I /just/ got hired at a bookstore (lowkey worried af). Do you have any (and I do mean /any/) tips you could impart on this poor soul who has no idea what they're doing?
Ask questions! If you don’t understand something, don’t say you do and hope you’ll get it along the way. If you don’t get it, then ask, that way people aren’t finding the mistakes and such later.
There’s likely going to be a lot to learn, between the POS system and sections and ordering and such, depending on how much your store let’s the employees handle that sort. You’re not going to be able to learn everything in one day. It’s gonna take a couple months until you’re confident in what you’re doing. But you’ll get there!
Don’t overthink it too much, a bookstore is a wonderful place to be. Often customers are easier because they want to be there and people like the space. Makes the experience wholly better.
You got this 🙌 feel free to ask any questions! I work at a indie bookstore and manage the YA sections, but I’ve been doing It for 5 years now and I love everything about it.
Ahhh new bookstore peeps!! *whispers* Is it okay if I add some things?? I’ve worked at bookstores for ~3.5 years now. Definitely have faith in your abilities! I’m sure you know a lot about books and your love of books will definitely shine through and people will see that and respond to it!! I hope you don’t have too many bad interactions but I can promise you will absolutely have some INCREDIBLE ones that will restore your faith in all of humanity. In my experience, people who work at bookstores are pretty fantastic and you may find yourself making fast friends with a lot of your coworkers because a love of books can really bring people together.
Best tip I have is to pay close attention to the things your coworkers say and recommend to customers. You’ll be able to pick up a lot of recommendations to have under your belt to give out to customers even if you haven’t read the books yourself.
