Nov
16
Branding, Books, And Bitchiness
The other day I was at Chapters. For those of you who aren’t from Canada, Chapters is one of those giant bookstores that sell books, magazines, knick knacks, food, coffee, appliances, cars, and the occasional house. Kind of like Barnes and Noble, I guess, or that store in You’ve Got Mail. Anyway, the point is I was there buying a book and I was reminded of the reason it is so crucial for a large company to brand properly.
Let me tell you what happened. Chapters, like many retail chains, has a discount program. Basically, if you purchase a discount card for $20 for the year, they will allow you to save 10% on any purchases you make that year (the concept of paying for a discount is a little counter intuitive, but my husband signed us up for this).
When deciding if we wanted to purchase this discount card, my husband, who knows and loves me, asked a very important question. He knows I often leave the house without my wallet, and that there is no point in buying a discount card if I’m not going to carry it with me. So he asked the salesperson “Does she have to carry the card with her when she makes a purchase?”. To which the salesperson replied “Absolutely not. We can look her up by her name and address.” Perfect – one discount card purchased.
Now we are about 8 months into having owned this stupid card, which was promptly lost around month 1, week 3. At first, this wasn’t a problem. I would walk up to the counter, present my purchase, and when asked if I had a discount card I would say “Yes, but not with me.”. The salesperson would cheerfully ask me my name and address, and would apply my 10% discount.
Everybody was happy.
But recently, things have started to change. First, they started asking my name, address, and date of birth. Then they started asking for name, address, date of birth, and some kind of ID with my name on it. This is a problem for me because as mentioned I often don’t have my wallet with me. However, I do carry my bank card, because I have been known to engage in delightful and spontaneous shopping activities.
This brings me to the other day. I walked up to make my purchase as usual, and the sales woman asked me if I had a discount card. I told her that I did but that I did not have it with me. I was already pulling out my bank card to present to her when she said “Well, you don’t get a discount, then. If you don’t have your discount card you can’t receive a discount.”
She told me it was always store policy to insist on the discount card, she cannot look me up by name and address, in any case my bank card was not acceptable as ID, and she couldn’t imagine any of her colleagues breaking store policy like that. And she would know, because she’s worked there for four years and she’s never heard of anyone breaking the policy. In the history of the store, no-one has broken it. Ever.
What does this have to do about branding?
Well, let’s ignore the last statement made by the sales woman in which she basically called me a liar. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to bitch about that in the weeks to come. I have no issues with a chain making policies surrounding a discount card, and if they do, I assume they have good reasons to do so. (I’m sure there are hundreds, nay THOUSANDS of people walking around with fake identities, stealing their neighbour’s name to save sixty cents on a Harlequin.)
But now I’m pissed.
Let’s think about how this situation could have gone differently. Let’s consider how many times their own policy was misrepresented to me or my representatives (by this I mean Jamie, but I’ve always wanted to have representatives).
One – Jamie was told we did not need to have the card physically present in order to use it.
Two – On numerous occasions I was able to use the card by giving my name and address.
Three – On many more numerous occasions I was able to use the card by giving my name, address, and bank card as ID.
Four – I was finally told that the discount card I had purchased was useless to me and they would no longer accept it.
Now I’m pissed. (Yes, I mentioned that before. But I’m still pissed.) I had planned to do a lot of my Christmas shopping there. (I like to give books because then I don’t actually have to think about the recipient. Also, much easier to wrap than, say, a bag of golf clubs.)
Branding is about commitment and consistency.
It is about ensuring your customer has the same experience, each and every time. Hopefully that experience is a good one when it comes to your home business, but I almost feel that a consistent lousy experience is better than inconsistent good ones.
Because of poor branding, Amazon will be getting all of my business from now on. This is probably for the best anyway since Amazon won’t pay me for my Associates income with money like a normal company and they’re paying in gift certificates anyway. What does a person have to do to get a cheap book around here?
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have you been to booksprice.com? they search everywhere to find the least expensive on the ‘net! including shipping! it’s pretty fantastic.
