Kenobi wants me to read to him...no can do.

If there is one thing that I am very passionate about these days it’s customer service and my nook. Interestingly enough, this morning I experienced a combination of those two things that left a bad taste in my mouth. Allow me to precede this anecdote with this disclaimer: I tell this story not as a retaliation against Barnes and Noble, but as a warning to their current and future customers. I also write in hopes that a Barnes and Noble employee who cares about the company’s reputation and quality of service might read this and be a catalyst in the re-vamping of their customer service procedures.

Customer service is a big deal. Especially for women. A woman is likely to not buy a product or not shop with a certain company based on customer service experiences. Seeing as how women hold most of the (consumer) purchasing power in the world (As we learned from Bridget Brennan’s book Why She Buys), it’s in a company’s best interest to give this girl what she wants.

Remember how excited I was last week when I wrote this post and this post singing the praises of my new nook? Well this morning I woke up to find that my new nook was unresponsive. Not even 30 days old and the little guy is already defective– not off to a good start Barnes and Noble! I am a smart girl and rather than drive to the nearest Barnes and Noble, I did a little research and a little troubleshooting and then some more troubleshooting. I had no luck. Yet I refrained from driving to the nearest Barnes and Noble. I already knew due to a recent encounter with a store manager that you have a grand total of 14 days to return or exchange your Barnes and Noble products and that manufacturer’s warranties are not honored in the store. With that said, I called nook tech support.

While on the phone with tech support I heard the following nonsense

• You already returned this product (Oh really?)
• We’ll send you a new battery (After troubleshooting proved that the battery was not the problem!)
• Best Buy’s policies are different (After I asked why another company was more willing to stand behind the nook–Barnes and Noble’s own product!–than they are. Great defense of your policies, buddy.)

Three strikes.

I waited 18 minutes to speak with a supervisor. I explained to him why it couldn’t be the battery. (Side note: he was not friendly at all AND he had the audacity to treat me like I was some pesky child, rather than a customer who just spent $300 on their product.) Said supervisor agreed to send me a new nook– that’s right 28 days after purchase they have to mail me a new product rather than exchange it in store!  I put down my weapons (this is definitely a metaphor, as I was very patient and polite throughout this entire debacle) and agreed to follow their exchange procedure.

Unfortunately, it was not that easy. I mentioned earlier that according to Barnes and Noble’s records I had returned the product. (Hm…seems like their return/exchange people in the stores aren’t doing a very good job, if I returned my nook, but still have it here in my hands!) Fortunately for me, my years as a customer service rep came in handy and I recognized that the confusion was due to the fact that I had been given the difference in price, when the price of the nook came down and it had been keyed as a return. (You would think that with as much market share as a company like Barnes and Noble has, they would have a more efficient “system” and I wouldn’t be the one telling them why it was showing up as a return.) Because of this “price match” my exchange required some kind of authorization that cannot be completed for a day or two.

Decompression.

I understand that stores have return policies (though the average return policy, even for consumer electronics, is 30 days and the standard is set by big box retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy).

I understand that electronics are produced in bulk and it’s inevitable that they won’t all function as they are supposed to.

I don’t understand why a company would want to send me a battery, if the battery is clearly not the problem. (Even if it prolongs the exchange of the product–the exchange is inevitable, the prolongation only frustrates the customer.)

I don’t understand why a company with as much market share as Barnes and Noble would not invest in a better “system” (oh the infamous “system”!). It would increase the quality of their customer service ten fold.

I don’t understand why Barnes and Noble would not train their employees (and supervisors!) to be friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

And maybe I’m a bit biased due to my 4-year career as a customer service rep, but if I had purchased it at Best Buy, I would have been able to exchange my nook for a brand new one on the 28th day (Even if it was working!)

I’m still singing the praises of the nook, but Barnes and Noble’s customer service leaves something to be desired. Unfortunately for Barnes and Noble, you can make as many great products as you’d like, but if you’re not willing or able to resolve a woman’s problem quickly, efficiently and with a great attitude, you may find that she is going to share her negative experience with 500 of her closest friends.

