07/11/08

awful, overrated book store with lousy service

by britishjon

Like several other reviewers here, I joined Citysearch specifically to bash The Strand. The place is a total triumph of advertising over product. Anyone in a dumb Strand T-shirt (or hoodie, or hat, or shorts) will tell you that this is a great independent book store, but the fact of the matter is that it's got a very unimpressive selection that's presided over by some of the rudest people I've ever encountered in retail. I guarantee that whatever you can find at The Strand you can find cheaper on the Amazon Marketplace, shipping included.

The people who work at The Strand comport themselves as if they were the high priests of a sacred temple, but the truth of the matter is that they're in customer service. And if they can't provide pleasant service and a good, low-priced selection of books, what's the point?

• Pros: lots and lots of used hardcovers of major novels by major authors
• Cons: overpriced, terrible customer service, dank and inaccessible bookshelves, you name it

07/07/08

Dirty place, cheap price

by superreview

I've always bought my books at Strands, just because they are dollars cheaper than other bookstores I've encountered in New York. Unlike the others, I have yet to encounter the rudeness of their employees, probably because I have never bothered to sell my used books here, and after reading the numerous review, have no intention to. The only thing that bothers me about this bookstore is how unorganized it is : dusty books are stacked on top of each other, some books are not in alphabetical order/not in their best condition, and it's hard to navigate through the store, it's like a puzzle within itself (you go left, and then right, and then left again, and it would take you an hour to go back to the entrance. I'm exaggerating, but you get my point).

For me, their prices kind of make up for everything, even though I personally wouldn't spend more than 30 minutes there!

• Pros: Great prices, broad range of books
• Cons: Dusty, unorganized, dungeon like store

05/04/08

Check Strand online website before your visit if you have a book or author in mind

by DL2

Strand books has a great website -- www.StrandBooks (plus a dot com).

If you know what book you want, check its availability online before you go to the store -- you'll find the store that has it and the section in which it is shelved (or save yourself a trip!). The author search also works well.

I print out the information and take it with me. Oddly, I have found the staff is incredibly helpful if you have the basic info -- and WILL help you find the object of your desire if it is not shelved where it is supposed to be.

DL2

01/24/08

Strand Books

by dougmarsh

We ordered a new book from Strand through Amazon and found it to have red ink on the bottom and to be in generally dingy condition.

• Pros: Have books
• Cons: Books not in good condition.

10/10/07

Love the selection and prefer the Fulton Street location

by bethesdagirl

I lived within easy walking distance of the East Village location for a few years and never needed an excuse to go there. However, I've always found the employees at that store to be very unpleasant. In recent years I've been patronizing the Fulton Street location and I like it MUCH better. For one thing, there's plenty of space to maneuver and it's hardly ever crowded. And although I wouldn't accuse the staff of being effusively friendly, they're a lot more pleasant than at the main location. The selection at Fulton Street is very good, too.

• Pros: The selection, and especially more obscure books
• Cons: The employees are very brusque at the main store

10/07/07

Will it ever go out of business?

by vincent3000

I completely concur with the other reviewers here about the RUDENESS and ATTITUDE of the staff at the Strand. Ask them a simple, polite question about their store and they bite your head off. The Strand in the 1990s was a necessary evil for me before the internet. In 2007 it has lost almost all of its appeal, and is simply not a very fun place to hang out and sift through dusty, mediocre books. The worst part is their book buying policy -- incredibly low offers. Five excellent books will but one of their old tomes. The only reason I don't give it one star is that a store with this many books is bound to have something of interest. It's not the books' fault!

• Pros: RUDE RUDE RUDE indeed!
• Cons: You can usually find something good (dusty and overpriced).

09/11/07

An NYC legend

by keithwags

Um, how could you hate the strand? It's huge and has a great selection of used and hard-to-find books at great prices. The staff actually knows something about literature, unlike the employees of many huge chain bookstores. There's a reason it's constantly packed with people.

