I Love My Job at Staples

Staples

Remember when I said " I believe the stars in the Universe aligned perfectly from this point on. I found peace. As weird as it may be. Things are just in perfect alignment."  This is true for my job too.

I so have enjoyed working as a Cashier at Staples. I enjoyed the interaction with Customers. As we all tell the Associates, if it wasn't for customers, we wouldn't have a job.

When I started back, I put it in my mind that I would do my very best to keep a positive attitude at work every day. I am smiling all the time. I work as hard as my body will allow me to work.

My GM has noticed my hard work, and so has the rest of the management staff. So much that they have made me the MOD (Manager on Duty). My GM wrote the DM and asked that I get a raise since I was doing such a great job. I did receive it. I was so happy.

I have also received Employee of the month, 2 times since I have been back. I try to get it every month.

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 I do what the Company wants. What they want from us is simple really. Capture Rewards on the register. Sign up new Reward Members, and do Digital Receipts ( Receipts sent to your email address) My rewards penetration (capturing Rewards on the register) the other day was 86%. Trust me this is no easy task. I was the highest in the store for that day.





Love the Management staff. 

Our GM is a sweet but stern person. She is very pretty too. She has a smile that will take your breath away. She is the hardest working person I know. She is always working.  One of the associates asked if she was Married. We all laughed at him and said yes. She is married to this store. She normally is there between 8-14 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week. She is a Micro - Manager. She often says over the radio "I'll be quite now" Meaning she was putting her two cents worth in, then to find out her staff knew what they was doing. She will tell the managers that she needs to leave the store at a certain time. So we all remind her when her time is near. She often says "I got to much to do" We then say you need to go. It's really hard for her to leave. I know she is truly stressed out. But she needs to realize that we can handle it and do the job.





Our AM is the bestest manager. She is sweet and kind, she gets the job done. There is so much to do and she all ways pulls through. She is one of a kind. I consider her a true friend. She even goes to the gay bar with me. actually she will call me and say meet me at.... She has been with the company for many years. She knows her stuff. When she became a manager, she never worked in the copy center. She now has learned so much that I believe she could actually work an entire shift and do just fine.

Our SM is the cool manager. He and I have so much in common. If he wasn't straight and Married. I would have to ask him out. lol We work well together. He used to be the copy center manager. He likes to have fun at work. He is always in a good mood. Love hate relationship is what we have. I told him the other day that you know we spend more time together than you and your wife does. He laughed and said we do. I often tease him and say Honey I need.



Our management staff recently started having contest. So far I have won three of them.


Co-Workers

You know there are some you like and one you t-r-y to like. When I walk in the store I am always greeted by the cashiers and the tech department. They are all so friendly. I flirt with a couple of the guys. Funny part about it they like it. One of them told me, even though he is straight, he said " A compliment is a compliment, doesn't matter who it comes from."


The Copy and Print Center?!?!!

The copy center was struggling. One of the Associates in the copy center was stealing from the company. We couldn't prove it, but when he quit the company, the theft stopped. When he left that left a void in the copy center. Guess who they picked to work in his place?

I was not happy at all that I was back in the copy center. I wanted out. I felt like it was a negative place to be. Most customers are just wrong. They want it now attitude. I started to hate to go into work again. I felt trapped. I begged to be taken out. My boss sat me down and said " We all have to do things we don't want to do" She was right. I had to change my most inter feelings and complete mind set. It took me over a month to achieve this. But I did it and now I enjoy working in the Copy Center.

After I regained myself and started to enjoy it, one of my co-worker said "I am done" and she put her two weeks notice in. That added stress to us that was in the copy center. Right after that, another Associate put his two weeks notice in. Now we have to train two new people. My GM hired two new people. They are just not up to speed and its been over 4 months now. I don't think they will ever be up to speed. They both have worked in a copy center before, but they can't seem to grasp the true meaning of Staples Copy Center Guidelines.

I went to my boss with an idea. I sat her down (which is crazy hard if you know her) I said here is an offer for you. Let me work all the night shifts, kinda of  like a night shift supervisor. She said "the copy center doesn't make enough to pay you as a supervisor" I said yeah I know, but if I work the night side, then you will know everything will be ok. She actually liked the idea and said ok we will do it.

The management staff uses me for night MOD. When they need a break, or when they are with a customer and cannot be in two places at once. I like the responsibility with this.


Copy and Print Customers

Copy and Print Customers are like a box of chocolates. You never know.....

Copy and Print customers are different than working in the rest of the store. Most are in a major hurry, they need it now. We try to accommodate everyone.

Here are conversations.....

*** Before I lived in a tent, I met this customer, his name is Larry. Every time I saw him, I squinted my eyes. Larry always rubbed me the wrong way. Now that I am back, in the store and now in the Copy Center. I am a changed man, happy and bouncy.  When Larry comes in now, we are like pals. I enjoy talking to him. He is full of knowledge about real estate. He is a speaker and has classes all over the United States Go check him out. (click his name) Larry Harbolt.

*** One customer came in, I had not seen her since I have been back. I said hi how have you been, hadn't seen you in a while. and I even smiled at her. She looked at me and said what are you in a bad mood again? I said umm no!?!  I was completely shocked and confused with that question. After I got her order done, and rang it up on the register, my SM walks over. He was stocking a shelf near by. The customer pays, I give her change and receipt.  The customer says "next time I am going to complain about the bad service you have here!! So that I can get a discount."  Again I am standing in shock. She goes on and says "I will never come back here. Give me a discount!!" Again I just stand there. My SM was done with the stocking but stayed close by just to see what happens next. She turns and heads for the door, on the way out she said "See you next week"  I looked at my SM and said WTF just happened. He shrugged and walked away.

*** Had one customer that got so angry at me. He sneezed. and I said bless you. He flipped his lid and said I am an atheist if you are going to say anything say you curse me. I had that umm what look on my face.

*** I have one customer that comes in and gives me a hug. She is so sweet. :)

Customer's Car

*** One of my customers is a school teacher. We have built a strong relationship. She will come in when I am not there just to find out my schedule for the week. So that she can come back and work with just me. I joke with her. One time she pulled up in the parking lot. I ran to the front door where there is a sign, I squatted down, and waited. I heard her talking with her cousin. As soon as she came around, I jumped up and said got ya. She screamed. I laughed so loud. She ended up hitting me. I laughed even harder.

*** One of my customers came in and decided to tell me his life story. I said I got you beat and told him mine. He was tearing up. I said you know the main thing in life is no negative, stay positive at all times. Life if just to short for anything else. He agreed.

Customers Compliments 

Staples likes to hear from the customers. They give out surveys. Its random, it prints at the bottom of the receipt. When I see this, I write my name on it. I tell the customer that they have been chosen, to do a survey. My name is Allen, if you could please do this survey and mention my name in the comment section, my manager will see this and tell me about it. Good or bad. It's a way for us to be better trained to serve you.

Here is one that I have received.

*** Overall Satisfaction Comment
How quickly i was attended by allen and what a great attitude he had while working. He also worked at a fast pace that i was very glad with.
Any Thing Else
Mr. Allen is one of the best workers you guys have as he is always working quickly and has a great attitude. He makes the printing experience quick. He never has a bad attitude and always attends you as soon as possible. Every time I go there to print I leave a satisfied customer.