When it’s a Barnes & Noble College store, it’s not really a Barnes & Noble store. I learned that unfortunate fact this morning, when I took my nook to my local store, which also happens to serve as a university bookstore, hoping to download some free short stories I’d head about on the web.
I had been in with my nook several times before, looking at the accessories and even answering store employee questions about the nook and how it works–since I placed my order the day the nook was first announced, I had mine in hand before the store even got any demo units. My efforts had been so successful in fact, that I was actually responsible for selling a nook to another customer.
I had read that the in-store promotions were active now, and I had no problems at all connecting to the store’s WiFi network, but the “More In Store” area did not show up on the Shop screen on my nook. I asked at the information desk and was told that I would not able to take advantage of any of the special offers extended to people who bring their devices to a Barnes & Noble store because my store happens to be a college location.
I’m not really upset about the special offers; if I want a cookie, I can certainly afford to buy it. But I am extremely disappointed to learn that I can’t access any of the in-store exclusive content, such as a free short story from Dean Koontz, newsletters, and new book suggestions and excerpts. I’m sure the same will also be true for the promised ability to browse full ebooks, which means that my nook is partially crippled.
This Isn’t the First Time
This may sound familiar to folks who have been buying ebooks from eReader and Fictionwise–both of those companies are also owned by Barnes & Noble, but they are operated as separate entities, which forces consumers to jump through hoops to “sideload” their ebooks on their nook. It would be so much simpler if the nook could directly download items purchased from eReader and Fictionwise in the same way that you can with the iPhone/iPod Touch, and it has been suggested several times by participants on B&N’s own discussion forums, with no response from the company.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about how things work on the nook, since there are two separate eReader software applications for the iPhone: the B&N version which works with books purchased directly from B&N (on the nook or on BN.com) and a generic version that works with eReader and Fictionwise books. Don’t get me wrong–eReader support is a big deal of me, and one of the main reasons why I’ve been so excited about the nook since the beginning, but it shouldn’t be so hard to access content purchased from other companies owned by Barnes & Noble.
The Response From Corporate
According to the B&N College Store division corporate office, the nook is a B&N Inc. product, not a college store product. So even though my local B&N College store has a gigantic freestanding nook display, several demo units, a full wall of cases and accessories, and nook advertising posters plastered on every window, they don’t fully support the product they’re pushing so hard. And I can’t imagine that the average consumer would expect anything different, considering that the sign above the door reads Barnes & Noble, and that’s what it says on your receipt too, when you make a purchase.
I spoke to Mr. Jack Barney, the nook liaison for the college stores, and he was polite, but not completely informed about in-store use of the nook. He didn’t know that the program had already been rolled out in the B&N Superstores (that’s what they call the regular bookstores) or that they had exclusive content that is not available in the Daily section on the nook.
To paraphrase/summarize, he said that the college division stores have their own promotional calendar and publisher agreements, distinct from the Superstores, and that there were technical issues that had to be resolved regarding the in-store network (though I had no problem connecting to the in-store WiFi on my nook). He also said that they would love to offer some nook promotions in the future, but that they don’t have any specific plans at this time, and if they did they would likely have different offerings from what you would receive at a B&N Superstore.
Conclusion
I happen to work for a national retailer; for the last several years the “one big happy family” message has been pounded into our skulls–and for good reason. Whether a customer shops online, in one of our stores (there are different types based on the local market), or via telephone, they are offered the same pricing, the same special offers, and the same customer experience. It’s better for the customer, and that means it’s better for the company. Barnes & Noble has yet to learn that lesson, and it’s causing frustration and confusion for a lot of people, myself included.
I still love my nook, but this experience has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. I’ve been a vocal supporter of the product since day one, and I’m willing to give B&N time to work out the various bugs and issues with firmware updates. I don’t expect perfection from a 1.0 product, and as an early adopter I expect a certain amount of frustration.
Yes, it still operates as a delightful ebook reading device, but I feel like I’ve been cheated in some ways. One of the most enticing features is the in-store connection, something I praised as an advantage over the Amazon Kindle in my first nook preview article way back on October 21st of last year. There’s no disclaimer on the B&N web site that states in-store offers are only available in certain locations, or in certain types of Barnes & Noble stores; if there were, I wouldn’t be so upset.
As it stands now, I have no reason to go back to my local Barnes & Noble store with my nook, so I won’t be buying any cookies or magazines or influencing others to try the $259 reading device. B&N won’t even notice, of course, but there are more than 600 B&N College stores around the country that serve almost 4 million students and more than 250,000 professors, according to the company web site. That’s a huge market to ignore, especially considering that college students are exactly the sort of highly influential, tech-savvy consumers who are most likely to be interested in electronic reading as a way to save money on books. Hopefully things will change in the future, but I’m not holding my breath.
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