Not sure what to put, please read my reviews, will think of something more interesting soon hopefull...
Not sure what to put, please read my reviews, will think of something more interesting soon hopefully, dan :-)
Member since:11.08.2000
Reviews:158
Members who trust:10
Staples is an ‘office stationers,’ (and I quote from the sign above the store) and those two words sum it up perfectly. They sell things from computers to furniture and from toilet paper to pens. They sell a lot of things both individually and in bulk, and the prices are relatively cheap. In their stores they usually have ample staff (I prefer helpful staff, but ample will do) that are easy to find (partly due to the fact they are wearing the red uniform t-shirts), and many services are available, like photocopying and faxing. Unlike other places, they offer bulk copying at cheap prices.
The shelves are well stocked and there is little if any litter around (I am not sure whether my sister counts). The aisles are wide, so there is no need to reverse your trolley to let people past (except for the lesser weight concious ones, but they can always go and drown their sorrows in one of the fast food outlets afterwards). The stores are well air conditioned, heated and well lit (the magic of lightbulbs).
Prices are clearly marked (unless they have fallen off the display) and unlike other office stationers, display them inclusive of VAT, even though they do show the prices exclusive of VAT (just in case you want to play games with the tax man [well in this age I should say tax person, as not to discriminate. To be fair though it is the female ones who are likely to make the mistakes. (No offence meant, but if taken, take after meals with a good sense of humour)]).
The only downside is that on the till receipts they show the prices exclusive of VAT and then add VAT on at the end, so the prices of each individual items are not clear.(They actually are black, as that is what colour ink they use to print the receipts. Haha. Sorry).
Sometimes returns can be a bit awkward to say the least (I would have said less if I would have missed out the word awkward). I know someone who bought a computer off them and had a faulty mouse. They were told that Staples would not replace the mouse and they would have to phone up the manufacturer to sort it out. It is called passing the buck, but hey, doesn't it feel good when you pass the blame on to somebody else!
Now to my personal criticism. It was the day after Christmas and I had seen a computer that was cheap and that I liked (it was made by Scott, and not by cheap). I phoned up Staples and asked them to put one away for me (oo er), which they said that they did. The next day I set out to find the store, but got lost due to incorrect directions of what junction to get off the motorway. When I got there and asked them for the computer, they produced it and said that they would just test it, as they had had some problems with the modems. They took it behind a screen for at least fifteen minutes (I wish I could tell you about the last time I went behind a screen for 15 minutes) and did something with it (don't say a word). The guy then appeared and said that the computer had actually been returned because it was faulty and they had no more in stock. This was annoying, as I had phoned up the previous day.
It still puzzles me why a returned computer was reserved for a customer. After much talking to the manager for a while, she offered me seventy pounds off another computer, which I was pleased with and gladly took up the offer.
The question is should a large reputable store mess their customers about and then give them money off one of their other products? It is a great compliment to them that they will do this, ten out of ten for this area, but to go to the trouble of doing this might not be worth it. Whether you take a chance is up to you.
However the chance of it happening to you is extremely small, because I am just unnlucky and I think that they learn from their mistakes.
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