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| Orders await at Bookworm of Omaha | |
With apologies to Annie Proulx ("From now on I want you to write a column, see? The Shipping News."), I'm going to write a Shipping/Receiving/Special Orders/Curbside Pickup News column for the age of Covid-19.
Oh, and it's also about secrets. In olden times, I used to be surprised by the naivete of bookstore customers who thought business was booming because whenever they visited the store--once a month on a Saturday afternoon--the place was packed. Booksellers did little to counter this impression. It was just part of the safe, cozy atmosphere I think we felt obliged to project at any cost. Never let'em see you sweat.
Thankfully this has changed, due in no small part to the direct communication options available through social media, not to mention crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo when needed. There are more ways to have those hard conversations without sacrificing bookshop magic. And now #DevilYear2020 has tossed a global pandemic into the mix, so honest communication online with customers is even more critical.
Which brings me to shipping news.
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| Kris Kleindienst | |
Last week Kris Kleindienst, co-owner of Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Mo., shared an amazing Facebook post that read, in part: "What did you do on your day off? If you are fortunate enough to have a job, that is. It's high season at the bookstore and I was on shipping duty. Nine hours on my feet, shuffling books through three computer programs, shelves, boxes, giftwrap, little notes at the request of the customer. The books on the shelves behind me are waiting for the rest of their order to arrive, be paired and packed. The awesome staff powered through so much today. And one of them even sprang for Insomnia Cookies which saved our lives at a crucial moment....
"All biz is online and about half do curbside, half want books mailed. This is extremely tech powered and also extremely physical. Business is up over last year, a godsend. But it takes about 10 times more work to process these orders and our biz model wasn't supposed to be a call center and warehouse. This is a totally different animal than the personal retail approach. I guess that was always our point about the A-word and their sweatshops. If I never see another rubberband, it will be too soon....
"I am so proud of how hard this crew is working, all masked up and doing their best to distance. On their feet eight-plus hours and gracious as all getout as they try to manage customer confusion with this remote experience, the ensuing delays because of supply chain slowdowns. Scheduling for safety is in direct conflict with scheduling for the work load we have. I am not complaining! But holy mother of god Covid is putting us through our paces."
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| At Madison Street Books, Chicago | |
In other shipping news, variations on a frank theme of "help us help you" abound online, including:
One More Page Books & More, Arlington, Va.: "Quick reminder to everyone as we work our way through orders: it is just us! Human beings! Doing our very best! This has been a PSA!"
Madison Street Books, Chicago, Ill.: "Friends! This is us begging you, please come pick up your orders! We're quickly running out of space!... Thank you!"
The Bookshop, East Nashville, Tenn.: "We're used to the holidays being crazy, but this year has truly been next-level (for which we're so very grateful, of course). Aside from doing our best to keep everyone safe, we're dealing with stock shortages and very overwhelmed shipping partners.... Please do not call us to place an order--because we are so tiny and with safety in mind, we have only one person working at a time, and that person is busy juggling appointments, orders, invoices, and so much more."
Mystery to Me, Madison, Wis.: "Is your special order in this video? Then come on down to Mystery to Me!"
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| Bookbar in Denver | |
BookBar, Denver, Colo.: "Tis the season to double check to see if you might have missed an e-mail from us letting you know your order is ready. We now have 2 (!) rooms serving as our storage for special orders, which means two things: one, we have the best and most supportive community ever; and two, we are running out of room!"
The Bookworm, Omaha, Neb.: "Can we just say 'WOW!' and 'thank you!' real quick? In today's episode of good problems to have, we've received such an outpouring of support--from customers near and far--that we had to acquire three bakers racks to hold more special orders."
And what would shipping news be without a nod to the shippers? From Browsers Bookshop, Olympia, Wash.: "Our workday kicks off when we see the sturdy and reliable UPS truck parked out front. Thanks Austin, Tara and all the other drivers who are getting us through this season; you always have a good word to spare! Seriously, UPS (and all the other carrier services out there): you folks deserve major props this year."
How do we chart the course ahead? I'll sail with Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, Mich.: "Thanks everyone for your patience, understanding, and support. To say this all has been a challenge is an understatement, but we are trying our best to navigate this storm and make it to the other side."