Spectator Books — Local services in Oakland

I would have no issue with given them a 0/5 star but i can only give a low rating of 1/5. There customer service is horrible, the manager on duty when I stopped by a few days past was anything but what i would consider a manager of any kind in any way or form.

I have been to most if not all of the local east bay book stores looking for older out of print or specific book prints etc. most of these stores if they do not have it would politely say we cant get it and that would be it, or would give me some advice on where i could possible look to find a copy.

Not with this so called manager. She with her (ummm knowledge) of the book industry instead typed it into her computer inventory and it showing they had none in their inventory explained how i would not be able to get the book anywhere and good luck trying as it would be out of my powers to get it.

I took out my phone and went to abebook and found a few copies at which time i said i just came here to support the local shops.

At which point she said a sly remark on internet sales and at that point i dropped my books in hand on the table and simply said they just have better customer service then this store and left. never will i return and support that bookstore. They do not need my support and many other book stores in the area could maybe use my support.

You can look at my profile i do not write review of stores much but this experience I felt...

I like to visit new bookstores anytime I'm traveling, and I got to walk around the lovely Piedmont neighborhood on this visit to the Bay Area. Spectator Books is a top-tier bookshop, and I found the staff friendly and knowledgeable. There is a good mix of used and new books, and the selection is terrific (for my totally arbitrary tastes anyway). Great range of new and used stuff published by the great smaller presses -- the likes of New Directions, Dalkey Archive, Graywolf, City Lights, and Coffee House Press. And I so appreciated the extensive staff picks: Rather than a sprinkling of recommendations, several staff members had full shelves (or multiple shelves!) of recommendations. One staffer's picks completely aligned with my recent interests -- shout out to Stacie! -- and that made for a great time browsing. I'll also note that Spectator has a nice selection of used and new comics from the best publishers (Fantagraphics, D&Q, NYRC, etc.).

My picks: "A Cat, a Man, and Two Women" by Junichiro Tanizaki and "Forgotten Journey" by...

Avoid this place if you expect any level of respectful customer service. Absolutely appalling service at this bookstore. I asked about purchasing old books for my library and was rudely brushed off by the staff who insensitively mistook my intentions for seeking donations. The staff was dismissive, refusing to listen and instead chose to repeatedly interrupt me with the same misguided assumptions. This is no way to run a bookstore; their blatant rudeness and lack of professionalism were shocking.

*Update Following Store’s Response:

-Your response clearly uses the language barrier excuse to deflect from your rudeness, a tactic that feels discriminatory, especially given the subtle judgment based on my name. This evasion not only highlights a deeper issue of prejudice within your establishment but also unfairly insinuates to other readers that my language skills are lacking because of my name. This clearly shows that the problem isn’t just poor customer service, but an underlying...