Classic Are the nook sales people so dense?

jhempel24 · 08-22-2010, 10:27 AM

I was in a B&N last night and looked at the Nook and was immediately bombarded by the sales guy.

I stated that I was getting a Kindle 3, and he proceeded to tell me about the 1,000,000 books compared to 600,000 books, and using libraries and lending and the color screen.

When I pointed out to him that I will never read 1,000,000 book and all new releases will have Kindle versions he started to get flustered. I then stated that the touchscreen was too sluggish (I then showed that fact on his own unit), and that the new Kindle will have the Pearl E-Ink, so why would I pay more for a unit that is outdated?

The lending feature he was big on, but when I said you can only lend it to one person, one time, that makes it kind of useless.

I then brought up the speed, it was too slow, and he couldn't understand why that was a problem, so immediately went on to say, "Well you are in a Barnes and Noble, so you obviously like what we have to offer." WHAT?? I responded, "No, I just like books, and if Borders was across the street I would be there because I don't have to pay for a discount, nor would I pay Barnes and Noble .50 less for an ebook when I could own the book."

He then just shook his head and walked away muttering something about not knowing anything about e-readers.

Just thought it was a funny encounter, because he got so defensive when I stated I had a Kindle 3 on order.

Don't get me wrong, I think there are some good features of the Nook, I'm not bashing it or the users.

Rebo · 08-22-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhempel24

He then just shook his head and walked away muttering something about not knowing anything about e-readers.

Just thought it was a funny encounter, because he got so defensive when I stated I had a Kindle 3 on order.

Don't get me wrong, I think there are some good features of the Nook, I'm not bashing it or the users.

I think the sales guy got most of it right; the ability to read library books, support of multiple formats, touch screen, lend me and in store reading features. These are features that a lot of users really learn to appreciate. However, after realizing that you're knowledgeable and have decided on the Kindle 3 anyway, he should have walked away gracefully with some final good customer greeting instead of being defensive. He should have remembered the golden rule that customer is always right regardless.

I love my Nook and I've been reading primarily library and free B&N books. I occasionally buy best seller books only after reading it in store and make sure that I really like it. I am also awaiting anxiously for B&N to either come up with a Nook2 or discount their existing Nook in order to compete. I'll be buying more Nooks in the Holiday season for my family since they have been trying to monopolize my nook and I don't really want to share.

jhempel24 · 08-22-2010, 12:02 PM

I agree with most points...however, when I walk into a store, I can pick up the book faster than scrolling through an eReader, and since you can only lend the book once to one person, it doesn't really do much for me (but could get better, I know it's still in beta I think).

I was intrigued by the library thing, but there isn't much offered that I'm interested in, and most of the free stuff from the B&N store you can get elsewhere.

For me, my solution is a Kindle, and I can convert and strip DRM in a matter of seconds so it doesn't bother me too much. I will say that I expect big things from the Nook 2, and will be very interested to see one when it comes out. I was on the verge of getting a Nook (I still am on the fence reallly LOL, but it seems that Kindle with the pear e-ink and faster page turns gets the nod.

Paco · 08-22-2010, 12:36 PM

I'm outside of the US, and although I can't enjoy most of the best features of the nook I chose it primarily for it's look, the overall look, you know, it's white pearl body, it's beautiful LCD screen and armony as aa whole, the qwerty keyboard of the kindle is still kinda ugly and unnecesary imo, also the OS of the nook hooked me, it will be my first Android device

I also love the lightest kind of DRM the nook has, Amazon is getting everyday more restrictive.

then again the attitude of that vendor was out of the line, he should walk away, maybe you were so harsh with the nook and he took it personally

morari · 08-22-2010, 01:15 PM

I've never noticed the interface to be sluggish, in either the LCD or the e-ink screen. Maybe I'm just not counting in milliseconds?

I'm still trying to figure out an easy way to strip the DRM off of my B&N ebooks. :P

JSWolf · 08-22-2010, 01:15 PM

Maybe the display model was running an older version of the firmware.

Rebo · 08-22-2010, 01:17 PM

I love the in store reading feature. I know the hard copies are located somewhere on the shelves but it is so nice just to browse through each of them leisurely sipping my coffee and without worried of losing my nice spot in the cafe. I am getting too lazy, I guess.

. My friends and I use the lend me feature a lot. I should rephrase it that I take advantage of my friend's purchase a lot and have been reading some of her e-books for free.

I know the lend me once is a bummer and my wish list is they should expand it. It is probably restricted by the publishers since only some of the books are permitted to "lend me".

Our public library is pretty descent in their ebook selection; however, I think the ebook must be getting populare since there is always a waiting list for popular books. To make sure I have enough books to read, I normally have at least 20 books on the waiting list at one time.

I don't know anything about the kindle speed. I think the Nook is good enough for me. I use the swipe on the touch screen to turn pages and it seems pretty fast. I also like to skip pages when I read. I somehow manage to swipe and bounce my finger tips so at top speed, I can swipe and turn 4 pages at once.

