Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Office Supply Store Rip-Offs.
When is a sale not really a sale?
When the retailer is miserly cheap about it, and hides it in fine print.
Case example: I went to Staples, hoping to get a good deal on some disposable mechanical pencils. My spouse told me that (at the time of this writing,) the local Staples had packages of disposable mechanical pencils for 25 cents each in Staples’ back to school sale.
Since my children really love to use them at school, and they go through several of them every year, I picked up eight packages. I get to the register and my total comes to $16 and some odd cents.
W.T.F. ?
The cashier told me there is a limit of two per customer. Like, really, can’t I read? It’s on the sign at the display. I checked the sign. The disclaimer was printed in type smaller than a rat’s ass. Oh, I see. That’s makes it all nice, tidy, and legal.
First off, it’s not any kind of bargain worth wasting my gas coming to the store if I can only get two measly packages. Second, hiding things in fine print might be legal, but it sure as hell is not good customer service. Treat people like fools in that manner, and you can kiss customers goodbye.
That’s not the half of it. I desperately needed an ink refill for my printer. I have a super important project due. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the computer printer industry has undergone heavy consolidation lately, and most retailers only carry Canon, Lexmark, and HP. Not only that, but you can’t buy generic ink refills any more – the major brands have been cutting deals to chase the generics out of the market.
I simply refuse to pay the over-inflated prices of name brand ink. That’s like paying $500 for an alternator at a dealer when you can buy a re-built one for $89 at the auto parts store. It’s monopolistic restraint of trade, and retail piracy. I don’t stand for it.
So, the store person had to explain to me why I had to pay a king’s ransom for my ink. He did so with obvious disdain. What rock have I been hiding under? Why can’t I see the “obvious” advantages of genuine HP ink?
Even if I had the money they wanted for it, they didn’t even have the right cartridge I needed. So guess what? I gave the arrogant, computer nerd punk ass clerk a good “fuck you” in my mind, and I went to Wal Mart. They had plenty on hand of everything I needed and at a lower price. I mean, like right out of a cheesy customer testimonial on a commercial.
I absolutely hate both Staples and OfficeMax for just these reasons. Arrogant clerks and mis-leading advertising. Fuck that.
When the retailer is miserly cheap about it, and hides it in fine print.
Case example: I went to Staples, hoping to get a good deal on some disposable mechanical pencils. My spouse told me that (at the time of this writing,) the local Staples had packages of disposable mechanical pencils for 25 cents each in Staples’ back to school sale.
Since my children really love to use them at school, and they go through several of them every year, I picked up eight packages. I get to the register and my total comes to $16 and some odd cents.
W.T.F. ?
The cashier told me there is a limit of two per customer. Like, really, can’t I read? It’s on the sign at the display. I checked the sign. The disclaimer was printed in type smaller than a rat’s ass. Oh, I see. That’s makes it all nice, tidy, and legal.
First off, it’s not any kind of bargain worth wasting my gas coming to the store if I can only get two measly packages. Second, hiding things in fine print might be legal, but it sure as hell is not good customer service. Treat people like fools in that manner, and you can kiss customers goodbye.
That’s not the half of it. I desperately needed an ink refill for my printer. I have a super important project due. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the computer printer industry has undergone heavy consolidation lately, and most retailers only carry Canon, Lexmark, and HP. Not only that, but you can’t buy generic ink refills any more – the major brands have been cutting deals to chase the generics out of the market.
I simply refuse to pay the over-inflated prices of name brand ink. That’s like paying $500 for an alternator at a dealer when you can buy a re-built one for $89 at the auto parts store. It’s monopolistic restraint of trade, and retail piracy. I don’t stand for it.
So, the store person had to explain to me why I had to pay a king’s ransom for my ink. He did so with obvious disdain. What rock have I been hiding under? Why can’t I see the “obvious” advantages of genuine HP ink?
Even if I had the money they wanted for it, they didn’t even have the right cartridge I needed. So guess what? I gave the arrogant, computer nerd punk ass clerk a good “fuck you” in my mind, and I went to Wal Mart. They had plenty on hand of everything I needed and at a lower price. I mean, like right out of a cheesy customer testimonial on a commercial.
I absolutely hate both Staples and OfficeMax for just these reasons. Arrogant clerks and mis-leading advertising. Fuck that.
Put My Cheese Back, and F* off.
Sacred Cows and Finely Ground Beef.
You know the old saying about sacred cows – they make great hamburgers.
Yesterday I was browsing through the business section of my favorite book store. I saw several copies that old ivory tower management fad hack piece, “Who Moved My Cheese?” That’s the book which says we must always change, whether we need it or not:
• It says management should always cram change down people’s throats, whether they want it or not.
• It says that people who resist change are stupid, incompetent, stubborn morons and they should always feel guilty for resisting change.
• It says that people who resist change are disloyal to their company, and are worse that kitten-stomping axe murderers.
• It says we should never question management whenever they demand change, but instead we should always suspend our reason and common sense.
• We should just simply accept the word of management when they introduce change.
• When it becomes obvious the change is a bad disaster, we must suspend our reason again and ignore all evidence against the change.
• It says that all change is good, and there is no such thing as change that is badly planned and poorly executed.
• It says we should ignore all examples in history where bad change led to bad results, destroying businesses, governments, and entire populations. (Hitler, Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and New Coke come to mind.)
If there is one “silver bullet” management fad that I absolutely HATE, its “change worship.” The one thing I hate worse than “change worship,” is people who are change “worshipers.” These are the people who take their brains out of their head and leave them at the door when they go to work in the morning.
I’m thinking of writing a book, and calling it “Put My Freakin Cheese Back, or You’ll Loose Your Arm.”
You know the old saying about sacred cows – they make great hamburgers.
Yesterday I was browsing through the business section of my favorite book store. I saw several copies that old ivory tower management fad hack piece, “Who Moved My Cheese?” That’s the book which says we must always change, whether we need it or not:
• It says management should always cram change down people’s throats, whether they want it or not.
• It says that people who resist change are stupid, incompetent, stubborn morons and they should always feel guilty for resisting change.
• It says that people who resist change are disloyal to their company, and are worse that kitten-stomping axe murderers.
• It says we should never question management whenever they demand change, but instead we should always suspend our reason and common sense.
• We should just simply accept the word of management when they introduce change.
• When it becomes obvious the change is a bad disaster, we must suspend our reason again and ignore all evidence against the change.
• It says that all change is good, and there is no such thing as change that is badly planned and poorly executed.
• It says we should ignore all examples in history where bad change led to bad results, destroying businesses, governments, and entire populations. (Hitler, Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and New Coke come to mind.)
If there is one “silver bullet” management fad that I absolutely HATE, its “change worship.” The one thing I hate worse than “change worship,” is people who are change “worshipers.” These are the people who take their brains out of their head and leave them at the door when they go to work in the morning.
I’m thinking of writing a book, and calling it “Put My Freakin Cheese Back, or You’ll Loose Your Arm.”
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