Why can't the bookstore open earlier?

It seems on most mornings there are students waiting outside the bookstore for it to open at 8 am. I presume they need scantrons for their 8 am test. The bookstore people are all inside watching and talking and don't open the doors until 8 am exactly. Why can't they open the doors a few mins early? Let a few employees come in to open the store 15 minutes early and let them end their shift 15 mins early.

My question is this: Does this give the bookstore personnel an ego boost or are they trying to teach the students some responsibility?

The simplest solution would be for the students to either a) get their scnatrons in advance or b) trot over to Tolliver and get a free scantron.

If I have time I may go one morning at 7:45 and bring some free scantrons I got from Tolliver and sell them to students for $1 each outside the bookstore. :)

Seriously, though, most retail stores don't open the doors until the posted time. That's just business. Sure, a few "mom and pop" type operations may go out of their way and open the doors early, but that's kind of unusual. I was at Best Buy one morning about 6 minutes before opening time and had to wait outside with about a dozen other people until the exact opening time rolled around. And it wasn't like it was a release date for something or anything like that.

I would think if it's just business, then they are missing out on a prime market with those few minutes before 8 o'clock classes...not counting scantron sales, breakfast items, drinks, gum, fresh batteries for calculators, etc...

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Originally Posted by bayouboyz

It seems on most mornings there are students waiting outside the bookstore for it to open at 8 am. I presume they need scantrons for their 8 am test. The bookstore people are all inside watching and talking and don't open the doors until 8 am exactly. Why can't they open the doors a few mins early? Let a few employees come in to open the store 15 minutes early and let them end their shift 15 mins early.

My question is this: Does this give the bookstore personnel an ego boost or are they trying to teach the students some responsibility?

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Because they are government workers and they don't get paid a commission on items sold!!!!

That should tell you all you need to know.

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Originally Posted by bayouboyz

I would think if it's just business, then they are missing out on a prime market with those few minutes before 8 o'clock classes...not counting scantron sales, breakfast items, drinks, gum, fresh batteries for calculators, etc...

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Originally Posted by TECHLAX

Because they are government workers and they don't get paid a commission on items sold!!!!

That should tell you all you need to know.

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Y'all should try showing up a few minutes before the official opening time at a few national retailers (or any retail store with more than about 5 employees) and see how you get treated. I don't make a regular habit of this, but in my limited experience, I've only been let in early to small, family-owned businesses.

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Originally Posted by Brian96

Y'all should try showing up a few minutes before the official opening time at a few national retailers (or any retail store with more than about 5 employees) and see how you get treated. I don't make a regular habit of this, but in my limited experience, I've only been let in early to small, family-owned businesses.

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So the question becomes, "why doesn't the bookstore have earlier hours?" Best Buy probably wouldn't do much business from 7-8, but the Tech bookstore probably would.

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Originally Posted by inudesu

So the question becomes, "why doesn't the bookstore have earlier hours?" Best Buy probably wouldn't do much business from 7-8, but the Tech bookstore probably would.

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You think so? That seems highly unlikely. Generally, only gas stations and restaurants do much business that early. Many places that do open really early do so as a courtesy, not because they generate enough business to cover their expenses during that time frame.

There is, after all, a convenience store a few hundred yards away in Tolliver. And free scantrons at that.

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Originally Posted by Brian96

You think so? That seems highly unlikely. Generally, only gas stations and restaurants do much business that early. Many places that do open really early do so as a courtesy, not because they generate enough business to cover their expenses during that time frame.

There is, after all, a convenience store a few hundred yards away in Tolliver. And free scantrons at that.

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That's true. But I bet they would get at least some business. They do gets tons of walk-bys around that time on their way to class. You'd think they'd get what they needed at Tolliver, but who knows.

Bookstore should open at 7:30 a.m.

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Originally Posted by TECHLAX

Because they are government workers and they don't get paid a commission on items sold!!!!

That should tell you all you need to know.

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Techteamshop should start selling scantrons. And maybe some textbooks. Then we could just use that building on campus for something much more useful...indoor practice facility, perhaps?

I never understood why the bookstore didn't open earlier either. Hell, why not have an express table in the Student Center that sells blue books, scantrons, etc for those students that need them for their 8am class...

Gotta put it in terms that they'd understand. How much business would they get from 7:30 - 8:00 vs 4:30 - 5:00??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian96

Y'all should try showing up a few minutes before the official opening time at a few national retailers (or any retail store with more than about 5 employees) and see how you get treated. I don't make a regular habit of this, but in my limited experience, I've only been let in early to small, family-owned businesses.

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Most probably dont want to start down a slippery slope of when they are supposed to open and people trying to abuse it, so they stick to their posted hours. The debate should be rather posted hours should change, not should the bookstore open up earlier than posted hours because people are standing outside.

New hours:

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers welcomes you to our Tech Bookstore!! Our current hours are 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. We hope you’ll take an opportunity to visit the Bookstore to see what changes have been made. More changes will be made over the next few months that we think you will enjoy!

The Bookstore will be open prior to home football games. You may contact the Bookstore to find out their hours on game days since it may vary, depending on the time of the game.

Any questions about available or needed supplies or merchandise may be directed to Gerald Reeves at sm8001@bncollege.com or 257-3066.

Dickie Crawford
Dean of Student Life/Auxiliary Services

Love the new hours! Esp. the open until 6!

If it was me, I'd get what I needed the day before, if I needed it for an 8:00 am class.

Wow, there's a thought, thinking ahead.:icon_wink: