Career Path:

Finding a Perfect Fit
Kristyn Pleva, customer service representative
Distribution Center, Monroe, New Jersey

Kristyn Pleva joined our East Brunswick, NJ, store as a bookseller when she entered college in 1999, where she majored in early childhood education.  Having previously worked at a daycare center, she soon discovered that she preferred a retail career and interacting with customers. 

But she fell into a rut, and confided to her store manager that she wanted a change, but didn’t want to leave the company.  Her store manager didn’t want Barnes & Noble to lose a team player and an excellent bookseller, so she suggested trying customer service at the Distribution Center, in Monroe, NJ, which provides daily replenishment of merchandise to all of our stores and ships millions of orders each year to Internet customers.

This was a good move for Kristyn since she excelled at customer service. Kristyn’s friendly demeanor and superior product knowledge always satisfied customers’ needs.  Kristyn successfully interviewed for the position and became a customer service representative, handling customer calls from across the nation. 

“The range of calls keeps me on my toes,” she says. “I’ve never been bored.”  Although the majority of the calls are related to book orders, there are days when customers even ask for help and advice about personal matters.  Kristyn adds, “Many of the calls are from our stores. I’ve developed a great relationship with booksellers in my department and across the country.”    

Kristyn says of her career with Barnes & Noble, “The company fostered my growth and helped me explore my options to find the perfect fit.  They trained me to fully listen to a problem before trying to find a solution.  I truly enjoy working in customer service and being able to speak with and help people from all over the country.”