Comments on: Source: Office Depot Associates Routinely Lie about Notebook Stock

By: Od employee

Od employee — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:40:25 +0000

If anyone ever comes across this b.s. and really thinks its true, it’s because it is! We’re so scared to lose our jobs in this country it’ll only get worse, besides auto mechanics have been doing this for years, need an oil change, your spark plugs are going suddenly.
If you don’t like beig offered a plan or think upselling is annoying?
BUY IT ONLINE AND STOP RUINING OUR SALES!
P.s. my last job was at blockbuster, you people had no problem jumping aboard the Netflix and other streaming services putting 100,000 people out of jobs. Don’t worry the Internet or some robot will take your job too one day, you’re not special. You’re just needed a little more than we are…for now. As soon as I hear about a new way to do something, that doesn’t involve humans, I’m there…just hoping its one of your jobs that is taken like mine.

By: Current Employee

Current Employee — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:25:47 +0000

I currently work at Office Depot as a sales associate in Tech Depot, and what this article says is pretty true. Store associates are held to a certain attachment value per day for the entire store. So all associates who sell things that get plans all add up together. When someone isn’t selling plans on things, they do get talked to by management, though I have seen that this talking to does actually usually help (Our store now has an inter-associate policy: We announce when we’re getting a plan on something. If it’s not announced, or the customer doesn’t come up to the register with a brochure with an associate’s ID in there, it’s free game for the cashier to get it.)

I’m lucky in that I’ve never, ever had to lie to a customer about stock, and possibly even luckier that I’ve never had management tell me up straight to lie. I don’t doubt that it happens, though. Our store hasn’t made commission in months, and the last one was just 5%. So I guess the good guys do come in last.

I will say this, the best route to find out if it’s actually in stock is the computers. Please, PLEASE don’t lie to us. It just turns the day into a downer – even moreso than just saying ‘no’ initially. While normal stock (paper, pencils and such) is usually off due to theft, computers usually have less of an error. Sure, there will be some issues, but if you see a ’5′ in the system saying it’s in stock, it is.

By: An OMAX employee

An OMAX employee — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:45:39 +0000

I have never seen this happen during my time at OfficeMax. Yes, I personally, and the store as a whole, are held to account for attachments, particularly to technology items. However, ethics are stressed constantly on both the corporate and store level, not only to build the trust of our customers but because we want to do what is right, and we know that is the way to genuine success. Reading these comments, maybe that is part of why CompUSA and Circuit City are no longer around to compete with us. I’ll be honest — I hate to sell a laptop without anything attached and sometimes I cruse under my breath when I get it out of lockup — but I always get it out, if it is there. I am glad I work for a decent company and a decent manager that wouldn’t tolerate anything else

By: Common2cents

Common2cents — Fri, 06 May 2011 07:34:53 +0000

Working as a tech, now, with OD, I must say that in an area with numerous OD stores, the tactics to preserve market basket percentages and overall attachment numbers have evolved over the last few years. Now, stores will force PPP’s on customers through pushy sales tactics and tell the customer to just return the PPP if they still do not want it in a few days. When they attempt to return the item, the store will inform the customer that they do not accept returns at their location and will claim that returns are only allowed at one of the other locations in town. This became known to myself and fellow co-workers after another store, which had been doing particularly well, was discovered to have been perpetrating such actions. After about $1500 in returns from a particular store, within a matter of days, we finally encountered a customer who was curious as to why our store was the only store (out of the 5 local locations) that accepted returns. We found out shortly after that this was not the first time the particular store had lied about where PPP’s could or couldn’t be returned.

After “solving” this issue, the particular store began to utilizes a new tactic. If the customer is not interested in purchasing attachments, they will become incredibly pushy and rude in an attempt to drive the customer out of the store. This results in the customer going to a different OD location, where they end up driving the other stores numbers into the ground. If a customer encounters this situation, the best thing to do is to demand the laptop and refuse to speak to the pushy associate any longer. That way they punish the employee for their lack of professionalism and scrupulous nature. If a customer wants to really get back at them, go to a different store, buy a laptop with the plan the associate at the other store was attempting to push on them and then return the PPP to the store which mistreated you.

At one point, our store was required to undergo special training, because our PPP and market basket numbers were too low. So, they sent the pride of the company. His store always achieves the maximum percentage for attachment payouts, which is supposedly because of how great of a salesman he is and how well he trains his staff. When our training began, he proceeded to engage in a sequence of role-playing scenarios in which a Utopian type of interaction occurs between himself and his protege (associate from another superstar store.) After carrying on about how every interaction with a customer will just as fruitful as his mock scenario, so long as the associate does their job properly, he proceeded to demonstrate on a newly arrived customer. Of course, he picks out an old, naive woman. He then sells her a computer that is completely over-the-top (3 core phenom – enough said) as well as a $120 service a PPP (I don’t recall the price, but in convincing her to purchase the ridiculously over-priced PC he then caused the PPP to be significantly more expensive) and a year subscription to our tech depot services, which will get rid of any viruses she may encounter. Funny thing is, the woman did not have internet, nor did she want to get internet, and she didn’t plan on taking the laptop anywhere to access the internet. He, however, convinced her that she needed virus protection and additional services in case she somehow contracted a virus.