Why She Buys (Bridget Brennan) – A fairly entertaining read considering it’s a marketing book. It was not particularly eye-opening in regards to uncovering what women want. Though, if read by a man, I’m sure it would solicit a completely different review. There are topics covered in this book that I found most compelling. The first is that women have the power! “Women are the driving force of the global economy.” The majority of purchases are either made or influenced by women. There are more women with careers (and therefore their own money to spend) than ever before.  “Men drive the majority of senior-level business decisions. Which means that men are usually the people who have final say in designing and approving products that target women…” (Brennan, 17). Do you see the disconnect people? The second topic that I found particularly compelling was the explanation of biological differences between men and women. Brennan talks about how man and women are SO different (and they see the world so differently as a result), that they basically function in their own (very different) worlds. Interestingly enough, I’ve been identifying many of the marketing shortcomings that are discussed in this book in the world around me. You know that a book/a professor/a documentary has done it’s job when you see it’s application in the world around you. While this book isn’t exactly a thriller or particularly revolutionary, I vote it as a good read for any marketer and every man!

French Women Don’t Get Fat (Mireille Guiliano) – Not much to say about this one. I bought it with the expectation of learning some fascinating tricks. (Silly me, everyone knows there are no quick fixes when it comes to your weight/health!) The content was slightly disappointing. Everyone knows deep down inside that the “secret” to maintaining a healthy weight is moderation, fruits, vegetables and exercise. BUT, the writing was entertaining. Guiliano has a sense of humor and you can’t help but like her as she shares the art of being/acting French. I must say that, above all else, the purchase of this ebook was worth it just for the recipes. The Summer soups, yogurt and bread recipes are enough to send a foodie into a coma AND it’s all healthy. If you’re looking for some new recipes, I give it a thumbs up. If you’re looking for a book on healthy habits, I would only recommend it if pizza, burgers, fries and anything fried is a part of your regular diet.

The Gospel According to Coco Chanel (Karen Karbo) – This was an impulse buy. I mean what [bookworm of a] girl could resist a title like this? I was expecting some Coco Chanel rules to live by with plenty of humor scattered throughout. I was wrong. This is the history of the woman who revolutionized fashion for women. And while I was disappointed at first that it wasn’t some sort of fashion comedy, I found myself really enjoying it. Gabrielle Chanel (yes, Gabrielle) was a piece of work. Always loving, never marrying and always working. While some people might find it a bit silly to learn the history of a fashion icon (especially those of us– like me– who aren’t in the fashion industry), it’s not as useless as you think! I was recently at a networking luncheon and I met a fashion designer. Someone asked her if all of the designs were hers. Her response was that all of the designs were hers, but she had a team that did the sewing for her. And I thought….Just like Chanel! And then I got to share my little story about Chanel! hehe. It’s an interesting read that focuses not only on the life and times of Coco, but also on the evolution of women’s fashion. Whether or not I would recommend it would depend on who you are and what you like to read.

Since I received the nook (on June 10th), I’ve read 2 books! I know that 20 days seems like plenty of time to read two books, but it’s really quite record breaking for me. I’m a busy woman. I don’t have space in my purse to carry around books.  (Ha! Anyone who has seen my purse knows I’m lying.) Even if I were compelled to carry around a novel or two, it gets annoying to flip pages or find the nearest object/junk mail/job application to hold my page while I walk the dog/make dinner/answer the phone. I think you get my drift. I just whip the little gadget out and read no matter where I am…no pages to turn, no place to lose (it knows where I left off!) and even better–no highlighter/pen/notebook to jot down my thoughts or interesting quotes. That’s right, I highlight and make notes right there on the nook’s touchscreen. Love it!

You know what else is amazing? (If you own one, I’m sure you’re thinking “of course I know what else is amazing!”) Barnes and Noble picks up the bill for my 3G. While I can’t exactly go browsing facebook on their dime, I can download a book while I’m in the car, if it strikes my fancy. (Of course I’m in the passenger’s seat when I’m downloading this book. Honestly people! How crazy do you think I am?)

My only gripe, which is sure to be fixed with a simple software update, is that you can only see your highlights/notes by “flipping” back through the book. The Barnes and Noble ereader for the iPhone allows you to view a list of all of the highlights/notes you made. I have done some research and I am not the only one who has taken issue with this inconvenience. I trust that the voices of nook owners across the country will be heard soon and that they can do a little software update to smooth things over.

Until then, happy reading!

Stay tuned for reviews on all of the books I’ve been reading!