New Barnes & Noble Customer Service Center Keeps Jobs in America 

Barnes & Noble consistently ranks at or near the top in every major study of customer satisfaction and quality of service.  One key reason is our customer service professionals, who are even more energized and motivated thanks to a new, state-of-the-art customer service center in Lyndhurst, NJ.  (Click here for testimonials from various staff about the new facility.)

The center, which opened in April 2009, satisfies two main objectives – to keep the operation in the North Jersey area close to our home office in Manhattan, and to keep the existing customer service representatives (CSRs) employed.  "We’ve made a big investment in training our people here at home, and the various customer service accolades we have received over the years show how important it is to have representatives who understand every aspect of the business,” says CEO Steve Riggio.  “Keeping these jobs in America – and in our backyard – was paramount, particularly in these tough economic times when so many companies are moving their customer service operations offshore.”

The new center features numerous upgrades and enhancements to the previous space, which was located in Secaucus, NJ, for 10 years.  When it came time to renew the lease, management decided to invest in a facility more aligned with the Barnes & Noble brand.  “We wanted the look and feel of the center to resemble our stores – from the warmth of the wood and the wall sconces to the leather on the chairs and the homelike carpeting,” explains Beverly Walker, vice president of customer care (pictured right).  “We wanted to truly tie the customer service operation to our business.”

The CSRs are ecstatic about their new home, describing it as “bright, spacious, warm and comfortable,” among other things.  “I’ve been managing customer service centers for 25 years and have not seen anything like this facility,” Beverly says.   

One of the key features is the layout of the main area, which is arranged in a “pod” layout (pictured left) rather than the traditional “ice cube tray” seating arrangement that is the industry standard, Beverly explains.  The pod layout creates a feeling of more space and is less noisy than the arrangement in the previous facility.  The work stations feature hydraulic-powered desktops that raise and lower, allowing the CSRs flexibility to sit or stand and stretch while servicing customers.  “And we bought the best ergonomically correct chairs on the market,” Beverly says. “When the representatives are more comfortable, they are more productive.”

Overlooking the main area is the command center (pictured right), where operations analysts track call volume, customer wait time, etc.  It is here where forecasting takes place and schedules are adjusted depending on business needs.  A large reader board provides a snapshot of call data for all to see.  “Our goal is to take 80% of calls within 60 seconds or less,” Beverly explains.  She says the average time to resolve calls is 3˝ minutes.  

Training is an integral part of our customer service operation, so much thought went into the design of the training room.  Rather than the traditional auditorium layout, where computers can block the participants’ view of the presenter, seats and computers are located on the room’s perimeter.  During lecture, the CSRs can turn their seats and face the presenter at the front of the room without any obstructions. 

The facility includes many other features to enhance productivity.  For example, across from the quality assurance area are listening booths that enable the CSRs to hear back certain calls and score themselves.  The quality assurance team does likewise, then compares their scores with the CSRs’ scores and provides feedback and coaching.

The center also includes various details to create a pleasant working environment for the staff.  The break room (pictured left) was designed to resemble an in-store café and offers comfortable seating, several vending machines – even a big screen TV.  An Internet café with laptops and stool seating allows the CSRs to access personal e-mail and external websites while on break.  A wellness room serves as a quiet corner where the CSRs can relax and take a break.  “We wanted to create a work environment where the reps are happy – because when they’re happy, the customer is happy,” Beverly says.

The 30,000-square-foot center employs about 150 staff, with a capacity for 200.  CSRs handle calls and e-mails for both our online and retail operations, as well as issues regarding Membership, business to business, and more.  We supplement our in-house operation with at-home agents around the country, as well as a facility in Jacksonville, FL.  Beverly notes that training is provided to all outsourcers, who are held to the same strict quality standards as our in-house representatives.  

“In this economy, it’s typical for companies to shut down their customer service centers here in the U.S. and send the work overseas, but Barnes & Noble has held strong to the belief to keep the work here,” Beverly explains.  “Because many of our customers shop in-store and online, it’s important that the CSRs know the end-to-end spectrum of our business.  Customers want to feel like they’re talking to Barnes & Noble,” she adds. 

What do some of our customer service professionals think of the new facility?  Click here to read their testimonials.