I absolutely hate it when people ask me for suggestions, which I realize is an occupational hazard. I just figured out why- the majority of customers want you to tell them what they would like. Which I'm comfortable doing for people I know fairly well, but not for total strangers.
And when I solicit suggestions, say from Miko next door at the record shop, I ask what they are into right now. I'm not asking them to read my mind, just give me a window into theirs.
It's the advertising culture of TELL ME WHAT I LIKE I can't stand.
At Waldenbooks we had a binder full of corporate approved recommendations (if you like THIS, you'll LOVE this!), which were uniformly bullshit whenvever they intersected my own experience, mainly in the realm of SF.
ReplyDeleteA good rec requires knowledge of your subject. Even a fairly robust automated system like, say, Pandora is going to throw up more duds than winners even though it theoretically has a complete map of my musical taste at its fingertips.
But if Meggsie tells me "oh god there's this new band you NEED to check out!" I know they're going to be hot because she not only knows what I like, she understands why I like them.
You have captured my frustrations exactly. I had the same experience when working at Phoenix, and I experience it now with students.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I do, in fact, tell my students what to read, but it's not as if I actually think they're going to *like* it. It's the *liking* part that is so tricky.
Dont be weak! Unleash your inner dictator and pick one random book a week to recommend. Think of yourself as the White Male Oprah of Monterrey st.
ReplyDeleteWhen she managed The Earthling sis in law Teresa used to recommend whatever bestseller they were overstocked on....
ReplyDeleteWhen people ask their food-server what's good, I always have the sneaking suspicion the answer is "the fish we bought last Tuesday that's about to go bad."
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