Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

I don't actually know how to x-post so I am going to copy and paste my original post from the NFR board. This was about my experience today trying to get "The Daily Cafe" book at B&N.
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When I shop at Barnes and Noble I can use my Educators Discount card that I have from them which means I get 20% off school related books.

Well, today I walked over there specifically for this really good book I had been thinking about getting for a while now about different teaching strategies for struggling readers. I went to the register, and for some reason, my discount wasn't going through...

Here is where the vent begins..... So, the girl who was working behind the NEXT register saw what was going on and said that the book I was trying to get was not eligible for the discount. I politely explained that the discount is for school related books and that book was clearly school related. Then, with a stern voice she INSISTED that the book was excluded. Umm, she wasn't even the cashier helping me.... Anyway I asked the cashier who I was originally dealing with if I could speak to a manager because I never had that problem before........ when that other rude cashier butts in again and says, "The manager will tell you the same thing, you ARE NOT getting the discount! Chat Icon " At this point, she looked angry at me. I told her I will just see for myself after the manager comes over.........

So....... the manager comes, and she IMMEDIATELY starts yelling out to him that my book does not qualify for the discount!

Now, it clearly seemed like she was REALLY determined to make sure I did not receive the discount! SOOOOOO bizarre!!!!! I mean, what's it to her? Is it going to come out of HER paycheck? Ughhhh Chat Icon

Anyway, long story short, I DID get the discount in the end.

I just don't understand people. Why would you purposely try to go OUT OF YOUR WAY to make sure other people are miserable?! It was like a personal goal of hers to make sure I didn't get the 20% ...... I really can't stand people like that.

Ok, vent over......... Who can relate?

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Also for the teacher board....... Has this ever happened to you where you weren't able to receive the educators discount on a book? I was SHOCKED since this was absolutely school related!

ETA: I want to explain that the discount didn't go through and I had to call the B&N customer service on my cell phone who then spoke to the manager of the store (over the phone) to tell him she thought the book qualified..... It didn't work when he swiped the educators discount card still, but he did a price-override and I was able to get the 20% off..... I couldn't believe why this would happen... It was "The Daily Cafe"...... VERY school related!

Message edited 8/23/2009 8:10:13 PM.

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

i have had that experience a few times at B&N actually. Some of those cashiers can be such jerks - who CARES if a teacher saves 4 bucks on a book??? in my case, the books were iffy, as they were regular fiction to keep in my "classroom library" wink wink elbow elbow. but still... why do they give a crap if i usually buy educational stuff but on occasion i buy a work of fiction for myself?

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Message edited 8/23/2009 8:47:49 PM.

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

I never buy from them for that reason- the few times I did I felt like I was going to be polygraphed. Not worth the hassle- I find Amazon and Half.com to have much better deals.

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

I hope that you complained about her to the manager when he/she came out. What a rude b!tch!

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Meant to say in my earlier post too that you should write to corporate and complain.

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Hi!

I've been lurking for a while, but when I saw this post, I had to join!

I've always found with B & N it's hit or miss. Depending on the employee, i'm able to use the educator discount. Last week, I bought the last two books of the shopaholic series, and I was able to use my discount, no questions asked. Actually, I wasn't even going to use it, but when the girl asked if I had a membership card (the one u pay for), I said no, just the teacher one, and she was like "u can use that". However, yesterday, I bought Sophie Kinsella's "Remember Me" and was told I can't use it.

What really burns me though about B and N are two things:

1) You can't use the discount card on DVDS, which I just don't get. I use DVD's all the time to supplement whatever I'm doing.

2) I teach ESL and because of this, I need a wide range of books. Often, I'll buy books just for the pictures, that at first glance might not be educational. For example, I often buy non fiction coffee table type books purely to rip out the pictures and hang them up. At the beginning of each year, I do a unit on US geography, and visualization is key to ESL, so I always hang up pics of different regions and monuments, or books with pictures to show what NY looks like at Christmastime etc. Where are all these books coming from? B & N! So who are they to tell me what's "educational"?????

I'd like them to come to my classroom and see LOL.

sorry so long!

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

That is the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time. Doesn't that book have a picture of a kid putting a sentence strip on a bulletin board of reading strategies on the front of it??????

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)

Re: Barnes and Noble vent....... (x-post)