Staples

Thank god I stumbled on this article [PC World]. So refreshingly frank and honest. I used to work for Staples and they were just as bad. No WORSE. Ok, perhaps Staples are not the first place you'd look to for IT ept.

However, they offer themselves as an office supply chain which not only includes office furniture but also paper, stationery, and of course IT (PC's, laptops, printers, software, etc.)

The level of training was lamentable!!! I remember when I first started. I and another chap, who had the better judgment to seek alternative employment, watched a 2hr video on stock security. THAT constituted initial training.

Ongoing training consisted of using an online system called "insight-u training". A poor, substandard system, it consisted of ticking boxes to simple answers, then getting a "certificate" which was proudly placed on the canteen wall along with other "successful" completees (not a real word, but did not know what else to use;-)

This "training" was open to abuse as members of staff could help one another with the answers. And Staples had the damn cheek to suggest you could complete the training on your own PC, at home in your own time....!!!

The fact you mention poor staff knowledge at PC World is interesting. At Staples, it has to be worse!!!!

I remember once, the inept deputy manager, of all people, was attempting to sell a customer a laptop. She informed him that the laptop did not have a CD-RW but that he could back up using a flash memory / thumb drive. Guess what? She had to be informed by a team leader that it did have a CD-RW. Not only could a she have been lost, it shows how much value Staples places on training and product knowledge.

Another example, I would often hear "this laptop or PC has 256Mb of RAM, but you can increase it easily upgrade it using a flash memory drive....sheeesh!!! If this was Windows Vista, this would be half right, but these machines ran Windows XP....!!!

All Staples wanted was not your IT knowledge or experience, nor even your sales experience, both of which I have several years of. No. What they wanted was for you to shove overpriced warranties down people's throats.

Laughably, during my initial interview, the temporary manager told me that "Staples do not sell warranties like PC World and Dixon's do."

HA!!!!! Six months later? They started selling warranties. Easy money I guess.

I ended up telling customers to shop elsewhere! I would often recommend various independent online retailers, of which I knew many. I recommended one well known Manchester based online retailer to one chap looking for a 19" TFT display. A month or so later in Staples, he pats me on the back and thanks me for the referral as he got his display considerably cheaper than he would have done at Staples.

A funny story is attached to this:

A new lad had started at Staples. I was told to help find his way around and was also told to "let him listen to what you say to customers".

I replied "what, even when I tell them to shop elsewhere?" How everyone in the room laughed! If only they knew!!

The only good thing about working at Staples was helping customers with IT issues. The Manager did not like this too much as he wanted me to concentrate more on pushing warranties. I refused to play ball.

Especially as they did illegal things reducing my (and others) hours without any notice. This was breaking the terms of my employment contract. Very much illegal.

Health and safety was a bloody joke. Despite working on the business machines section, I was often selling furniture too. Having to lift flat pack furniture weighing up to 40Kg is no joke. Especially as staff were not shown how to lift heavy objects.

A health and safety poster is supposed to be displayed in business premises, right? Well, when I was there at least, not one was on display in Staples' premises. The irony: Staples sells H&S posters!!!!

Take Windows Vista. The manager and deputy manager were waxing lyrical about Vista, saying how they went on training courses, learning about the new OS. Fine. However, how come other staff members were not given the same training especially as we were tasked with selling it. I had more knowledge about Vista (which I do use by the way) myself simply by doing my own research.

I got sacked from Staples. I see this as a blessing as I did not want to get sucked into this depressing, faceless, money-grubbing and cheapskate company. I'll be able to spend more time setting up my own business.

Ian

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