Joseph Beth Bookstore
Warning to any reading – be prepared for a bit of a rant. I had some extra funds, it was a nice, I am still recovering from my recent four days off and just really not into stay late at work this eve. So, I got out of there right on time and headed on over to my favorite new book store. It is called Joseph Beth and the original is located in Lexington, Kentucky.
Bit of history with me and JB as I call it for short. It opened just a year to two before I attended college in Lexington and Transylvania and I was an avid reader than, perhaps more so then now. Matter of fact one of things I loved was they had a coffee maker in a center little cubby and mugs – and you could check out the book you were thinking about purchasing in a chair while having a cup – and then read some while waiting on your companions and drink more coffee.
So anyway, I feel like me and JB have kind of matured together from our early adult hood. I am now 38 and they now have four or five locations, including one in Cincinnati and one in Charlotte, North Carolina. No longer do they have the free coffee for while you look, instead is it is a cafe with a sandwich menu and lattes of every choice imaginable and for a price of course. Some great things have to change I suppose. That is not my rant however.
Today, with my extra funds, I decided to go pick up a book that was on the reduced shelf last time I was there a week or so back. A week or so back I picked up one there too. Currently reading the one from before, Native Dancer: The Gray Ghost. The new one I picked up was related, Man-O-War. Yes, there is a theme there. I felt I had to pick up the second one soon as they tend to not last on the reduced shelves very long – and especially with the Derby having just occurred I figured they would go pretty quickly. I just love getting a hardback edition for the just a few pennies more than a paperback version would cost – if there even was a paperback edition offered.
So on to my rant. They have a new book discount club. Which I used to a be a member of one a LONG time ago. But this one is called Give Back or something. So since I have been single I make it to JB about once every two to three weeks or so. I was actually in there when they were advertising the Give Back program, but it was the day before they started selling the sign-up. The sign-up is $25.00, but gets you 30% off best sellers, some % off staff recommendations, and $20 or something every time you spend $200 (which is where I would likely get my discount). It also include like $20 or $25 gift certificate to the cafe and some other fringe benefits too. Oh and in some situation some % goes to a designated charity of the card holder or something like that.
So I have been to JB at least two-time in the last seven days, and three-time in the last fortnight, give or take a day or two. And every time I have made a purchase. I have not presented a discount card – nor have I been asked to purchase one. I was leery of asking to purchase one, as I did not know the exact price and on the cards in the store it doesn’t list one (I only know that from looking online a bit ago). My point is these, I would think that the sales folks should be asking if I am interested if I don’t present one at the time of purchase. Especially like this eve, when I purchased a good $25.00 worth of stuff in three different items all told. JB – if you are reading this you have to get your sales people to do better (oh – and I know I could have asked at anytime – but I was really kind of testing this thought and have found JB staff to be failing bigtime – heck even McDonald’s asks if I want fries or a pie).
