Readings St Kilda — Local services in Melbourne

Despite this being a lovely shop, with mostly lovely staff from what I read, I had the rudest customer service experience I've ever had in this shop. It appears from other review sites that I am not alone.

We visited Readings as I spotted a large book I was interested in, in the window. We went in to take a look - it is a lovely shop - and decided to pick up the book on our return that afternoon as it was too big to haul around all day.

At this time we spotted a very silly/funny tea towel, which we wanted to buy but could not see in the shop apart from the display. Despite my best efforts to be polite and apologetic to the male member of staff for having to look for one we could buy, his annoyance was obvious, especially when a friendly female member of staff had him get the display one down for us to buy when he clearly had no plans to.

At point of purchase, and out of nowhere, he made a rude comment to us relating to the tea towel essentially calling us 'basic' and lower class for buying it (seemingly forgetting we're trying to purchase something sold in the shop he works in). I was taken aback but thought I must have misunderstood, I realised soon after that he had in fact said what I thought he said. Needless to say, we did not return to purchase the larger book form the window display.

Maybe someone needs to check that he is ok. As a small business owner myself, I would be astounded had one of my staff behaved this way, and it would lead to disciplinary action without question; partly for the loss of trade, but mostly for the...

Not many bookstores are left and with Amazon's Kindle and for the company I write for reviews everything is going online. Don't get me wrong and I do understand progress and where we are heading, nothing beats a book the smell of it something that is there in print something that it's not a motion to turn pages or if you happen to run out of power it doesn't work. But everything changes and the biggest culprits for the demise of bookstores can be found in Canberra and the worst was one of our PM who's very close relative wanted to be a writer. Get rid of taxes and there will be always a hard copy. Having been there to see if there was something to grab my attention which there was I found this bookstore to be staffed with very helpful and very knowledgeable about what they trade. The store is open floorplan and well stocked of whatever category your after I walked away with 2 books on Australian and world wide street art. There was a few more books about Melbourne in pictures and Melbourne before and after the turn of the century in pictures. But price did dictated what I bought. If you are in Acland st St Kilda go and buy something that will make the trip home in the train more bearable. And if you love reading don't forget to remind the people who can change things...

I found the staff to be lazy and unhelpful. Whilst I live in St Kilda near this bookshop, I entered looking for a particular book asking if it was available. The staff representative completed a cursory update looking for the book explaining he had never heard of it - it is Golendeye, a biography of Ian Fleming not exactly completely unknown territory for anyone. Very disappointed with the attitude, especially when the person suggested I go on the internet to search for the book. What's the reason that Readings exist if staff are providing this sort of advice to the public? I did indeed find the book on the internet, sadly won't be visiting...