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I have been to the JMU Bookstore for the last time ever, if all goes well.

March 4, 2004, 12:05 AM

I went up to Harrisonburg, and bought my diploma frame. Very nice thing, too. And it had better be for $200.

And let me reinforce the fact that I am now officially NEVER going back to the JMU Bookstore, EVER again. They just outdid themselves today when it came to poor customer service. I come in. I look at where the diploma frames are. I ask if one of the clerks, three of which were standing around behind the counter doing nothing, would come out and help me with the diploma frames. I consider this a reasonable request. Help the customer, and facilitate making a sale.

So they tell me that their frame people have already gone home for the day, and to come back tomorrow for assistance with the frames. No “sure, let me help you with that”, but instead, I was basically told go away and come back tomorrow. What kind of customer service is that?

I know that if I did something like that at Wal-Mart, my butt would be in some VERY hot water with management.

So I ended up going through the frames myself, and most those bozos did was hold onto one at the counter (no, they never even came out from behind the counter).

I also asked for some tape to tape the box for the frame that I eventually chose good and shut. You know, so that it won’t come open at an inopportune time. “Tape?” It’s like I asked them to do something weird. After they eventually got the tape (Scotch tape), they let me tape it on. Now mind you, taping the box shut is one of those things I do myself. I wouldn’t let them do that. That way, I know it’s shut, and if it does come apart, I can only blame myself. Still, in taping it, they warn me, “Don’t use a lot, because that roll’s almost gone.” That is not my problem. It is their job to have sufficient supplies.

Again, if I did that at Wal-Mart, they would have blasted my butt halfway across the store and back.

And to top it off, they couldn’t even get it to scan. A $200 diploma frame. They couldn’t scan it. By this time, I’m amazed that I’m still in the store at all, but know that the bookstore is the only one who carries this frame that I want.

I ended up getting fed up with these people’s incompetence, asked to see the scanner, and scanned it myself, on the first try. I can scan a UPC.

Of course, if the tables were turned, if I was the clerk and couldn’t scan the UPC, I’d find a way, even if it meant (God forbid) coming around the counter.

And for someone who’s about to drop $200 for a frame, and for an alumnus (I love saying that!) with the potential to give money to the school, you’d think I’d get better service than this (and yes, I’m aware that the bookstore is run by an independent company).

Thus we add the JMU Bookstore to my crap-list, right along with Boyd’s Hairdressers (see my journal archives for January 2004 about that). From now on, for all my JMU merchandise needs, I am going to Outpost, the independently run off-campus bookstore.

Web site: The Web site for Outpost, the GOOD bookstore. When I go there, I get service with a smile.

Song: Music in the back of this commercial for "All" fabric softener

Quote: Me to a friend: "They just outdid themselves with their s---ty customer service."

Categories: JMU, Shopping