So, I quit my job last week. I lasted one week past a year. Unfortunately it got to be a toxic workplace which was causing enough stress to trigger my MS symptoms. I was waking up with tremors and numb legs.
Basically the bookstore I was working at was struggling and I was being made the scapegoat. Instead of recognizing that our marketing and advertising needed to improve to bring in more customers, the owner decided I was a lousy book seller. I kept telling him I can’t sell if no one is there, but he can’t understand the concept.
So he forced me to do ridiculous role playing activities for three days. When he started in on me again the fourth day I quit. It came down to he wanted me to do hard sales and force people to buy a bunch of books each time they came in.
My method was customer service. Make a friend, they buy more, and they come back. Ironically he admitted I know childrens books better than anyone and the customers love me, but still says I can’t sell them.
I have over 3000 books in my personal library and have always read a lot, so I was really good at helping refer people to new books. He admitted he doesn’t know books. He just pulls random ones off the shelf and tries to force people to buy them.
Anyway, I’ll miss the customers a lot, but I’m enjoying my time off and my health is better for it. I am very blessed to have a husband with a great job so I think I’ll stay away from working for now.
Sorry for the long post. I just needed to vent. You’re all amazing support.
Written by
StacyHayward
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so sorry for sounds like a great fit but a bad boss ,do you know someone that could buy it for you ....i know it is called money and the bad boss would want a fortune for it ....maybe find someone else to buy it ahhahahahaha...sorry about the loss of a lot of great people that you met ....his loss...
Book shop owners should never be in it just for the money. It's the sort of thing you need to love. Too bad you weren't the owner!
It's hard leaving a job, particularly one you love. I had to do that a few years back, and I still miss the amazing staff I had. However, your health and sanity should always take precedence!
I’m sorry that you had to go through this. There is a fabulous used book store in my town where the owner just sits by a wood burning stove in the winter. He welcomes everyone and is very helpful if you need help, but doesn’t pressure sell. It’s an ancient store and he knows where everything is. It’s the kind of place everyone should have in their town. I think you will benefit from your time away from working, as you have already said. Your health is more important! Take care of yourself and enjoy your time away from that boss 🤗🤗🤗. Much love to you, Kelly
I was referring to the man Kelly was referencing who has the bookstore with the woodstove and it seems very chill. My response to you was a little further down 😂
That makes sense! My husband said this morning we should convert a school bus into a bookstore. It’s nearly impossible to make money if you have to pay a lease!
OOOH I love that - mobile book mobile. Like the food dessert busses and blood mobiles. That would be a great concept and either do reselling or a mini library - possibly a non-profit book mobile where it's based on philanthropy. 😀
You could take it further and do readings in the park, promote it at any and all community events. Use social media for where is the bus this week and do reading events and the like. Book clubs/discussions; children reading events. How grand would this be?!?!?!😀
Your health and well-being are of upmost importance, StacyHayward , and you are strong to recognize that! You will find an environment where you can thrive and work, I am sure, if that’s want you want. In the meantime, keep smiling.
i'm sorry about your manager. i had a friend who said people with no skills end up as managers🤔😃 and it seems true. he knows full well you can't sell books to the walls and i'm sure he's heard of the internet. i'm glad you recognised it as scapegoating.
So sorry to hear that he was such a... never mind... but you just had to.. your health is more important.. and you know that you can come here and vent anytime about anything.. and know that we will give an honest opinion about it.. Are there other small bookstores in your area? Ones that are down to earth in what they sell and can see the advantage in the compassion of selling books, by someone who loves them.
Anyway, keep your health on the front burner for now.. and keep one book eye out!!!
Id like to know how many books HE can sell with that attitude! He lost a perfect employee that knew what they were doing. Sounds like he’s in the wrong business although idk what kind of business would be good for those practices!
Bummer to hear you had to go through that experience! Hope you are able to rest now that you don’t have that stress around you! Continue to read and enjoy. Maybe you could volunteer to read for a children’s story time at a library? My kids always loved those volunteers who could read with passion!
Good for you StacyHayward ! Nobody needs that kind of stress in their life! Maybe a public library has an opening for someone with your book knowledge?
Sounds like you did what you needed to do. Maybe volunteer at the library if you still want to stay in touch with books and kids and sharing your love of them? No pressure just a genuine experience.
Good for you! Sounds like you were working for a kook.
My hub & I go to the bookstore often and come out with a purchase every time we go with no recommendations from sales staff but they do help when I have a question.
A fellow bibliophile!! My favorite job ever was a side job to my full time one which was at an Indy bookstore. The owner was using it as a tax write off and we were all sad when he closed it.
I am glad you left the jerk behind and can have peace now. You can still read as much as you want!
Darnit! I've never found anyone who's heard of her let alone read her books! They're not to everyone's taste, because they center either on the late-Revolutionary period or the hills of Appalachia, and the dialogue is as it would have been spoken at the time. They're great for historical accuracy, though, so I highly recommend them for reenactors or genealogists who want some background.
I don't care to struggle through reading. Perhaps I can find some that are audio books at the library. I can listen better than read books with different dialogues like that.
Sorry to hear you endured all of this! It's not worth firing up your MS. With your knowledge of books and customer service, the right fit for you is out there.. I thought my library of 500+ was allot. at least my husband thought so! I just got the last 4 books I needed to complete the "Cat Who" series of 30. My interest runs from the American Revolution - Civil War. Princess Diana-& many others. We are here for you!
We could start a whole new column on bad bosses! I had quite a few who were decent people with no management skills, but there were also the handful who were absolute nightmares in general. I quit a job some years back when I discovered evidence that he had tried burning down our office building...with me in it!
Good for you for taking care of yourself! You can still interact with people if you feel the need. I was a hairdresser/cosmo instructor. I missed the people after I realized I just couldn't stand behind a chair all day long anymore. I started to get more involved in my church which took up the slack of needing to be around people. There are many places now that are glad to have volunteers. Enjoy your "retirement"!
So I’ve swapped work with entertaining neighbor kids. They asked to play with my son’s train set. It’s been non stop fun for almost two weeks! Then we added the kitchen set and my little ponies. Wednesday I had kids here three times—nearly nine hours of fun!
Good evening Stacy. It is really sad when anyone is not valued in the work environment, especially someone who brings added value. Enjoy your time at home.
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