Staples Copy & Print: Fail. (Credit: Lauren)
To date, I've had a great experience @ this Staples since relocating from South Orange County. In the office supply business, Staple is number one in the game & from my experience, I'd have to agree. I have been to this particular location numerous times, purchasing a four drawer filing cabinet, office supplies, to cases of paper & the service has always been great but today... Well, just let me say, "WTH?!"
I have worked in the copy/print industry for 15 plus years, ranging from Kinkos, now FedEx Office to Office Max Impress. Currently, I mostly work w/offset printers but on occasion use the local copy shops for client proofs or small runs.
Today, I sent over a very simple job, basic PDF file, full color, single sided, legal, 24# laser paper, 3 prints... 'Easy enough. (The only question one would have when printing a PDF file is "Fit to print," or "Print @ actual size," which in this case was of no consequence. Easy pah'cheesy, right?!... Wrong. (Insert buzzer sound here)
As I picked up the job, the file was cropped off, leaving about 2" of white space on each side of the 8 1/2" x 14" print out. This is not what I wanted to show to my client... After all, the file was set up correctly & should've have printed about 1/8" from the edge, all around. (Copiers can not produce a full bleed due to the equipment's limitations. The only way to achieve a full bleed would require printing on ledger, 11" x 17", then trimming back to the image.)
Full bleed: When the image prints to the very edge of the paper.
I asked Kayla about my file not printing correctly which is when Lauren interjected. Now, I do appreciate the very proactive approach versus everyone just standing around with their hands in their aprons.... 'BUT if you're going to give me an answer, have one that isn't full of crap. (Did I mention that I have a bit of background in copy & print?) Lauren insisted that it was my file that was incorrectly set up... 'That's funny, as I just printed the SAME FILE the previous day @ FedEx Office & it printed perfectly This was my first time working with the Staple's Copy Center since moving to the area, I sent the same file on the same day to FedEx Office just across the street... I wanted to compare the two shops & experience. Fail.
'Not everyone is going to have all the answers BUT you're first default reply shouldn't be to blame the client with the "It's YOUR fault," answer. I felt like I was on the set of the Chapelle Show doing POP Copy - Part Deux... 'And that's not the best part, the kicker was that Lauren DID NOT KNOW what Adobe Acrobat was?! "What?!!" Really?! It makes me wonder on how anything ever gets printed with her manning the queue... "Ouch, painful."
Here's someone that by my guess wasted a decent amount of time & paper printing something that should've just took one shot... 'If Staples sold scrap paper or pads of "bunk," then Lauren's position might be justified. I eventually made my way behind the counter, the proper tray was selected BUT not the correct paper set up. So, the file was printing on legal paper but not as 8 1/2" x 14" but rather letter, 8 1/2" x 11". Like I said earlier, stuff happens, not everyone has all the answers BUT don't have a smug, I am the queen of copiers attitude when you have no damn clue what the hell you are doing... It's that simple. If she had taken a moment to get off her high chair, put down her "baba," & wear her big girl pants, it would've been no worries... 'BUT instead, she wanted to argue with me about something, unfortunately for her that I had a bit of a clue about. Go figure.
Attention Lauren: 'Not everyone that walks into your shop is oblivious to the copy/print process... 'Take note & don't be an @ss/bully with your clientele when YOU could possibly be wrong or mistaken. (You may actually have repeat business.)
Kayla, the young lady who was ringing up my job was great. When I initially inquired about the mistake, she had no attitude, no problems... 'However, Lauren is a different matter. 'As a former Fedex Office Asst Manager, please tell me she's NOT your lead?... How can you have someone leading the team if she does not even know what Adobe Acrobat is?... 'Let alone, how to pull up the "rulers," in the application?... (Sigh)
After leaving Staples, I zipped across the street to FedEx Office to pick up the exact same job. (Well, I had requested 32# laser paper vs. 24#.) 'And it was done exactly as it should've been... In fact, FedEx Office was out of 32# legal, so it was ran on 32# ledger them trimmed back to 8 1/2" x 14", resulting in a full bleed.
In summary:
1. Self-serve copiers do not have USB ports for flash drives; bummer 8/
2. Lauren has no business being in the copy/print department
I gave Staples Copy & Print Center a fair shot, hoping for the best on something as basic as one file, full color, three simple outputs only to be fantastically disappointed.
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