Customer Roll...

Just as an experiment, I thought I'd blog a day's worth of transactions. I realize this won't be terribly dramatic to most people, but I found it an interesting exercise.

I'll talk about my conclusions at the bottom.


HOUR 1:

1 Guy, 21, asked me to reorder latest Walking Dead. Bought Wolverine comic set, Reborn (Capt. Amer. comic), two packs, Alf and E.T. "I dare you to eat the gum."

1 Mom, 5 kids. Oldest bought Naruto graphic novel, youngest was dragged out of the store after a tantrum. (All had Powells candy bags...) Middle kids, knocked over Mech Warrior display, asked price of dice...didn't buy anything.

1 Dad, herding the kids out of the store.

1 Guy, 20, asked for Uncanny X-Men, showed him current issue, and led him to back-issues. Asked for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, showed him first book new, and 2-4th books used. Leafed through Star Wars graphic novel in front of the register. Asked for Pokemon, showed him packs, asked for older binder, told him I didn't have one. Bought 2 packs of Star Wars cards.

Young couple, directed them to used books, they asked for Stuart Woods novels, showed them where they were, they bought a used Woods hardcover.

1 lady, 60, asked for "Rare, 1st Ed.'s" Told her I only carry 'reading' copies. Looked at LeGuin book, leafed through new hardcover copy of All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones , leafed through new Shel Silverstein books, leafed through Ten Little Indians, Sherman Alexie (looking for 1st editions?) said thank you, and left.

1 guy, 26, first regular (in that I recognize him). Bought Kid Colt comic, and laughed at the Big Lebowski toys...

1 lady, 40, brought a .50 book off the street. Told her about our used books, and she said she'd bring her husband back.

1 lady, 35, wanted stamp supplies. Sent her to Mt.High Coin.

HOUR 2:

1 Dad, 45, 1 kid, 17, asked for magic. Showed them, and left them to look. Dad bought 4 packs. Kid brought up two commons, told him to take them free.

Couple, brought in by 'stamp' lady, asked for "used Harry Potter", told her about our new copies, she shook her head and left.

1 guy, 30, looked at boardgames. Tells me he's a teacher, looking for 'historical' games. (told him he gets 10% off for being a teacher.) Tried to explain Euro games. "I might be back." ***He came back and bought Agricola.***

Couple, looked at books, carried around the Owly toy for awhile. Left without buying.

1 Dad, 3 kids, looking at comics. Bought 4 comics, and Boba Fett standup.

Mom, Dad, 2 kids. Kids asked for Killer Bunnies. Bought 4 used books and Bunnies game.

Couple, looking at new and used books. Bought Dying Earth, by Jack Vance,(because she had read article in the N.Y. Times; "Why haven't I heard of him?") and Iain Banks, and Amber Spyglass.

2 young girls, looking at manga and anime. Bought two manga, got the third one free.

1 regular, went directly to the books, sat down and looked T.P.'s. Bought used A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole.

1 lady, 60, looking at new books. Bought 2 used trade paperbacks.

1 guy, 35, looked at games. Asked for Settlers of Catan. Arrgggggh! Told him I'd have them back in stock on Thursday.

Young couple, looking at books. Left without a word. (Too busy to get to them, dang it.)

Mom, Grandma, and kid. Kid wanted to look at all the toys. Proceeded to drop them on the floor. Started looking at the comics he shouldn't be looking at. Told them they weren't for kids. (I don't think my tone was anything but directive...asked regular if I'd been out of line, he said, no -- maybe a little short, but certainly not rude.) Tried to direct them toward the kids comics. They took offense and left. "We'll spend money somewhere they want us..." Am I supposed to let him look at hard "R" comics? Mystified.

HOUR 3.

Couple, looked at books, left.

Couple, asked for dice. Bought 6.

2 guys, one a regular shelf customer. Bought 12 comics.

Mom and 2 kids. Asked for a book for school, didn't have it in stock. Looked up exact title and author. Time of Butterflies, Julia Alverez.

Mom and 2 kids. Mom looked alarmed, and dragged the kids out of the store. Hmmmm.

1 guy, 70, bought 50.00 worth of sports cards. Talked over old times.

1 guy, 70, bought an old EC comic reprint, showed him the Archives Editions....

1 lady, 35, looked at books and left. Didn't have time to talk to her.

2 kids, looking at books. Stayed forever....

Couple, 70's, looking for Room with a View. Didn't have, added to reorder list.

HOUR 4.

1 guy, 70, looking for the book, I found exact title and author online, A Great Day to Fight a Fire. Another guy, 70, came in to take him away.

1 guy, 60, looking at used books. Bought a used Alice Sebold book.

2 kids, 16, asked for a Dark Heresy module. Bought a set of dice, and a different Dark Heresy module.

1 guy, 30, didn't see him until he was walking out. I'm talking too much.

