Do you think shop staff should be trained in what goods they sell?

Oh yes LullyDully, I bet the assistant was made to regret her statement (albeit a throwaway one too). A good demeaning haul over the coals, with eagle eye watch on him/her from now on.

Ok, just a throwaway comment about cleaners. No offence intended. I apologise. Silly me, not thinking. Perhaps the assistant too came to regret her statement!

I remember going on a teaching practice in the 60s and being criticised over reading the 6 year old Winnie the Pooh as it was too middle class!!!

The kids loved the story about when he ate too.much honey and got stuck in rabbit's hole./ doorway. Christopher Robin read stories to his front end and rabbit hung the washing on his back end until he lost weight. It appealed to the kids the same as it did to me as a child.

Anniebach I would speak to the manager in the hope that they were a little more educated than the assistant, and could therefore help with my request

LullyDully, I use to be s cleaner who read Pooh books to my children, some cleaners can read and do read books

Many's the time when I have asked what the item I was selling or making was for, I got told to get on with my work! Thus making the job boring and meaningless.

Well, I used to do a cleaning job - so that says it all really!

It was called 'Product Knowledge' in my day and you had to frequently prove you had it... or management would be rather miffed....mind you that was with John Lewis!

Lullydully I take offence at your reference to cleaners. Some years ago I ran my own cleaning company. I think you would be very surprised, if not shocked at the level of education of some cleaners. I had retired nurses, teachers, even one solicitor.
Can you imagine the world if every cleaner downed her marigolds.

Well! You just can't get the staff these days, even though there's hoards of people out there clamouring to work in a shop for long, tiring hours, only to be moaned at by customers, all on a paltry minimum wage - Huh! what's the world coming to.

Well said Christinefrance. A few weeks ago, shopping in the local coop, presented the cashier with two parsnips. "What are they"? she asked!!!!!

Sorry boheminam I thought you were talkimg about WTP being a National Treasure!

Relieved that his sex was not in question

(well Anya I did say it tongue in cheek) Sorry, too much frivolity will aim to be serious in future....

SHE bohemian? I always see Winnie the Pooh as a HE?

Christine France - quite so! I worked as a cleaner many years ago and I'd had three degrees by then. Ha! Might need to go back to it the way finances are at present.

I do think shop assistants should understand the products they sell and be able to assist customers, regardless of the type of shop. Some staff are very helpful, but some just can't be bothered. I'm a shop keepers daughter and was brought up to believe in helping customers, but I'm not sure this is made clear to some staff. No wonder more of us shop online where you can get proper descriptions of items and reviews from other shoppers.

I think Waterstones are struggling, actually. Many people buy online now and this must have had have an impact on sales.

However a book only needs to be looked up on a computer to ascertain whether or not it's available. Not rocket science.

Lullydully you are making an assumption there that a cleaner cannot be well read.

Oooh! Bohemian! What a put down.
At least the assistant could have been trained to ask another member of staff if he/she didn't know the answer. Perhaps the person didn't know they didn't know.

Not so long ago I went into Waterstones in a tearing hurry to find a present for my DiL. I told the young man a little bit about her, that her English is good but not her first language etc, and that I wanted a book of short stories. He reached for several such books and gave me a detailed critique of each before coming up with his final recommendation - he had clearly read the books and DiL loved his choice. I was very impressed.

Only on GN could something so mundane be turned into a hanging offence

I once asked if they had Bill Clinton's autobiography and was directed to the Travel section. I think the assistant was mixing him up with Bill Bryson

I wouldn't have dreamt of complaining. Just thought it was amusing.

I, like LullyDully, find it a bit surprising - with books so cheap everywhere else it is the buying experience that Waterstones sell; being able to hold the book, getting advice from a real person standing next to you and firing you up with their love of reading. My local is just like that and without it they would have problems, with the same books often being pounds cheaper a short walk away. I try to use proper bookshops when I can afford to. I don't do internet purchasing and Tesco are unlikely to carry, or get everything I want, so it would not be good if they disappeared, but if I came across a shop where staff were as uninterested as this one I would take my custom elsewhere.

I had this in Waterstones. I was after Ruth Rendell's last one and they hadn't heard of her.

my daughter would know & she doesn't even work in Waterstones (just spends rather a lot of time there)

In that case Mumsy I think she got a dim/stroppy/intellectually snobby assistant who was clearly wanting to be elsewhere! He/she might find themselves elsewhere if the branch manager gets many more complaints!