That Office Supply Store

I do the PTA Newsletter for our school . This means that all of the committee chairs at our school send me information and I put it into a newsletter. I include upcoming events a message from the PTA President and Principal and thank-yous etc. I cut and paste and add graphics and then organize everything in an easy-to-read layout. That was fine - we had a few late submissions so that was a little crazy, but it was finally finished. Then I had to get it approved by the PTA President and the Principal. Next, I was off to the office supply store to make the copies needed.

That is when all of the problems started. I get to the copy desk and show the woman what I need, lets call her Suzie. I decide that orange paper would be a great festive color for October and told them to start printing. I then realized that I had everything for the newsletter but that I forgot the minutes from the PTA meeting! Ugh! I told them to keep printing and ran home to get it. Luckily, I only live a few minutes away.

I get back to the store and they have most of the copies finished. Suzie goes and talks to someone else. As she is talking, I notice that my copies are now coming out on white paper. After a minute or two, I finally get her attention and she lets out a big sigh! So sorry to trouble you! She makes her way over to the copier and opens the tray to add more orange paper.

She has to count the white copies so she can add more on to the end. After a few more minutes, the woman brings the copies over to me and I take a look at them. Well, the copies are not centered on the page - there were words missing from the left hand side. Then, down the middle of the page there was a column of letters that were crooked and blurry. I point both things out to the woman and she lets out a big sign again.

Suzie says, "Oh, the "squiggle!" That guy was supposed to have fixed it today. Now I will have to just scan the pages in myself and see if that works!" This comment was followed by another sigh. Then she tells me, "I really need a cigarette!" Nice, real nice! After that she says, "I need a new job. Maybe I could work at the register. I am not even fully trained to do copies yet and I already hate it." Oh, you're not fully trained - I would have never known!

The woman finally gets it straightened out and this time she checks the first copy to make sure all is well. Suzie says it is, but I think I know better than to take her word for it, and asked to see a copy too. Now almost an hour has gone by and I still need over a thousand copies run off! It is 8:30 PM and I would really like to get home - Justin will need to eat by 9:00!

Again, she goes off to help someone else while the copier is running and again white paper copies start shooting out. I walk over to the self-serve copies and tell her the orange paper has run out. Guess what - another huge sigh! At least she wasn't using foul language! She looks in a cabinet and she comes up empty hands and says, "There is no more orange paper." I almost start to panic and then she adds, "I'll be right back, I have to get some from the shelf!" Phew!

Okay, paper loaded again and off we go! Then there was a paper jam and she cleared it, but the computer for the copier is telling her that there is still paper jammed. She looks up at me and says, "I really feel like kicking this machine!" I smile and think to myself - where do they find these employees!?!

Suzie is still having trouble clearing the paper jam , so she calls on her headset for the manager to come and help her. He is with a customer and will be right there. When the manager finally gets over, he opens and closes some paper trays and the copier whirls to life! Then he walks away and paper jam again. He comes back and all is well. He looks at me and says, "You only have about 30 more copies, so I will just stand here." I laugh and as long as he stands there the copies keep flying out! Thank you, Mr. Manager!

Then she is about to ring me up and I say, "You forgot to add the 18 copies that came out in white paper." Bet you can't guess what she did this time! Another big sigh and for the grand finale she added an eye roll! Luckily the copier worked without her boss looming over it!

The silver lining to the whole thing is that I got an extra discount for Suzie being such a "screw-up" and they let me apply for a teachers card - which gave me an extra 15% discount on top of the PTA and customer satisfaction discounts I already got! Which means more savings for the PTA! Yea! I am not a teacher but I could be!

The trip home was thankfully uneventful and the newsletters went out in the kids folders the next day! I haven't gotten any calls, so I am hoping all the info was correct! Note to self - do not go to that office supply store on a Tuesday night!