Michele Lee

There’s a rumor going around at we won’t be given ten days notice after all (even though we have the signs sitting in the hallway in the office area) but only five. I’ve talked to my SM and I know why it’s a rumor, but really it wouldn’t surprise me at this point.

We were also audited today, which ended up not being too big of a deal, at least to our faces. The auditor was pretty cool as far as I saw, but then I just met her. I didn’t get lectured by her or anything.

Also our regional manager came in today and I didn’t recognize him at first because he was, like, smiling, and joking and laughing with us. It’s amazing how much a few smiles and actually addressing the grunts instead of leading the managers around like nervous nans can change a person. Really he should smile more often.

Sometimes things trigger every rage vein you have in you, and sometimes they come off so absurd you can’t help just laughing. Like the people coming in asking about applications. We get a lot because being downtown it’s easy for people to walk around, hit a lot of places and fill up their sheets for unemployment or halfway house requirements. Many of the people asking aren’t serious about it at all, they just ask so they can try to get us to sign their sheets.

One guy last week got mad at us. “Are you all hiring?” “No, we’re closing.” “Well will you sign my sheet?” “No, we can’t. And people would laugh at you anyway if they saw you were asking a closing store for a job.” At which point he got real mad and snapped “Well I am looking and I did ask, so you should sign it.”

Today’s applicant was, I don’t know. He asked to talk to someone about his application and didn’t see how us being on a hiring freeze, the store closing and us all losing our jobs meant that he didn’t stand a chance. Two hours later a customer simply could not believe we still have people asking us about hiring when we’re all losing our jobs, at some unnamed point. Also the messages of support have began to change from “Why are you closing? I’m so sorry.” to “You’ll find out there’s something better out there, and clearly they aren’t treating you right anyway.”

I ended up parodying the classic Borders BR/BR+ ad name badge into “Hire me! Ask how today!” and it seems to be getting a lot of positive reaction. No jobs, but more people wishing me luck and sympathizing rather than just assuming we’ll all be transfered. And a woman visiting from Norway who just so happens to own an employment agency took a picture of it and complimented my initiative. Too bad I’m not looking for a job in Norway, though.

Now if I can find a way to hold on to this tired, resolved, almost-positive feeling (and better yet, pass it on to the people around me as well) I might be able to convince myelf that everything really will be okay and I won’t end up spending another few years job hunting.

Yup folks, that’s right. We’ve been doing this for a month now.

First a few updates, the Shelbyville Road store here in Louisville got a last minute save when the landlord caved and agreed to work with Borders. A handful of others did as well. I’m not sure whether I think this is good news or bad. I mean, I’m glad those people still have their jobs. Except they aren’t in the clear yet. And I do know that not knowing is worse than knowing. I mean, that’s why not knowing when our last day is is so hard. I simply can’t make any kind of plans and working how I have been these last few weeks my days off are Sunday, which is rather limited in job-hunting usefulness (I can put a lot of application in, but it’s useless for interviews or street-level hunting) and Thursdays, which honestly have been filled with mundane tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, dentist appointments (and if things continue the way they are in Louisville–yard work.)

I know a lot of you know this already because many people have approached me in real life telling me they’ve been reading along, but some don’t know. My son is autistic and for the last ten years most of my “job” has been managing his needs. I guess I’ve come to depend on scheduling and routine almost as much as he does and not being able to make more than a week to week game plan until the inevitable is ruffling my feathers all on its own.

And speaking of which there were no “10 Days left” signs up when I went in today. The good news is that means the people getting benefits will now officially have them at least to the end of April. I’m not one of those people, but good for them. Any good news is welcome.

I spent the day, much of it anyway, clearing out Paperchase. The fixtures are sailing out sometime this week, and honestly organizing is my weakness. It was nice to get to do something other than ringing for a bit, especially something I like to do. Knowing that’s why I was tasked with it, and knowing that my GM covered my register while I worked are also little squishy moments. Plus my DH took me to lunch, so over all this is one of the best work days I’ve had in the last month.

I have been told that I’m over reacting to this situation, that it’s just a job and I was job hunting when I found it, I can find another. So I’ve tried to be more careful, because I really don’t want to drag down the people around me (not even those of you reading this). But a lot of what I’ve been talking about and bothered by my coworkers, and even many of you commenting or emailing, have agreed with. We’re all bothered by being cut off from what has been our business for years (together, at least). We’re all worried about our future. We’re all demoralized by watching the store disassembled up to torn apart, by dealing with the same few questions from customers, not to mention the pissy ones who tell us [whatever thing we can’t do for them, no matter how outrageous] is why we’re going out of business. We’re frustrated with the liquidator’s lack of information sharing and the “missives” from headquarters we are receiving that say Borders is spending a lot of money to prove we’re all stealing from them.

Furthermore all of us are tired, sore and many sleeping badly, not just from the constant work (be it packing and moving books, putting fixtures together or helping people carry them out, or just standing in one place for three hours until the line is gone) but also from the stress. It’s not just me, and I’m not just whining. We’re all experiencing physical side effects from all of this.

Am I overreacting? Well, yeah, maybe some. I am a writer, and one of the primary skills there is precise use of language. “Guys it sucks, these mean customers are coming in and taking everything and leaving huge messes” doesn’t quite resonate with people like “It feels like I’m dead only I have to sell all my stuff and clean out my house and embalm myself before I can actually lay down and rest.” Both are true, but the latter immediate puts people there, imagining how that really would feel.

But I also had a coworker tell me today they were surprised I’d feel like I was over blowing things, since I’m one of the most consistently cheerful and upbeat people they know. Insert more warm squishies here.

In short, I think that I’m accomplishing what I’ve set out to do with these blogs. That is, venting in a useful way, showing those who haven’t been there what it’s like and reaching out to the people who are there (or have been, or will be) to make sure they aren’t alone. Because you aren’t. And we aren’t over reacting. This is a depressing, demoralizing and even physically stressing situation.

But it will end (eventually) and when it does we’ll be free to find other paths, and I think, almost universally, we’ll find something better

P.S. It could be a lot worse. Whittier Daily News reports that a small town in California struck a deal with a landlord to help pay rental fees in order to get a Borders in their town. Their store is being closed and now the landlord can contractually get $33,932.91 a month from the city for 72 months until the contract is up and the space is available for a new tenant. On one hand it’s great to hear that a city valued having a bookstore so much. On the other this really, really sucks for tax payers and local book lovers.

What an absolute utter shit of a day. Almost everyone was in a horrible mood, from about 96% of the customers to all the managers (one of whom was working on no sleep at all, opening after her first full shift at another job). My first phone call of the day (we do still answer when it’s slow because our liquidator and managers call to check in, plus today was “next week’s schedule is up” day so of course all the 10-15 hr a week employees called in to check their schedule ask us to go up to the closed floor during rush to check their schedule.) was a woman wanting six copies of an old (like 2003) business book, which of course meant we didn’t have it before, much less now. Then she kept me on the phone to walk her through ordering them at Borders.com. Is it really that hard?? But see, that’s a perfect example of what I’m saying when I say ebooks will not kill print because people like that depend so badly on people to do these things for them.

Two people no called-no showed today, and it was the last chance for one of them. So now we’re down at least one more person. A manager and a ex-IPT new bookseller type got into an argument at the register. People want to know when the prices are going to go down again even though they just went down last night.  I got stopped twice in the time it took me to walk from the front door to the elevator by people wanting me to find books for them. I was on break with no name tag or anything on. But they can tell, can’t they?

A number of other people are being cornered by customers trying to force us to do things for them while we’re not on the clock. We even had another store call us earlier this week to look up a book, and when I said we no longer had any sort of inventory system and nothing was in order they said “Oh that’s okay, I’m logged in right now and I can see that you have it.” Really? You want to come look at our shelves and find it yourself then?

I heard people muttering about how rude we were because they had to *gasp* wait in a line despite there being four cashiers ringing for all their might. Our office furniture is disappearing and Wednesday all the glass locking cases were moved out. My manager had to hang up on someone because they were yelling at her about not being able to find a book. Of course there was the jerk who said “this is why Borders is closing” when we couldn’t find a book for him. People are coming in looking for new releases too.

