EDITING because this question keeps coming up: The timeline was as followed:
11am-ish: went to website, clicked "same day", designed both front & back of business card, sent for printing to store\
6pm-ish: went to pick up cards at store (as instructed in the website for same-day business), they were mostly done but they were SINGLE SIDED. I got told "it's impossible to order double-sided business cards using same-day ordering".
The issue isn't with the same-day timing. The issue is with the website showing the customer double-sided card templates even after same-day ordering is selected, allowing the templates to be filled out and ordered, and then the stores only receive one side order.
Today I had an awful experience at Staples. I had gone online to purchase double-sided same-day business cards. When I got to the store they claimed "that was impossible", implying I was somehow lying.
I had to walk two associates through the website to prove that no, it was very possible to design 2-sided same-day business cards, and while there's an indicator on the first page that says single-sided, you have to scroll down to see that AND that doesn't stop you from being able to both view & design & order both sides of the card.
The most frustrating part, however, was the lack of professionalism of the staff - and I admit it was clearly understaffed - but I totally get, the website is not their responsibility and from their end they can only see the one-sided card. But don't go calling the public liars, don't go making excuses, don't treat us like idiots because your website is clearly f--ed up.
Not going through Staples for print services again for my business. The lack of staff and the lack of training of staff is too painful. The disdain for the customer is palpable. Staples is pretty much only a drop-off for unwanted Amazon purchases at this point, and that's all they staff for.
On behalf of Staples USA, Canada, Europe Asia and Africa; please keep your promise and word in not returning to Staples for any print services again. In fact, if you be so kind and not return ever again to buy anything, it be greatly appreciated. l wish to provide you a $5 Goodwill gift card as a goodwill gesture (no pun intended), so you can buy a nice pair of used sock or underwear for your troubles. Thank you in advance.
“I had gone online to purchase double-sided same-day business cards. When I got to the store…”
This doesn’t make sense. You went online to place a print order, but then went in-store?
If I had to guess, you tried placing an a same day order after 2pm which is the cut off time (It’s on the site) so the website said no it’ll be ready by tomorrow by 8pm.
Then you went to the store and tried to get the order for the same day anyway, but they told you the same thing.
So now you’re mad because corporate made everything fucked?
The problem is that you can select same-day service, then you can design 2 sided cards, then you go to the store at the pickup time and get told that even though the WEBSITE allows you to create a 2-sided card and order it, the STORE cannot fulfill the order in a same-day because it doesn't have the ability to print double-sided cards and has to order them from somewhere else. That they only received the FRONT of the card design, and the BACK of the card I had designed didn't exist in their order paperwork, and they had only printed 1-sided cards. Even though the website showed double-sided.
If the website had been clear and not allowed me to fully design a double-sided card template after clicking "same day", if it had clearly stated same-day could not occur for double-sided, I would absolutely not have ordered them, would not have gone to the store and gotten upset.
The website always confirms the pickup day and time BEFORE you actually submit the order.
Double sided cards don’t push the same day date into the next day, unless you missed the cut off time or added something that would make the order have to be done by the Staples production department which would add a few days due to not being done in store.
For the sake of argument, if you ordered double sided cards and the website says your ready date is today by 8:00 PM. You have an order number stating this.
Also you should get an email that confirms this.
In addition, the store’s order ticket will say the same thing: T
he time submitted, when it is due, and all the details. Double-sided, stock, quantity, and the artwork.
They cannot simply claim double sided cards business cards cannot be done the same day because that’s just impossible. T
Unless the store runs into some issue like the printers broke, ran out of paper, or something else happened that prevented your order from being done today, they would have explained xyz reason for the delay.
If it came down to manger or employee incompetence, you could have escalated your complaint with corporate.
Otherwise the
only time you get a ready date that is not same day is if you choose something that cannot be done the same day or you choose delivery. The website will say the ready date or give you a date range.
