Half Price Books — Local services in Bellevue

Customer walks in, finds the basket stack has someone's unfinished drink on it, then told to take the drink outside to the garbage by staff.

On 4/13, I experienced an avoidable incident at the Bellevue HPB store. Upon entering shortly after the 10 AM opening, I reached for a shopping basket and discovered someone had left an unfinished iced coffee in the top basket. To use a basket, I needed to remove this drink. When I turned to the nearby book-receiving area and politely asked an employee if they had a garbage can, he instructed me to take the drink outside to the public garbage. I clarified, "It's not mine; I found it in the basket," but he reiterated that they did not have a garbage can for drinks and walked away without further assistance.

Feeling obligated to resolve the situation myself, I exited the store, disposed of the drink in the public garbage, and returned inside. Upon my return, the employee did not acknowledge or thank me. Disappointed and unsettled by the lack of customer service, I approached the front counter and requested a manager. A staff member uncertainly identified himself as "a manager," listened briefly to my concern, and responded simply, "We don't have a drink garbage," before turning away. As I left, feeling frustrated, the manager sarcastically said, "Have a great day."

I emailed HPB corporate detailing this experience, received a brief acknowledgment, and was informed my comments would be shared with the district manager. No further follow-up occurred.

Since a constructive conversation has not developed with HPB, I suggest the following recommendations to prevent future similar customer experiences:

Recommended Outcomes to Improve Customer Experience: Useful Outcomes for Customers: Improved Store Cleanliness: Clear processes ensuring common areas like basket stations are checked and cleaned frequently, providing a welcoming environment.

Enhanced Customer Service: Staff trained to handle unexpected customer requests (such as disposing of waste) proactively, minimizing customer inconvenience.

Clearer Communication: Empower staff with clear scripts or guidance for politely handling scenarios when customers report problems that staff may feel ill-equipped to address.

Actions Store Could Take for Staff Training: Customer Service Training: Conduct scenario-based training on handling atypical customer requests, emphasizing empathy and proactive problem-solving.

Policy Clarification: Clearly establish and communicate a policy regarding customer-reported waste or spills inside the store.

Empowering Staff: Provide accessible supplies (e.g., small trash cans at checkout or receiving area) to quickly resolve common minor issues without customer inconvenience.

Managerial Response Training: Train managers to respond to customer complaints constructively, validating concerns rather than dismissing them.

Suggested Practical Improvements: Add Small Garbage Bins Indoors: Place discrete bins near entrances, basket stations, or checkout counters to handle incidental customer-generated waste.

Signage or Instructions: Post polite signage near baskets and entry points instructing customers on appropriate disposal or reporting of discarded items.

By addressing these aspects, HPB can improve customer experience, maintain a clean and welcoming shopping environment, and equip employees with the right tools and mindset to handle similar situations...

One of the better-stocked Half-Price Books stores in the area with a great selection of games and music alongside the usual mountain of books of all kinds. Like all other HPB stores, the prices are sometimes questionable, especially on video games, but they still manage to be well worth looking through because you never know when you'll find something fascinating for a totally workable price. That's something HPB has over most used video game stores in the area, people will usually sell the coolest vintage video gaming merchandise they have online, but these are the kinds of stores where people who don't keep track of that stuff bring in entire boxes of stuff they don't want anymore, so they wind up giving away really interesting stuff. Unfortunately, selling to them is where they outright fall short. Often times, the money you'll get for 2 or 3 boxes stuffed with books won't even break 10 dollars and it's always a kick in the ribs to bring in a bunch of stuff you think will sell decently and then you barely get enough to buy a sandwich. That being said, if you really wanna get rid of stuff and not have it ever go to waste but also get paid for it immediately, most local HPB stores are helpful. Just remember if you want any notable amount for what you bring in, it better be incredibly rare or you better have a literal truck full, otherwise this store is best fit by far for a good afternoon thrift...

I had buy and sell books at this location in the past 10+ years. My kids were very young when I introduce them to Half Price Bookstore. My family members like to read books. This bookstore sells used and brand new books, musical CD and vinyl albums, craft kits, VHS video taps, old newspapers, novalty gift sets, coloring books, journals and stationary. The books are organized in various sections of interest. There are sections for children, parenting, self help, finance, investment, history, art, music, foreign languages, computer, cooking, crafts and much more. Each shelves are labelled by the last name of the book author. The staff is extremely helpful. If you are lookng for a particular book title, they will walk you to the corresponding section. If they cannot find it, they will look up the author online to make sure the name is correct. Some used books are published awhile back. If you don't mind used books, there are really good bargains. My family likes to visit this bookstore, it is like treasure hunt. Though not all books are available, but if you can find it, you will be excited for the money you save. A book I recently bought, the regular price is $ 13.95, I paid $ 6.49 for it. The book is so clean, it looks brand new. There is no marking, highlight or...