Typical Buybacks
The typical buyback transaction lasts under 2 minutes.
It is common for long lines to form. Don't panic. It is important to the seller, as well as to you, to pay the right price for a quality used book. Take the time needed to do your job well. Don't rush.
Here is our 5 step procedure to buying books:
- Appropriate presentation
- Scan and confirm
- Examining and "damage down"
- Quoting a price
- Buying and sorting
MBS' Top 10 Guidelines & Buyback Highlights
Below are MBS' Top 10 Guidelines & Buyback Highlights. Always remember that your personal goal is to be asked back for the next buy. If you get asked back, then you know you have done your job well!
1. Communicate. Ultimately the MBS Representative has the responsibility for the success of the buy. Make sure to communicate with the Rep and go over the pre-buyback checklist.
2. Common Sense. Common sense is the rule for any buyback. Always be safety conscious and aware of your surroundings. Your own safety comes first, then the money, books, and hardware.
3. Think Ahead. Think ahead at all times. Make sure you have enough cartons made, an ample supply of shipping labels, and cash in the appropriate denominations. Try not to break bundles of cash before needed. Plan ahead for lunch and breaks as there will be times when you cannot leave your station.
4. Examine the Books. Remember, the price on the screen is the most a student can receive for the book(s). Always examine the book before buying, watching for any missing pieces (CDs, cassettes, maps, etc.) and damage (excessive writing, water damage or missing pages) which lowers the amount paid for the book.
5. Sort all Books. You must take great care in sorting all books into retail, wholesale and rental stacks to their designated locations.
6. Expense Reports. Expense report submission occurs through Kelly Services’ MBS Peoplenet Expenses portal. Please report incurred expenses accurately and within 60 days along with all necessary documentation. Near the end of MBS’s fiscal year in April, we will give you special instructions and timelines for submitting your expense reports.
7. Dress Code. Contact your Rep about the dress code but business/smart casual is generally the dress code while conducting buybacks. No jeans.
8. Store Personnel. Know your bookstore contacts. Your Rep will provide guidelines about the store's expectations of the buy and of you as a buyer. Remember, you are a guest in their store!
9. Murphy's Law. "If it can happen, it will happen." Be aware of the potential theft of money, cartons, books and hardware. Contact the MBS Rep immediately if any theft or significant problems occur.
10. The 5 R's of Buyback:
- Resourceful networking. Always be looking for future buyers.
- Reasonable expectations. Focus on the 4 Ms of buyback: Manpower, Money, Machines and Materials to ensure the buy runs smoothly.
- Professional reactions. Know what to do if you encounter any problems with the MBS 4 Ms. Communicate with the MBS Rep.
- Risk management. Make sure all funds for the buyback are secure and you or a trusted person is in charge of disbursement.
- Ultimate responsibility. The lead buyer and MBS Rep is ultimately responsible for the buyback. Communication is imperative.
Appropriate Presentation
Simply put, buyback is offering market value for books no longer needed by the student on various campuses.
The book buyer's key role is “appropriate presentation to the student.” Always follow this rule and, once acquainted with the books, always accentuate the positive such as presenting the higher ticket retail book first.
Extend additional courtesy to freshmen, who are nervous, first-time sellers. They may be your customer for four years or longer.
Once the book buy begins, always be aware of these key issues:
- Attitude of the students
- Correct sorting of books
- Seeking and conveying correct information
Be careful when making comments and especially careful when quoting prices.
Scan and Confirm
Always buy the big-ticket retail books first.
Scan the barcode on the back of the book. If there is no barcode, thumb through the first couple of pages to find the ISBN. If you cannot find the ISBN, use the Author/Title option by typing in the first 4 letters of the author, followed by the first 3 letters of the title. If none of the above options work, ask for help. Most likely if one person is trying to sell this book, there will be several more to follow.
Once the book is displayed on the monitor, be sure to check the Notes and Comments field to see if any special conditions exist.
Coding in the Notes and Comments section is as follows:
| 3rd 3/22 | New edition pending March 2022 |
| CLN (C+C or CLN+COMP) | Free of cribbing (and all pages intact) |
| HS | High school level |
| LLA68, Moses | Additional identifying information |
| SEE JONES | See reference directing you to another author |
| TRD | Trade discount |
| GOP, OP | (Going) out-of-print |
| +CL | Cloth version is also acceptable |
| +MOSBY, +WCB | Additonal publisher's printing acceptable |
| OV | Temporarily overstocked |
| W/3"DISK, W/CD | Disk or CD ROM must accompany book |
Water damage
Books that are disfigured due to water or fluid exposure are not acceptable.
Cover damage
Books that have missing, torn, or loose covers along with excessive corner wear are not acceptable.
Broken spine
Both the front and back covers must be fully intact. The spine cannot be significantly weakened or torn.
Writing on spine
Books with writing on the edges will not be accepted.
Missing pages
Books with any missing or torn pages are not acceptable.
Workbooks
Accepted with writing on less than five pages.
Excessive highlighting
Excessive highlighting is not acceptable.
Do not buy a book that has any of the above problems. Rule of thumb: If you would not personally buy the book, don't buy it for the store or for MBS. Last year alone MBS lost $250,000 worth of inventory due to damaged books, which are not repairable. MBS keeps track of the number of damaged books purchased at every buyback. The success of the buyback and the success of your career as a buyer is largely based on this number.
The designated function key is F2 to damage down. Some books with repairable damage may be purchased, but always use the F2 key to deduct $2 from the book price.