And here’s another big trend that’s continuing to a sickening level, people bringing up armfuls of product up and asking us to ring it all and they’ll decide what they want then. Sometimes even when the line out of the queue and into the mystery section. Top it all off with price cuts that aren’t ringing up right, customers who are sure we’re just trying to cheat them or trick them and corporate sending us all thinly veiled threats about stealing (there are THREE letters on cork boards in the break room today. Wednesday there was one.) Every single one of us got snapped at by nasty customers at least once today, and in turn it’s hard when you’re under that kind of pressure not to just snap at everyone else around you.

Sadly, I also have to mention that Borders announced the closure of 28 more stores, including another one here in Louisville. I’m so sorry that anyone else has to go through this utter nightmare. I’m also sorry that all the big stores in town are closing and the only one left open is one that many customers have complained to me has rude employees and poor selection. (But an upper level manager from this store once told me personally that if no one complained to them about me pushing BR+ too hard then I wasn’t pushing hard enough. Just so all you customers out there know where you stand with Borders’ new ideal management.)

I want to pass on a few tips and whatnot to those in newly closing stores from someone a little further into the front lines.

1. Lotion, male or female, use it. Also nail polish/strengthener ladies. You’ll need it.
2. Hydrate, and make sure to eat. We’re talking seriously crazy busy here, so be ready.
3. Keep pain killer with you too, because standing for 6-9 hrs on those stupid bumpy mats is actually much harder on you than walking the store and even unloading/shelving books. Not to mention the kind of aches that condensing hundreds of pounds of books in one day, or packing them in pallets and shipping them off, brings.
4. Use old gift cards to peel BINCs instead of your nails. Otherwise you will bleed.
5. Stop caring. About hooking the customers up with great books, about trying to do your best job, about how the store looks or what order the books are in. ESPECIALLY if you are/have OCD tendencies.
6. Keep up with the store while you can, but it’s okay to switch from alphaing to just getting shit in the right general area. It will all change positions nearly weekly once you get to the 3-5 week stage, so it doesn’t matter.
7. Your GM will be getting dicked around by the liquidators and Borders as much as you will be getting manipulated by them.
8. Either get out early or stick through the end, because once you get where we are right now there is no time at all to job hunt because you’re too busy pulling up hours from the others who have left.
9. If you haven’t already at least temporarily sign up for Border Rewards Members mails, because Borders will send those mails out many times before anyone tells you anything. (that’s the only way I’ve know about any of the price drops).
10. You should know that people will NOT read the signs (we got someone seriously asking to apply today). But often they will lean over to read your name tag. If your GM is game, or not paying attention, write answers there.

And a few answers:

When are you closing?

8 pm tonight. We’ll reopen at 9 am tomorrow (change to suit your hours).

When’s the last day

We won’t know until they put up the “10 Days left” sign. (Because you won’t.)

When will the prices go down?

When people stop buying at these prices.

Do you have a bathroom?

It’s sold already. (One of my favorites.)

Can you take coupons?

No.

But it doesn’t say that.

Yes it does, on the page where you print the coupons AND on the last line of every coupon. (It really does.)

Are you really, really closing?

Nope, we’re just all going on vacation together and taking the books for something to do.

Where am I supposed to spend my lunch/come hang out/etc now?

I don’t know. Where am I supposed to get money to pay my bills now?

But aren’t they transferring you?

*laughter*

Oh. So what are you going to do now?

We’re thinking of a starting a pirate ship and roaming the seven seas.

So I did bring the chair thing up to the liquidator this morning and he said he agreed with me and would see what he could do. I felt bad afterward because he didn’t argue or fight or anything, and my bs meter didn’t go off, so at this point I have to believe him.

And also my GM told me a few hours later that no one knew that employees were supposed to get discounts because Borders hadn’t told anyone. Which also wouldn’t surprise me. Anyone else?

