Comic Store: Bad Experience, what would you do?

[Sonicjuce]

So I live in a town that up until June didn't have a comic book store. The store initially was owned by two guys, one older one younger. The older guy was the one that suggested they start selling comics, as they'd been a war hammer/magic gaming store. The older guy also knew about the comics. Well he sold his share to the younger guy, who is 21. Since he left, and even on his days off, they have been nothing but unorganized.

Every week my pull list is off. This week the only two books I wanted they didn't get in, and two weeks ago a similar experience. They constantly fill my box with things I don't read, and not with the things I do. A couple of times I have left and gotten home realizing I forgot something and gone back. One week they must have re-ordered some books, and the girl insisted it was new. I said I had read it and she 100% guaranteed me it was new and thus I foolishly bought it. Another week they lost the short box they put their subscriptions in and didn't have the weeklies out until far in the afternoon.

They also don't get their books in the morning. It is not until around 2 that they get them, and it takes them an hour or so to organize them. While doing so, as I have waited a couple times, they treat the books horribly.

Today when I mentioned they didn't have two books I had been getting since they opened, and I did it nicely, the owner got angry at me.

Well as you can tell I am not happy. I actually already replaced my orders with marvel.com for my monthlies and will go back to acting as if there is not comic store in my town.

What would you do? Since they have a monopoly would you continue to wait it out in hopes they figure it out? I think I have done this long enough. I have left angry every week for two months now.

[DonC]

I would have found someplace else to get my stuff, too. But don't hold the 2PM thing against them, my LCS doesn't get their stuff until around 2 as well. They're at the mercy of UPS.

[Sonicjuce]

I would have found someplace else to get my stuff, too. But don't hold the 2PM thing against them, my LCS doesn't get their stuff until around 2 as well. They're at the mercy of UPS.

Yea I realize that. There is no where else to get my stuff though.

[DonC]

I would order online for your non-Marvel stuff.

[Dom]

I think my comic store, which offers a giant discount, does mail order as well.

Never had a pull list issue or anything. They are awesome, if I ever leave Montreal, I'm staying with them.

[Wesley Dodds]

Fuck 'em. Just get your books online.

The days when you had to put up with bad service at your local comic shop are long gone.

[Quarterwolf]

When my LCS started going to shit I just went and ordered online. Most you can get shipments weekly and the discount you get off cover will usually more then cover the shipping cost.

Right now I get mine from www.Livewireworld.com. They offer weekly shipping and are great about taking care of any problems you may have. And the discounts are great as well.

[Jeff-E]

I've been pretty lucky in this area as the little town I lived in years ago had a great store. Now when I moved to StL. the first store I went to started sucking so I began driving farther out of my way to get my books. Now I live in another metropolitan area and have several more choices, but if the store I go to now began to tick me off I'd have no problem going elsewhere (how far is the next store, an hour or more?) or ordering online if I were you.

[Jack Zodiac]

Yeah, if your only local comic shop is a shithole, just get 'em online. People started online subscription services specifically for people like you who don't have real comic book shops in their area, and they're usually pretty great about order accuracy and timely delivery. You might get your book a few days later in the week, but at least you'll get your books.

[Superheroic]

Get them from somewhere else. I'm lucky. There is a terrific store on Long Island I got books from for decades. Now that I moved to CT they mail me my stuff...

[Indigo Al]

Get them online, and what's more: write the owner a letter detailing exactly why you're unsatisfied with their service.

[Mac Danny]

Open your own store.

If you are having a problem with customer service chances are other people are too.

Open a store, make it bright and airy. NOT like a basement. Then use your collection as your back issue bins.

Problem solved.

[Matt Algren]

So I live in a town that up until June didn't have a comic book store. The store initially was owned by two guys, one older one younger. The older guy was the one that suggested they start selling comics, as they'd been a war hammer/magic gaming store. The older guy also knew about the comics. Well he sold his share to the younger guy, who is 21. Since he left, and even on his days off, they have been nothing but unorganized.

Every week my pull list is off. This week the only two books I wanted they didn't get in, and two weeks ago a similar experience. They constantly fill my box with things I don't read, and not with the things I do. A couple of times I have left and gotten home realizing I forgot something and gone back. One week they must have re-ordered some books, and the girl insisted it was new. I said I had read it and she 100% guaranteed me it was new and thus I foolishly bought it. Another week they lost the short box they put their subscriptions in and didn't have the weeklies out until far in the afternoon.

