I have never really been prompted to bring up this store's flaws (and there are many) since it was a comic book store, I enjoy comics, and it was a relatively decent drive. I put up with the god awful customer service and the rather slim collection of comics because I still managed to find what I wanted every now and then. However, now that I have been kicked out of the store for the sacrilegious act of reading one of the comics in the store, I feel compelled to share my feelings.
The worst aspect of this store (of which there are many) is the customer service. There is but one lone employee staying afloat on a life raft in a vast ocean of douche who is at all helpful to customers. She is always pleasant and helpful. However, she often seems overwhelmed, most likely due to the fact that she is the only one doing any work. The other employees are often incredibly busy too, ignoring customers and texting their friends about how great it is to ignore customers. Asking them a question will at worst be responded with a condescending sigh and at best a guttural gargle. I really can not express how welcome they made me feel. About as welcome as a man of color at a white supremacist gathering. However, there is one individual who deserves special mention. He rises above his fellow turd burglars to prove that the customer is not just always wrong, but incredibly stupid and out to waste the time of every store employee with ridiculously inane questions such as "Could you please help me?"
I do not know this behemoth's name, but I will do my best to describe him. He stands (but is usually sitting) tall over his domain, staring at his phone doing his best to pretend there are actually no customers in the store. His prepubescent hipster goatee glimmers in the bright fluorescent light and while his beret, which is definitely not worn so that people may ask him about it, sits high on his head. He's about as friendly as a wasp, and just as attractive. His personality just screams "Hello world! Please don't bother me since I am much more important than you!" Much like the rest of the employees, he has no time for customers, but he takes it to the next level. When you speak to him his face immediately scrunches up giving you the feeling that you have just made a horrible mistake. If he does not out right ignore you, he will quickly look around to see if there is nothing he can use to ignore you even harder. When he finally does approach you, be prepared for a total lack of enthusiasm and a tone of voice that says "I'd rather be getting kicked in the nuts than be talking to you." He runs this store in a way that only a pompous control freak like himself could.
Which I guess brings us to my expulsion today. My friend and I entered the store as we would any other day. Though we groaned at the sight of Lord Mayonnaise, we continued on. My friend walked off to look for a new batman comic while I browsed The Question graphic novels. My friend found his comic and began to look through it. This disgusting act was not stood for, and our lord and savior stood up from behind his desk, walked to the aisle my friend was in, and yelled at him to not read a comic in a comic book store. A totally rational and cool headed response. We went back to our browsing and quickly looked through the comics we were interested in with the utmost secrecy before heading to the door. However our commander in chief was not yet finished with us. With great effort he arose from his crumb riddled throne and approached us. He had a glimmer in his eye that said "You two sure look like hoagies, and I didn't eat lunch." I feared my on coming devouring but stood firm. Thankfully he did not eat us, but instead told us to "hit the bricks" and that "He did not want to see our faces again."
Bookstores have no problem with customers reading books in their stores. In fact, they have special locations in the stores for just that. And seeing as comic book stores are essentially the same thing but with comic books I do not know what my friend and I did to encourage this response. Perhaps we came in at a bad time, or maybe we encroached on his valuable customer ignoring time. I would not recommend this store to anyone who is a decent human being. We all look to comics and books to escape from reality for a while or maybe just make us smile. But this place will only remind you the world is full of assholes, and they are usually wearing berets and look like they spend most of their free time in a burger king. read more
