Bad experience at Chapters Bookshop Parnell Street, Dublin 1.

Okocim

I am all for seeing as many good second hand bookstores and 2nd hand music shops as possible but based on personal experience I would advise avoidng Chapters on Parnell Street like the plague. Real rip off merchants if you ever go in to trade in DVD's, CD's or books. The staff are very condescending and have a ''superior'' attitude problem. Very poor cash exchange rates for books and CD's and misleading and inaccurate and contradictory quotes given. Was quoted a cash exchange figure which was less for combined CD and books then if the two were brought in seperately!! ie the total cash exchange amount i would have received would have been more if I had brought the books in on one day seperately and the CD'S in the next day...the excuse was ''we can only use one receipt docket'' shady practices at work. I'd rather give them away for free to a charity shop then be treated with contempt like that. Will never go into Chapters again. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

judgefudge

Really?? I only went into Chapters for my first time a month or two ago and have been a couple times since. Its got a pretty impressive collection of secondhand books!! I did notice they were expensive enough though... but kinda assumed that was just the going rate?

I planned on trading in a few old books on friday for credit. Should I go someplace else?

I have the twilight series (my friend insisted I buy but I couldn't even finish them) which I assumed would get a reasonable price. Most books seem to sell for about 4.99 in there as far as I can see.

Okocim

If you're planning on trading in books definitely go somewhere else apart from Chapters. All businesses need to make a profit but in Chapters in my experience of recently trading in books and CD's the staff were obnoxious and tried to rip me off with the derisory cash offer given for the exchange. I was disappointed as I thought Chapters would be a reputable company but it was a very seedy experience, as bad as a backstreet pawnbroker to be honest. Avoid Chapters on Parnell Street and go else where would be my advice judgefudge.

mcgovern

I never traded anything in there, but I used to spend a lot of time in there shop on Abbey St (before they moved) when I was in college, and loved it. Staff were probably not the friendliest in the world, but they always seemed very busy.

Okocim

They're busy all right mcgovern, busy ripping people off!! :mad:

Fuinseog

Okocim wrote: »

I am all for seeing as many good second hand bookstores and 2nd hand music shops as possible but based on personal experience I would advise avoidng Chapters on Parnell Street like the plague. Real rip off merchants if you ever go in to trade in DVD's, CD's or books. The staff are very condescending and have a ''superior'' attitude problem. Very poor cash exchange rates for books and CD's and misleading and inaccurate and contradictory quotes given. Was quoted a cash exchange figure which was less for combined CD and books then if the two were brought in seperately!! ie the total cash exchange amount i would have received would have been more if I had brought the books in on one day seperately and the CD'S in the next day...the excuse was ''we can only use one receipt docket'' shady practices at work. I'd rather give them away for free to a charity shop then be treated with contempt like that. Will never go into Chapters again. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

have heard bad things about the place upstairs. a lot of dvds are 5 euro or more and you can them new for that. how much are they willing to give you per dvd? some places i know sell a dvd for three euro and give you a euro for it

Fuinseog

Okocim wrote: »

They're busy all right mcgovern, busy ripping people off!! :mad:

a customer loyalty card or some kind of discount you spent over 70 euro would be nice. its more business than book lover.

jam_mac_jam

Fuinseog wrote: »

Okocim wrote: »

They're busy all right mcgovern, busy ripping people off!! :mad:

a customer loyalty card or some kind of discount you spent over 70 euro would be nice. its more business than book lover.

They giveaway a voucher of a fiver if you spend more than fifty.
I find them very good value got four books for less than twenty there at the weekend.

parmaviolet

All in all, I like chapters, but it is true that if you bring in a pile of books they will give you less than they would than if you had brought them in dribs and drabs.

judgefudge wrote: »

I have the twilight series (my friend insisted I buy but I couldn't even finish them) which I assumed would get a reasonable price. Most books seem to sell for about 4.99 in there as far as I can see.

Just a warning here, they often find themselves flooded with popular books (like twilight, cecilia ahern etc.) which they can't shift, so they either give you peanuts for them or even refuse to take them off you, meaning a wasted journey! Maybe ring ahead?

hooplah

I quite like browsing in Chapters and seeing as how I work nearby I'm in there quite a bit. If I'm looking for something and not willing to wait for delivery its always my first port of call. I'd often pick something up after taking a look at it too, where as online I tend to just buy what I went looking for.

Price wise I've often picked up hardback books for a couple of quid and I think that their second hand prices are about the cheapest in the city - charity shops like Oxfam might well charge more for some of the books.

All that said after trading in books there previously I wouldn't advise anyone to do it if you have any sort of attachment to what you're trying to sell them. When they sell as cheaply as they do I guess it makes sense that they pay the prices they do. You'll get a pittance for what you give them and if you might find that insulting I would go and donate your books to a charity shop or some worthy cause*. I wouldn't imagine you'll get better money for them elsewhere though - possibly if you sell them to workmates or friends but not to another shop.