Please forgive any typos; I don’t feel like like doing any proofing.

By: I hate my job at OD

I hate my job at OD — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:13:09 +0000

I hate Office Depot!!! I work here currently and i hate my job and the department manager in the copy and print counter… when she closes she makes me do her closing duties and bitches if she has to do something her self even if it is 10 feet away from her…her name is Amy Baysinger and she works at Office Depot in Webster, Texas! the store number is 2796!!! So if you go in there and see her then kick her in her nasty ugly cunt…. i hope Amy Baysinger sees this and goes home crying…lol

By: David

David — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:18:11 +0000

I currently work at Office Depot, and this article is true. It does just depend on the salesman who sells the pc to you. If it is a shady cat, then you will be lied to. About the kid who was talking about how they marked down the floor model for him to get the plan, this is just a tactic they use. If you buy a display model, then it is on clearance, and you automatically get 10% off. If the product was used as a display, you get 10% off no matter what, it is our policy. The tactic they use is, if you get a plan or service with this, I can knock 10% off this computer. Sort of shady, but not dishonest. He can knock 10% off regardless. This is why I have told my manager many of times that I want to stay in supplies. You don’t get paid as much, but you also don’t have to be so shistey. This is why commission is a bad idea, and most stores have done away with it.

By: former ODA

former ODA — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:51:12 +0000

It is very true but not limited to just laptops. Even in copy and print, which is not a ‘sales’ position (as we didnt make commission), would have to up sell chair mats if a customer was buying a char or be faced with warnings/firings. I eventually quit because of this and left copy and print the same day i made a 2000 dollar sale.

By: WitnessNthDegree

WitnessNthDegree — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:09:58 +0000

Yes, they lie and encourage associates to lie. I work there, but my numbers are not high because I refuse to try to sell things dishonestly to customers especially some of the tech services that aren’t needed. PPPs are offered, I explain what the brochure says they should cover although I’ve been given a script that sounds dishonest. I try to veer as far away from that script as possible and let the customers see the book upfront if they inquire. They get a copy of what the warranty covers, but some are too quick to just some lying associates’ word on the PPP quality instead of reading the book with the contract number used to register the product under the warranty. A lot of smart customers figure out with reading the standard extended warranty information that the PPP is useless or that the PC will be outdated anyway within 2 yrs. Laptops are becoming very disposable these days. I would not buy the PPPs unless it’s some cheap product like a calculator or router with the plan like $22 or less. The place I would is very unethical and a very toxic workplace in terms of stress and how things are run. Turnover is extremely high. If the employees didn’t need a job, they would be gone and some quit inspite of needing the job.

By: Harley Gal

Harley Gal — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:07:22 +0000

I would like to tell EVERYONE out there that reads this…..DO NOT EVER BUY A COMPUTER OR PRINTER from Office Depot and DO NOT PURCHASE an extended warranty. The computer I purchased came with a 1 yr. warranty but the 2 yr. extended warranty I purchased for $119.99 the same day also started that same day. This is FRAUD! And Office Depot are THIEVES! Unfornately, my computer broke. Called to see how do I go about getting it fixed. They directed to their other FRAUDULENT company based in Louisiana Barrister Global Services! Right off the get go they said I physically damaged my computer and my case was closed! What tha hell? After arguing with them for 3 weeks, they finally send a tech out and he determines that my tower did malfunction and needed repairs. 2 weeks later my parts finally arrived and the tech installed them. But………but………my computer is still not right. According to Barrister and Office Depot, they only have to install hard or software. It’s up to me to fix any other propblems!!!!!! I said NO! Absolutely NOT! YOU guys are to fix my computer back to the way it was the day I bought it from the store. They said nope. I have now filed a complaint with BBB in Fort Worth, Tx. and Louisiana against Barrister. I have also contacted Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, and my local news stations. If they choose not to fix my computer, then I choose to exploit them so the public will have knowledge of these thieves.

By: alan

alan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:21:14 +0000

about two years ago got a rewards card from Office Depot. filled out their form, got their card and made purchases.
some time later turned in about ten used ink cartridges for credit giving them my card number at the time.

time goes on. on 5/5/10 turned in sixteen more cartridges. having heard nothing of credit for returns or purchases contacted O.D. cust. ser. and was told that I had just authorized my account early in July and that nothing was credited to my account until I had done so over the interned (which I had to do to access my account). After several minutes on the phone the rep. did find the 5/5/10 cartridge returns and said that they would be credited to my account.

today my account shows zero! called cust. serv. again and was told that until I made a purchase equalling or exceedin the returns, my account would remain zero.

I have several of these reward-type cards in my wallet and they all (except O.D.) start as soon as you get the card having filled out the form in the store.

why doesn’t O.D. operate this way and why don’t they tell you about it?

answer. they keep the money!