Though I should be pleased as punch that TV.Com is soooo easy to hang with and I somehow picked up new Editorship, that doesn't matter. Well, actually it does matter but I've been saving up a rant and I will not be denied 
I spoke too soon. I'm having HTML issues
There is a terrible misconception out there. Some people seem to think that customers who frequent bookstores can read. I know that it would stand to reason that a person walking into a bookstore, for a book, would have some idea about the alphabet and all that. It has been my experience that a large portion of the reading public gets all shook up when asked to read alphabetically.
Dear friends, if an authors name begins with J and you look at a shelf and you see the following last name : Conway, you are not in the J's. If the shelf next to it has last names that begin with the letter D, then a pattern should emerge. If you step to the side and see the last name Franklin then I'd think that a lightbulb would soon shine. If the shelf ends, that does not mean that the alphabet ends there, my friends. Like hallways, shelves also turn corners. I wouldn't give up my search for the book at that corner, I would look at the shelf on the other side and see what happens. A majority of the time you will find that the alphabet will continue.
Given that I have WAY too many people who ask me if the books are alphabetized my title or author, I shouldn't be surprised. I'm sorry but what the hell kind of sense would it make to alphabetize by title? That doesn't even make sense. If you want more than one book that an author has written, wouldn't it be easier if they were together? Doesn't the logic if that system stike anyone as feasible?
Number two on my bookstore rants is this:
Most bookstore employees shelve books. There is generally only one employee per section. When we shelve books we want you to find the books. The books are shelved in their place so you can find them. That means if you take a book from the shelf, we'd appreciate it if you put it back where got it. Not on the floor, not shoved randomly on top of the books and not halfway across the store. I know that some people will leave the store, disappointed that the book they want isn't there, when in fact some inconsiderate person has shoved the book somewhere.
Personal rant:
There is a woman who comes in our store every Thurday. She will go down every aisle, pick up a book and shove them on top of the books. Every Thursday, I will go behind her and reshelve the books. Most people would take the hint and not be rude but she refuses to take the hint. She will take books from one part of the section to the other then shove it on top of the books. Now, I have a finite amount of time to get as many books as possible out for the public to buy. I will spent time reshelving after this woman instead of getting new merchandise out. Again, I know that someone isn't finding what they are looking for because I'm cleaning up after one person. I know that this woman knows what she's doing because this has been going on for six months. Oh the things I want to say to her 
Last rant:
The cart a worker uses is there work area. If you, the customer, shrts picking up and moving items that are on t, you are screwing with our work area. If you are looking for something, PLEASE, ask us for it. We are there to help you. You will be the focus of massive HATE if you pick at our work area. If I ask people if they are looking for anything in particular and the answer is generally "No, I'm just looking." Why not look somewhere that isn't in my way? As I've said, I have a finite amount of time but an infinite amount of work. I want you to find what you are lookng for, I want to help you anyway that I can, I want you to leave our store happy that you've found everything that you're looking for but I can't if I have to fix a mess before I start or can't get to my cart.
End Rant-for now
Comments
From what I've seen some sections ARE organized by alpha order by title instead of author, especially the Japanese graphic novel sections and Videos.
I was actually in a bookstore, reading a book (quietly, unobtrusively, and most of all, ~neatly~) when a customer asked the bookstore guy if any of the best-sellers were by Canadian authors. The bookstore guy said no. I caught his eye and pointed to a book on a shelf just below waist level... I think I embarrassed him!
I was laughing real hard when i read your blog
Angus-Mac-Well yes, videos would be by title because most people don't know who the author of a movie is. Do you use the screen writer or author is it's based on a book? Graphic novels and comics work the same way because you generally are looking for a title or groups of titles and the writers of comics tend to change.
Fictions sections, however, are by author. Series are by title, again because there's generally different authors of series.
Stgggggyyyyy!: I have had more people get lost in the A's. Er, was the guy embarrassed because the thought you thought his "below waist level" was worthwhile?
Spyrick-Most bookstores will at least alphabetize the fiction sections. Yes, the store is HUGE!
Tvtonks-I'm glad you liked it. I have to laugh rather than scream sometimes.
IlyanaRVS -I'm well aquainted with that particular situation. I actually love working in bookstores and the discount rocks!
One thing that bugs me about book stores is that usually they are set up like libraries in my world. If the first shelf goes from A-F, then I turn around and G is right there. This is good.
Once in a while I have found that certain stores (of the same chain) allow their section staff to set their own sorting routine. I recently found that the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section is a hit and miss type of sorting. I've started running into these sections in bookstores where the sorting starts A-F, then when I turn around I'm at M! Why? Because this person felt that G should be opposite to where A started so that all aisles "start" in the same place.
Rant 2: Shelving books
This one is a problem with retail in general. I know people that work in clothing stores. Some of them would rather that you leave clothes when you've pulled them so that the staff can refold them correctly. Some others would rather people learnt to put stuff back where they got it.
That's a personal opinion issue about how they prefer to work and what their store should look like.
As for books, I have always been told to leave the book out and not reshelve it. I was taught this as a little boy and reminded of it everytime I go to the Library! Yes, the Library teaches us to not put books back! Did you ever think that this woman does this because she thinks that's the way things work?
I have been two three types of bookstores. The first has no signs about putting books back. The second requests people to put books back where they got them. The third asks people to put them on re-shelving shelves. If you work in a type 1 store, then don't expect people to know the "rules".
I, myself, am familiar enough with the Dewey system and the alphabetic system that I always put my books back, even at the library. Others may not be so inclined. I would suggest you talk to the lady calmly and ask if she is aware that she could attempt to reshelve books she doesn't want.
Rant 3: Cart Use
Nothing to say here. You're correct that it's your space and not customer space.
Sorry about the rants ... but you "got" me.
I was working on a project on the sales floor. A customer started moving the boxes I was using. I politly asked her to not mix up a couple of stacks of boxes because I was in the middle of a project. That polite request lead to a her getting bent out of shape and fussing for 15 minutes about my "request".
The customer who refuses to put books back, once emptied a flat of books out by un-ending the books on the floor. If someone is that oblivious I doubt talking to her would help.
I say, if you take a book off the shelf and know where it came from, go ahead and reshelve it.
As for the sections order. Sometimes the configuation of the store will affect where the alphabet starts and ends. Where the Z is in one sections and its relationship to the A of another section will be the decieding factor. You never see Sci-Fi's Z and Horror's A occuping the same shelf, generally.
Kimba66
I wish I didn't love your brain-dead customers stories so much.It means you have to deal with them to write such funny rants!