[S4B]

Haha S4B in a strop. There can't be that much to do - I guess on delivery day there might be, but other than that you've just gotta sell.

I might take up insulting people's jobs on a regular basis, it's fun.

*hides again*

Oi SMURF! Well may you hide. You come work with me for a day and I'll show you how much work there is to do. We don't SELL we recommend, enthuse and deal with the discerning public. We get deliveries every day as well and it's sooo hot in my goods in room that I'm unpacking the boxes. The books don't order themselves you know nor do they tidy themselves or recommend themselves. It's a unique kind of retail.

Footy
I'm a lovely manager and look after my team just as they look after me. I'll find the Braehead manager and see what's going on, but maybe their shop is perfect so they have time to read.

Rant over

[MK Chris]

Oi SMURF! Well may you hide. You come work with me for a day and I'll show you how much work there is to do. We don't SELL we recommend, enthuse and deal with the discerning public. We get deliveries every day as well and it's sooo hot in my goods in room that I'm unpacking the boxes. The books don't order themselves you know nor do they tidy themselves or recommend themselves. It's a unique kind of retail.

Waterstone's should get a proper system that can work out stock levels and demand and order stock accordingly then. You could also do a system to deal with recommendations if you wanted.

Footy
I'm a lovely manager and look after my team just as they look after me. I'll find the Braehead manager and see what's going on, but maybe their shop is perfect so they have time to read.

Rant over

Also, unless you are the area manager of the area that covers that store, surely you can't say anything to them?

[Ballbag]

So don't start on me Baggie please honey xx)

Don't call me honey then.

We don't SELL we recommend, enthuse and deal with the discerning public. We get deliveries every day as well and it's sooo hot in my goods in room that I'm unpacking the boxes. The books don't order themselves you know nor do they tidy themselves or recommend themselves. It's a unique kind of retail.

I can't really see how this is a unique kind of retail. Arkwright seems to conduct his retail in a similar fashion in open all hours.

[DemonHorse]

I like reading stuff by Douglas Adams, Tom Clancy, Rob Grant, Doug Naylor and Frederick Forsyth among others. Sadly I don't read as much as I used to.

[S4B]

Oi SMURF! Well may you hide. You come work with me for a day and I'll show you how much work there is to do. We don't SELL we recommend, enthuse and deal with the discerning public. We get deliveries every day as well and it's sooo hot in my goods in room that I'm unpacking the boxes. The books don't order themselves you know nor do they tidy themselves or recommend themselves. It's a unique kind of retail.

Waterstone's should get a proper system that can work out stock levels and demand and order stock accordingly then. You could also do a system to deal with recommendations if you wanted.

How would that wprk then? We have a great stock system but that's not going to predict sales trends of new titles and authors is it!

Footy
I'm a lovely manager and look after my team just as they look after me. I'll find the Braehead manager and see what's going on, but maybe their shop is perfect so they have time to read.

Rant over

Also, unless you are the area manager of the area that covers that store, surely you can't say anything to them?

I can say that it's been noticed - W is a very open and honest company and we want our sustomers to have the best book buying experience ever because we're really good at it and we really do love books and recommending them

[MK Chris]

How would that wprk then? We have a great stock system but that's not going to predict sales trends of new titles and authors is it!

No, but that could all be done centrally, big retailers always have market analysts to do that type of thing.

[foot-loose]

Have I just got someone fired?

[S4B]

How would that wprk then? We have a great stock system but that's not going to predict sales trends of new titles and authors is it!

No, but that could all be done centrally, big retailers always have market analysts to do that type of thing.

But Waterstone's is more about the local element, the unique difference that makes each store in a big chain the store for it's own customers not some souless place. Trust me it's unique. Many authors wouldn't have got anywhere if it wasn't for proper booksellers spotting different books and helping them realise their potential. A market analyst would just look for the money makers - like the supermarkets do - we look for individuals

[MK Chris]

Well I preferred Ottakar's when it was just Ottakar's anyway, for exactly the reason you just described.

[Nicola_Red]

I don't understand why people change their name to famous people's and things like that.

Well, I had always hated my surname and wanted to change it to something less dull, and I was inspired by the work of the person in question so it seemed as good a name as any. It's not as obvious as changing your name to, I dunno, 'Beckham' or something. I haven't ever regretted it.

[S4B]

Well I preferred Ottakar's when it was just Ottakar's anyway, for exactly the reason you just described.

The thing is W does it as well and we've introduced some of the great stuff from O's too but we can ,make money and stay alive whereas O's was dying. The Supermarkets have taken away the easy wins and there was a huge danger that if we hadn't taken over then there would've been no bookshops left in a few years.

[MK Chris]

I don't like my surname. The main upside I could see if I were a woman is changing your surname on getting married. That and breasts.

[S4B]

That Sucks Char

[Ballbag]

How would that wprk then? We have a great stock system but that's not going to predict sales trends of new titles and authors is it!

No, but that could all be done centrally, big retailers always have market analysts to do that type of thing.

But Waterstone's is more about the local element, the unique difference that makes each store in a big chain the store for it's own customers not some souless place. Trust me it's unique. Many authors wouldn't have got anywhere if it wasn't for proper booksellers spotting different books and helping them realise their potential. A market analyst would just look for the money makers - like the supermarkets do - we look for individuals

Aaaah but your beloved store is not helping the little man, I was listening to a piece of radio yesterday going on about the unfair way in which Waterstones operates. Publishers/authors have to pay a fee to get their books onto the little tables you have in the stores, otherwise it's just confined to the shelves. And the monies involved can run into the thousands.

