2009.07.29
Free Wi-Fi at Barnes & Noble
Attention Wi-Fi users. You no longer have to pay to surf the Internet at Barnes & Noble stores.
AT&T and Barnes & Noble recently decided to offer these services complimentary. Read this story from Macworld for more details.
I wondered how long it would take. Denny's, Wendy's, and a boatload of other businesses offer it for free. Though, I can understand maybe why they wouldn't want to encourage moochers from just sitting in their stores all day to download music only to not buy anything.
Comment by Other John — July 29, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
If I were the store owner, I would rather have someone in my store than not in my store.
Comment by Henry — July 29, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
I agree about having people in your store. The thing that confuses me is the people I see sitting in Barnes and Noble reading books and magazines and then putting them back. It's not a library for goodness sake. It's not just ours in Roanoke either. Everytime I've been in a book store in other cities I see people doing this.
Comment by Original Greg — July 30, 2009 @ 10:06 am
This is kind of funny because I am having internet problems at my house currently, so last night I went in to Barnes & Noble to use the internet (I thought they had always offered it, silly me). Unfortunately it took about 15 minutes for it to actually work on my computer and to actually connect me, but once I got through the hassle of that, it worked just fine.
Comment by Emily Flora — July 30, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Maybe Ukrops should do it!! LOL!!!!!
Comment by ablebaker — July 30, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
More than fast food joints and gas stations made this happen. It has to do as well with the small mom & pop stores that never charged for it. Those who say warm bodies are better than no body obviously have never started their own small business. Going to a book store and reading or handling their products which you have no intention of buying and because you have nothing better to do isn't just low-class, it is no class. Going to the library isn't seen as "cool" even though they also try to replicate the coffee shop feeling (including giving coffee away for free). Now that B&N (and therefore Starschmux)where the wifi is free, try to find a plug for your energy hungry, no battery reserve laptop. Although AEP charges businesses a higher rate for the same juice, guess customers deserve to add even more cost on while these rates continue to climb yet again. Go and spend a day freeloading where you can moan about the loss of the local book, burger, coffee and music stores you could walk to while you're sipping stale coffee from a paper cup (but wow, what a hip logo). Give it a few years and we'll be talking about the good old days when they had BAM and B&N stores in our small towns like Roanoke. Back when you didn't *have to buy everything except groceries* via the internet, and could touch or browse easily and may have run into a friend. Back then, you didn't have to have internet at home because most everyone offered it for free anyway. Oh and did AT&T offer this special deal to all the small businessoperators, or just a national chain? Bravo!
Comment by NRV Citizen — July 30, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
Hey Original Greg - I will sit in a Barnes and Noble and read a magazine or peruse a book any day and put it back on the shelf - what is wrong with that? Did you see those people putting their hands on the digital cameras at Best Buy and then not purchasing any of the 6 that they tried? What about those cheapskates that test drove that new Tahoe and then left the dealership without purchasing any vehicle new or used? That is part of the bookstore business model. When I need a book urgently I pick it up at Barnes & Noble rather than Amazon. Often when I do flip through a magazine or check out some books, I will wind up purchasing one of them when I run out of time at the store or simply decide it is a book I want to read. I guarantee you with all of the competition from the internet vendors (and posting the content itself on the web) and just a general decline in readership, that Borders/B+N/et. al love to have customers checking out their selection even if a high percentage winds up putting most/all of their items back.
Comment by Jeffro — July 30, 2009 @ 4:48 pm
NRV Citizen - How many bookstores do you own? They put those comfy chairs in there to encourage people to sit and read and maybe even converse with one another. Many bookstores (and coffeeshops) even host readings, business groups, and other related events for all those "freeloaders". They know full well that these same people will patronize the business when they make purchases and maybe even recommend them to others. It sounds to me like you have had the bitter taste of failed/struggling business venture and feel that every customer is out to get you. I know that when I enter an establishiment (national chain or mom/pop), you immediately get a feel for who values their customers and who resents them. Guess which ones stay open?
