It's Just Like a Library, So Please Stop Talking to Me

I went to Barnes & Noble at lunch. I like to buy books, it makes me feel better. Not reading them, just buying them. They look so interesting. Someday I'll get around to reading them all.

Oh, who am I kidding?

At Barnes & Noble the past few weeks I've noticed that I can't stand still without someone asking me if I need any help. Not just the nearest B&N, but at the four or five B&Ns I've been to in the past months (yes, well, they're all different.) I assume this is a corporate strategic change: an emphasis on customer service! Yay!

No. At Home Depot I need customer service. I do not know what plumber's putty is, how to use it, how much I need and where they hid it. I need someone to help me. If I needed help buying a book, I would go on the internet. When I go to the store I want to find things I didn't know I thought were interesting. How can customer service people help me find something serendipitously? Why do smart companies keep trying to compete when they don't have to? Don't compete with Amazon, do something else, something you can do better.

And no, the B&N customer service person could not help me with my questions about plumber's putty.