Customer Appreciation Lessons from Barnes and Noble

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Wednesday, 25 November 2009 (25 November 2009)

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I’m a big fan of Borders. It’s not that I don’t like Barnes & Noble (I do). It’s not that Borders has a better selection of books in my areas of interest (they don’t). Prices are the same between the two (well, OK. At the online versions of these two stores, BN has the better price structure).
No, I like Borders because I feel like they appreciate me.
You see, both stores have a membership program where they’ll send you coupons and special promotions. The typical Borders coupon is 25% to 40% off any item. The typical Barnes & Noble coupon – well, it’s typically 40% – off one specific title. Strangely enough, it’s almost never a title I’m interested in.
And that’s problem #1: I don’t feel like their target market or ideal client.
I get that I might have niche reading interests. But Borders doesn’t care: they want…

By: Bob Younce
From: Business Tips for Writers

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