In the Spotlight: IndieCommerce’s Scott Nafz

Scott Nafz, the senior customer service representative for the American Booksellers Association’s IndieCommerce program, assists bookstore members in all matters related to their e-commerce websites.

Nafz has held many jobs since school — from doughnut baker to bench jeweler for Cartier. However, it was bookselling that eventually won him over. For a large part of his early career, Nafz was a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Encore Books, where he was, for the most part, a children’s bookseller and resident storyteller.

In 1997, Nafz joined ABA. In 2001, he became lead customer service representative for BookSense.com and played a key role in that program’s transition to IndieCommerce in 2009.

On a day-to-day basis, Nafz is busy training booksellers to go live with their IndieCommerce websites. He typically holds two training calls per day that run about two hours each. The rest of the day is spent fielding booksellers’ e-mails and phone calls, with the help of fellow IndieCommerce customer service rep Valerie Federici. While both Nafz and Federici are available to help with any question, Nafz focuses on more technical issues as well as live stores, while Federici specializes in helping new stores that are just getting started setting up their site.

Nafz is present at trade shows as the spokesperson for the IndieCommerce program, and to address any specific issues or requests from members regarding their e-commerce sites.

Nafz’s patience and ability to explain the complex concepts associated with having an IndieCommerce site, along with his comprehensive understanding of the IndieCommerce system, make him an asset to the staff, and to all ABA members who are working to launch or need assistance in maintaining their sites.

The staff at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, California, has been in constant communication with Nafz since their e-commerce site launched in 2005.

“Scott is always a pleasure to work with and if we have a question for which he does not have an answer he will track it down and find it for us,” said Managing General Partner Terry Gilman.

“Scott is accustomed to calls and or e-mails from me that start out ‘I think I broke the system,’” said Maryelizabeth Hart, Mysterious Galaxy’s publicity manager. “I personally am something of a technology jinx, and I cannot overstate how helpful Scott has been when I have occasionally confused the system.”

Hart said that she has worked with Nafz to resolve various issues, such as adjusting the site’s fonts and templates, adding an inventory item to the website, and correcting the cover price for new releases.

“I always feel like Scott is invested in helping us resolve our issue as quickly as possible — or at least to listening to us and placing our requests on the very long improvements list if it’s not something than can be immediately resolved,” said Hart.

Nafz believes it is important that there be a designated point of contact for IndieCommerce issues, because “without that, communication with a store can become very convoluted, often devolving into a game of ‘telephone.’ Since the e-commerce program is as complex as it is, it is essential that communications be clear and concise.”

Hart agrees. “It’s immensely helpful and reassuring to be able to engage in a discussion of problem solving with someone who helps us feel as though he is both informed and concerned about our bookstore’s well being,” she said.

About being the senior customer service rep for IndieCommerce stores, Nafz said, “What I like most is being able to help people, knowing that a store has a better understanding of any particular aspect of their website. There are a lot of trade organizations out there, but few trades are as noble as independent bookselling.”

Scott Nafz can be reached at (800) 637-0037 ext. 6654 or via e-mail.