Okay, this one’s a personal rant, so please take it as such.
The local newspaper ran an admittedly flattering profile about me in the business section today (thanks to The 3/50 Project, that wonderful, small business lovefest!) which means I now need a half dozen copies of the Star Trib for out of state family members. Yes, we’re corny. So be it.
I pick up the phone. Call the locally owned booksellers I know who carry the paper. They’re sold out, drats.
Next, I try Barnes and Noble at Calhoun Village—not the most convenient for me, but they’re in the same mall my store was, and have always been nice, lovely people. Unfortunately, they only have four copies. Hmm…. I’ll give them a call back if I can’t find someone with all six copies in stock.
After that, I call Barnes and Noble at Galleria in Edina, since I’m going to be in their neck of the woods tomorrow. Offer to pay for the six copies over the phone. Am told that yes, they have the copies, but no, they won’t allow me to buy them.
Why? Because of it’s a phone order? (Odd, since they do that for books and music all the time.)
No. That’s not it. They won’t allow me to buy six copies because they want to keep them for other customers to purchase.
Seriously. That’s what the manager told the associate to tell me (that’s right, the manager didn’t bother to tell me himself/herself, but to instead turn the nice woman at the counter into the store henchman).
Are you kidding? The same number of purchases, same amount of revenue, fine to pay for over the phone, but because I want six copies instead of just one, the manager slams the door? I’m being told “no” because I want to buy too much???
Needless to say, this is an example of poor customer service at its worst, and one that’s likely to show up in one of my future speaking engagements as a “Don’t do this” example. Amazing.
Yet again, reality has proven why it’s important to purchase from an independent, locally owned brick and mortar whenever possible. Those that I called before B&N were happy to accommodate; they simply didn’t have any copies left. Each welcomed my business with sincerity, and apologized just as sincerely when they were unable to fill my needs.
By the way, I did finally find the copies needed…at a locally owned grocery store. Thank you, Byerly’s, for accepting my business with a smile!
End of rant. Thanks for listening.
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I can’t believe what I just read. I had the EXACT problem with Atlanta Bread Company. Difference is I wanted to buy x amount of Blueberry Muffins for my staff. I was told they only made x amount of blueberry muffins per day and they couldn’t sell me all of them because they “might” sell them to someone else later that day….I asked to speak with the manager and they never came over. Just had me deal with the counter person. They finally sold me the muffins.