Hi Graham! You know what’s funny? (Or dumb, depending on how nice you’re feeling?) When I read the url for that, I thought it was saying “book sprice”. I’m like, wtf is a “sprice”?
Thanks for the tip!
Hey Naomi,
I have recently found your blog and wanted to let you know that I really enjoy reading it.
As per this post, I 100% agree w/ what you are saying. I have been a manager in retail and service/hospitality for the better part of 20 years and one of the ideas that I try to instill in all my fellow managers and employees is that when it comes to customer service “perception is reality”.
In your situation, I am sure that the employee really was just following policy as it was written. The problem w/ most big box companies is that there is usually 2 policies: the written ( the one you are SUPPOSED to do) and the unwritten one ( the one you SHOULD do). I am sure that when you purchased your card management taught the staff to do what was in the best interest of the customer.
I would venture to guess that there was a recent change in management in that store or w/ that store managers superior that caused them to start enforcing the policy of no card, no discount. Thus the perception to you is that they no longer want your business. Unfortunately this is becoming more and more common.
Naomi,
Your blog post titles consistently appeal to the sailor-mouthed Brooklyn in me.
Keep ‘em coming.
(PS – I get most of my books in “new” condition from half.com)
Barnes & Noble has a discount program like that, too. I think it’s $25 a year to save 10%. So you have to spend $250 just to break even. Eh…no. Amazon.
@ Kevin – Thanks for stopping by IttyBiz! It’s great to have you. I think the tough thing for me in this case was that she guaranteed me that no-one would have ever said that to me. Give me the discount, don’t give me the discount – I don’t really care. Just don’t tell me something didn’t happen when you weren’t even there. Nice seeing you, and thanks for the comment!
@ Dave – Bookstores are my weakness – that’s the worst thing! Generally I’ll happily pay retail just for the bookstore experience. I think it’s about time I start enjoying the LIBRARY experience.
@ Matt – $25, eh? I think that’s what ours is, too. You’ll be happy to know that we got a homeschooling discount, though, on the card we can no longer use. :)
I’m a strong believer in consumer rights, namely asking to see a manager whenever BS situations like this arise. My guess would be that the clerk was wrong about her stance on the policy and the manager would clarify.
If they still didn’t relent, then give ‘em the finger and your web address while you eviscerate them in your blog. Then go to Amazon and get everything with free shipping and no tax.
Buy things in a store! Nevaah.
We have done all Christmas / Hanukkah shopping online for 5 years now and consistently find it ridiculously pleasant.
Highly recommend it. You’ll never go back.
Amazon, baby….AMAZON! I could have told you that sooner. :)
I’m starting to forget what books look like because everytime I log in to Amazon to browse books, I wind up checking out with a video game. What a sad commentary on the deterioration of my mental state.
Yeah, I’ve gotta side with the Amazonites here. I stopped actually shopping at places like Borders and Barnes & Noble long ago… now I only use those shops to burn time flipping through magazines while my girlfriend shops at a nearby shop. The main thing that always keeps me coming back to Amazon is the “search for a deal” aspect… when I shop for a book I usually have no idea exactly what it is that I’m looking for… so having an entire marketplace of books (with customer feedback!) makes it an incredibly efficient way to shop. Plus, the used books are usually a fraction of the cost of retail price (I’ve been collecting the $59.99 Type Directors Annual books for $10/book – a Steal!) and have just enough wear and tear on them to make it look like I’ve already read it when it arrives. A huge bonus when clients visit the office. Having said all of that, I’ll confess – I am a Barnes & Noble card carrying member – I too, being the boy that I am, was roped into it at the counter while purchasing an import magazine. Shucks – good article though!
Oooooo – stuff like that just makes me want to explode!! That’s a classic example of can’t vs. wont… “Well, you don’t get a discount, then. If you don’t have your discount card you can’t receive a discount.”
Here’s what I do in that situation: I will say – yes you can, you just won’t give me the discount. If they insist that they “can’t” I will say something like – “you mean to tell me that they have managed to send rovers to Mars, and satellites into space, yet you do not have the capability to give me the discount?” When they finally agree that they can, but are refusing to give me the discount, I ask them why.
