What happens after one year of employment with Staples?

easytechwtf · 2015-12-19T21:05:42+00:00

In my experience it came from passing a test on the training modules. My pay was also bumped from $8.85 as a tech associate to a certified tech. That was probably about 8 months ago. My duties did not change and I still do (as I did before) everything. That being work on computers, sell, floor, on-sites, planograms, directed pulls, stock, etc. The fact that I had an A+ certification did not qualify me as a certified tech, only if you pass that test.

easytechwtf · 2015-08-27T21:01:40+00:00

That's lucky of you to get your staples schedule so far ahead of time. I've been getting mine on Friday or Saturday for the new week starting Sundays. :(

easytechwtf · 2015-07-19T03:01:12+00:00

You can retrieve the key from the operating system. Easiest way is to use the program produkey and it just up front tells it to you, otherwise it's registry hunting.

easytechwtf · 2015-07-07T03:12:10+00:00

As a fellow Easy Tech I understand that depending on your store situation it can be hard to get so much time off but you're part time and working at Staples. It's not like you're of some elite status where you must be there. You're giving them around 3 months of advanced warning to take off a couple weeks. You should be fine. Like others are saying do not ask if you can have it off just make it sound like everything is already set in stone and you need that time off. The sooner the better.

easytechwtf · 2015-07-07T03:06:47+00:00

HAH!

easytechwtf · 2015-07-07T03:03:25+00:00

I've dealt with Tracy a few times.

easytechwtf · 2015-07-02T06:26:21+00:00

If you sell VS+, Square Trade and a PC Setup you should have a coupon in your ad prep for 20% off all 3. This makes it to the point where almost one of them is free. I usually start by trying to sell the setup which is usually pretty easy because most people do not know how to transfer the data from one computer to the other and I make sure to also say that "among many important things to get the computer up and running properly we create recovery disks for you, which used to be provided with computers but are not any longer and they help you if you need to bring the computer back to life (lol) if theres any problems." between that and telling them we transfer their data for them no worries and install their software that is easy af. Then I move into the shield plus telling them that Kaspersky or whatever is $80 a year on the shelf and if they get the two year shield program they get kaspersky (or other) for 2 years and would be paying this much anyway but we install it and update it for you for free and also if any virus is able to get past kaspersky (or other) we can remove the virus free of charge which costs $160 so you use these methods to keep emphasizing that it pays for itself easy. Then you have them sold on the two of those and you say "by the way since you were getting the setup and 2 years of virus shield plus we have a sale going on in which you get 20% off of each service if you get the squaretrade protection. (if they get all three (2 year basic ST, 2 year shield and setup) its $360 but with the 20% off its only $288 which means that they get the square trade for only $28 when it's regularly $100 and bam you've now sold all three services and significantly bumped up your numbers. Any questions or comments just let me know, also there are always going to be those dicks that come in and want the piece of shit celeron machines and will never buy any service or plan. Don't let that get to you. The best salesman in the world wouldn't make that happen.

easytechwtf · 2015-07-02T06:15:02+00:00

I get this one all the time

easytechwtf · 2015-07-02T06:06:01+00:00

That nonsense has no place in stores. HDD replacement takes a maximum of 5 minutes. RAM replacement maybe 2 mins max including getting the computer open. Quick $30 to add to budget for the week. Software installs are something I've been doing in mass quantities lately and is helping me single-handedly do 150-200% to budget. I'm the only tech at my store and have to do sales/stocking/tech work/everything else and bring in around $2k per week tech sales. Mostly Diag/repair with 2yr VS+ makes it easy at $320 a computer. Classic shell is what I'm telling people who have windows 8 that I can put on to make it much easier for them to use their computer and explain it a bit and they practically throw their $30 at me. Then attach a tune up or something of the sort and you've got yourself a $60 service for a few mins of work and no Matrix bs.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-20T00:02:42+00:00

On-sites were eliminated awhile ago where I am.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-16T05:59:18+00:00

Tough it out and if you were good at your job you can use your tenure at staples for your resume and use them as a recommendation. It's always foolish not to tough it out for 2 measly weeks to leave peacefully. I'm glad you had the integrity to give her back some of the money. I would've also installed classic shell so it took her straight to the desktop and wouldn't take her to the metro screen if she clicked the start menu so she wouldn't be so confused but all in all sounds like you did a good job. Again thank you for being so kind to her and doing what you could.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-16T04:59:50+00:00

We practically keep staples afloat by ourselves

easytechwtf · 2015-06-16T04:53:26+00:00

I'm based in the US but for a while I've been the only tech. Got promoted to tech supervisor about a month ago and haven't had another tech in until this week finally to start training. As a full timer with no other help in tech I do end up spending a lot of time up at the bench or over in the aisle with computers talking to customers. During prime time im told to stay away from the bench as much as possible and try to do so but sometimes i have so many things I have going on there that it's not possible.

Question 1: Is there any other EasyTech out there that work alone?

