summercomfort: (Default)
summercomfort ([personal profile] summercomfort) wrote2005-05-31 02:06 pm

Aargh Powell's

Factoids about Powell's:
1) It is loosely connected with the Portland Powell's. As in, same owners, I think
2) There are three branches in Chicago: Lincoln Park, Downtown, Hyde Park
3) There is a Powell's website: http://www.powellschicago.com, which allows you to search and purchase books from their online catalog
4) The book I want is there. I only found out yesterday that I need it by Thursday.
5) Powell's books are organized by section, and not by anything else.
6) The Lincoln Park bookstore is staffed by a nice man who answered my phone queries with an internet search and a shelf search
7) The Downtown bookstore told me that they don't have the staff to send someone out to look for books because it's just the clerk and her manager.
8) The Hyde Park bookstore didn't have my book
9) *Today* when I call, the Downtown bookstore person (perhaps the manager?) tells me that:
(a) the online catalog books are in a warehouse and must be ordered via the internet
(b) I had to have ordered yesterday if I wanted the book to arrive at the downtown location tomorrow afternoon. (it takes 1 day for them to get the list and tell the delivery guy, 1 day for the delivery guy to pack it and bring it to the store)
(c) They're still going to charge me shipping
Now why didn't they tell me this YESTERDAY when I called, such that I could have placed the order YESTERDAY?

This would be farcical if it weren't so frustrating. So now I just emailed this random first-year guy who has the library book.