• Pros: Selection
• Cons: None

09/01/07

RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE

by ognyc

DID I MENTION THEY ARE RUDE!????? i have lived across the street from strand my whole life but i actually just registered with citysearch JUST to write this review!)

like many of the previous posters i went to sell some used books, as it clearly states all over their signage that they buy them. just as i walked up, the man behind the counter (richard i think his name was) acted like i offended him by bringing these books there, he glared at me and snapped that they dont buy text books (which they used to) and they dont buy paperbacks. i told him to just look through the 3 bags i had to see if there was anything he would take, since i wasnt sure anymore what he was looking for. he outright refused to look, so i pulled a few out that i thought maybe he would look at.....saying that whatever else he didnt want, i would just donate. that apparently outraged him more because he rudely informed me that the salvation army on the next block was the "appropriate" place to try to donate my things if thats what i was trying to do!!! i certainly didnt expect to make more than a few bucks on my books, which were used but in great condition, and i probably would have turned around and spent it in the store purchasing some new books....but after this disgruntled loser of a man waved his hand at me saying "NO!!" there wasnt anything useful in my bag, i am glad because i dont want to contribute a cent to these people. the worst part is that EVEN THOUGH THIS MAN REFUSED TO LOOK AT OR BUY ANY OF THE BOOKS I BROUGHT, WHEN I TURNED AROUND ANOTHER EMPLOYEE HAD ALREADY TAKEN ALL 3 BAGS OF BOOKS AWAY ANY WAS PUTTING THEM IN A BIN TO SELL THEM!!!!!!!!! they were so heavy, i didnt even bother to ask for them back, but i was angry with myself on the way home thinking about them making money on those books after giving me nothing but a DISGUSTING attitude. i certainly would have settled for a smile! STAY AWAY FROM STRAND!!!!!!

• Cons: everything

06/28/07

don't waste your time

by lacroune

I would have to agree that the service at the strand is very poor and the place is not organized and the staff is rude. Dont waste your time!

• Pros: none
• Cons: everything

04/24/07

Worst Customer Service Ever

by lilmanhattan

It?s places like this who whine when chains take away their business. I?m all in favor of supporting local businesses but if the staff is going to insist on treating the clientele poorly, I?d be glad to see them go out of business- can?t just coast on ?we?re independently owned and we're cheap" as justification of their existence when they treat people badly.

I go in on Sunday April 22 and I?m "greeted? by a security guard who tells me ?check your bag?. Fine. Just let me get the books out first. As I?m doing this, he keeps jerking his head towards the bag check counter even after I politely tell him yes, i will, I?m getting my books out. Now if I?m taking books out of my bag the second I walk in, what do you think I?m doing with them? But he waits until I check the bag, bring my books to the sale counter, then tells me they don?t take sales on Sunday. I asked him why he watched me do this without saying anything- he just ignored me. Textbook ?now I see you, now I don?t? behavior regularly practiced by nasty bouncers, but a bookstore? . What kind of business encourages this behavior?

I go in April 23 and sell my books (rate was about 12% of original price). A employee is curt with a guy behind me when he asks if he can put his heavy box of book on the counter. I see already yesterday wasn't an isolated incident, but the way of things at the Strand.

Then the guy behind the counter thinks it?s appropriate to remark on how I shouldn?t smoke cause it?s bad for me (thanks, had no idea) when I take out my lighter. I?m sure he was trying to be funny, but after observing his sizeable belly and wondering if I should advise him to exercise more and eat less pizza because it?s bad for him, I somehow doubted he?d find the humor.

There?s an ?if you don?t like it, go somewhere else? attitude here. Don?t worry. I will. Rather spend an extra $5-$10 on a book and not deal with a miserable staff. I hope the rest of the customers who get treated like garbage here follow suit.

• Pros: large, discounted selection
• Cons: staff make the book prices not even worth it