Staples - that was easy (except in Roslindale)

I ventured to the brand-spankin' new, environmentally sound Staples where the old Ashmont Discount used to be. I have always liked Staples because their materiel is good and plentiful, and their employees are helpful and friendly.

I needed a new stick drive because my 2GB drive was slowly becoming besotted with crap. There was a 4GB stick drive on sale for $17.99, and I figured, "why go into Downtown Boston or Dedham when there's a fresh and shiny Staples in Roslindale?"

Then I saw an ad for a chair that was originally $79.95, on sale for $39.95. The chair I'm sitting now is OK, but the padding's kind of thin, so two double sawbucks for a chair with extra comfortable padding is a steal.

The store itself is what you'd expect from a Staples. The inside is nice and airy, and the lighting is good. You can find whatever you want almost immediately.

Note the word "almost."

I found the stick drive almost immediately, and for the sale price, too.

The chair?

I asked a saleslady if she had any of the $39.95 chairs in stock. I mentioned that I would be taking it on the bus, as I came on the Sunday 40/50 from Cleary Square.

"I'll check in the back," she said.

I waited about ten minutes for an update. She didn't come back.

After fifteen minutes, my joy of coming to a local Staples quickly soured. I went up to the register and decided to pay for my stick drive. Half a loaf is better than none, right?

Lo and behold, the woman who had volunteered to look for my chair was thumbing through a catalog. It was as if the slogan "that was easy" were designed for the benefit of employees, as if to say, "that was easy, ditching a pesky customer like that."

It got even better at the cash register. Stick drives are pretty sturdy, and it was in plastic packaging. The teenaged girl, more interested in talking with her co-workers than processing a sale, bagged my stick drive and plopped it carelessly on the counter. After the sale was done, she said in a blasé manner, "You bag is on the counter." Fine - but it would have been much better customer service if (a) you handed the bag to me and (b) showed at least a grain of interest in your customers, especially those who are your best demographic - small business people, computer tinkerers, and especially people who don't want to burn gas.

Staples was perfectly fine on their environmental credentials, but they failed on their customer satisfaction. I compared this visit to the visit I had a couple of months ago to the Staples in Somerville. The Somerville Staples employees were eager to help out and knowledgable - they looked like they wanted to work there. The Roslindale Staples had sullen and unhelpful employees - mainly young kids who were chagrined they have to work instead of spending Sunday with their friends. (One exception was the kid who asked me if I needed help, while the lady was supposedly looking for my chair.)

Maybe next time I'll go to the Roslindale Staples during the weekdays, when the kids are in school and the adults - competent, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic adults - are at the helm.