So let's just say, I, Mr Ballbag, a local to your store, write an amazing book that's going to appeal to anyone, yet don't have any money to spare. Waterstones would not help me at all. So saying "it's all about the local element" is absolute rollocks, it's all about the money.

[foot-loose]

I don't like my surname. The main upside I could see if I were a woman is changing your surname on getting married. That and breasts.

So could a sex change be on the cards?

I hate my surname. It's so common, I know about 6 Charlotte Thompsons just in west kent, and I know of about 10 others, including one who has the same birthday as me.

You told me your name wasn't Charlotte?

[MK Chris]

I don't like my surname. The main upside I could see if I were a woman is changing your surname on getting married. That and breasts.

So could a sex change be on the cards?

No because I have the use of someone else's breasts and frankly I'll stick with the surname.

My name is Charlotte! What name did you think it was?

Charlalottie. Give him some leeway, he's from Scotland.

[S4B]

Aaaah but your beloved store is not helping the little man, I was listening to a piece of radio yesterday going on about the unfair way in which Waterstones operates. Publishers/authors have to pay a fee to get their books onto the little tables you have in the stores, otherwise it's just confined to the shelves. And the monies involved can run into the thousands.

So let's just say, I, Mr Ballbag, a local to your store, write an amazing book that's going to appeal to anyone, yet don't have any money to spare. Waterstones would not help me at all. So saying "it's all about the local element" is absolute rollocks, it's all about the money.

That's sooo not true. Some publishers pay to take part in some promotions the rest is funded by us. We're getting so used to the same old rubbish in the press that we don't listen anymore. I support several local authors Baggie and I promote their books in store and on the local radio. If you're going to believe everything you read in the papers then you'll have a very rude awakening very soon. If you bothered to wind your neck in for a few minutes and listen to me you may have a much better opinion of both myself and my company.

I've now said my piece and for any further comment you can contact our press office who will explain the situation in words of 1 syllabul just so you can understand it.

[MK Chris]

Danke.

[Ballbag]

Such an out burst Mrs Book woman, I sense a nerve has been touched. Your company must have a very good corporate branding policy within it's staff ranks (which I don't mind), because you seem very loyal to them, and praise them no end. Is it at all possible that you may be a tad biased?

Also, why resort to insults as a response, it's often a good sign of being in the wrong.

Finally I made no reference to "reading things in the paper".

[S4B]

You have infuriated me, hence the insults. No corporate branding policy in our company, we believe in the freedom of speech and the sharing of ideas. It s a great company which is why I've stayed with them for so many years. I'm not biased at all though you're just wrong. Sorry I meant radiobut the same thing applies - don't believe everything you hear.

[Ballbag]

You have infuriated me, hence the insults. No corporate branding policy in our company, we believe in the freedom of speech and the sharing of ideas. It s a great company which is why I've stayed with them for so many years. I'm not biased at all though you're just wrong. Sorry I meant radiobut the same thing applies - don't believe everything you hear.

You believe in freedom of speech, and yet when I "freely speak" you resort to insults. Now that's just not very nice. Oh, and don't worry, I'm very sure you're probably not biased in any way shape or form, you do seem very neutral about this subject.

So anyway I'm wrong about Waterstones charging publishers for promoting their books am I?
Ahem....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... oks319.xml

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/liv ... ge_id=1770

[foot-loose]

My name is Charlotte! What name did you think it was?

Charla - I'm convinced we had a conversation on MSN about your name and it wasn't charlotte and I was surprised.

And then you were surprised that I wasn't actually called "foot-loose". Have I imagined this?

You may have been taking the piss tho and I wasn't quick enough to get it. Thats always possible.

[Ballbag]

Oh I don't trust either paper, contrary to what Mrs Book woman believes, I don't believe all I read in the papers. I was mainly interested in Waterstones admitting that they charged massive ammounts of money for promotion.

[The Dude]

How often do you read?
How long does it take you to get through a book?
What's your favourite book of all time?
What you reading at the moment?
What do you recommend?

1. Every night before sleep, and also on the toilet (where I categorically don't do adverts)
2. Depends. Sometimes a day, sometimes a month.
3. IT by Stephen King
4. A Perfect Spy by John LeCarrè
5. The Art Of War by Sun Tzu.

[S4B]

You have infuriated me, hence the insults. No corporate branding policy in our company, we believe in the freedom of speech and the sharing of ideas. It s a great company which is why I've stayed with them for so many years. I'm not biased at all though you're just wrong. Sorry I meant radiobut the same thing applies - don't believe everything you hear.

You believe in freedom of speech, and yet when I "freely speak" you resort to insults. Now that's just not very nice. Oh, and don't worry, I'm very sure you're probably not biased in any way shape or form, you do seem very neutral about this subject.

So anyway I'm wrong about Waterstones charging publishers for promoting their books am I?
Ahem....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... oks319.xml

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/liv ... ge_id=1770

"but the retailer strongly denied that the money influences which titles it recommends to buyers." I said that some publisher's pay for the priviledge of being in some of our campaigns. But to say that that's the only way you can get a book in our stores on a table or in a recommends is farcicle. Get your facts straight Bagfer and stick to the same arguement please.

Oh and Lottie we're not posh trust me!