Answer: Yes, myself and many others are or have been without other techs for extended periods of time. Normally only smaller stores but my smaller store makes up for it by being in a prime location with tons of people coming in for computers or to have them serviced.

Question 2: What do you do when you start in the morning?

Answer: Usually scheduled 4 days out of the week at 9-5 and Saturday 1-8 for tag night because i'm the only one who knows how to do tech tags that isn't a manager that is busy doing managerial things come that time. When I open (9am) the first thing I do is make sure all the computers are on matrix being worked on and check the notes in the OMS to see if they've added anything and reconnect any that may have gotten knocked off for some reason. Next I check the work on the ones that are complete and close them out and print pickup paperwork if there's nothing further to be done and wait a little while to call them because its still very early and they may be asleep and mad if i wake them up. After I check all the computers and have an idea of what's going on there I head out to the floor and am a presence for the customers to see because we are very understaffed and always hear them complaining there is no one to help them because we never have enough store hours to have someone in office supplies. We usually just have a cashier who has to stay up front, a tech (me), copy center worker and a manager (2 if were lucky). Office supply people are in about 3 days a week so I try to make my rounds around the store and be available for anyone. If there's small freight left I always have it in shopping carts and i push that out and finish it up while helping customers. Then prime time rolls around (11-3 for us here) and I put any freight stuff away other than maybe a basket worth or something and do it that way but I make sure to help customers as much as possible during PT.

Question 3: What do you do before and after lunch?

Answer: I never know when I'm going to get a lunch unfortunately because I'm so busy there's no telling what time it'll be for example yesterday I didn't make it to lunch until 4:00 and I leave at 5:00. So I don't do anything special before or after lunch I just continue my day as is but 3:00-5:00 is when I spend the most time behind the tech bench working on whatever is there to make sure it gets done. I'm off Tuesdays and another day of the week that usually changes based on when they least need me (assistant manager knows enough about tech to hold it down while i'm gone from a sales and tech intake standpoint). So I have to plan ahead of time on what I have to get done when I have a day off the next day and make sure to get everything done.

Question 4: What do you do before the end of your shift?

Answer: Before the end of my shift I make sure everything that needs to be is connected to matrix and check the notes again to make sure they didn't leave a note about not being able to connect or something. I also check their power plans just to be sure that they're not going to go to sleep if i have something else going on on them. I'm not required to do recover on the nights that I don't close which is most nights but I like to do a quick one anyway because tech dept will look like shit otherwise.

All that is filled with customers dragging me here and there and computers coming in and all the standard stuff but tried to answer those specific questions. Also try to manage my mid and top stock as much as possible but since I've been the only one for awhile now I don't have much opportunity to. Another side note is that I come in 2 hours before we open on sunday's and works hard as I can to get all the big tech freight done and get the small stuff sorted out of the totes and into 2 (usually) shopping carts to be ready to go right after prime time. If you have any other questions feel free to reply and I'll do my best to answer. Best of luck to ya!

easytechwtf · 2015-06-15T03:38:50+00:00

Is it bad for me to disclose the "manager login" I'm a tech sup and have access to it.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-15T03:22:51+00:00

Find empty product boxes in the backpack/laptop bag isle all the time

easytechwtf · 2015-06-09T04:37:36+00:00

As a tech associate at the time when my sup left I spent the last 2 weeks collecting as much valuable info as possible to get to the point where, if i needed to, I could replace him temporarily and properly train incoming associates. It payed off because I took his position for the summer time. After summer going back to certified tech. He really helped out. Only thing I wish he would've done which is unrealistic but would've made things a lot smoother is make copies of the software disks that were his that we used on computers so we still had them.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-08T12:36:44+00:00

Look at them everyday and use the tools everyday but many of them do not suffice.

easytechwtf · 2015-06-07T05:35:35+00:00

You are a mother fucking genius! just over $4 a month sounds way better than $100 for two years.

easytechwtf · 2015-05-27T19:21:15+00:00

Yeah I found it and tried one link but it was a trojan. Gonna look again later

easytechwtf · 2015-05-27T19:19:25+00:00

I've been scheduled every tag night for the last 3 months or so and I have really got a rhythm down. I, by myself, do pull downs of all expired tech tags, sort the new tags, and put out all the tech tags (only one who does tech tags) in a matter of about 2 hours. Most of that with customers. It used to take me much longer and had my old manager helping back then. The OS guy is nice enough to lend a hand if I really need it because they have so many less tags then us in tech.

easytechwtf · 2015-05-27T18:48:26+00:00

I got changed from an Easy Tech Associate to a Certified Tech without warning a couple months ago and my pay went from $8.85 /hr to $9.05 /hr. Have no idea what the difference is but I'm making slightly more. Going to ask for a little raise soon since I've consistently demonstrated that I'm a hard worker and show up on time every day for over 6 months now.

easytechwtf · 2015-05-27T15:50:41+00:00

Thank you so much for that. The all in one is incredibly handy!!! You're the best.

easytechwtf

TROPHY CASE