Reader's Corner Inc — Local services in Raleigh

Unacceptable customer service from young "gentleman" and also young "lady" working there. I've shopped there since the 90's when I got my Master's at NCSU. So I made the long drive to Raleigh on a cold winter's Saturday. I hadn't been in the shop in quite a while, and I was looking forward to browsing for a good read. I follow CDC guidelines and respect the safety of others. When I walked into the store I was already wearing my medical grade mask. Cold air immediately steamed my glasses. The air WILL pass up and out of this grade of mask! So to be considerate and to protect others by assuring appropriate social distancing, I stayed at the door to wait for my glasses to warm up. No one was anywhere near me. I didn't drop my mask at all. I did try to adjust it around the nose because my breath was escaping at the top and causing my glasses to fog. WOW what a MAJOR mistake! I have NEVER been YELLED at (in a clear attempt at public shaming) like this in my life. I said NOTHING, I was shocked and mortified. So immediately the young "gentleman" escalates with ... "Do I look like I'm KIDDING to you?" ...while also moving aggressively within 2 feet of me. Without a word I just walked out. SHAME on the OWNER for allowing his employees to consistently behave (see other reviews) this way. How can anyone continue to support a business that has employees who treats people this way? I wonder... Did the shoppers who observed this behavior somehow feel safer once I was gone? Did they say "thank you for protecting us" when they checked out? Did they leave there and then go buy "take out" food (while not knowing whether the workers were fastidious about their masks during food preparation)??? At least they can all rest safe knowing no one has breathed through the gaps in their medical grade mask onto any of those used books...... Here's a thought: Require N95 masks in your business if you seriously think what I did was in any way unsafe! ...

I love a used bookstore and try to visit one whenever we're out of town. Reader's Corner has a great selection of used books, records, and CDs. My husband and I spent over an hour here and really enjoyed ourselves. The isles between the bookcases are narrow and not easily traversed if you use assistive devices. If you decide to check out this bookstore I advise taking cash with you. They charge the customer the fee if you use a card. If this was posted anywhere it's not obvious. They did inform us of the fee at check out. I don't fault businesses for transferring that fee to the customer if the purchase is under a certain threshold but we spent $89 in books. I think above a certain threshold the store can cover the $3 fee. There were several instances while browsing that it felt like some of the staff were stalking us. I understand wanting to ensure that you don't lose merchandise but it can really put a damper on the customers experience. If you're concerned with the potential for theft (cause I'm sure it's difficult to keep an eye on customers with the tall bookcases) then install cameras. Lastly, some of the employees are a bit abrasive with not only customers...

I really liked this bookstore. Some notes: They're taking COVID seriously, so when the store's at capacity, they have a sign asking you to wait outside, and they let people in as customers leave. Masks are also required. I appreciated the prioritization of safety! The outdoor bookshelves have some good finds, but it would help if there was a clear sign somewhere stating that a) they don't want you bringing the books you find outside inside the store and b) just pay for those books by putting money in the mail slot in the door. Maybe there was a sign and I missed it, but the way I found out was by an employee randomly checking outside to bring the next customer in and saying something to me when they noticed I had books in my arms. Also, I had a hard time figuring out book prices. Sometimes I would see a little label taped to a shelf, but it didn't seem standard on every shelf? Again, maybe I missed a big sign somewhere that clearly states pricing. The last thing is that they DO accept cards along with cash. I always worry when I go to stores like this that it's a cash only situation, so I thought I'd share that as well. Overall, I'd recommend...