Oh, and also-also, my GM mentioned that she read my blog here. She didn’t yell at me (and why should she, I certainly value her as opposed to other GMs I’ve had, and some of the others I’m hearing about these days.) But she did impress on my to be careful and keep certain things quiet.

Over all today was a very quiet day. It rained almost the whole time. Representatives from the unemployment office came in and answered questions at two different meetings. And I’m happy to report an increasingly large handful of my coworkers have gotten employment elsewhere. (And while I’m not happy others haven’t been called back, I am glad to hear I’m not the only one who has put in applications and not gotten any response.)

As far as the coworkers go, we’re all done. We’re ready for this to be over because we’re all tired of this slow, rotting death. Borders, according to WSJ and PW, is set to announce up to 75 more stores to close some time this week. And they have over a hundred considered “in the bubble” which PW concludes means they think only about 145 of their stores are profitable. Which again brings up the idea of what, exactly they consider “profitable”?

That’s not an answer any one of us can answer, though I’m sure we all suspect it has a lot more to do with BR + and operation costs than actual sales. I’ve said before that it really sucks when authors and publishers think of you as just a pocket book which must be convinced to open on command. It also sucks to have your sole worth to your employer be a cost that must be cut so they can send out more ugly green and black signage encouraging people to buy a club card.

The other prospects in Louisville aren’t promising. I’ve heard horror stories about Books-A-Million, plus their locations are far enough away that my current pay rate wouldn’t make it worth the gas costs. The same is true of Barnes and Noble as well (not to mention they have mandatory club card sales requirements for employment) and the other stores I’ve contacted aren’t hiring. I can’t really think of another bookstore I’d want to work for right now, so maybe it’s a good thing that they don’t seem to want me either.

We all know, absolutely, that there’s life after Borders. We’re just stuck in fences inside liquidating stores, too busy to be able to concentrate on those greener pastures. So how are you all at the other stores out there (closing and “going-forward”) doing?

I should have blogged yesterday because I couldn’t. I was just too irate.

I suffered no major issue from the marathon that was going on around the store, and the only effects we saw from the Lady Gag concert down the street was a number of customers in interesting outfits (which really just made it fun). And if the patrons from Jerry Seinfeld’s show  a few blocks away on the other side even showed up I had no way to tell.

No, folks, I’m absolutely outraged and utterly pissed off at our liquidator.

See last week when the fixture sale began and I learned one of those nice chairs I wanted was going to be $90 plus a 10% just because we can’t fuck you directly “Buyer Premium” I said no way. Really, they really are charging and extra 10% just because they can. There’s no help loading or moving allowed, everything is as is and final sale. And sales tax goes on after, so there is no reason for that extra 10% seeing as they are already charging just under new prices to begin with. But my DH pointed out the chairs were still like $250-$300 new, and I looked it up, he’s right. So I put back in for one and my GM, nice as she is, pulled me aside Wednesday and told me there was one left and if I could pay for it then I could have it. So I did.

Friday, a full week after the fixture sale started Borders sent out an email confirming–as you’ve probably guessed–that employees are supposed to get a 25% (before the stupid 10% thing) discount on fixtures. Guess what I didn’t get because the liquidator “forgot” to mention it to the managers at my store? Yeah, exactly. And guess what the liquidator, who purposefully didn’t tell us that, refused to give? Yes, exactly.

So I’ve been working for him for three weeks. I’ve been on time every day. I’m picking up extra hours this week and next for people who quit with no notice. I have been honest in my purchases, haven’t stolen from him when I probably could have. I have personally stopped multiple other people (customers that is) from shoplifting and the douche thinks it’s okay to outright steal $24 from me.

Oh, but he brought doughnuts in to work for us on Friday, right? So that makes up for it?

At this point, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I was never really sticking around for him, it’s always been for my managers, who are just as screwed as the rest of us and I still think deserve more decency and respect than all their workers quitting on them. But yeah, I have a real problem working for the store after this. I’ve clearly fallen on the side of “Borders has fucked me over” now and quite frankly I can’t wait for this whole thing to be over.

I will never, ever work for Borders again and I’m pretty sure I’ll never buy from them again either.