# A Beef At Barnes & Noble



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

On December 24th, I needed a last moment extra gift for my wife, and I stopped off at Barnes & Noble for a book.  I paid full cover price.  On my way out, as an afterthought, I decided to have it gift wrapped by the kids working for some charity.  I asked how much and the girl replied it was all for donations: nickels, dimes, quarters, anything.  I said, rather wryly, I could spare a few dollars.  

As the girl started wrapping, I opened my wallet to discovered I had nothing less than a five.  I went up to cashier and asked for change.  The cashier said she wasn't allowed to make change without a cash sale.  The other cashier was (seemingly) making a cash sale, but he said he wasn't allowed to make change at all.  So I just gave the gift wrappers the five dollars; I would have given two or three dollars, in any case, so it wasn't a big loss, but it was annoying.

I talked to the district manager after the wrapping was done, saying I don't think I'd be a Barnes & Noble customer again.  She immediately offered to make change, so did a customer overhearing my complaint.  But it was too late, I'd donated the five bucks already, and I wasn't about to alter that after the fact.

But here is the rub: Barnes & Noble is fighting for its life and one of its big advantages is their store fronts.  Yet a petty (accounting?) policy of not making change made shopping there an unpleasant experience.  In the long run, it isn't the extra two bucks to charity, but the narrowed minded adherence to bureaucratic polices that ticked me off.  What if I only had a twenty?  Should I have just stiffed the wrappers?  If Barnes & Noble wants remain in the book business they should do whatever to make their retail shops a place where customers want to buy books, especially at full cover price.  

I'm thinking of emailing Barnes & Noble HQ with my beef. Is it too petty?  Is asking for change an over-the-top request?  Was I out of line?


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I think you laid out your beef quite eloquently here and that forwarding it up the chain is worth it.  I'm sure there are all sorts of extenuating circumstances - Dec 24th, temp employees, etc... but none of that negates what I see as a valid complaint.


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## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

It's a pretty standard practice in retail to not allow change to be made outside of a cash sale and for change to only be made once.  This helps prevent quick change artists from taking advantage of the cashiers.  It can be a hassle, but I've known employees in my former life who were taken in for hundreds of dollars, and I've heard stories of thousands being taken during busy periods like the holidays.

Sorry for your experience.  It sounds like the B&N employees were pretty "company line" about the whole thing and didn't offer any empathy.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2011)

Barnes and Noble will not survive.

I was a BN rewards member FOREVER.  I was still using them to buy physical books until the summer... and was going to the cafe until the fall.

Service gets worse every time I walk in.  Service outside the Nook area, which now dominates half of the floor, is positively hostile and nasty.  They have eliminated entire genres/departments.  And the attitude is "I'm p*ssed at amazon, customers who may be using amazon, and the world."

It's like Occupy Barnes and Noble Until We Go Under and Then Blame Amazon and Consumers.  

Good luck with that.


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## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

I'm sorry, I understand the annoyance but.....yes I think it's petty of you to make a big deal about it. It could very well be that the store hired extra staff for the holidays who were just trying to FOLLOW THE RULES. I wouldn't take the step of threatening to never visit a store again forever and ever over $2 that went to charity. 
You were not dealing with a 'Storefront' or Barnes and Noble corporate, you were dealing with people.....real live living and breathing PEOPLE who aren't making the rules, but their job may depend on following them (whether they like or agree with them or not).


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

I worked at B&N back in the day (probably 6 years ago, just over the summer) and I seem to remember the cash registers couldn't be opened unless you were making a transaction. I don't know if that was the case, but it's possible. If you had asked to talk to a manager at that point in time, when you wanted change, I doubt there would have been any problem. I guess I just don't see what the problem is - the store policy is not to make change (which is fairly standard), but if you REALLY need change and have a valid reason, it sounds like the manager is willing to make change for you. Sure, it's a bit more of a hassle, but I wouldn't refuse to ever go there again, just because of that. Almost every retail store has some kind of annoying policy that makes life a bit more difficult.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Martel47 said:


> It's a pretty standard practice in retail to not allow change to be made outside of a cash sale and for change to only be made once. This helps prevent quick change artists from taking advantage of the cashiers. It can be a hassle, but I've known employees in my former life who were taken in for hundreds of dollars, and I've heard stories of thousands being taken during busy periods like the holidays.
> 
> Sorry for your experience. It sounds like the B&N employees were pretty "company line" about the whole thing and didn't offer any empathy.