The scroll in the touch screen is also very cool. While browsing through a book, I use the go to chaper function and do one fast swipe to select any of the middle or last chapers. It is very fast and effective for my style of reading.

I also love the aesthetics of the nook and it is physically very beautiful. When the LCD lits up, it really brightens up the screen and sets it apart from the pack. I knows it drains the battery but a girl is always allowed to be vain when she shows off her new toy.

morari · 08-22-2010, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebo

Our public library is pretty descent in their ebook selection; however, I think the ebook must be getting populare since there is always a waiting list for popular books. To make sure I have enough books to read, I normally have at least 20 books on the waiting list at one time.

I've not tried the library feature yet, as I already have tons of side-loaded content to go through. This statement has me confused though. Are you saying that there is a wait list on checking out the digital books? If so, that seems pretty dumb. Physical books only have waiting lists because there is a limited amount to be lent... that shouldn't be a problem with digital goods, which can be copied with the click of a button.

aagstn · 08-22-2010, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morari

I've not tried the library feature yet, as I already have tons of side-loaded content to go through. This statement has me confused though. Are you saying that there is a wait list on checking out the digital books? If so, that seems pretty dumb. Physical books only have waiting lists because there is a limited amount to be lent... that shouldn't be a problem with digital goods, which can be copied with the click of a button.

The library has to pay for each copy of the book and in most cases they only buy one. So if it is checked out you have to wait till it is checked in. The last thing publishers want is a library buying one copy of a book and then lending it to 20 people at once.

As far as the salesman I agree he was correct for the most part, but you have to realize the sale is not there and be nice and courteous.

I don't find the touch screen very sluggish personally and the nook is certainly no slower than a Kindle when reading. To each his own. The Kindle is a great piece of hardware, but so is the nook. Really can't go wrong with either one. The Kindle lost me with no ePub support, but maybe they change that at some point and I will consider one.

daffy4u · 08-22-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morari

I've not tried the library feature yet, as I already have tons of side-loaded content to go through. This statement has me confused though. Are you saying that there is a wait list on checking out the digital books? If so, that seems pretty dumb. Physical books only have waiting lists because there is a limited amount to be lent... that shouldn't be a problem with digital goods, which can be copied with the click of a button.

Each ebook comes with a license that only allows so many readers to use it at one time. Libraries order multiple copies of the ebooks to try to allow for more people to read it. Legally, the library cannot just make duplicate copies.

morari · 08-22-2010, 02:02 PM

That's insane. Just another instance of copyrights and licensing working counter intuitively.

JerseyBiker · 08-22-2010, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhempel24

I was in a B&N last night and looked at the Nook and was immediately bombarded by the sales guy.

Why even bother looking at the Nook if you already assumed it was a lessor product and planned to buy a Kindle. Why debate the salesperson about which was the better ereader. I would have just said thank you and walked away. I enjoy my Nook and my wife enjoys her Kindle2. No need to compare them since they both do a good job at what they are mainly designed to do, reading books electronically.

~eddie

MangaEbooker · 08-23-2010, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseyBiker

Why even bother looking at the Nook if you already assumed it was a lessor product and planned to buy a Kindle. Why debate the salesperson about which was the better ereader. I would have just said thank you and walked away. I enjoy my Nook and my wife enjoys her Kindle2. No need to compare them since they both do a good job at what they are mainly designed to do, reading books electronically.

~eddie

Well I can answer this, not to be rude but its simple, your in a store, they have a display out and you are bored, you pick one up and play with it, then you get a joke of a sales person like described by the TC. Very common, Happened to me in an apple store...they are the worst...because they assume everyone is a mindless consumerism sheep. For example, apparently if I buy a Macbook my hard drive has a great chance of crashing but if I buy a macbook pro it will never crash, I repeat "NEVER CRASH"

jhempel24 · 08-23-2010, 12:18 AM

Actually I never said it was a lesser product. Just wasn't right for me. Now, I actually had no attention pf being involved in a spat and said from the start, I ordered a kindle, and thats when the guy started in. What he said about the product was correct, but when I talked about the limitations of the "features" he didn't get why I didn't want it still, and walked away and said I didn't know what I was ta'king about.

That being said, the nook does look nicer, and I bet the contrast between the kindle 3 and nook won't be too much different, and if the orders keep getting pushed back, I may get one. It was just odd to me tnat it seemed he never ran into someone who did their research on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseyBiker

Why even bother looking at the Nook if you already assumed it was a lesser prod product and planned to buy a Kindle. Why debate the salesperson about which was the better ereader. I would have just said thank you and walked away. I enjoy my Nook and my wife enjoys her Kindle2. No need to compare them since they both do a good job at what they are mainly designed to do, reading books electronically.

~eddie

aagstn · 08-23-2010, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhempel24

It was just odd to me tnat it seemed he never ran into someone who did their research on it.

