it seems that the employees at conventional bookstores should be more interested in good selection and customer service than in what books their customers choose to buy. Customer service is one of the few advantages brick and mortar bookstores have over outlets like Amazon. They certainly can't compete on selection and most often are more expensive than Amazon. Take away the customer service advantage and there's no reason to shop there at all.

Those employees, if they value their jobs at all, shouldn't be ridiculing the people who make those jobs possible. Otherwise, they'll end up in other jobs that they're qualified to perform, such as asking "Do you want a muffin with your latte?"