Comment by Jeffro — July 30, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Borders, etc. want you to stick around their store. They don't mind you reading books and magazines. You may decide to buy what you start out reading. If they didn't want you reading, they wouldn't have chairs and benches. It's part of their business plan. If you just want to buy a book quick and cheap, you can do that on Amazon.
Comment by KevinL — July 30, 2009 @ 10:41 pm
@ablebaker: Last time I checked, Ukrops *does* have free WiFi in their cafe area. They've had it since they opened.
Comment by Emma — July 31, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
You're right Jeffro. Why just the other day I saw a wedding party walk in to Best Buy and use a camera to take their wedding pictures. And then I went to the Chevy dealership and saw the same wedding party using a Tahoe to drive to the church and back. Well if you didn't detect the sarcasm there you need to look harder. Your analogy doesn't work because playing with a camera you might buy is different than reading an entire book and not paying for it.
I understand why Barnes and Noble is set up with the couches and stuff but I would send somebody over to those couches every 5 minutes to ask if you needed any assistance. Online you can only read a couple of pages so why should a bookstore be any different. They are open to sell books. If you don't intend to buy you shouldn't sit down and read the entire book. Of course that's just my opinion. Your opinion is obviously different. I guess it depends on how you were raised.
Comment by Original Greg — July 31, 2009 @ 4:20 pm
Maybe it's me, but if people have come in contact with a book, spend an hour or more reading it at a table, that would explain the stains on a book I bought and returned.
Hope they didn't cough over it.
Comment by Adowntownbusiness — August 1, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
I want to know where Jeffro works and visit him. Test the customer service and how gracious he is to people with no intention of supporting his employer's product or service (but might come back with my wallet another time and may recommend the place to someone I know). And can I hook up my laptop while I'm visiting him so I can check my email?
Comment by NRV Citizen — August 2, 2009 @ 12:04 am
Well please allow me to retort. First, original Greg - First my analogy is right on point and you prove so in your hilariously original post. I bet if you stopped and asked any of the "freeloaders" what they speant on books, periodicals and magazine subscriptions over the past 12 months my guess would be it far exceed the average consumers (and probably many of the persons waiting in line at the checkout at that same instance). People who are not avid readers/consumers do not go to Barnes & Nobles and read from a stack of literature. These are exactly the consumers that these businesses want sitting in their comfy chairs. Moreover, I bet if you asked them for a reccomendation, they would gladly speak to you in great detail to advise other shoppers on selections that may be of interest. If a small percentage of these squatters never make a purchase, so be it as it has no real effect on the locations bottom line as they wouldn't be making purchases in the store if the seats weren't available. As for checking in on people every 5 minutes, that is a great business model. First, you would have to increase your staff which is certainly somehting all retailers are trying to do in this economy. Second, I for one love it when a pushy sales clerk follows me around a store so I am sure that would never eliminate any good paying customers with this initiative. I definately think you need to start a business - soon.
Comment by Jeffro — August 6, 2009 @ 10:50 am
Second, to both NRV Citizen and OG - who both seem to make assumptions about my vocation and "How I was raised". I work for a successful software company that for security measures does not allow public acess to its physical location based upon the nature of our business. However, we are consistently ranked as #1 in customer satisfaction within our niche market (which is within the Public Sector). If I worked in a retail outlet or in the private sector (of which I have done both) - I assure you that would feel welcome in my store/business and that we would have gone above and beyond to make sure your were satisfied (and that would include you using our internet connection if that was appropriate - as it is in a bookstore).
As far as how I was raised, my father started his own business and always worked 60-90 hour weeks - this continues to this day. I was raised to place honesty and dedication above all else and that there is honor in working hard for a living. I have had a job everyday since I was 16 including throughout college. Throughout my career, I have valued my colleagues and my customers. I take exception to those who take them for granted.
I am not going to assume that I know what each of you do for a living nor how you were raised but I will assure you that I am glad that I don't have to trade places with either of you.
Comment by Jeffro — August 6, 2009 @ 11:04 am