They also don't get their books in the morning. It is not until around 2 that they get them, and it takes them an hour or so to organize them. While doing so, as I have waited a couple times, they treat the books horribly.

Today when I mentioned they didn't have two books I had been getting since they opened, and I did it nicely, the owner got angry at me.

Well as you can tell I am not happy. I actually already replaced my orders with marvel.com for my monthlies and will go back to acting as if there is not comic store in my town.

What would you do? Since they have a monopoly would you continue to wait it out in hopes they figure it out? I think I have done this long enough. I have left angry every week for two months now.
Start going on Thursday after they've had a day to get the new order put away.

[Sonicjuce]

Start going on Thursday after they've had a day to get the new order put away.

See I thought about doing this, but they never put the right stuff in my box. Thus if something comes in that is a big seller and it doesn't go in my box, I don't get it.

Well shopping on line seems the best way to go. I ordered my regular monthlies from Marvel in the past, I just hate the condition they come in. Would it be better to go through something like livewireworld that charges a high shipping and handling every week? The thing about marvel is their books are so cheap on the website.

It's really a shame. I was so excited to have a comic store in my town, but it has just been an awful experience.

Someone asked closest comic store is an hour. I don't have time to do that every week and the gas money in my truck would be hell.

[Quarterwolf]

See I thought about doing this, but they never put the right stuff in my box. Thus if something comes in that is a big seller and it doesn't go in my box, I don't get it.

Well shopping on line seems the best way to go. I ordered my regular monthlies from Marvel in the past, I just hate the condition they come in. Would it be better to go through something like livewireworld that charges a high shipping and handling every week? The thing about marvel is their books are so cheap on the website.

Actually I find the shipping to be not that much. Like I said the discount you get more then covers for the cost of shipping. Heck I save a good 50 bucks a month even after shipping. I would suggest sending them a list and finding out how much it would cost.

[The Confessor]

Fuck 'em. Just get your books online.

The days when you had to put up with bad service at your local comic shop are long gone.

I agree with what Wesley Dodds' said 100%.

The marketplace for all retailers has radically changed in the last 10 years due to the growth of on-line shopping and if they're gonna compete, shops have to play to their inherent strengths. They have to excel in the areas that on-line stores simply can't excel in, by their very nature. And that means providing awesome customer service.

Great customer service needs to be a top priority for any high-street based retailer in this day and age. You have to literally blow people away with your customer service or you ain't gonna be trading in another 5 years time. It's all too easy for people to order what they need on-line and get it delivered to their house. If they're gonna bother going out to a store then that store has to provide an excellent shopping experience for them.

If a retailer is falling down by providing a shoddy or sub-standard shopping experience for it's customers then f**k 'em! They don't deserve to be in business in today's marketplace.

It's a shame but it sounds to me like you did the right thing by ordering your comics on-line. Who knows, maybe one day someone else might open up another comic store in your town and do the job right. Then you can reward them with your custom and hard earned cash.

[Harlock]

I'll weigh in. I have lived without a local comic book shop for six years. I should say I had lived...

I was stuck ordering online and felt no real grief for doing so as I had no other option aside from spinner racks at a Border's Express and a Hasting's book store. So, last year a new store opened but it was in a very out of the way place and had really odd hours as the owners were working their day jobs and just trying to see if the store would work.

Then a couple of months ago the guys moved the store and made it a full time operation. So, I checked them out. Both guys were knolwedgable, fun to talk with and didn't treat me like a two-headed mutant when I brought in two very young kids with me (I am a stay-at-home dad, sometimes I have the kids with me when I am out and about). On top of that, they are gracious, kind, helpful and the store, while having somewhat limited shelf space for new books is quite nice with a large selection of back issues (one of the largest in this state, when you get down to it).

So, I cancelled my subscription with www.scifigenre.com as soon as I got home from my first visit to the new store. Not that Sci-Fi Genre is bad. Alas, they never screwed up one single order as long as I was with them so I can't even compliment on their customer service as I only dealt with adding new books or odering back issues through their website and I never had to call to bitch.

So what I would say is deal with a reputable online company. If you are the vocal sort, you might at least talk to the owner of your local shop and let him know you are not happy. Maybe he would be willing to work with you. If you are the really brave sort with some business sense and capital, you might try opening your own shop. If you just want comics without a hassle, order online and don't feel one bit of guilt, because frankly, in the end it is you that has to look in the mirror everyday. If you're happy shopping around, sobeit.

HTH