B&N emailed me back…
And here is what they had to say about their outlet sign…
Dear Rachel Singer Gordon,
We strive to create a friendly, inviting atmosphere and welcome customers to study in our stores, provided it does not prevent us from properly serving other customers. We discourage the use of laptops plugged into electrical outlets primarily because it presents a potential trip hazard to other customers and our Booksellers.
We respectfully request that all customers refrain from using our our electrical outlets for personal items. Our customers’ safety is of paramount importance to us, and we certainly want to do all we can as a retailer to prevent accidents in our stores. However, you may certainly use your laptop provided it is battery operated with no hanging cords.
We value your patronage and hope to see you in our stores again soon.
Sincerely,
Customer Service Representative
Barnes and Noble Customer Service
customerservice@bn.com
Dear Barnes & Noble: I’m trying to envision how plugging my laptop into the wall next to my chair presents a trip hazard, but nevermind the logic here. If everyone from Panera to your local library can provide outlet access without people tripping wildly all over the place, I think you could probably manage. If you’re really worried, let’s think about ways to make your signage a teeny bit friendlier, shall we?
Sincerely,
Still annoyed and out of juice
(xposted at mashupmom.com)
Kteacat:
Clearly, B&N wants you to buy the books and then leave…no community space here. I’m annoyed for you!
7 April 2009, 10:30 amMelissa:
While I understand your frustration, and that particular B & N found a lousy way to convey their message, I worked in a B & N store where people would sit in the comfy chairs 6 feet away from an outlet and then string a cord across making a nice tripping hazard; or move a large overstuffed chair in front of a bookcase thus blocking anyone who wanted to browse–and God forbid–purchase a book.
There is community space. But, it is in fact a retail store–not a library. And while they make comfortable seating available to review items before purchase or enjoy a coffee, their main goal is for you to purchase. My assumption would be that the rude signage came from frustrated staff who needed something to point to when a customer was asked to move and said “there’s nothing saying I can’t use the outlet”.
Having come to the library world from bookselling, I find it sort of humorous that libraries see bookstores as a threat. When I worked in the bookstore, we were forever grousing about the people who think bookstores ARE libraries and so many times I would refer customers to the library. Students who think nothing of spreading out in the middle of an aisle to study, or ask for the music to be turned off, or want you to carry some obscure medical text needed for a class. Or the guy who comes in every day to read a paperback book and thinks nothing of breaking the spine making it unsaleable. Or the parent who allows a child to pull stickers out of a sticker book.
11 May 2009, 5:26 pm