Borders, redux.

[spookyevilone]

Cut for length.



Original email sent to Customer Care:
"Hello.

I was formerly a customer of Borders, a member of your Rewards
program, and a frequent buyer. Today, I was informed by a friend (who
is an employee at Borders) that there is a new customer "service"
program that will entail any employee within 20' of me assaulting me
with offers of "help", regardless of whether another employee - or
several other employees - have already made such offers and regardless
of what my response to those offers was.

Borders has a store full of knowledgeable employees and a customer
service desk that is well positioned and easy to find. When I am
shopping, I do not want to be constantly bombarded by offers of
"help", or "suggestions" - I want to wander around the store, basking
in the surfeit of books, until I either find what I was looking for or
something else says "Hey! Buy me!" If I need help, have questions, or
cannot locate the book I came in to buy, I know where the Customer
Service counter is, and I will go there with any questions. Having
multiple people asking me if I need "help" after I've already refused
one person politely makes me feel as though the store does not welcome
those of us who enjoy browsing - as though I'm expected to quickly
find the book I want to buy, purchase it, and leave. This is not the
kind of atmosphere I appreciate when I am shopping, especially when I
am shopping for books. The more I wander, uninteruppted, the more
likely I am to spend more money than I originally planned when I
walked in. If I am engaged in conversation with another patron,
trading book recommendations or commentary, I don't want to have my
conversation derailed by what will feel like an attempt to hurry me
out of the store.

Hearing that this policy was being put in place has curtailed my
desire to shop at Borders. I don't want to be constantly bothered when
I'm shopping for books, and hearing that I'm likely to be has pretty
much ensured I will find another place to shop. The discounts, the
reward perks, the availability of titles or numbers of books - none of
these is worth the hassle of having multiple employees bothering me
while I'm trying to shop and building an unwelcoming atmosphere. There
is no way to make this customer "service" palatable or entice me to
shop there while this policy is in effect. This is unfortunate,
because until now, Borders has been one of my favourite places to shop
due to the variety of titles and genres available, but I can handle a
smaller selection for a more welcoming atmosphere. I would rather pay
extra in the form of shipping than be hassled multiple times while
shopping.

Thank you for your time,
[Peregrine]"

Reply:
"Dear [Peregrine],

Thank you for contacting Borders Customer Care and making us aware of your concern.

I would like to apologize for your experience at one of our Borders stores. The situation you describe doesn't fit with the high levels of customer care that we train for and expect our employees to deliver, so we are concerned when we hear about this type of interaction at one of our stores.

I would like to forward your comments to the General Manager for the store and the District Manager for the area. Please provide the store number or specific location of the store so that we may further assist you. It is our practice to pass on any feedback regarding customer experiences in our stores, such as the feedback you provided, to the GM and the DM. It is our belief that they are best equipped to address feedback from customers regarding experiences in their store(s). I am sure they will be grateful to receive your feedback so that they can rectify the situation.

Again, thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention. If there is anything else we can do for you, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Ashley
Borders Customer Care
http://www.bordersstores.com"

My reply:
Dear Ashley,

Quote:
> I would like to apologize for your experience at one of our Borders stores.
> The situation you describe doesn't fit with the high levels of customer care
> that we train for and expect our employees to deliver, so we are concerned
> when we hear about this type of interaction at one of our stores.

"High levels of customer care that we train for and expect our employees to deliver" - do you train your Customer Care people to read the emails that come in? Because the canned letter I got in response quite clearly shows that the original email was NOT read. This is, unfortunately, the level of customer care I have come to expect from Borders in recent weeks.

My objection isn't to one employee or one store. My objection is to a national Borders policy that is annoying, aggravating, and alienating both your customers and your employees. My objection is to shopping at a store with a policy that makes me feel unwelcome by having "Make Books" forced upon me by every employee who comes within 20' of me in the store.

I do not want to be harassed when I am shopping. I do not want to feel as though I'm not welcome to browse in a bookstore. Your policy does both. The original email was sent to let you know that as a former customer, this policy is the sole reason I am a FORMER customer. I will not shop at your store while this policy is in place. I refuse to participate in something that might cause an employee to lose their jobs when they are unsuccessful in selling me a book I do not want. In this economy, I refuse to have that on my conscience and I am appalled that your corporate office would enact a policy so alienating and draconian.

-[Peregrine]

Comments

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

Oh, Borders. Stay classy.

Another friend wrote a similar email to yours ("leave me the fuck alone, I want to find and buy my books in peace!"), and got the exact same canned response. Word for word.

[spookyevilone.livejournal.com]

I figured. I wonder of "Ashley" is a real person or just a mail filter.

Oh ashley is real

[erehwesle-fox.livejournal.com]

She's one of about six people that work the customer service desk in Ann Arbor (borders HQ). I've met her. She, obviously, though is constrained in what she can say.

If you really want to share your frustration:

http://community.livejournal.com/iworkatborders/

We all float...