Customer Appreciation Lessons from Barnes and Noble

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 me to enjoy a good book, without judging me. (Before you start thinking something nefarious here, I’m talking about roleplaying game books, not books on the mating habits of New Guinean wallabies or something).

At any rate, there’s another issue at hand, too.

If you want a Borders membership, you simply walk into the store and ask for one. Usually, the cashier will hand you the week’s member coupon right there to use on your purchase.

If you want a Barnes & Noble membership, you simply walk into the store ask for one. You pay your $25, and your member discount will be applied right away, assuming you’re buying Andre Agassi’s autobiography or whatever the book of the week is.

That’s customer appreciation problem #2: To become a valued customer, I have to pay.

I get that a company can’t stay in business if all it ever does is give things away. I can’t run my business that way. But if you want to show your appreciation to me as a customer by offering an occasional discount, don’t make me pay you for it. If you do, your customer appreciation program becomes a profit center rather than a promotion.

Now, I’m not saying I don’t shop at Barnes & Noble – I do.  All the time. How could I not? Sometimes, the book I want isn’t at Borders, and sometimes it’s nice just to browse the bigger selection. But all other things being equal, I’m shopping at Borders first, and I won’t pay for a membership at Barnes & Noble.

How does this all apply to your freelance writing business? If you want loyal clients, you need to truly value them. Offer an occasional discount with no strings attached. Call it a “customer appreciation day.”

If you can’t do a discount, find other ways to let them know you appreciate their business, whether it’s something as simple as a Christmas card or buying them lunch if they’re a local client. Oh, and if you do take a client to lunch, please don’t ask them to pay.

(And before you all correct me, I do realize that Barnes & Noble members get 10% off every item, as well as the coupons. Not especially a mitigating factor for me. I don’t start saving until I’ve bought enough to pay back my membership fee – the first $250 I spend in a year gets me no effective discount.)