I went to Lifeway Christian Stores today to pick up some items. I was pleased that they had the NLT Study Bible, so I bought a copy for myself and my nephew. When I was checking out I pulled out my minister's discount card. They asked if it was for me, and I said one Bible was and the other was not. Then the checker asked if it was personal or for the church. By that time, I was slightly peeved. So I told her that the question does not really make sense.
How do you differentiate between a Bible for church use or personal use? If I study at home for a class I'm teaching then is it for the church? If I study at home for personal growth, then does it not count? Does Lifeway really think our lives are so demarcated that we have no personal benefit from Bible study for church? Where is their line?
They really made me appreciate Cokesbury. When I shop there, the discount applies simply by pulling up my account. If there is a Y on the label, I get a discount; If there is a N, then I don't. Very simple without a grilling.
This encounter at Lifeway was so irritating that I really do not want to shop there anymore. This "minister discount grilling" is not the first I encountered there. It makes me wonder if their response would be the same if I were a guy wearing a sport coat. I was wearing a black T-shirt that says, "My imaginary friend thinks you have serious problems." Today my imaginary friend was right.
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4 comments:
I'm pretty sure it was your gender and the fact that you don't fit the conventional image of a minister. I don't shop at Lifeway anymore (mostly because they don't have anything that I like) but I never got any questioning when I used my minister's discount. I definitely like Cokesbury a lot more for how they do it.
BTW why didn't you just use Amazon?
Bryan
I didn't use Amazon because I am impulsive. Amazon also showed Sept. 15 as the date for shipment last time I checked. It could be different now. I happened to have a discount card that I had filled up, so it may have turned out cheaper anyway through Lifeway.
That's an amazing story.
Stores would do well to follow this advice:
Make it easy for the customers to give you their money.
LOL...yup Stan, you would think they like having customers.
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