DAY HALF OVER, 65 PEOPLE IN, 2/3RD'S TO AVERAGE.

Mom and daughter, looking for school book. Looked at their list, knew that I had one of them, Founding Brothers, by Ellis, which they bought.

Mom and dad and two kids. Mom bought an Alice Walker paperback. Again, found a kid looking at a R rated comic, told the parents that, they acted like they didn't hear me....Finally got them to look at the 'all ages' Supermans and Batmans and Spider-mans. Left without buying any...

One regular. Bought a Wizard Magazine, prepaid on a book, and started to say how he buys stuff with Dr. Strange, made him a deal on my Dr. Strange statue, and he put 40.00 downpayment.

Two couples, 60, sent them to the books. One asked for James Michener, bought used The Drifters.

One young couple, didn't have time to greet them because I was talking to the above family. They left before I could say anything.

Young couple, 17, one with ice cream, told her I couldn't allow that anymore. She left, he stayed. Then he left. (Have found too many ice cream stains....) He came back asking for Spawn comics. He left.

1 lady, 35, bought used Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, really beat up, for 2.00.

1 guy, 70, "Just Cruisin'..."

Young couple, didn't see them until they were leaving because I was dealing with above family.

HOUR 5.

1 regular, bought 4 comics off his shelf.

1 guy, 40, looking at art books. Leafed through Dragon's Dream, Roger Dean. Finally asked for Hyperion, Dan Simmons. Sold him a new copy of the first book, and twisted his arm to buy the second book, Fall of Hyperion because "you're going to want it." Sold it to him for half of the usual half

Mom and kid, asked for Taming of the Shrew. Didn't have it.

1 guy, 60, looking at used books. "Just wandering..." Bought a new copy of Drawing of the Dark, Tim Powers. "This is about brewing beer," I tell him. "I really liked Anubis Gates." "This is just as good," I say. Best sale of the day. That's a book I'm carrying because I love it so much.

1 lady, 45, bought .50 book from sidewalk. Same conversation I seem to have no matter how I phrase it..."We carry used books on the other side of the store." Alarm in their eyes..."You mean this isn't .50?" "Yes, it's .50, but it's cheap so I can let you know I carry used books...." "Oh...." leaves. This information seems to work about a fourth of the time, but still worth it if they actually go over and look.

2 guys, 18, looking at graphic novels. Asked for Walking Dead volume 9, showed them 9 and 10. Bought both.

1 lady, 60, looking for Christian books, Andrew Murray. Showed her our shelf.

2 guys and 1 lady, 60ish, looking for "Plant Identification" book. Found the L'il Abner books, acted all nostalgic. "Don't find these around anymore." Put it down and left.

HOUR 6.

1 guy, 40, looking at comics. Left.

1 kid, 12, looked at Family Guy toys, dropped one, asked for Harry Potter, showed him. Asked how much 18' Harry Potter figure was, told him. Asked if I had any smaller toys, said no. Kid left yelling out the door, "Can I have 40.00 for a Harry Potter toy?"

Dad and kid, looking for books on CD. Showed him what I got.

2 girls, 15, looking for City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare, which I already have on order for next week, but which I don't have in stock.

2 guys, 20, wanted X-Men toys, and Sailor Moon?

2 girls, 15, asked for manga Sabrina, Teenage Witch?

Mom and Dad, and four kids. Bought Eclipse, 3rd Twilight book, new hardcover at 10% off.

HOUR 6.

1 lady, 55, looking for a Brian Jacques book, which I didn't have.

3 guy, 25, bought Grimm Fairy Tales 2 and 3, Walking Dead 7 and 8, some S.F. used books, and a used DVD. Yertle the Turtle and another kid's book. Told me they were from Portland and had bought Grimm #1 last time. Nice. Just went 15% over average...

1 regular. Bought 9 comics.

2 guys, 1 girl, 18, didn't buy anything.

1 guy, 21, looking for good Joker comics, bought Batman, The Killing Joke on my recommendation.

Couple, asking for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, of which I had an 18.00 new copy. Offered it to them for 15.00. Didn't buy it.


CONCLUSIONS;

If nothing else, it gives you an idea of the amount of detail I pay attention to. Also interesting how often my knowledge of the product helped sell it.

Notice too, the pattern that whenever I'm too busy to talk to people, they most often leave without buying....

Interesting that every time a toy was handled today, it was dropped. What's with that?

It being Saturday, had more 'young families' and fewer 'regulars' than usual.
This accounting doesn't really show how busy I was for most of the second hour, or how more paced (slower) the rest of the day was.

Shows how spread out the sales are; comics, games, toys, cards, card games and books, all sold.

It also shows how I sell a little bit of a lot of different things, instead of a lot of one thing. My combination is so unique, there is almost no way this information can be very useful to competitors, except as a curiosity.

I had 121 people in, and ended about 15% above average.