(*I know the Central Library in the ILAC Centre will take donations and either pass them on to charities, nursing homes, or back out to members of the public).

Staff wise any time I have asked for assistance I have found them to be helpful and polite.

Paddy Samurai

Okocim wrote: »

I am all for seeing as many good second hand bookstores and 2nd hand music shops as possible but based on personal experience I would advise avoidng Chapters on Parnell Street like the plague. Real rip off merchants..........

Yeah I agree,sold them some books once........never again.I would rather give them to charity.I do still buy bargain books,or second hand books off them depending on price.Great shop for browsing.

judgefudge

What was so bad about trading in old books? The price they give you, or the actual experience? Or both?

I'm not too bothered bout getting much money for these books, I just want to get them out of my site. Maybe I'll just be nice and give them to my local library

Okocim

judgefudge wrote: »

What was so bad about trading in old books? The price they give you, or the actual experience? Or both?

I'm not too bothered bout getting much money for these books, I just want to get them out of my site. Maybe I'll just be nice and give them to my local library

It was both. Attitude of the staff who dealt with it was very poor. Gave me a seperate quote for the books and a sererate quote for the CD's. When filling in the docket however the total combined for the books and CD's was 10 euros less!!! :mad::mad:

I of course pointed this out and was eventually given a quote for a combined total off two euros less than the total of the two combined. Sharp pratcise would be the polite way of putting it. No respect for customers just contempt. To quote Yeats ''fingers fumbling in a greasy till'' would be an apt way to describe it.

Avoid Chapters, give them to anyone else but Chapters would be my advice, be that charity or otherwise.

Morlar

I have found some incredible bargains in there. One of the best bookshops in Dublin imo.

Toby Take a Bow

I'd love to know any bookshop that is giving a good return on books you're looking to sell to them. Say they're paperbacks, the most they could expect to sell them for would be 5 euro, so you're looking at getting 50c/1 euro for the books. That's been my experience, anyway. I'll always give to a charity shop, but the ILAC thing I didn't know: I'll be doing that in future.

As for never shopping in Chapters? No chance. Their range, in both new and second hand books is great. Add to this lots of genuine bargains downstairs, and rare and out-of-print books upstairs. Because of this I take the (numerous) bad experiences I've had in there on the chin. The staff - that is the general booksellers - all seem nice and friendly (if a little overworked) but there's one guy who is often ironically on the 'customer service' desk who is perhaps the most obnoxious person I've seen in bookselling. Nearly gives Bernard Black a run for his money.

Blave

I know someone who worked there this christmas -<SNIP>

Fuinseog

Blave wrote: »

I know someone who worked there this christmas - <SNIP>>

I know him to see. I was waiting to pay and he was and he was being abusive towards a member of his staff, which in front of customers is simply not professional. I remember thinking, 'dude if you take your mood out on me I am walking out of here and not coming back.'

Okocim

Fuinseog wrote: »

I know him to see. I was waiting to pay and he was and he was being abusive towards a member of his staff, which in front of customers is simply not professional. I remember thinking, 'dude if you take your mood out on me I am walking out of here and not coming back.'

This in interesting to say the least and actually explains a lot. The staff obviously take out their frustrations on customers by mimicing the abusive and obnoxious and controlling behaviour when dealing with customers as they can't do it to the abuser in chief. That would explain the emotionally abusive and incestuous atmosphere and poor behaviour of the staff. The staff obviously see it as a bit of a personal victory when they can treat the customers badly, as it is this type of culture that obviously gets rewarded.

What a vile place Chapters actually is. Knew it was bad but this puts the tin hat on it entirely.

judgefudge

I went in today anyways and saw a big mound of secondhand twilight books in the discounted section upstairs, ha. I won't be bringing them in there so!

The bookshop itself is really well stocked, and the second hand section is just incredible. I've never had any problems with the staff, but maybe if you have its worth saying it to the owner? The shop is still bound to get enough custom to stay going, so that manager guy probably won't lose his job and will continue to treat customers poorly. Someone needs to call him out on it!

Toby Take a Bow

Okocim wrote: »

This in interesting to say the least and actually explains a lot. The staff obviously take out their frustrations on customers by mimicing the abusive and obnoxious and controlling behaviour when dealing with customers as they can't do it to the abuser in chief. That would explain the emotionally abusive and incestuous atmosphere and poor behaviour of the staff. The staff obviously see it as a bit of a personal victory when they can treat the customers badly, as it is this type of culture that obviously gets rewarded.

What a vile place Chapters actually is. Knew it was bad but this puts the tin hat on it entirely.

