My first thought after reading this post over at BeaucoupKevin was that I would feel awkward during a retail experience like the one presented. The comments open up with Jen de Guzman mirroring those feelings, and proceed with a number of usually reasonable comic retail employees/comic bloggers dogpiling her.

There’s no critique in her comment. It’s a straight-up fact. She would feel uncomfortable in that situation. She doesn’t suggest ways to correct the behaviour (at least at first), but instead gives some very basic, useful information. How someone chooses to process that information is entirely up to them, but so far responses have ranged from suggesting that she should lighten up to the defense that somehow her experience could have been even worse. Is it impossible to imagine that if one or two people feel that way then maybe real live customers have had the same reaction, or that it may be a good idea from time to time to reconsider the kind of customer service provided? Even if these considerations are eventually dismissed, they shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand.

I can personally attest that the type of behaviour being discussed can result in a loss of revenue. When I ask for gifts for the holidays, I always include directions to local comic shops in the hope that my friends and family will buy from a small business. They did at first, but as the years have gone on they’ve become reluctant to venture into comic stores to the point that for the past few years none of my comic-related gifts have originated there. The main problem isn’t the usual culprits, like a lack of cleanliness or an anemic selection. It’s that, in general, the customer service is not at the level that the average customer is accustomed to. Obviously there are numerous exceptions, but someone who rarely ventures into a comic book store is probably not going to give the experience more than a few chances to get it right, if that.

Full disclosure: I once owned a comic book store, and in the beginning at least my customer service was abysmal. Oh, I was attentive, helpful, and polite, but I quickly learned that great customer service begins before the customer even approaches you, when what you say or do or allow in your shop can indirectly affect their shopping experience. And, with few exceptions, a customer shouldn’t have to work to get your undivided attention after they’ve already spent time, money and/or effort to get to your store. I got my act together as time went on, which was good because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have lasted at any of the numerous retail jobs I worked for nearly a decade after closing my store.

I’m not trying to dictate the way comic stores should be run. For all I know, much like Marvel or DC, driving away a few potential customers is the price paid for holding onto the ones that remain. I just hope that presenting a view from the other side of the counter is helpful. After all, even money received from a “humourless drone” is still worth something.