I had so many problems with the store when trying to purchase a new laptop. It all started the morning I was going to purchase the laptop when I called to reserve one of the laptops for purchase later on. I was on hold for over fifteen minutes of a phone call that lasted over twenty minutes. I was told by an employee that I couldn't get an item reserved, so I asked to speak to the manager, and I was told the same thing. He offered to hold it if I bought it online, but I could not buy online because I didn't and still don't have a credit/debit card. I told him this, and he said that reserving a laptop for me couldn't be done then, even though I was going to be in the store later on to buy it. I made it clear to him that I would be there after work, but he said he couldn't reserve it for me. I was working when I called, so the long phone call was something that I was not prepared for either.
A few hours later, I went onto the website and went into a live chat from the Live Chat feature they offer. However, the person who was "helping" me did not help at all. He seemed to have been translating the conversation because their responses did not match up as responses to my questions, which confused me. In the end, he gave me the phone numbers of other nearby locations, which I could've gotten myself much faster while at work, and told me I could call them and ask if they reserve products. When I expressed that I wasn't about to call because I didn't want to wait on hold for so long for each store only to be turned down, he ignored that and asked if he could help with anything else.
Two hours later I was finally home from work. My sister was going to take me to the store to buy the laptop, but before leaving I called to see if they actually had the laptop in stock still. When I was informed there were several left still, I asked if it could be put on hold, and the employee said he could reserve it. I asked again to make sure we both heard each other right, and he confirmed he could reserve it and took my name. After the phone call from the morning, it made me mad.
When I got to the store, I looked around the front area for a few minutes before being helped. Nobody came out to see if I needed anything until I was just standing around dumbly for a few minutes. I waited another few minutes for them to bring it out. Once it came to be time to buy it, the cashier checked out the two $1.99 videogames I was purchasing, then the laptop. He scanned the coupon I had and it worked fine. When I was handing money over, I counted my money out in groups of 100's, all in 20's. I had already given him the $200, then handed over two more twenties and a ten to bring the bill past the $240 I needed. However, when he counted my money, he counted it wrong. I told him to recount it, and he counted it wrong again. He insisted that he had counted correctly. Then he asked me sarcastically if I wanted to count it, I said yes. That time, he counted slowly and put down each bill onto the counter. I saw he almost put two down at the same time and corrected him. Sure enough I had been right, and he had miscounted and had given me an attitude when I asked him to recount. He didn't even apologize for the mistake.
The store clearly didn't have their policies properly explained to all their employees, their employees needed an attitude check, and they have caused me more problems than solutions.
Also, just as a note to the feel of the store's inside, it felt dingy and dirty and looked old from the outside and inside. It surprised me since the area is generally well-kept.
I did get a call from the manager (the higher-up one, not the first one) and explained the issues I had in detail, and I must say he was very nice about it all. I gave him the number of the employee who checked me out and told him a manager told me I couldn't get it reserved. He offered me discounts for things such like a separate hard drive or a mouse or any gear for the laptop I needed, but I didn't need any. I asked if I could get a gift card for my problems. He couldn't get me one, but a coupon that gives me $5 of a $5 purchase or more.
One side note, I have been exchanging E-mails with someone who's contacted me because I sent a complaint to their site and the lady that's been messaging me has been rude for the most part. I haven't heard from her in over 24 hours, so I assume she's dropped the conversation.
I understand I'm only 17 and not technically an adult, but I felt like I was being treated like a child rather than an adult. I shouldn't feel like I'm being treated as such when buying such a high-ticket item.
Overall, I recommend taking your business to any other office store and avoiding all Staples stores that you can, especially if you're under 18 and want to be treated as an adult. The service I've gotten from inside the store and online has been bad, and I wouldn't go out of my way to go to Staples again. read more