Well, that's the guy I was talking about. I never had a bad experience with any of the other workers though, they have always been nice and polite and helpful to me.

mikemac1

Ah I recognize that guy, I always assumed he was the owner but the post above states he's the manager. He seems to be in charge and was there back in the old days of their Abbey St shop
Realy condescending, superior and sneering attitude

Ask him a question and you'll get made feel like a fool.
He has no business being behind a customer service desk, zero people skills

However the rest of the staff are lovely, no complaints

Fuinseog

mikemac1 wrote: »

Ah I recognize that guy, I always assumed he was the owner but the post above states he's the manager. He seems to be in charge and was there back in the old days of their Abbey St shop
Realy condescending, superior and sneering attitude

Ask him a question and you'll get made feel like a fool.
He has no business being behind a customer service desk, zero people skills

However the rest of the staff are lovely, no complaints

why do peopel take it? as I said earler I have seen him being nasty towards his own staff, but while he was not terribly helpful he was not nasty towards me. i have no problem takng them up on it there and then.

chapters is well stocked and his odd behaviour does not prevent me from going back, but I travel around the country and there are good second hand bookstores elsewhere. Charlie Byrnes in Galway for example.

Denerick

I spend a lot of time in Chapters and am too aware of this fellow. He's actually become a bit of an inside joke among our friends (Reminds me of that Mitchell and Webb sketch - the angry vicar) Bit of a joke that he's still there if he is only the manager and not the owner - he's almost infamous at this stage amongst Dublin bibliohiles...

Toby Take a Bow

I wonder if anyone's brought this thread to his attention? Or to the actual owner's attention.

Fuinseog

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

I wonder if anyone's brought this thread to his attention? Or to the actual owner's attention.

I would be surprised if Chapters staff or anyone affiliated with the store are not on boards.

maybe print it out and put it under the door?

ElleEm

Can't believe others are familiar with the manager and his rudeness.
I used to go on there a lot when it was on Abbey Street- i miss the rummaging!!
Was in there during the week and the three staff members I encountered were efficient but less than friendly. Too busy chatting amongst themselves to be bothered with niceties.

ElleEm

Can't believe others are familiar with the manager and his rudeness.
I used to go on there a lot when it was on Abbey Street- i miss the rummaging!!
Was in there during the week and the three staff members I encountered were efficient but less than friendly. Too busy chatting amongst themselves to be bothered with niceties.

Fuinseog

ElleEm wrote: »

Can't believe others are familiar with the manager and his rudeness.
I used to go on there a lot when it was on Abbey Street- i miss the rummaging!!
Was in there during the week and the three staff members I encountered were efficient but less than friendly. Too busy chatting amongst themselves to be bothered with niceties.

chapters is a big shop with plenty of customers so they do not need your custom. It is well stocked but they are not book lovers, no more so than Easons. I was walking by the other day and an elderly gentleman wanted in to get a book. Another smaller book shop would have acquiesced but it was exactly closing time and the staff were not interested and told him in no uncertain terms to go away.

Toby Take a Bow

Fuinseog wrote: »

chapters is a big shop with plenty of customers so they do not need your custom. It is well stocked but they are not book lovers, no more so than Easons. I was walking by the other day and an elderly gentleman wanted in to get a book. Another smaller book shop would have acquiesced but it was exactly closing time and the staff were not interested and told him in no uncertain terms to go away.

Ah, you don't know whether they're book lovers or not. I'd say a fair percentage of the booksellers would be, and probably the owner too. Rudeness doesn't mean you can't like books.

As for closing the shop when it's closing time, I'm with the workers here. Most of the time the person will be in-and-out but working in a big retail experience, you have to take into consideration all your co-workers (who want to get out of there on time) and also the possibility that the person doesn't really know exactly where the book is, and the whole thing could go ten/twenty minutes overtime. Not worth it if you're working in-and-around the minimum wage. In the bookshop I used to work in, often the security guard left on the dot of closing, so letting in people after that was a security issue.

later12

That's funny I've always found this man particularly rude, but then I'd disagree with the suggestion that he is quite an exception. In my experience (with the exception of one or two female staff), the workers in Chapters can be exasperatingly rude. I don't know how a shop can (or rather can afford to) develop such a culture, but that's why I don't go there anymore.

I do remember talking to the aforementioned manager one day and I asked him about how footfall had been during the recession, and he said they were busier than they ever were during the Celtic Tiger. So perhaps increased custom has something to do with their poor/ rude customer service.

Although personally when I'm in Dublin I avoid Chapters now; staff in Hodges & Figgis are far more amicable and helpful in my experience.

Grievous

Haha, I know the guy you are all on about. I don't know him personally but I am going in to Chapters years.

It's wierd, because Chapters is one of my favourite bookstores ever (C'mon, no amount of ****ty staff could ruin how awesome their second hand section is).

I think I remember another member of the staff there saying to Mr Obnoxious about some guy leaving his CV in and he responded by saying "I asked him out on a date, and he said no, he clearly didn't want the job!).

Yes, rude and imposing and intimidating, but that moment made me laugh in a horrible bosses sort of way.