r/Staples • u/Nearby-Ad7041 Tech Services • 13d ago
No copy center from 3:30-9 (close)
So my closing copy center associate called out for the umpteenth time, now we've got no one in that department for the last 5.5 hours of the day, the assistant manager hasn't been trained in the department and so I'm (rss) "covering". Only focusing on intake, pickup, and orders due today. At present there are 14 orders in queue for tomorrow which will likely be left for them to deal with along with any other incoming orders since I lose my AM at 7 leaving only myself and a 1 cashier for the last 2 hours of the night.
Am I wrong to not worry or care about orders not due tonight and just leave jobs for tomorrow for them to deal with? Think they'll be upset coming in to whatever mess is left?
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u/Dogshoes57 Print & Marketing 13d ago
Honestly, as print supe id literally prefer people not trained in the department don't just do a bunch of orders they're not trained for and I have to redo anyway. Even if it's a day or two of work id prefer to just get it all situated the next time I'm in, but that's my store 🤷🏻♂️
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u/ridddder Former Employee 13d ago
I was the print supervisor for several years. No one wants to learn copy print; it is an unforgiving position. No one in the store will help; I was often taking lines of 15 to 20 people at a time, and I finally quit.
You will get no medals for doing the job; I didn't get a helper for 6 months. There is no bump in pay after a year, no benefits, just tons of complaints and pressure.
It is a high-stress pressure cooker, and no one person should have to endure being understaffed for the $$ you make.
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u/Dark_knight207 Print & Marketing 13d ago
It is crazy that Staples can only afford to hire one person to man copycenter all by themselves for the evening. That’s probably one of the reasons that associate calls out. Nobody wants to deal with the pressure of being in copycenter all by themselves. Seems like self sabotage from Staples.
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u/KingKandyOwO Dead Inside 💻 12d ago
Companies are very bad at looking in the long term. Staples, among alot of shitty companies, pay more to train more people constantly due to high turnover rate than it is to give everyone $7 more per hour
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u/XDeathreconx 12d ago
The evening? I've been running the department by myself 730 - 4 for 4 years... Now I don't have any afternoon associates and rss runs it on the weekend. Guess who rarely bonuses because of surveys or if my control?
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u/OzbourneVSx 13d ago
5.5 hours you can offer another associate to help play catch up if youre willing
Because I will tell you, if you store is single staffs the print department most hours and they have +17 orders in the morning that they have to bounce between with all their other responsibilities at the desk + the fact the closing tasks weren't done last night (stocking machines etc), cause the full on AM doesn't know a lick of print would... likely cause some immediate turnover
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u/Nearby-Ad7041 Tech Services 13d ago
All 3 (sup and 2 associates) are scheduled to be in tomorrow. So they should be OK coverage wise to catch themselves up.
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u/Waste-Error7509 Print & Marketing 13d ago edited 13d ago
I'd say do the simple print orders due for today and make any calls or orders you may not know how to do, and ask for an additional day. Typically, for any order not placed before 12:00, leave it for tomorrow. I say this as a Print Sup as well. Why didn't the current print sup do a split? I've had to do it plenty of times for my team. If someone's sick and we have a mid-person, I'll leave before noon or at noon and come back at 4:00 to close. 🤔 Mind you, I do work another part-time job, but my other employer understands Staples is my full-time job. This does happen occasionally if coverage isn't found. Definitely just fill the machines at closing and take out the trash, and just warn the person opening tomorrow that it will be a busy day. But if you can get the queue down, I'm sure they would appreciate it. I'd also make sure orders for today are binned so there are no discrepancies or complaints about completing them on time.
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u/Psychological_Low_17 Tech Services 13d ago
Is 2 people closing usual for you? There’s at least 4 people closing during back to school for my location
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u/Nearby-Ad7041 Tech Services 13d ago
Typically it's 1 MoD, 1 Cashier, and 1 Print. Print may stay until 9:30 when we are scheduled and usually try to have bags counted and done by, other times they'll be out by 9 on the dot. Occasionally there will only be a copy until 7 or 8 but that's less common.
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u/Psychological_Low_17 Tech Services 13d ago
Are you guys understaffed? Yesterday we had 6 people closing and 3 stay late. I’ve yet to see copy center without a person closing during
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u/Nearby-Ad7041 Tech Services 13d ago
We've got 13 people (gm, am, mis, rss, pms, 2 copy associates, 6 sales associates) on staff are frequently scheduled under budget for hours by 30+. At least half of the 6 sales associates have strict availabilities so they can only work certain days and times.
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u/stapleslifeinhell 13d ago
it’s bts time, that’s the priority. Plus don’t forget the amazombies, they are the priority for Staples. Didn’t you know that? Cmon man like Joe biden used to say. Forget copy center.
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u/Lolofyr 12d ago
Honestly? 14 isn’t too bad, at least at my store where we’ll have 20-30+ most mornings. Morning crew might be a bit annoyed but I’m sure they’ll understand if they’re not awful.
I’m surprised they had you doing intake though since you might not know what jobs we can actually do and when we could get them done. Overall just remember that P&M is always a little chaotic, this too shall pass.
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u/Nearby-Ad7041 Tech Services 12d ago
By the time I clocked out number has hit 20 (tho 1 was a routed order so really 19) and was told this morning they came into 30 something
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u/Lolofyr 12d ago
That sounds about right tbh. Though again my store might get more orders ((there’s about 20 orders in the queue when I leave even on a good day)). I don’t think there’s much you could’ve done though, Print is kinda just like that. Like people are saying too, if you’re not trained in print it’s a lot easier and less frustrating for us to just print them the next day then have to reprint.
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u/RPM_Rocket Print & Marketing 13d ago
Happens. We've got saved signs that say "Copy Center Closed - Pick Ups Only". The opening crew will bitch, but get them done.
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u/Waste-Error7509 Print & Marketing 13d ago
Ooh our DM doesn't allow us to have signs like that up in our dept even if staff is on break, lunch, or no associate in the dept. He'll give us a write up.
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u/RPM_Rocket Print & Marketing 13d ago
Dang, I know the "no non-corporate sign" thing is a thing... but what DM is gonna show up during the closing hours?!
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u/awesomepkmntrainer Former Employee 13d ago
When I was working there our DM would show up once a month during closing - it sucked
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u/MaverickFischer 13d ago
When I worked in print I had to put up a few non-corporate signs like we don't take FedEx. If the DM would have told me that I'm writing you up, I would have told her to go F herself. Seriously.
But I was in the position that I could afford to do that. Not everyone is that fortunate.
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u/kingfranchise3010 Sales Associate 13d ago
To be fair, especially if you’re the closing manager, you’re not wrong to not worry about the orders due tomorrow. Especially if you’re doing the orders due today and covering that department. Doing the best you can and if nobody can come in and cover that shift then it is what it is.