Staples the Office Superstore

I love working in EasyTech, it’s awesome and we do quality print services, shop for all your business needs with an online store of over 2 million office and business products to get your business up and going!!!

Very disappointed in the fact that the people working here didn’t know enough about what I needed in order to give the right information on what to buy. I needed a digital AV adapter for my I-​Pad and was steered toward the Google Chromecast Device. It did not work at all like what I was needing even though I had explained exactly what I was looking for to the employee. The one positive, they gave me my money back.

A few weeks ago I walked into the Newport Staples because I was having trouble with my laptop connecting to my Mifi hotspot. I talked with Steve about it briefly, he thought it might be a virus and took a look at it for me. Within just a few minutes he had it fixed and refused any payment, he had to reset something. I don’t know a lot about computers, he could have sold me a virus removal and I would have gladly paid it not knowing any difference. His honesty was appreciated in a less then honest business.

Avoid this store. The fact that an EMPLOYEE has written the ONLY 5-​star review for this Staples should make you really question anything positive about this store.
In particular, the computer salesmen/​techs are utterly garbage. Not helpful, not friendly, dismissive, and rude. I think the worst one’s name was Steve (older guy with white hair). I literally asked him one question, mumbled something incoherent under his voice, walked away from me and ignored me the rest of the time I was in the store. In my life, I have never seen anyone act like this.
The cashier saw how poorly I was being treated and wanted to help me. The cashier asked a different computer salesman if he could help me out (he didn’t ask Steve because apparently he’s rude to coworkers, too), but he was too «busy» browsing on his computer to help. The cashier really wanted to help but he’s «not allowed in the back» (only the salesmen are).

Great service. Competent staff. Much better selection than similar stores in California. More knowledgeable staff than other local stores.

3 ½ stars, really. The place is staffed by people who are eager to help and very friendly.
I’m guessing it’s one of the best places in town to get everyday office supplies, school supplies etc — but this is a pretty small town. Their competition is Walmart (also fairly small here and low on choices,) Fred Meyer, and a big drugstore chain just moving into town. So if you’re looking for the basic stuff in a walk-​in store, they are probably very competitive. They have dozens of kinds of pens, post-​its, and reams of printer paper in a rainbow of colors, and a variety of office machines.
The problem is – the real competition is online, and it’s hard to maintain a competitive edge when online shipping is often free on top of lower, big-​box store prices.
I went in looking for a couple of very specific things — tapes for my labelmaker, and laminating stuff. They carry only 1 of the major brands of label making supplies + their own brand — and it’s not Epson. Epson seems to have finally busted the glut of second rate inkjet printers and labelmakers by offering machines that don’t eat paper or steal/​hide ink — and while Staples carries Espon stuff online (at full retail price) — not in this smaller brick and mortar store.
As for laminating supplies and machines, the gentleman first offered his opinion that laminating would cost about $ 1 per page whether it was done with a home office machine or done there at Staples by their service. WTF? I’d already done my research online and knew the cost going in – and it isn’t $ 1 per page. The variables for pouch laminating are size/​format to be laminated, thickness of the laminating material, surface of the laminating film (matte, gloss, satin, textured…,) and hot or cold press laminating. And it doesn’t cost $ 1-​each to laminate the wide spectrum from business cards, index cards, menu pages, window signage, to photos of all sizes.
He was just leading with their service. And if it had been their service I was interested in, I would have gone to their service counter rather than the shelves of supplies. That’s not really such a big deal — he just misread the situation. Sales people often assume that customers haven’t done their homework when they walk into a store — and are there to be sold rather than to buy. I’m just not one of those people. I don’t want the pitch — I just want the data. I wanted to see the various machine brands and their output.
But this store only had 1 of the major brands, and only gloss laminating material.
So 0 for 2.
But I will probably go back when I need stick pens, push pins, printer paper, 3-​ring binders, or staples.