A Plug For Office Depot

I live within walking distance of Office Depot http://www.officedepot.com/, and indeed, when I did not have back problems, I have walked there before.  I use them a lot because of the convenience.  Like any store we frequent, I have become familiar with the layout, and if for that reason if no other, I prefer it to Office Max.  I use Staples some, too, but they are further away.

Anyway, they were very helpful. I went comparison shopping Tuesday night. I started with Office Depot.  I am glad I did. The gentleman spent a lot of time answering my questions about the new technology (Windows 8 and 8.1.)

I went to Staples http://www.staples.com/ next. Like Office Depot, they had a variety of computers to look at.  Unlike Office Depot, there were very few that had prices marked. When the sales gentleman came to help me, he was not very forth coming with information, and his answers were the kind that someone who knows the jargon uses, without consideration for whether or not someone else knows the jargon.  He rattled off comparisons and prices so quickly, I could not digest the information.

I went to Office Max http://www.officemax.com/.  They had very few options from which to choose, and I could not even scare up a sales clerk, but I did not try too hard.

So, of course, I stopped at Wal-Mart.  I had some other things to pick up, anyway.  I went to the computer aisle, and there were several laptops, 2 customers, and a sales person describing the computers to them.  The prices were great, in the range I really wanted to spend, but not with the features I could get on the computers at Office Depot.  And I was unsure of the brands.

By then, it was  a little after 8 PM, and I could have gone back to Office Depot and purchased the computer.  But I had stuff to do at the house, and would not have had much time to start setting up the computer. So, I went back Wednesday on my way home from work, asked a few more questions, and purchased a computer.  (It came in a tiny little box.  I remember my first computer.  It came in a huge box!)

I did not start setting up the computer until after I took care of personal business.  I realized it would take me more than one night to set things up.  That was a little frustrating, but okay with me.

I realized that I needed a flash drive to make a recovery program.  I had some, but I was not sure they were compatible with Windows 8.1, and I did not want to take a chance.  I raced back to Office Depot, told the sales agent what I needed, and she made the correct recommendation! (This was such a quick trip, I did not shut off the lights or TV in the house!)

The other thing that Office Depot does, and many stores now do, is if there is a mail-in rebate attached to the sale, they provide a duplicate receipt for that exact purpose.  The one thing they do not do right though, is they do not show the itemized purchase information on the screen where you swipe the credit card.  That would be nice.  But I give them a high B at worst.

So, kudos to Office Depot.  They did good, not great, but good.