Two weeks ago I visited the Victoria BC (Canada) store, after seeing that
although Office Depot.ca lists the HP B9180 printer online, it displayed
an "unavailable in your area" error when I attempted to buy online.
The staff was helpful, took a look online and verified that it was
indeed in the Office Depot item list, and then took my name and number
and agreed to get one in-store which I could then purchase. I was
pleased and went on to pick up a supply of inks and high end photo
papers for my existing printer, and made plans to make Office Depot my
single source for printing supplies for my photography based on that
experience.
I followed up with a phone call two days ago and was told "it's not here
yet, we'll call you when it's in". Although a bit surprised at the long
lead time, I was satisfied that things were in the works and that I
would have my printer in due time.
Today I was in-store making some additional purchases and decided to
check the status of the printer and things went quickly downhill.
Apparently the manager who had been assisting me is no longer with you,
the back-room associate who I assume handles receiving had no idea what
we were talking about, and the member of the store's management team I
wound up talking to a) had no idea who I was, b) could find no record of
any request to have this printer brought to the store, c) told me it
can't be purchased at Office Depot Canada at all. When I related the
conversation I had with a store associate two days ago, all I got was
"well who was it?" followed by a bit of a shrug and a "we can't help
you".
It was on the OD.ca web site. I was not on the US ".com" web site when
I saw it.
I received no follow-up phone call apologizing for a mix-up and letting
me know the item could not be obtained for me. Further, either someone
at the store knows about this and knows the item was expected in or one
of your store associates just made that up to get a customer off the
phone.
What did I expect? As someone who spent over seventeen years in big-box
corporate retail management (at Kohl's) here's what I expected: I
expected the member of the store management team I met with today
(Stephen) to get on a phone back to corporate, explain the situation,
and see what could be done to assist a customer. I expected an apology
for the confusion. I expected more of an effort than simply browsing
the website and... While we were both looking at the printer displayed
with a Canadian price (not the US price)... Telling me it was not
available through the Canadian arm of OD. I expected to want to
continue to do business with Office Depot despite this situation. I did
not get what I expected.
I am flagging this with a request for a response. I want to know that
this is not the norm, I want to understand how the item displays on the
.ca version of the e-commerce item database at all, since it clearly
should not be if you don't sell it in Canada. I would love to hear that
someone will help me, and I would like to have a positive experience
with Office Depot as opposed to being currently disposed to telling
every other professional photographer I come into contact with (and
anyone else for that matter) that I had a horrid experience with your
company and won't be going back.
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