Why would someone do this?
They heard this from a manager and are afraid to break the rules
They are on some type of power trip
They don’t know how to do it and don’t want to take the time to go ask
Usually, exposing this ridiculous logic is enough – if not for the employee, for the manager that eventually gets involved.
:)
I stopped shopping at Chapters when they took out the comfy chairs. After reading this, I am not inclined to ever returned. I may come back to Canada someday, but Amazon sounds like a much better choice.
Thanks for sharing that.
Ugh, so true, about policy taking precedence over customer relations. Of course, when a company has not met most of its customers that may be inevitable. When customers become numbers on a spreadsheet and companies have to pay another company x million to tell them what those numbers are collectively thinking (not individually, individually is too expensive) moments like this become inevitable.
Lately I have been thinking about the employees who are left to defend these bizarre policies and how they often get defensive, leaving the customer to feel as you did … the employees become stern teachers, lecturing the customer from their slightly elevated check out platform, explaining how the customer should feel guilty for wanting purchases to be logical instead of policy compliant. It is the poor employees way of dealing with the stress of being paid minimal dollars per hour for a job that used to involve ringing up purchases and being helpful on the floor of a shop, but now thanks to our big box culture also means they have to have a JD in corporate policy interpretation. So they dig in their heels and blow off steam later in the break room while ranting about how people are so stupid, but subconsciously everyone knows something is wrong here.
Man, if there is one thing I love… It’s reading posts about names I recognize, stores I shop in, and having a place that feels like home (besides my own blog, of course). We should start putting maple leaves on our blogs.
Amazon isn’t advantageous for Canadian shoppers, Naomi. I’ve done pricing comparisons many times – no matter how I cut it, the shipping costs of Amazon cost me the same that it would to shop at Chapters. I save nothing.
Besides, I like shopping Canadian.
Had I been in your shoes, I would’ve smiled and politely asked to speak to the manager. And then that person’s manager. And that person’s manager. And so on. If I hit a brick wall, I would’ve dumped everything and walked out. I would’ve written a letter to the Chapters head office about the situation and asked for something to compensate for the problem.
Get mad, sure. But don’t give up.
@ Dave – Eviscerate is a word I haven’t read in far too long. It has to go back into circulation. In that case, I did get my discount, but I eviscerated them anyway. HA!
@ Shane – Duly noted. Come back next week to have your online-shopping-loving mind blown.
@ Susan – See response to Shane. Monday, baby.
@ Brandon – If for no other reason (and there are other reasons) than the already-read factor, I love what you’re saying here. Because I am a bad mother, I let the baby eat everything I own, including my books. Far better he eat a used book than one bought at full price.
@ Christine a.k.a. Can’t Vs. Won’t Vigilante Extraordinaire – I’m so with you. One of my favorite expressions is, “They can put a man on the moon but they can’t…” [insert recent annoying phenomenon, generally referring to consumer electronics.] You rule.
@ Jason – You’re so right! I completely forgot about that! They used to have fantastic chairs and now they’re made of wood and CHAINED TOGETHER!!! Nothing says pleasant buying experience like chains. Mm, mm, comfy.
@ Margie – I am strongly considering quitting my job and hiring you to do it for me. Um, yes. To everything you said. And the stupidest thing is, and I may have ranted about this before, I DON’T CARE IF YOU GIVE ME A DISCOUNT!!! I just want you to not call me a liar.
@ James – Right on, as usual. And the worst thing is, because I like trashy books at the bottom of the brain scale, I can buy a huge percentage of my books at Wal-Mart or Zellers at the American price now. Oprah magazine costs me $6 at Chapters (which is an extra bus ride) or $4.50 at Wal-Mart where I was buying diapers anyway. While I hate the lame customer service and the crappy prices, some part of me wants to go to them and say “Do you even know what you’re doing to your customer base here?” I want to help them with their marketing as a charity effort alone.