With a snip or two for blog-friendly brevity.
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Having had about 2 of every 3 Staples in-store experiences be frustrating, I find I have to make a few suggestions:
1. It would be immensely helpful to have samples of paper--especially photo paper!--out so customers can actually see what they're getting. A simple binder chained to the display with a sheet apiece of the different brands, finishes, and weights would cost you about two bucks and be very useful.
2. Tell the people at the copy counter that they're allowed to talk to customers, not just each other.
3. Let employees know that when they are inexplicably unable to process a form of payment that you accept--in this case, an Amex gift cheque--it is by no means incumbent upon them to act as though the customer deliberately brought this difficulty upon them in an effort to wreck their day. The store manager was polite and helpful, but by then I was already tempted to leave my purchases behind. The only thing that prevented my doing so was the knowledge that OfficeMax and Office Depot are every bit as frustrating.
4. Stop showing the Chappelle's Show "Popcopy" skit as your training video.
5. Stop insisting customers fill out their phone numbers before you will accept comment forms. You don't actually need that information, and thus should not demand it.