JeffEngel wrote:jgnfld wrote:Simple solution: Just confidently lead the customer to a hard cover version of one of the books with the right title. They CAN'T blame you for for selling them what they asked for!!!
Preferably the one with the largest profit margin, and/or the one that isn't selling otherwise.
If someone insists on being stupid, it's sad not to make money off it.
Unfortunately - it's a short term solution. Most of them will take the book home, start to read it, and then bring it back, complaining that the stupid clerk sold him the wrong book, and ask for a refund. And then go through the whole process again. And to paraphrase Heinlein:
...shooting him will afford you only a momentary pleasure, and is bound to get you talked about
That was blue as in blue colored book covers.
I get people in the store (work at Barnes and Noble) all the time "I'm looking for a book called Mercy". Me "Sure, now there are several authors who have used that title. Do you know the authors name or would you recognize it if I read it to you?" Them "No, it's just called Mercy, my friend told me about it." Me "Ok, well what's it about maybe I can narrow down the category." Them getting angry now "I don't remember. Look just show me the section where all the Mercy books are and I'll go through them." Me "Well ma'am the books are organized by category and then by author so all the books called Mercy won't be shelved together. Is there any information about the book you can remember?" Them "You're no help I'll just go elsewhere." True story.... 
Working at a book store is good in a lot of ways but you really get to see a LOT of stupid.