Record Store Etiquette
How to avoid making your record store guy grumpy. You wouldn't like him when he's grumpy.
If you’ve worked retail in any aspect it is very likely you’ve developed pet peeves about customer habits. I’m sure I’ve been the source of some of these — occasionally changing my mind in the grocery store and stranding a can of soup in the cereal aisle instead of walking 60 feet and putting it back, for instance. I’d wager that record store employees catalogue more than their fair share of mild irritations. It’s part of the grumpy record store clerk ethos, after all.
I’ve been thinking about putting together a kind of “How To” guide for people who have been or plan to become frequent record store patrons — keys to getting best service and avoid the dreaded side eye that certain behaviours can trigger. Things like leaving most of a section tipped forward (see photo above) rather than easily resetting each row; absent-mindedly re-alphabetizing sections by pulling things out refiling them in the wrong place; checking the condition of used titles and, in the process, lowering said condition with fingerprints (rather than just checking the indicated condition on the sales sticker).
There are others… but in the end these are all petty gripes, easily dealt with and minor in scale. Still deserving of side-eye and B+ service — and we’ll probably still do up a tongue in cheek list at some point — but there are a few things that actually get us a bit peeved. One of them is ditching on special orders. This came to mind in relation to an online exchange I had just this morning.
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As some of you know we will occasionally do call outs for pre-orders when there are titles that a large number of customers might be after. This helps us decide quantities to order and in return we give folks 10% the sales price. Easy! But not always.
Our journey with this customer started back in March of last year. They asked about ordering a new Miley Cyrus record. We informed them it was going to be ship two weeks after street date, they agreed. It came in. We told them. They apologized saying they were gifted one already. No problem. It happens.
Following this they’d periodically inquire about new arrivals, but then never actually come in to shop for them. There seemed to be a tone establishing itself. But some people are just a bit scattered.
Later in the year they put in a request for a Record Store Day / Black Friday title that wasn’t on our radar, but we took a chance and brought it in. They didn’t show up on the day, so we contacted them early the next week to tell them it hadn’t sold if they still wanted it. They did and asked us to put it aside, but then didn’t come in for it.
We reminded them it was still here and they could pay for it via eTransfer.
They said they’d get right on it, but didn’t.
We reminded them one more time saying we’d have to put it out for sale otherwise.
They continued, saying their sister was planning on sending an eTransfer very soon! Oh and also could be put aside a copy of the recently released Taylor Swift 1989 reissue? They’d be in to get it that weekend.
Weekend passes. No sister eTransfer, no Taylor Swift pick up. Another week passes. More reminders. We put both records out for sale. Then later:
While they said Black Friday they actually meant Boxing Day when, conveniently, they were able to pick it up for 20% off the regular price.
Over the last few months they’d periodically send in requests for holding items that we’d posted on social media, or inquire about upcoming releases. I’d generally answer with the items having already sold or, eventually, just ignoring the communications, which felt wrong. So this was our final exchange this morning:
So. OK. That’s fine. That’s the kind of threat that really has no impact. But then they quickly went to Google and added a one-star review complaining that our unreasonably long wait times for special orders made us impossible to deal with. Zing! Switcheroo!
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This is an extreme example, and perhaps is overkill to illustrate a milder point. In the end we’re just saying if you order it, please don’t flake out. Around holidays and birthdays it’s understandable if someone happens to give you a copy unexpectedly. Totally (mostly) fine. We’ve also heard the ol’ “I didn’t know my wife had ordered it on Amazon” excuse from time to time, which is a bit less sympathetic. Even less sympathetic is the, “oh I saw it when I was travelling for work, so I picked it up in another shop,” thing. That’s just, well, rude.
We try to give people realistic expectations of wait times when ordering, and most things tend to come quite promptly these days, but occasionally they don’t. In those cases we certainly understand when patience is stretched thin, and we will address it as best we can. Occasionally some things just aren’t available, briefly or for longer durations. If we can’t get it, likely it isn’t available elsewhere either. On the flipside if everywhere else has told you they can’t get it, we probably can’t either. But in both cases we do our best and try to stay in communication if/when something appears to be too elusive.
End of this particular gripe. Next time we promise they’ll be smaller and funnier! And in the meantime if you need anything just ask. We’ll be straight with you. And we’re mostly just pretend grumps. Mostly.