An Incredible Customer Service Experience

[WhitewaterWoman]

A couple of months ago I bought a water and fire proof safe to store important papers, etc.

I purchased it from Staples.

About a month later, they key broke off in the lock. I called the company, Honeywell, to ask what to do. I was told this was covered under warranty and I had to send in documents and they would send out a new one.

A month later, nothing has arrived. I email Honeywell and am told the safe is back ordered and won’t be available until sometime in July.

I pondered this for a few days. I decided to call Staples. Their warranty is only 14 days, but at least I could,find,out if the product is really “backordered.”

I explained the situation to Staples customer service. They offered to replace the safe, for free, which they have in stock, even though it is outside their warranty period. It is coming tomorrow. They are also sending a shipping label so I can return the nonfunctional one free of charge.

I have never seen a company step up so quickly to solve a problem that wasn’t even their responsibility.

So. Go Staples.

 

[Aspychata]

Alright, did you get the items out from your safe? I think l looked at those safes before some time back, wondering what happens if l lose the key.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Alright, did you get the items out from your safe? I think l looked at those safes before some time back, wondering what happens if l lose the key.

Yes. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t know when the key broke. Luckily, the lock was not engaged. One needs to take it to a locksmith, but then you also have to prove it’s your safe.

My wood house is in the middle of the woods so I thought it would be a good idea.

 

[Judge]

My wood house is in the middle of the woods so I thought it would be a good idea.

In terms of basic fire protection for valuable papers you're spot-on. Good decision, especially if you live in a heavily wooded area with a fire protection class of "8" or higher.

However cylinder lock safes offer relatively poor theft protection compared to more sophisticated locking devices such as mechanical combination locks, or an electronic code or even a biometric code lock. It's no secret why cylinder locks sell so well. They're much cheaper compared to their more sophisticated counterparts.

A cylinder lock is often the weakest point of most any safe. So if theft should ever be part of your personal protection equation, you might consider an upgrade if you're willing to deal with the added expense.

Good to see Staples treating their customers right. But then they probably have to, given their financial issues. The same ironically goes for the main competition, Office Depot. Another stationary supply retailer in trouble financially. Hopefully both will continue to weather the market.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

In terms of basic fire protection for valuable papers you're spot-on. Good decision, especially if you live in a heavily wooded area with a fire protection class of "8" or higher.

However cylinder lock safes offer relatively poor theft protection compared to more sophisticated locking devices such as mechanical combination locks, or an electronic code or even a biometric code lock. It's no secret why cylinder locks sell so well. They're much cheaper compared to their more sophisticated counterparts.

A cylinder lock is often the weakest point of most any safe. So if theft should ever be part of your personal protection equation, you might consider an upgrade if you're willing to deal with the added expense.

Good to see Staples treating their customers right. But then they probably have to, given their financial issues. The same ironically goes for the main competition, Office Depot. Another stationary supply retailer in trouble financially. Hopefully both will continue to weather the market.

I understand this safe is not likely to stop a thief. If nothing else, he could pick it up and haul it away and chip out the lock later. So it is mostly for fire protection. If I hide it well enough, the random teens that might break in, to steal guns for example, might not find it.

Should a hurricane blow off my roof - unlikely here, knock on wood, it would also be heavy enough to stay put and it is waterproof. I intend to be traveling and a hurricane could well come up while I am deep in the Canadian woods.

This was well beyond the return period for Staples and for them to just step up and fix the manufacturer's problem I thought was stellar. And so fast too.

Staples will be getting all my office supply orders from now on.

 

[Judge]

If I hide it well enough, the random teens that might break in, to steal guns for example, might not find it.

Staples will be getting all my office supply orders from now on.

Good point. Especially if it's light enough for many adults to pick it up and carry it elsewhere. Where you keep it matters.

I've always found both Staples and Office Depot to carry some specific things that aren't as easily bought elsewhere. Particularly photo printing paper. Not cheap, but it works the first time, every time compared to competitors. I'd be very unhappy if either of them went belly up.

 

[Jumpinbare]

My wood house is in the middle of the woods so I thought it would be a good idea.

Those sleezy woodland creatures will take anything not nailed down.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Those sleezy woodland creatures will take anything not nailed down.

Except this is real. I have possums on the porch and raccoons stealing stuff. The mice came in and chewed up my silk shawl and also the fur off the winter coat. At my house, maintaining the boundary between inside and outside is a constant battle.

Also my photos. I have CDs of photos I don’t want to lose. From pre-cloud days.