The Retail Worker’s Perspective
AKA “Hello, I Am Your Friendly Neighborhood Copy Centre Associate, Not Your Slave”. Here are some things to consider the next time you head out to Staples, or another similar business to get some photocopying done.
I work in a Staples Copy Centre. I can do black & white and color. I can also laminate, bind, staple, 3-hole punch, fold, make stamps and just about anything else that is related. I understand that alot of people can not identify with the job of a CCA (Copy Centre Associate), because its a combination of waitress and cashier. I wait on you and then you pay (hopefully). Need copies? Here are some rules to follow and things to avoid:
1. If you come to me 30 minutes before we close and need 10,000 fliers printed, its not going to happen. Please don’t try to convince me otherwise. A machine can print 60 copies a minute. There are 60 minutes in an hour. 60×60=3,600 copies an hour. So as you can see, it will take almost 3 hours of non-stop copying to do that.
2. When I make a mistake, I pay for it. If you told me to make the copies 2 sided and I did not, I will apologize and correct the problem. You will not be charged for my mistake. However, if you did not read the directions on the machine where it says “place document in upper left hand corner–press start” and you put the document in the upper right hand corner and press start…Well, you will pay for those copies and I reserve the right to swear at you inside my head.
3. Maybe you just need 5 quick copies. Easy, in and out. So why on earth do you and 6 of your friends all need to pile out of the car and come in? You all get out, come in, watch me make the copies, and then 30 seconds later you all leave the store. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, I just have never understood the point.
4. If you don’t understand how to use the self serve machines–ASK. That’s what I am here for: to help. Why waste 5 minutes of your time staring at the machine like its some foreign object? To go along with item # 2, if you stand there and put your 50 pages in the auto feed face down (when it reads in big bold letters FACE UP) I will again call you a name in my head and make you pay for them.
5. I get it, you need your copies and you need them quick. Like I said earlier, the machine only goes so fast. When I tell you the job will take about an hour, that is your cue to go get some coffee or do another errand and come back. When you proceed to stand at the counter and stare at me the whole time, you are not helping. Your not mind tricking the machine into going any faster. The only thing you are doing is stressing me out. I will strongly consider ripping you off if you do this (although I never do).
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Post Commentlilymom
On December 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I can tell that you have had your share of customers that are hard to deal with. Thank you for the list and also for adding a bit of humor to it. It made me laugh.
Lost in Arizona
On December 4, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Lol! Ah I remember those days well, only I was working as a grunt in an office making copies for everyone who were to lazy to do it themselves. My favorite was always having to make hundreds of copies of something within only a limited amount of time. How I wanted to shove those copies up their you know what!
Joanna McKay
On December 6, 2008 at 6:33 am
ROTFL…. i’ve worked in customer service… and boy is it true…
J J Neuman
On December 6, 2008 at 9:04 am
good advice, humorous, good artical
John McDonnell
On December 6, 2008 at 12:47 pm
This is funny, but so true. My first job out of college was working in a bank’s management training program, which meant that I spent time as a bank teller. I got to see a lot of bizarre, rude, and just plain stupid behavior from customers at my window. Anybody who works with customers in a retail setting can tell you the same stories. People make outrageous demands, say stupid things, act selfishly. When I was a teller the bank made us wear big buttons with the word “Free” in red letters, to advertise their free checking accounts. I can’t tell you how many idiots came in and asked the female tellers if they were really “free” (wink, wink). People who work in these jobs are underpaid and overworked, so please, customers, treat them with respect. Good article!
H
On December 8, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I work in a Staples Copy Centre too. All this is so VERY true! Awesome article!!
)
Spencer Hawken
On December 28, 2008 at 1:23 am
I laughed at your last one, those sheep infactuations will be the end of us all ;o)