How to Take the Headache Out of Ordering Office Supplies
by Diana L. Martin
If you’re the person assigned the task of ordering the office supplies and you just dread doing it, I’m here with a couple simple solutions for you today.
We get many calls and emails from customers who need to order an item but they don’t know what it’s called, or they don’t know the item number and they need help. They order all different ways - online, email, phone, etc. - and they know they’ve ordered it previously, but can’t find what they’re looking for at the moment.
The secret isn’t really a secret at all. It’s just this - keep a list. I’m a huge fan of lists and keeping a list of what you purchase on a regular basis will make your job much easier.
For those of you who order online, you have multiple tools at your disposal. As you shop on our site, you can create a Favorites list of your frequently ordered items. Simply login, click on the little green person icon in the upper right corner and choose Favorites List.
Click on Create New, give it a name, and save it. Then, as you shop, you can add items that you’re buying to your Favorites List. You can make as many lists as you want, so you can have one for Kitchen, one for Printer Supplies, one for Labels, etc. We can also set those up for you if you prefer. Just contact your Account Manager or Customer Care and give us all the information. Once the list is created, you can login, open the list, and add items to your cart right from the list!
Another option is to login, click on the green person icon and choose either Orders or My Dashboard. You can access order history from either of those places. Personally, I think using Favorites Lists is easier, but everyone has their own preferences and we give you multiple ways to access your items.
Now for those of you who order by phone, fax or email, I’ve created a basic office supply checklist for you to use. Feel free to download it and customize it as needed for your specific items. I listed general items in the categories, with a place for you to enter the item numbers for the brands and items you purchase. Once you’ve done that, re-save the file and then print it out when you need to order, fill in your quantities and Voila! - you’re done!
(Click image to view and download)
Now that you’ve got this task handled, go grab a cup of coffee and take a well-deserved rest!