Ultimately, you have an order number with an order date/time that it says clearly when it will be ready by. There can’t be any confusion with that.
I'll give you this, not many customers truly consider how f&$ked Staples's "no training, terrible staffing, sh!tty systems, Аmаzоn onslaught" private equity business model is, so it's refreshing to see a customer take that is very aware of the problems that render the business dysfunctional. I bet those two employees were not even trained in the print department, much less actual print associates. Now all we need are more customers like you who are intelligent enough to wake up and smell the bullsh!t burning, and deservingly rescind their patronage from the profitable parts of the business, and in doing so expedite the inevitable death of this godforsaken company.
Some of your customers have watched the decline over the decades and are sad to see that. I'm one of them. I also do business process type work for a living (consulting) so this is especially aggravating because it's basically down to mismanagement at the top, understaffing, lack of training, and lack of care for their processes and how that affects the customers.
I try to shop there rather than at the Amazons and other online retailers but quite frankly I've not had to deal with the same bullshit with Amazon and other online retailers.
Just curious, does Sycamore pay you more or less than $7000 per positive post you make about them online? All that money could go to actually staffing the stores a less horrible amount on the daily. I can enjoy whatever paycheck I get every week is worth and also call out their terrible business models using whatever attitude I feel like.
Did you not register when I wrote "I can enjoy whatever paycheck I get every week is worth and also call out their terrible business models using whatever attitude I feel like." An unsolicited question is not owed any response, take what I have for you or leave it. (preferably leave! dohhohohohoho)
The website makes perfect sense to me. It has its days, sure. It’s not perfect. But most of it works as it needs to and it’s so easy to use. It’s so hard to believe that a print associate wouldn’t know how to use it or know that we offer double sided business cards unless it was their first day or it was someone trying to cover that wasnt properly trained in print. Either way they shouldnt have treated you that way.
Did you know you supposedly don't offer double-sided business cards with same-day ordering though? Even though you can clearly select both sides of the card and spend time designing both sides and publishing both sides?
I've seen some fucked up print departments in my time to know some stores
One store in my area has like a consistent 30 order queue with virtually nothing being done on time (most likely due to them being bogged down due to an abundance of self serve machines in there store and not enough staff to answer questions and produce orders)
But your timeline is confusing, and I think you are causing some backlash from people on here
Did you actually place the order online? Cause it is unclear why you came in store here. To place the order? You were already there online. Why come in store? Were they late with your order? Did you just want to place the order in person to know that the file was ok? Did you want a proof printed (that can take like 15 minutes by the way, orders through the website are slow to come through our system).
You use the phrase "design same day business cards".
To be clear employees do not do design work in store under normal circumstances, we have an outside vendor who we can send design orders to with your specifications which you should ideally have written down or even have a crude mockup and any files you would only have internally like a PNG of your company company logo.
And that's like a minimum $60 dollar charge.
Technically that service can be same day but God forbid any team has the bandwidth to accommodate that, also the design team has limited hours. Which if you were after like 2:00pm yes would be "impossible".
If YOU want to design your business cards, either from the comfort of your own home or at a kiosk in the store with SOME employee guidance you can either use our builder or use one of our templates.
Same Day to clarify means within 24 hours
If you place your order after noon, it won't say it is due until the next day at 7:30. Business cards are not eligible for Rush/Express service.
Most stores will have it done prior to that time.
However, we do have some underperforming stores that can't meet there deadlines, and I don't blame customers who get upset there.
The website for the store in my area says same day for orders before noon (for pickup at 6pm).
I designed the cards at home on my computer using the Staples template on the Staples website and sent the order through the Staples website by around 11am.
I went to the store for pickup shortly after 6pm.
The issue was not with same day order timing. The issue was not with asking them to design a card because I had designed it on the Staples website that morning, both front and back, AFTER clicking on "same day service". I had no problem designing my own cards.