Pretty much this. I was always nice and did it as a cashier for people, but it could get you in trouble and I imagine a place like Barnes and Noble lays down a hard line for employees who break this rule. It doesn't seem like making change for a five dollar bill could somehow bilk a cashier out of hundreds of dollars, but it can happen and quite easily, especially with temp workers. Most of these people also take advantage of stressful rush times to make their techniques work. Not saying it wasn't a valid complaint, but they had a valid reason for it too. And I don't even like Barnes and Noble so I'm not being an apologist


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Reading this thread makes me realize how much of an agoraphobe I am/becoming. I did all of my Christmas shopping online -- didn't set foot in a store for a gift. When I do deign to visit a store (rare) I use my credit card. I rarely pay cash for anything. Yesterday, I was in the express line at the grocery store and the person ahead of me was holding everything up because he 1) had a check that needed to be approved and 2) wanted $25 over the amount of stuff he was buying. Apparently, he was over his limit of extra money for the week. I felt very old and out of touch...LOL


L


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

My initial reaction was -- the register is open and you can't make change?!  But I can understand a possible temp seasonal employee following rules to the letter, especially if boss is around or another employee might report him/her.  If I thought of it, I'd probably ask another customer if s/he could break a $5.

I did that once.  Person before me in line only had a large bill.  Don't remember if cashier didn't have enough in the drawer to make change or wasn't allowed to accept a $100 bill (?).  I happened to have $20s with me that day so I broke it.


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

Geemont,
You stated your grievance in a rational, precise manner; however, if I may diagnose the situation....

I believe you were temporarily struck with the dreaded "holidayitis" which usually remains contagious for a week to ten days. The disease is viral and affects young and old alike. Thankfully, all symptoms are completely gone before New Year's Eve. 

BTW, Karma thanks you for your generous donation and smiles at the mention of your name.

Merry Christmas.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2011)

And all the "here's why it's against store policy" arguments?

Those will be useful in what way when the store is gone?

Because treating people that way and arguing you were going by the book is pretty useless when the former store is an empty shell with a tattered rule book fluttering in a ghostly breeze.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Eh, whether you like Barnes and Noble or not, it's a policy you're going to find in place in most any chain store with a cash till.  It's good for people to understand why.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

I bet if they did make change for people, they would still get complaints. This time it would be that they got held up in line because someone wanted a bunch of change in very precise bills and he or she wasn't even a paying customer. There is no policy that is going to make everyone 100% happy.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

I am a small business owner.  The policy is for theft prevention. Most registers require a key to open without a sale.  A manager is a higher level employee who is trusted so they can open the register without a sale.

I shop B&N.  They aren't my favorite but they are convenient and I love book stores.  Shopping habits of consumers are changing just like they did with music.  I use to love record stores too, but now there isnt one around where I live.  Record stores went out of business because consumers bought most of their music online, not because they were rude or refused to make change.  When the day comes that I can only get best sellers from Walmart or the grocery store and can no longer go enjoy my local B&N I will be very sad.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> I bet if they did make change for people, they would still get complaints. This time it would be that they got held up in line because someone wanted a bunch of change in very precise bills and he or she wasn't even a paying customer. There is no policy that is going to make everyone 100% happy.


I waiting for a prescription and the people in front of me literally checked out an entire basket full of groceries. At the prescription counter where they are not equipped for basket check outs and it took upwards of 20 minutes to take each time one by one and ring them then put them back in the basket. I guess people just feel entitled to do these things. It never crossed their minds that people waiting for prescriptions might actually be sick?


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

The 2 or 3 Wal-Marts I've been to in my immediate area all have a limit on how many additional items they'll scan in the pharmacy, something like 10 I think.  Which I think is a good policy - helpful to those who dashed in for their prescription and maybe just need a few other things but not so much that they're keeping other folks waiting forever after having waited forever already for the darn thing to be filled!


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I worked as a supervisor at Tower Records for a few years.  It's true that the register most likely can not be physically opened without a cash sale by a regular clerk.  We never had a policy at Tower of not making change, but most of the time cashiers simply referred customers who needed change to customer service - where it was done without any issues.  Sounds to me like that's what the cashiers at B&N should have done - simply referred you to customer service instead of saying No, it's against our policy.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Steph H said:


> The 2 or 3 Wal-Marts I've been to in my immediate area all have a limit on how many additional items they'll scan in the pharmacy, something like 10 I think. Which I think is a good policy - helpful to those who dashed in for their prescription and maybe just need a few other things but not so much that they're keeping other folks waiting forever after having waited forever already for the darn thing to be filled!


