L H.
Yelp
After visiting The Yankee Bookshop during our first-ever trip to Woodstock this weekend, I can only wonder if Susan, the owner, uses the snobby saleswoman scene from "Pretty Woman" as a customer service training video.
My husband and I always like to stop in at independent bookstores when we're traveling. Since we live within walking distance of the great Brookline Booksmith, we had stocked up on reading material prior to leaving for our trip, but we still made a small purchase at our first visit to The Yankee Bookshop on Saturday.
The next day, my husband mentioned some 3-D bookmarks he had seen displayed next to the register. He suggested that one might make a nice addition to a back-to-school gift basket we were putting together for our young niece. When we returned to the store, there was a customer in front of us whose order was taking a while to process. While we were waiting, I picked up two or three of the bookmarks to show my husband. My intent was to have our selection completed by the time the customer was done with his transaction, as we did not wish to be blocking the register as we shopped.
Upon reaching the register, I was in the process of handing our selection to Susan when my husband noticed a different bookmark featuring a kitten chasing a bouncing ball. I said to her, "I'm so sorry, we might want this one instead." Susan immediately snapped at me, saying, "Well, a decision would be nice. There's a woman waiting behind you."
I was stunned, as was my husband. I put both bookmarks back in their display, said "we're all set," and left the store.
We had no idea there was someone waiting behind us. I merely hesitated for a moment during my transaction with Susan, but apparently that was enough to set her off. There's no excuse for a business owner, especially one in an area that markets itself as a destination for travelers, to be so incredibly rude - in fact, downright nasty - to a customer. Perhaps she thought I was encroaching on the space of the customer in front of me. I truly did not feel I was doing so, as I had taken care to quickly pick up the bookmarks so as to respect the privacy of his transaction. Maybe she finds purchases under a certain amount to be simply not worth her time. Or perhaps images of kittens chasing balls incense her for some reason.
Who knows. In any case, a miserable woman tarnished the memory of an otherwise really lovely trip. I'm sharing this story to hopefully spare other visitors to Woodstock from having the same experience. There's no need to put up with this type of behavior, especially with another independent bookstore right across the street with a friendly and welcoming staff. And, I'd wager, one that is 100% less likely to insult you while you're in the midst of patronizing their business.