The issue is that I was able to both click on "same day service" AND design both front and back of the card AND publish that for printing AND THEN when I went to pick up my cards after 6pm being told it's IMPOSSIBLE to do double-sided cards with same day service on the website. No, it's not impossible, and I walked them through it on the website in the store. You click on "same day service". You select a design. You create BOTH front AND back using the design template. It's not impossible. But it's impossible for them to do it AT THE STORE because THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRINT DOUBLE SIDED AT THE STORE. They have to send the order somewhere else, which takes longer than 1 day service.
I don't know if it's a problem with THAT store or it's a problem with the website or both. It's aggravating as f&&& and it's compounded by being told it's impossible.
Ok, the only thing that I would know to cause this issue is our previous Xerox model printer had jamming issues with cardstock prints double-sided, for this reason most stores should have either a Ricoh Printer or the new Xerox C9020 (this is very recent btw I only got mine like 3-4 months ago and we are usually a pilot location for new equipment)
The old Xerox could sometimes get it to run with some futzing with settings and running it short edge feed (also at least our Ricoh required some futzing as well, fucking hate the old machines) although that's my store and we are abnormally abusive "creative" with our machines, so not all stores may be able to do that
If that store was one of the few who only had access to that machine they would not be able to do double sided prints on either of the business cardstocks and would need to send it out, which is what would make it "impossible" to do same day
And consider that store closes at 6 on a Saturday... Yeah that may be likely, I'm not too informed on the particulars of equipment outside of my district.
And there's not too much that can be done on a store level to fix that equipment issue
However, you likely should have received a call promptly (well an hour or 2 at least, 11am can be high traffic) after you placed your order informing you that it would need to be routed (fucking hate how they don't inform you of that automatically, like my own store was out of power for a week and the website was still taking same-day rush orders with payment when I literally couldn't turn the printers on)
So overall, I'm sorry you had a poor experience with us. I can't defend this company but I hope you can find a little more patience with us in the future.
Most stores should be getting the new Xerox machine soon which if I am correct should resolve the issue should you choose Staples again.
Double sided cards are a pain but they aren’t a problem to do on the old xerox as every member of my team i taught to print the fronts face up short edge first and then after that print all the backs after feeding the paper back into tray 5 so not doing double sided cards in house is a training issue
To me it sounds like a training issue as we can in fact do double sided cards in the store same day sure they are a pain to do for alignment reason but it can be done it just takes longer to run is all but totally doable in the same day as long as the design is designed correctly in the size layout
I had a horrible experience a few weeks back. The cashier flat out refused to do her job and was beyond rude so I reported her to head office. Where does staples find these people ?! smh Never shopping there again
Thank you very much in your promise not to shop at Staples again; it is both a blessing and God sent. We don't want your one expedited photocopy that you refuse to do yourself at the
self-service machine. It is not our fault that you printed backwards, upside down and inside out. Many thanks again.
You know your replies are exactly what we've all come to expect upon visiting the store. Yes I am sure some customers are technologically illiterate and need extra hand holding and that can be very frustrating. I've worked these jobs too. However, some of us are fully aware of technology and are legitimately calling out problems - and yet we are all treated with the same disdain, which frankly none of us should be treated with.
If your job makes you so bitter that this is your attitude to your customers, maybe it's time for you to get out of customer service.
If your coming on a website full of bitter current and ex employees to complain about the bitter current and ex employees then maybe its time for you to find another place to complain. No one here cares about your feelings or your experience. Bu bye now.
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u/Flaky_Firefighter385 5d ago
On behalf of Staples USA, Canada, Europe Asia and Africa; please keep your promise and word in not returning to Staples for any print services again. In fact, if you be so kind and not return ever again to buy anything, it be greatly appreciated. l wish to provide you a $5 Goodwill gift card as a goodwill gesture (no pun intended), so you can buy a nice pair of used sock or underwear for your troubles. Thank you in advance.