Staples — Local services in Charlottesville

I am posting this review to respond to the criticism put forth by Yuntian G. Although I will try to shed some light on some pricing policies, this narrative response is simply my commentary, and it does not reflect the opinions of Staples in any official capacity. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

First, Yuntian G., I apologize if you had a confusing and disrespectful experience with Print & Marketing. I try to provide excellent customer service. However, I am human and sometimes miss the mark.

Anyhow, I feel that I inadequately explained some of the pricing policies of Print & Marketing. Any print job, a blueprint or otherwise, will incur an express or rush fee, if the job needs to be completed in under 24 hours.

I realize the pricing structures can, at times, cause confusion. The express/rush fee itself typically guarantees a turn-time of 1 hour.

As a hypothetical, if a customer needs to have a project completed within 12 hours, then the customer must still pay an express fee. However, customers who drop off their projects, and do not need a quick turn time, typically receive their projects no later than 24 hours from placement of order(s). In this case, the customer is exempt from rush fees (as they are irrelevant). At times, we can get print jobs back to customers who had opted for the 24 hour service much sooner, but we make no guarantees, as this is dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited, to production volume, staffing levels, and so forth.

To put it simply, it is the timeline for completion, not the nature of the project itself, which will trigger (or not trigger) a rush fee. Likewise, some jobs are too big or too complex for a rush. I try to be as explicit as possible about rush fees, so that customers can choose whether or not they wish to opt for a quicker, but more expensive service.

Again, Yuntian G., I apologize if you felt I was boasting about my PhD degree. For I am simply a PhD student, and I sometimes mention that I am in grad school to try to convey interest in and sympathy for other grad students who often must complete projects on tight budgets and tight timelines. Again, I am imperfect, and I apologize if you felt that I was either boastful or dismissive.

As far as the statement, "Note he took a noticeably adequate amount of time what [sic.] I gave him very explicit instructions on size and type of blueprints I wanted," is not something I wish to dispute. Nevertheless, I still have to determine the true size of a document or if the underlying aspect ratio of a document will scale to a particular size. For example, I can't turn one aspect ratio into another aspect ratio--just some simple geometry. Additionally, some blueprints, and most academic posters, include a number of layers.The underlying data that constitute these layers typically require flattening, so to speak, and what might appear a simple task can grow somewhat complex (such as my run on sentences, just kidding). However, flattening data typically has no bearing on scalability. Yet, if a particular layer includes low quality data--or low dpi images, tables, and the like--then I try to alert a customer to this before I print anything that may include elements that will result in a pixelated or otherwise problematic document.

TL;DR: This post is much longer than I originally intended. Yet, if you, Yuntian G, were to stop by this week, I would offer you my sincerest apologies. Also, I hope this post offered some clarity, not just...

The Staples staff is usually very helpful and courteous, especially the copy center staff, with whom I've interacted many times. Today, however, the young man I think a manager advising staff about US postal regulations, was both uninformed and rude. He refused to send a package for me via Media Mail because he, "had insufficient training regarding media mail." I gave him the appropriate information, and he still refused to mail my package media mail. He told me, "You can go to the Post Office if you don't like it." He also told me that "Media Mail must be text books, only." I told him that I have been mailing books and videotapes via Media Mail for years, and that the books I had for mailing were eligible for Media Mail. He then insisted that he was right that only text books can be mailed by media mail and he again refused to send my package media mail. I mailed the package priority which cost considerably more, but I had already entered all the information into the computer terminal.

If Staples is going to be a USPS terminal and is going to promote itself as such, then it must make certain that its staff is up to speed. And that if they are inadequately trained, that they accept the knowledge and wisdom of customers who have sent books via Media Mail for years. This young man was rude and arrogant as well as uninformed.

I wish I had his name so that I could make it public. He's the first Staples staff member I've encountered with such an arrogant attitude. I've been a Staples Business Rewards Member for at...

I placed a print order online (simple doubled-sided handouts) to pick up same day, but called the next day to pick it up. The order was done incorrectly and the employee said that I didn't provide the right documents, which I had. He corrected it and I left. I needed a duplicate of the order, which I placed in-person with a different employee. He was going to charge me more for the order, so I showed him original receipt/order and then he corrected. Told me I could pick up the next day at 4pm and I paid. I called next day to ask if it could be ready by 2:30pm because someone else would be picking it up. He said it should be ready. My friend went to pick up at 3:15pm and the employee was rude to her saying it shouldn't have been ready until 5:30pm, but he gave it to her. Then he said it was not paid for and charged her, but the amount was more than original receipt, which I had already paid. So she had to put the order on her own credit card in order to get the order. Next day, I called to complain and get a refund for the double charge, and in order to get the refund, either I or my friend has to come into the store with receipt and credit card. It was not our mistake and we are having to go out of way to correct things. This was the worst experience ever. We will not be sending our printing orders to this Staples again. Either improve training or systems, or hiring more...