Bookmans Phoenix Entertainment Exchange — Attraction in Phoenix

It doesn't surprise me anymore when a business has "budget problems", but someone needs to teach more retail managers that there is a DIRECT correlation between merchandising your store properly and using all of your available resources, to sell that merchandise so you can make payroll. I was told by a manager today that the person who prices magazines was hit with budget constraints and doesn't have time to price magazines, presumably because hours were cut. I suggested that perhaps someone from another area could go in and help her. He said, we don't go into other people's areas of expertise, so no cross pollination from employees milling around looking not very busy. I could have gone in there and had them priced within a half hour...because I usually buy a whole lot of magazines and know exactly what they sell for in Bookmans. The magazine section looks pretty much empty and ransacked of what I'm used to buying. I never walk out of bookmans spending less than $30-$100. But today, I spent $4.00 and some change. The first woman I spoke to reluctantly went to ask the magazine pricer if there were home mags, and the pricer said that what she had was all out on the floor. The manager said "what she meant was the magazines weren't priced yet to go out on the floor because with budget restraints, she hasn't gotten to them." My God, has anyone explained to these lazy people that when customers pay money, it has the direct effect of lessening a tight payroll issue? I was also looking at two books, one for $30, and one for $22.00. I was so irritated with the lethargic customer service, that I went online and learned I could buy each of these books for about $10 less and no shipping charge, which would be a $20. savings. The old me would have just bought them at Bookmans to support the business ..but the new irritated me walked out spending just $4.00. So, this message is for Bob Oldfather: If your employees don't give a shit about your customers, why on earth would your customers give a shit about them? When I voiced my disappointment, the manager said, "I'm sorry you feel that way"...as if this were entirely my doing somehow because I was willing to spend money but couldn't? I said this wasn't personal, facts are facts. The facts are apparently, budget constraints, cut hours, magazines in the back not priced, customer leaves with pretty much nothing, store looses sale. I honestly don't need to buy my books at Bookmans, I can go on line like the rest...

I was in a financial Bind. Unfortunately I had to take some of my personal belongings down here. Bing that I needed money to feed my kids, I took their offer . They gave me $125 for 20 vinyl records , OOP , Rare color variation vinyl. These Capital A holes don't even give you 25% of what they're gonna sell it for. The icing on the cake was how someone called in to see if they're stolen goods were purchased at bookmens . After the employee told the person on the phone that the person did in fact come in there two different times to try and sell the stolen goods, and said "they did not buy them". As soon as they hung up the phone. The employee next to them said "I think we took some of that in" .... So maybe they thought my stuff was stolen and that's why the offer seemed disrespectful. But in retrospect if they think it's stolen they shouldn't buy it ! Nor should they tell people calling on the phone that they didn't buy it when they in fact bought it. Lol Professionalism at its finest . In the past, I've purchased vinyl from this location. One album cost me and $175 dollars If I would have took in that same album back to bookmens to sell it. They wouldn't have even offered me $10 and I bought it from them. What kind of customer services this ? The employees are in charge of their own trade "that's not a very good self reflection" from a personal standpoint or from a business perspective. These are the people you allow to represent your company. As well If customers have to ask to use the restroom you'll probably have less drug use on property . You should at least prioritize that being that the children section is right next to the bathrooms. I'm just saying it's kinda obvious if a person looks homeless. Smells homeless and pulls some stuff out of a backpack that probably belongs in a home kick them out ! Don't let them trade at your store And sit on your indoor bench by the entrance and exit ... It only took me two visits to form this opinion....

I brought in a clean 1999 Fender American Standard Telecaster to see if they were interested in making a deal. I was looking for cash, after being told by Guitar Center that they don't offer cash on instruments on weekends (despite this being a Friday, which, last time I checked, was a weekday). I left the guitar there and received a phone text maybe 20 minutes later stating my offer was ready.

I was offered a mere $300 cash for this instrument, which came with the OHSC, original setup tools, original receipt dated 2000-05-22 and the original COA written in Italian as this guitar was purchased brand new in Afragola.

While the staff were polite, this deal told me as much as I need to know about Bookman's from here on out: profits are valued significantly more than keeping customers [happy]. I get it, a store has to turn a profit in order to keep its doors open and pay it's staff, sure. But to offer about 20% of market value is an insult, and extremely exploitative. Even Guitar Center, the Gamestop of instruments, would have likely offered around 60% MV.

It was clear they had no interest in offering anything that resembled a fair deal, and I understand. Business is business, and I had something that they weren't interested in, it's that simple. What would have been the respectable and dignified thing to say was "we're sorry, we can't make an offer on this" or even "we're not interested at this time, thank you." That would have kept a customer happy, but that offer was such a slap in the face that I, a Bookman's customer since 2005, will no longer be doing business with them. What a slap in the face to not only me, but to my property as well. I will shop at places that are honest with customers, even when...