He probably never had before. I stop in B&N on occasion and have talked to a few of the sales staff while browsing the nook stuff and their sales pitch seems based on the fact that people will have no idea at all what an ebook reader is. It is probably true the majority of the time and they probably don't know what to do with people very familiar with them.

08-22-2010, 10:27 AM	#1
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	Are the nook sales people so dense? I was in a B&N last night and looked at the Nook and was immediately bombarded by the sales guy. I stated that I was getting a Kindle 3, and he proceeded to tell me about the 1,000,000 books compared to 600,000 books, and using libraries and lending and the color screen. When I pointed out to him that I will never read 1,000,000 book and all new releases will have Kindle versions he started to get flustered. I then stated that the touchscreen was too sluggish (I then showed that fact on his own unit), and that the new Kindle will have the Pearl E-Ink, so why would I pay more for a unit that is outdated? The lending feature he was big on, but when I said you can only lend it to one person, one time, that makes it kind of useless. I then brought up the speed, it was too slow, and he couldn't understand why that was a problem, so immediately went on to say, "Well you are in a Barnes and Noble, so you obviously like what we have to offer." WHAT?? I responded, "No, I just like books, and if Borders was across the street I would be there because I don't have to pay for a discount, nor would I pay Barnes and Noble .50 less for an ebook when I could own the book." He then just shook his head and walked away muttering something about not knowing anything about e-readers. Just thought it was a funny encounter, because he got so defensive when I stated I had a Kindle 3 on order. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some good features of the Nook, I'm not bashing it or the users.

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08-22-2010, 12:02 PM	#3
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	I agree with most points...however, when I walk into a store, I can pick up the book faster than scrolling through an eReader, and since you can only lend the book once to one person, it doesn't really do much for me (but could get better, I know it's still in beta I think). I was intrigued by the library thing, but there isn't much offered that I'm interested in, and most of the free stuff from the B&N store you can get elsewhere. For me, my solution is a Kindle, and I can convert and strip DRM in a matter of seconds so it doesn't bother me too much. I will say that I expect big things from the Nook 2, and will be very interested to see one when it comes out. I was on the verge of getting a Nook (I still am on the fence reallly LOL, but it seems that Kindle with the pear e-ink and faster page turns gets the nod.

08-22-2010, 12:36 PM	#4
Paco Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: iPod Touch	I'm outside of the US, and although I can't enjoy most of the best features of the nook I chose it primarily for it's look, the overall look, you know, it's white pearl body, it's beautiful LCD screen and armony as aa whole, the qwerty keyboard of the kindle is still kinda ugly and unnecesary imo, also the OS of the nook hooked me, it will be my first Android device I also love the lightest kind of DRM the nook has, Amazon is getting everyday more restrictive. then again the attitude of that vendor was out of the line, he should walk away, maybe you were so harsh with the nook and he took it personally

08-22-2010, 01:15 PM	#5
morari The Word-Eater Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Ohio, USA Device: Nook WiFi	I've never noticed the interface to be sluggish, in either the LCD or the e-ink screen. Maybe I'm just not counting in milliseconds? I'm still trying to figure out an easy way to strip the DRM off of my B&N ebooks. :P

08-22-2010, 01:15 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,957 Karma: 128903250 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Maybe the display model was running an older version of the firmware.

08-22-2010, 01:17 PM	#7
Rebo Groupie Posts: 173 Karma: 392 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: nook, nook color, kindle 3, Ipad 2nd gen, Nook HD+, Iphone 4S	I love the in store reading feature. I know the hard copies are located somewhere on the shelves but it is so nice just to browse through each of them leisurely sipping my coffee and without worried of losing my nice spot in the cafe. I am getting too lazy, I guess. . My friends and I use the lend me feature a lot. I should rephrase it that I take advantage of my friend's purchase a lot and have been reading some of her e-books for free. I know the lend me once is a bummer and my wish list is they should expand it. It is probably restricted by the publishers since only some of the books are permitted to "lend me". Our public library is pretty descent in their ebook selection; however, I think the ebook must be getting populare since there is always a waiting list for popular books. To make sure I have enough books to read, I normally have at least 20 books on the waiting list at one time. I don't know anything about the kindle speed. I think the Nook is good enough for me. I use the swipe on the touch screen to turn pages and it seems pretty fast. I also like to skip pages when I read. I somehow manage to swipe and bounce my finger tips so at top speed, I can swipe and turn 4 pages at once. The scroll in the touch screen is also very cool. While browsing through a book, I use the go to chaper function and do one fast swipe to select any of the middle or last chapers. It is very fast and effective for my style of reading. I also love the aesthetics of the nook and it is physically very beautiful. When the LCD lits up, it really brightens up the screen and sets it apart from the pack. I knows it drains the battery but a girl is always allowed to be vain when she shows off her new toy.

08-22-2010, 02:02 PM	#11
morari The Word-Eater Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Ohio, USA Device: Nook WiFi	That's insane. Just another instance of copyrights and licensing working counter intuitively.