to tell I thought I'd introduce myself with a happier and sillier one first though:
One of my jobs has been a bookstore. One day after the hype for Twilight had started, a bit older than middle-aged woman came up to me while I was shelving...
Woman: Excuse me, can you help me?
Me: I can try, what are you after?
Woman: Well, my granddaughter was wanting to get that Twilight book... What do you think of it?
Now, to be perfectly frank, I enjoyed the Twilight books the same way I enjoy sappy romance novels. They're predictable, the main character tends to just be a shell that you insert yourself into, the 'hero' is always brave and handsome, and there's a happy yet extraordinarily predictable ending. The only difference being, in romance novels you usually get a steamy sex scene (or two!).
So I used the diplomatic answer that I've made up for these occasions.
Me: Well, it's very popular, a lot of people are really enjoying it!
Woman: Yes, but what do YOU think of it?
Me: Weeeeeellllll.... It's predictable and the characters aren't that good and the writing is sub-par
Woman: Ok. Well... The thing is, we're devout catholics. Do you think I should get it for her? She's only 12 but she really wants it...
Whoaaaa lady. I think you just answered your own question there.
In the end, she was being so nice about pestering me for an honest opinion that I told her I wouldn't let *my* kids read those books at that age... I ended up steering her to the YA fiction section and, since she wanted only happy, non-fantasy/sci-fi, I showed her to The Princess Diaries and she was quite pleased with that purchase. I can only hope she didn't get in too much trouble from her granddaughter
Comment