I'm not sure what it is about customers, but I think they think that we at Barnes and Noble are like EXTREMELY attached to our company. So much so in fact that the mere mention of other companies is like silver to the warewolf. Case in point:

Mr: "Do you have Extreme Boaters magazine?"
Me: "Hmmm, let me look... nope doesn't look like we carry that."
Mr: "Really? Hmmm."
Me: "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, is there anything else I can help you with tonight?"
Mr: "No that's ok... I guess I'll just have to go to BORDERS then."

I mean what was he expecting me to do? Leap accross the desk at him and BEG him not to go there. That we actually HAD the magainze he was looking for and we were just joking around with him? Or maybe he wanted me to clasp my hands over my head and hiss something like "Noooo, do not mention that evil name..." Big deal! I mean really, they are going to drive from Woodinville (the north end) down to downtown Bellevue or downtown Redmond (the mid area), both are rather busy places and hard to get in and out of, and a ways from Woodinville, to get his magaine, that he could probably get at a newstand in another one of our stores, or even in a mall somewhere?! I even call border's for customers when we don't have a book that they are looking for. If we don't have it, I try to find it for them. Not once, ever, have I gotten a call from a Border's employee asking us about a book.

My tirade is done now.

~B.