Staples — Local services in Alexandria

SKIP THIS LOCATION IF YOU DON’T WANT A HEADACHE!

I am disappointed, bewildered and insulted by the abhorrent treatment I experienced today at the Staples on Jefferson Highway. I was waiting in line to speak to an associate about my Amazon Returns issue as she is helping a customer directly in front of me. A line begins to form on the register side behind the associate. As she completes the service for the woman in front of me and I step up next in line, we make eye contact and the associate turns away from me without saying a word and begins to help the first customer in the regular check out aisle, another woman. I had been in my line before the customer she turned to help and I attempted to bring this to her attention. She ignored me and continued to help the other customer. I sat in silence watching her help the other customer and as she began to start to help the next customer behind that woman the woman turns to her upon leaving the store stops in her tracks and says “ can you please help this lady” and points to me. The associate then turns to me and acts as if she is coming to now help me while stating “ I’m not on Amazon”. Frustrated and appalled, I asked for a manager. A manager by the name of “Happy” came up and after I explained to him what just happened and my feeling of being overlooked in the line he didn’t acknowledge that a mistake had been made or apologize for the employees actions towards me. Instead, he wanted to only address why I was at the store so I begin to explain my Amazon returns issue and another associate “Lana” ( the assistant manager) enters into the conversation ( I had spoken with her over the phone prior). In the middle of the discussion the employee who initially ignored me yelled that I wasn’t in line to me and as a result I was placed in a position where an employee was accusing me of lying! The previous customer literally had to advocate for me in order for her to acknowledge me and I communicated that to her. Again, the manager never addressed the employee or her behavior. He also condescendingly spoke to me while pointing towards a returns receipt saying “I know you can’t read” but these numbers here and proceeded to count 1,2,3,4,5,6 are all you need to prove a return happened at Staples for Amazon. I mention this to paint the picture of how rude, dismissive and disrespectful the employees at this location are. Lana then steps in and discovers that my returns were actually never logged into the system. The Manager had walked off before this discovery and never returned to ensure the issue was resolved. Instead, Lana was the professional and knowledgeable management staff. At the end of her helping me she tells me why the associate ignored me and the reason she gave is that at this location, they are being directed to prioritize Staples customers over Amazon returns. This was shocking to me as I would assume all customers deserve equal prioritization from staff. There is no signage to explain this nor any employee who communicates that “they will be with you in a moment” or calling for assistance. Instead, a single employee is left to handle both locations. This lack of service is common at this location where employees will have you standing in line for extended periods of time without any acknowledgment. This is also not my first time being deliberately serviced after another customer who I was in line before by the same associate. This was the last straw for me. Staples should consider removing this location from its Amazon affiliation as the poor customer service, lack of urgency, decorum or customer care reflects poorly on Staples. Staff should be retrained in conflict management, customer care and response and updated on Staples brand beliefs and core values as a company. Being dismissed doesn’t feel good as a customer whether or not you are buying Staples products or using the affiliated services that Staples offers. All customers should be valued and respected. I am disappointed and disgusted by my experience and I will avoid Staples in the...

I went into Staples on July 18 to make some Amazon returns from my home improvement business. I was greeted by an employee named Maria. I started to gather my shipping items to be returned and pull up my phone to pull up my return labels. I provided Maria the first return label. She then told me that it wasn’t a staples return label and it wasn’t going through. I looked at my phone a little bewildered because I was sure that I had gathered all my return labels and selected staple as my return store, I discovered that Maria was indeed right, I accidentally selected Whole Foods for one of my returns, so I went back into my Amazon app and to re Print the label for a Staples one. Maria then told me that she would be right back and she was going to answer a call a customer service call, no problem. She then came back to me about 10 minutes later, as I was waiting for her to get off the phone to continue with my returns. I told her I can just return the rest of the items that I have because these are for sure staples returns. She then asked me if I wouldn’t mind letting the person behind me go in front of me and I said no thank you, I’m here. I’m ready. She said he only has one item and I said that’s honestly not my problem or has nothing to do with me. I was here first and I’m ready. She then goes to argue me down and say that the label that I have is not staples and she’s been waiting for me for 30 minutes (UNTRUE, i had literally JUST walked through the door) and it’s not fair to the other customers and I’m just very confused. She continues her verbal attack and says: You weren’t ready with all of your other items, you just did it just now, you just fixed your labels and had me waiting on you” I politely I told her no I have all of my other labels here (proceeds to show her my phone of about 4 other Staples labels.) At this point I’m in disbelief that this Staples employee is INTERROGATING me about what labels I had ready!!!!! Like seriously?! All of this over ONE label mistake?! She then reiterates that I took too long and she’s been waiting for me for 30 minutes. First of all, I wouldn’t have even had time to fix all of my label returns because if you’re familiar with Amazon, it takes about 10 steps to get a return label for each item and I had about five bundles of wallpaper. THAT would’ve really took me 30 minutes so I then had to show her that I screenshot it my label from yesterday at 8:40 PM. She then CONTINUES to tells me that “that was an Whole Foods one, that’s not Staples” so then I’m like why are you being so rude to me. The guy behind me was Hispanic, she was Hispanic. I am in an African-American woman. I felt like this was racially targeted and I did not feel comfortable. I felt like she was trying to embarrass me. I felt like she was trying to position me as underneath her, and I did not like the experience. A manager African-American manager stepped in, remediated the situation and took over my transaction, which I which I’m grateful for. However, Staples Alexandria Richmond Highway I don’t think you should have employees by the like of Miss Maria racially profiling and racially distinguishing people to verbally attack them when they have done nothing wrong but be African-American. I was sweet with this lady. I told her please lady I’m not trying to start with you because I’m having a great day. She just kept saying “no you’re not ready. You haven’t been ready. I’m not waiting for you. I shouldn’t have to wait for you.” No patience. No compassion for customers. VERY RUDE!!! Not sure how she is evem allowed to work in customer service! I’ve never had a racist experience like that before. And I will never go back to...

When Choosing Goes Wrong...

It's taken me quit a bit of time to wrap my mind around the way I was treated on August 1, 2020, during my second visit made to this location in one day.

I was with a Customer Service Rep who was helping me decide on a printer. A woman of another hue walked up, interjected our conversation, shared her need and he said to me, "I'll be right back." Amazed, offended, and appalled, I kept looking around. He returned as if nothing happened. He then got the manager to assist me. The Manager, Happy, was short and seemed to be in a hurry. I opted to purchase ink for my current printer. Got to the register and the Cashier I had earlier was there. The woman who cut into my printer search was checking out. She and the Cashier were laughing and smiling then she walked out. The man in front of me went to check out, but the register was stuck. The Cashier called the Manager, Happy. He came to trouble shoot and discovered the woman had not paid for her $200.00 worth of merchandise. And she didn't enter a rewards number so they had no way of tracking her.

I was checked out on another register. The Cashier was adamant about me entering my reward's number. I had no issue with that, and I told her she should've been more persistent with the Customer who stifed them for $200.00. I shared my frustration with the Rep who left me hanging to help that same Customer. She apologized.

Upon leaving, the Manager tried being kind and apologizing. I told him: Keep the apology because I'm NEVER coming back to this location!

In all my years of life, I'd never been disregarded like I was at this location on the 1st of...