Books are always part of my shopaholic and impulsive purchases. They are one of the reasons why I always end up broke but happy. :-) A month's payday will never be enough without purchasing a new read. The situation was way different back when I was just starting to earn. I would patiently wait to finish a book before my next trip to the bookstore. But today, every month would always mean going to my favorite bookstores.

The bookstore for me is more than a place to purchase books. It's my personal haven after a long day at work.  While other people find their relaxation in spa and other wellness centers, bookstores serve as my comfort and happy place. Even during my college years, bookstores form one of my favorite places in the world. Although at that time, I first see bookstores as a place to purchase my school supplies and those hard to find textbooks.

Back in my college years, my recurring problem was finding the bookstore that housed the textbook prescribed by my professor. I would hop from one bookstore to another, spending so much time, money and effort. I start from the small scale bookshops in Manila and visit every branch of that huge bookstore chain we all grew up with.

It would usually take me days to weeks to find the book. Worst comes to worst, I never acquire a copy of the book. In the end, I would just settle with the illegal photocopied version. I know that reproducing a book meant violating the author and publisher. But I don't have a choice, even if I can pay for the book. I can't move mountains and force the huge bookstore chain to order my book. Actually, I tried it once to that famous bookstore chain. However, to my biggest surprise, the bookstore giant is charging the struggling student in me an additional order fee. I was almost willing to pay for the charges not until I discovered that it costs almost half of the book's price.
 
Today, my classic bookstore dilemma for that hard to find book is over. Someone out there was intelligent and caring enough to handle this problem. This is why I love Fully Booked.

I admit that I was initially reluctant to enter the modern and sophisticated layout of Fully Booked. I was also warned that prices of their books are a bit expensive. However, I believe this only holds true for some books, not to all!  Fully Booked introduced me to the concept of book reservation and request FOR FREE. You want to purchase a book out of their shelves? They can purchase it for you. When your requested book finally arrived, you will receive a personal message to pick up that much needed book in your preferred branch.

The book reservation arrangement is implemented by Fully Booked and its rival segment bookstore. However, I'm speaking within the realms of my experience, Fully Booked implemented better service in this area. I remember making a reservation to that rival bookstore. They assured me that they will soon have stocks of my requested book. However, despite leaving my contact information, I never received any notice from them. To my biggest surprise, I visited one of their branches only to find that they have plenty of copies of my requested book. Fortunately, this never ever happened to me in Fully Booked. The living proof to Fully Booked's service efficiency are the following



I got all of these books through their responsive reservation process. Aside from their truthful book reservation function, Fully Booked also has the nicest employees. They never fail to hand me their reservation sheet whenever my preferred book is not available. In my countless times of making reservations, they never fail to respond with a positive result. How I wish that me and my classmates in college have known this premium service. Life could have been so much easier.

Aside from book reservation, I remember another great customer encounter with their staff. The book I intend to purchase was still in their boxes. To my biggest surprise, one staff pulled out the box and handed me a fresh copy of Emily Giffin's Love the One You're With. To my mind, I kept saying WOW! My bookstore experience has been taken to the next level of customer satisfaction.

In case you don't have the time to visit their branches, I believe Fully Booked accepts reservation via Facebook. My own experience will again serve as living evidence

To the staff of Fully Booked who has always been assisting me in my book requests, thank you very much! You definitely improved and innovated my bookstore experience. While people keep saying to me that your books are a bit overpriced, I wouldn't mind paying a little extra for all the assistance you have rendered to me.

P.S. This is NOT a sponsored post.