From mom-and-pop general stores to big-box, strip-mall chains, it is impossible to consider the American experience without thinking about the buyi...
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reviews
Apr 26, 2009
Justin
rated it: 
Multiple-author anthologies that center around a clever theme tend to be a chore to read, and The Customer is Always Wrong, a collection of true-life essays about retail, is a particularly lackluster addition to the genre.
I'm not sure why the majority of these kind of collections (at least that I have read) suck, though I have a few theories. One is that many seem to be edited by someone who's not an editor by trade. This one for instance is edited by Jeff Martin, a dude whose only q More...
I'm not sure why the majority of these kind of collections (at least that I have read) suck, though I have a few theories. One is that many seem to be edited by someone who's not an editor by trade. This one for instance is edited by Jeff Martin, a dude whose only q More...
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May 04, 2009
Inge
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Man, I had hoped for so much more from this book. I had really been banking on "crazy things that customers do" horror stories. Some of these stories were so lack-luster. Colson Whitehead's story "I Scream" discusses how he worked at an ice cream store for 3 summers, and that's why he doesn't like ice cream. Really. That's pretty much all there is to that story.
Many of the essays in this book have the same kind of content as "I Scream".
One of the highlig More...
Many of the essays in this book have the same kind of content as "I Scream".
One of the highlig More...
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Jun 10, 2009
karen
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how do you fuck this book up?? its maybe the most fruitful starting place for a book - People Who Have Annoyed Us In Retail. i mean, ive been in the book trade for about ten years, and i have waitressed and bartended and scooped ice cream and been exposed to so much in these jobs along the way. i could tell stories for days with all the material i have in me, and it would be way funnier and more interesting than these essays. and i dont think that is arrogant or bitchy, this time it is just a fa
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Apr 29, 2009
Powells.com
rated it: 
What a delightful collection of true-life tales! Jeff Martin has gathered together writers and humorists of all stripes to offer a gold mine of cringe-inducing stories about life in the retail world. What writer hasn't spent a few years behind the counter of the local mall, bookstore, or record store? From the absurd to the poignant, The Customer Is Always Wrong will show you retail from the inside.
Recommended by Beth, Powells.com
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=19333... More...
Recommended by Beth, Powells.com
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=19333... More...
May 25, 2009
Stella
rated it: 
This was, in fact, a cathartic read for those of us in the customer service industry. The only thing I found frustrating is that I wanted to write my own stories and have them included (like delivering pizza to a hotel room where an obviously naked man was laying in bed yelling at me to place the pizza on the table). I didn't like all of the stories, but that's what usually happens when you read a variety of writers. And I could empathize with more than a few of them about their experiences.
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Sep 10, 2011
Georgette
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What a great little collection this is. All sorts of prominent authors and entertainment luminaries gather here to tell about their own awkward experiences in the Land of Nod(Aka Retail). Anyone who currently works in retail(myself) or has worked in retail(many others) will appreciate these tales. You have bookstore, liquor store, electronics store, and even a sex shop stories covered here. You gather appreciation for what they went through, while laughing your way through all the stories. A qui
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Apr 11, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
The writers who contributed to The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles must hate Jeff Martin. I thought this book would be hilarious. I've worked a retail job and I have great stories--involving drag queens, a crazy naked lady and the time a cop called the police on me. Only about three of the stories in the whole book are remotely interesting, the best of which was probably the guy who worked in the sex shop, although it was seriously messed up. I'm glad I got this from the library
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Mar 01, 2011
Butterflycager
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This was interesting, but rather uneven. I enjoyed some of these essays, but wondered why some of the others were in here at all. I did like that the book wasn't just one big long rant against stupid or rude customers, and that there were so many different types of retail experiences included here. My favorite essays were "Sears, Sbarro's, Sayonara" by Wade Rouse, "Another Day at the Video Store" by Kevin Smokler, "The Bad Call" by Clay Allen, and "Un Posto
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Jun 02, 2011
Megan
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I think the best thing about working in retail, or a place that is sort of like retail and attracts the same kind of people (i.e. the library, which is where I work) is the crazy stories you accumulate. You end your shift with stories of drunk people, idiots, jerks and thieves, and if you are lucky you can spin a really long yarn about some crazy character you keep encountering.