Why do I get the feeling I have stood in line behind you at the prescription check out?


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## Annie (May 28, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> My initial reaction was -- the register is open and you can't make change?! But I can understand a possible temp seasonal employee following rules to the letter, especially if boss is around or another employee might report him/her.


I worked as a cashier for 2 years at a chain retail store, and the rule applied there. I don't think it matters if the employee is a temp/seasonal/whatever. You risk getting in trouble in various ways by making change, in a non-cash transaction. I hated telling people that I couldn't open my register without them buying something because it usually resulted in a hostile customer who would complain about my "attitude" simply because I wanted to save my butt. Nevertheless, I have experienced several dishonest people who tried to tell me that they didn't receive the correct amount of change or gave me a $100, when they didn't, along with many other situations dealing with cash. I have caught several con artists with cash transactions. It's always better to be safe than sorry.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

I don't find it petty...yet I also don't blame the policies at B&N. The ones to blame are the people who have created the atmosphere that now requires cash registers to not be opened without a sale. 

Some people suck, and the rest of us pay for it.


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## TLM (Apr 8, 2010)

Having worked retail (overnight at a gas station actually) way back in the day.  I understand both sides here.  I was allowed to make change.  Only had a problem once.  Someone trying to pull a fast one with a $100.  He wanted change, I made it.  He then wanted something different than I had given him.  O.k.  then it was "oh, just give me back the $100, no wait, I want . . ."  STOP.  Here is the $100, here is a pile equaling $100.  Which will do you want.  He took his $100 and stomped out.

Also hated people who just would buy a pack of gum to get change for their $100.  At 2 a.m.  Really?  They claimed the bank gave it to them.  Well, ask the teller to give you 20s, gesh.

Sorry about yout B&N experience.  Lesson learned, KB member know to ask for a manager to make change.  And the charity got some extra $.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

sheiler1963 said:


> I'm sorry, I understand the annoyance but.....yes I think it's petty of you to make a big deal about it. It could very well be that the store hired extra staff for the holidays who were just trying to FOLLOW THE RULES. I wouldn't take the step of threatening to never visit a store again forever and ever over $2 that went to charity.
> You were not dealing with a 'Storefront' or Barnes and Noble corporate, you were dealing with people.....real live living and breathing PEOPLE who aren't making the rules, but their job may depend on following them (whether they like or agree with them or not).


Agreed and...



Meb Bryant said:


> BTW, Karma thanks you for your generous donation and smiles at the mention of your name.


Yes!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)




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## Guest (Dec 27, 2011)

sheiler1963 said:


> I'm sorry, I understand the annoyance but.....yes I think it's petty of you to make a big deal about it. It could very well be that the store hired extra staff for the holidays who were just trying to FOLLOW THE RULES. I wouldn't take the step of threatening to never visit a store again forever and ever over $2 that went to charity.
> You were not dealing with a 'Storefront' or Barnes and Noble corporate, you were dealing with people.....real live living and breathing PEOPLE who aren't making the rules, but their job may depend on following them (whether they like or agree with them or not).


I agree. You were being quite petty and out of line. Threatening to never be a customer again and go to corporate over $2-$3? Seriously? If they make an exception to the rules for you, they'll have to for everyone. And what if someone demands change for $100 and complying will clean out the register? Because the majority of people these days use debit or credit cards, most registers have a limited amount of funds in them. I really think you're making a big deal out of nothing.


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## Guest (Dec 27, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> And all the "here's why it's against store policy" arguments?
> 
> Those will be useful in what way when the store is gone?
> 
> Because treating people that way and arguing you were going by the book is pretty useless when the former store is an empty shell with a tattered rule book fluttering in a ghostly breeze.


Rules are rules, and they are there for a reason. Thinking you (I am speaking in general terms) are special and deserve an exception doesn't change that. Spare us the melodramatics. Barnes and Noble isn't going anywhere. They are thriving thanks to the Nook and every time I've been in one (and I've visited stores in at least 4 different states) the staff has been friendly and pleasant. Granted, your mileage may vary, but then again, being told "No, we can't do that" does not equal rudeness.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

As it appears to me that Geemont's question has garnered enough feedback, and any more would just be piling on (if we haven't reached critical mass on that already), I'm going to lock the thread so we can all move on.

I have to start working on the New Year's party...

Betsy
KB Moderator


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