Staples — Local services in Garfield Township

14 day return policy on electronics….I totally understand this for larger electronics but for a printer cable? I purchased this while awaiting my new printers arrival, but I didn’t end up needing the item as I thought I would. The item was purchased 37 days ago and yes I understand the timing is my own fault. I live/work 45 min away, this is the nearest staples, and unfortunately was out of town right after the printers arrival so I was unaware I didn’t need this until just this week. Never even opened the box, in fact the tape on the box had never even been cut which I did point out.

But because it exceeded 14 days, I am stuck with an item I don’t need. Just seems very silly that some compromise couldn’t even be considered. This is coming from a retail manager (15 years) and depending on the customers history/whether I still sell the item or not….I always consider anything to keep the customer happy even if it doesn’t completely align with our return policy.

With a Staples business account, I would think some sort of leeway with things like this could be considered - especially as I don’t recall ever returning anything here in my life. And considering I told them I was going to also be purchasing printer ink while I’m here today…that’s likely when I would have made a consideration, as a manager, if it were in my store.

I received a pretty flat and dry response from “Shorty” who said without any thought or customer service skills, “No, we can’t take this back. It was purchased in July” (Today is August 9th).

I planned to buy ink but this got under my skin a bit. I took the item, walked out to my car, drove LITERALLY next door to Walmart (even though I just left there before coming to Staples). Purchased the same exact HP 4-count box of ink for $1 less. And will now continue to do. I have been loyal to Staples for business supplies for years…

Not a soul greeted me as I came in (as they have always previously done). Nobody at the checkout lanes. Walk all the way to the side of the store to find a sign that says “checkout now at print counter” so I walk to exact opposite side of the store to print counter. 1 customer ahead of me. 2 employees behind the counter - 1 with her head down resulting in her hair completely blocking her face. Customer ahead of me finishes her checkout, that employee audibly says “I HAVE to do these returns or they won’t get done.” Then calls on the radio for assistance as she walks away. Hair-in-face girl then looks up and says “it will be a few minutes” as myself and 4 others are now in line behind me.

Customer service training highly suggested. So much...

As a business owner, it's nice to have a Staples in Traverse City to purchase last-minute/emergency items, and I've used their delivery service, and am happy with that (thus the 3-star review). This review, though, is primarily about the two experiences I had this week when I was in-store on back-to-back days and Shorty assisted me.

The first of the two visits, I purchased pens, and when I went up to the checkout, there was a line of people just outside of that area (I didn't know at the time they were returning Amazon packages). Shorty and a couple of other employees were behind the desk, and Shorty seemed a little harried. She didn't greet me or thank me at the end, and she shorted me $.10 since I paid cash. I didn't realize it until I was walking out of the store that she gave me a nickel and a penny, instead of a dime, nickel, and a penny. I was going to let that go, until my experience when I returned yesterday.

Apparently, Staples and Amazon have a partnership where you can return packages there so (my assumption) Staples can get more foot traffic in their stores. I had to return a package there (Amazon's choices were Staples for free or pay $6.99 to go to the UPS Store), and when I arrived, I was next in line. The person in front of me received the same (or lack of) customer service from Shorty that I was about to get - no greeting, no thank you, no eye contact, and she talked the entire time to an employee working on a computer/register. When it was my turn, she took the package and did her job, but it was like I wasn't there. It was odd. I'm not looking for nor want a conversation, yet basic, positive, customer service would be nice.

If Staples is hoping to gain more business from the Amazon partnership, my suggestion is for Staples in TC to revisit basic customer service skills with their employees. Going forward, I will only use Staples delivery service as needed (usually once or twice a year), and take my other business to...

A gift from God! Let me tell you about Heather... I am business owner who was on my way to Traverse City the other morning from the other side of the state. I was having one of those Monday morning were nothing was going right at all. It started out with bending the hitch on my utility trailer, stopped by daughters house, couldn't get the printer to work, the computer wouldn't turn on, left my gloves and hat there. Half way to TC I realized that I left my wallet at home. I had to make copies for my noon presentation... I was running out of time and out of my mind. When I called up to Staples, Heather answered the phone and she was so good and calm. She said to come on in and she would help me. Arrived to Staples with little time to spare. Heather helped me to order my 350 copies online Staples so I could pay with them with my wife's credit card over the phone. She even gave me a $50.00 coupon code to help out with the express printing cost. Once order she moved my print order to the front of the line. Now that I had my beautiful printed materials I had to start loading the printed materials into 50 presentation folders which I did on a desk they had set aside for customers. While filling my presentation folders, I could hear Heather talking with other customers. She is absolutely amazing in the way she speak with customers in helping them and in checking them out. What a breath of fresh air she is and what a wonderful asset she is to Staples TC!!! When I left there, I was at peace, I arrived at my presentation with 3 minutes to spare. The presentation went very well and the rest of my day was smooth sailing,...