Officeworks

Ahh Officeworks, the equivalent of Bunnings for the stationary nerds amongst us.
From printer cartridges and paper to pens and blue-​tac, I find myself here on a regular basis stocking up things for the home office. Staff aren’t always readily available, but when you do get some attention they’re always happy to help out and offer advice on products. And, should anything go wrong with your purchase Officeworks are pretty good at exchanging or refunding.

Being one of those disorganised parents, i.e. normal, I naturally decided in a fit of frugality not to hand over my credit card details on the school supplies list provided at the end of the year. Sure it WOULD have been easier to hand over my details and have the whole list delivered to the school directly, but why make life easier for yourself, right?
Cue frantic mother a half hour before closing time on the night before school starts, combing the aisles for school supplies. Now a note in my defence: school supply companies are notriously overpriced, they still don’t often supply the whole list thus forcing you to chase them up for the missing items, and many of the items specified by teachers are weirdly specific e.g. why does it have to be an Artline Fineliner 238 0.8mmm black pen? why not a unipen 0.8mm. I swear those teachers are taking kick backs from the supply companies!
However, with a judicuous mixture of left over supplies from last year — yes that’s right, they make you buy them but they don’t even use them all — and a dash around Officeworks, and I had 90% of the list for the next day.
School supply shop = $ 108. Officeworks = $ 80.
I’d call that a win

I know this stationery mega store has pretty much everything one could need when it comes to office supplies, but I still struggle to walk out of Officeworks satisfied.
I usually frequent the Collingwood store these days for last minute office emergencies, but the Frankston store was always my local.
Both I have found, lack that all important quality customer service. It is my belief, that if a store is going to be built by such epic proportions, then the business needs to supply adequate staff to be on the floor at all times, in all departments.
On far too many occasions, I have been in a rush to locate something in particular and have found absolutely no one around for miles. The store’s so empty I could hear crickets. Prices may be reasonable but if I can’t find someone to consult on what the best say, webcam is or style of photo paper is best, I’m going to leave the store. Which I have done. On numerous occasions.
Perhaps if megastores like Officeworks put as much effort into their customer service as they do their product range and low prices, they wouldn’t lose as many customers.

Officeworks is generally a great go-​to spot for absolutely anything that’s related to office supply. It always seems a little understaffed at Officeworks. I haven’t ever been approached by a staff member who isn’t re-​stocking shelves or carrying something on the way past. That’s ok, it just means you usually have to wait an extra ten minutes from the time you want service to the time you get it. None the less the staff are very friendly too.
The printing and copying options at Officeworks also mean that you can get that assignment printed and binded at the last minute (being open from 7am to 9pm can be a life saver. Particularly the 7am shift, you might see other students desperately trying to finish an assignment before class starts) which is life saver. Unfortunately it does get pretty pricey if you have a lot to print so maybe just eat toast for a week before you get that assignment done. However, it’s reliable, so it’s somewhat worth it when you’re going through these guys.
Whilst Officeworks’ slogan is oriented towards having the lowest prices, I’d have to say that with a lot of their items, they just don’t. But where they miss in price, they hit in that fact that they just have everything there. So you’ll never be caught out when you have a stationary disaster.

If I’d written 500 Days of Summer, that memorably saccharine falling-​in-​love scene with Ms Deschanel and her fawning beau would not have taken place in Ikea with its eerily Baudrillardian simulated bedrooms and freakishly functional looking kitchens. It would have taken place in Officeworks Fitzroy. All cutesy clipboards and frankly gobsmacking array of stationary. Because for stationery lovers, Office Works is as close to a true office (supplies) romance as you’re likely to experience.
Granted, I do have a slightly elevated passion for stationery but this place is likely to impress anyone. Offering printing and copying services alongside a truly vast array of stationery and office supplies, Officeworks is truly a one-​stop-​shop. I’ve used office works for printing jobs and their services — and turnaround times — are brilliant.
Staff are friendly and patient and I’d challenge anyone to search for something they need at this stationery emporium and not find it. If anywhere is going to lessen the sometime mundanity of stationery shopping — or elevate it to an art for us stationery addicts — it’s Officeworks.