Unfortunately this book doesn't really live up to all of the potential that retail stories have. I read al More...
Unfortunately this book doesn't really live up to all of the potential that retail stories have. I read al More...
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Mar 15, 2009
Meg
rated it: 
Remember in the movie Clerks how there's about one minute of Dante and Randall describing the stupid and strange customers they see? I always liked that scene in the movie and thought it was too short. I worked in retail throughout high school, so I encountered my fair share of weird and annoying customers, but it seems like everyone in retail has one or two great stories of particularly outrageous customers.
So I'm thinking: if everyone has one or two great stories, and this book is More...
So I'm thinking: if everyone has one or two great stories, and this book is More...
Nov 27, 2009
StephanieRose
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As someone who worked in retail for over 5 years and has just recently returned for the Holidays, I could completely relate to this collection of essays. Not only was it hilarious, but true. My particular favorite was "Sixteen Retail Rules". I could swear to God Cathy Lazarus probably worked in the same store as I did. I want to give this book to everyone I know as a Christmas present and force them to think about what sort of customer they are and how under appreciated and mistreated
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Dec 10, 2008
Kathleen
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I found the title to this book fascinating, and although I'd not heard of any of the contributors, I was dying to read it. The contributions were OK, some better than others. The stories read like the authors first attempts in high school to get a handle on difficult situations in their first jobs. A huge breadth of situations saved the book. The contributions were short, sometimes 2-3 pages.
Mar 14, 2009
William
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Some 21 short essays by different authors who loosely write on their interesting (often bad) experiences in retail sales. The quality varies widely, as can be expected, and most essays are not that memorable. A few jewels exist, however, and one can find a few excellent passages here and there. Anyone who has ever had a job in retail can appreciate this collection and perhaps add to it.
Jan 19, 2009
Talia
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If you’ve ever worked in retail (or customer service), this book full of short memoirs will definitely bring back memories. Unfortunately, many of the sections are kinda boring and not that interesting. The best story is by Wendy Spero, how she was successful cold-selling knives.
Jan 10, 2009
Amelia
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I like reading other people's retail job horror stories. This is similar to those "True Porn" or other type of compilations, with quirky sad little tales that we can all relate to, and I would definitely recommend it more highly if it were a beautiful comic book.
Sep 08, 2011
Dale
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I got this because Victor Gischler has an essay in it and frankly he could publish his grocery lists and I'd read them. But I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed most of the essays. Then again, my own retail experience wasn't that long ago.
Jun 06, 2011
Kristen
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There are some really funny and relate-able stories about life in the retail world in this book. Sadly, I felt let down after finishing it and I kept thinking that this had so much more potential to be hilarious.
Feb 17, 2009
Angela
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Ahhh, the memories. This book IS life in retail/customer service. If you ever lived it, you would understand. Some of the stories I could so relate to that I was laughing out loud. Others were a bit romantacized--from the author's perspective - you could tell this was their "good old days." For the most part, I liked it.
Dec 04, 2008
Jeff
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Almost everyone has taken a retail gig to pay the bills at one point, so even if you haven't had the larger-than-life experiences behind the counter that some of these authors share here, odds are you'll be able to identify with the sentiments. A funny, breezy read.
Feb 18, 2011
Blake
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Some excellent chapters, some that were very much less so. The book, overall, wasn't as entertaining as I'd hoped, although some of the stories therein were.
Aug 12, 2009
Shari
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As I was reading the essays presented, I found myself nodding in agreement with the sentiment presented that only those who have worked retail can relate to. An amusing look at the "service" industry - and oh so true.
Feb 18, 2009
Erin
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I found myself nodding over and over again. None of the essays ended quite like I expected, which I found made the book all that more interesting. Great source for finding new authors!
Aug 13, 2011
Aspasia
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Various writers share their horror stories of working retail and having to put up with dumb, rude customers. A welcome relief after dealing with a jerk over the phone last week.
Apr 27, 2010
Manintheboat
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So funny! Made me feel better. I swear that man in Home Depot must have been the previous owner of my house.
Dec 04, 2008
Jackie
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Read James Wagner's essay on some enlightening and offbeat moments in selling plumbing supplies.
May 11, 2009
Jan
rated it:
So funny! If you have ever worked any kind of customer service job you will understand where all of these people are coming from.
