That's how we've always done it and other idiocies
This is a continuation of last week's column about the great service I got at Border's bookstore. That company's service included sending me to Barnes & Noble to purchase an out-of-stock item.
I walked into Barnes & Noble, said my name, and the cashier handed me the book on tape that Janis McCarter from Borders had ordered for me. Cool.
At once I thought about the new loft I was moving into, and asked if they had a book with photographs of lofts. The guy behind the counter announced they had a book but it was out of stock, and asked, did I want to order it? (Borders was willing to do all kinds of stuff to help me; this guy was only offering to order it.) "O.K.," I said. "Just call me when it comes in."
Monday morning, Patrick from Barnes & Noble calls and leaves a message that the book I ordered is out of print, gives me the ISBN number, and says to try a used bookstore. Rats.
Now, did my need for the book diminish with Patrick's approach? No. Did he employ the Borders approach of finding me the book? No. He gave me the ISBN number, no title, no author, no publisher and told me to spend my money elsewhere. You'd think with all the great customer-service books at Barnes & Noble, they'd buy one for Patrick so he could get a clue.
I called Patrick back. He was at lunch, so I asked for the manager. Delores got on the phone. After establishing some friendly rapport, I told her my situation. I was as nice as pie. "Do you think I'm satisfied?" I asked. "Why can't you do the same thing your competitor did find one someplace else?"
Delores had a reason (excuse) for everything: "That's the way we always do it ... Once a book is out of print, there's nothing we can do ... Patrick didn't give you the author, title or publisher because the ISBN number is the best way to track ..." Stop! Enough!
I don't give a rat's butt how you do things I want my book. This woman had just spent five minutes telling me how she can't or won't help. What she failed to understand is that customers do not want excuses, and that an unsolved or unresolved problem does not go away just because you refuse to handle it.
Now it's not just this purchase at Barnes & Noble that hangs in the balance, it's every purchase for the rest of time as far as I'm concerned. I explained that I'm going to write a column comparing Borders and Barnes & Noble. I asked for her boss's name and told her that she had been absolutely zero help. She gave me the name, but now entered the "back-pedaler's hall of fame," trying to be of some form of lame assistance. I assured her that her boss would probably be more likely to be of some help.
I called the boss, Mark Seidman and told him my experience. He told me that that's not the way they do business. Duh. He is obviously not in touch with their stores because as far as I'm concerned that is the way they do business.
He assured me the book I wanted is out of print. He asked for a chance at redemption I said O.K.
They hunted and hunted. They found three books on lofts, and ordered them, but when they came in they had no photos, and turned out to be about history and not about decorating. They were no good. The district manager assured me they had looked at every Barnes & Noble store in the United States, and called several competitors in the area zero books on lofts, and no trace of the out-of-print book I wanted.
Meanwhile, the Barnes & Noble people are doing their best to salvage the incident. Calls once a day. Free book coupons. Somehow I think this article has a lot to do with it, rather than just their desire to help me.
Epilogue: I went to New York three days after their exhaustive search through all the Barnes & Noble stores' inventory and walked into the huge Barnes & Noble on the corner of 12th and Astor. A most unfriendly person looked up what I wanted like he was doing me a favor and told me where to find it. Three more directional "asks" later I somehow get there, and a friendly person said, "Lofts? We have one book that I know of let me get it for you."
She walked over to the book that their Charlotte staff said was "out of print" and handed me one of four copies. I guess their exhaustive search forgot to include New York City loft capital of the world.
Please note: This story concerns an isolated incident. I have reported the facts and given all parties the opportunity to read and edit my comments before printing. Please do not judge either Borders or Barnes & Noble by this one story.
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Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless." President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. Inquiries should be
e-mailed to salesman@gitomer.com or faxed to the WBJ at (48-22) 646-0576.
