$2 a Slice

You would think that $2 a slice is referring to buying pizza by the slice, but in this case, I’m referring to slicing a piece of paper—one piece of paper.

Doing business with me has its pros and cons. Because I’m an older, sometimes crotchety businessman, I appreciate good business when I experience it. I can be a good tipper and very personable when I’m out buying things.

As a writer, I’m always looking for a story to share—good or bad. The “real world” is filled with great experiences, which is why I am rarely lacking content to share.

Recently, I was looking to laminate some 2x2″ colored squares with the FreePromoTips.com logo for a microphone flag I use when doing interviews at industry events.

It’s a simple project, really. The FreePromoTips.com colored logos are ganged on a sheet. The sheet gets laminated and the squares get cut so they can be affixed to the microphone flag. It’s not difficult to do, but I’m not great with scissors so I headed to an office supply-type store to help with the cutting.

I discovered a few places that charge $2 a slice, regardless of how simple it is. I’m not cheap, but calculating the “slices” needed on one sheet to get 2” squares at $2 a slice, it came out to be pretty pricey.

Taking this on as a case study in customer service, I set out to see what business might go the extra mile. These types of stores are everywhere in our community, so It was easy to stop at places as I was cruising through town.

Staples, the office store where I have a rewards card, was the first stop. I like Staples. It’s close to my home, and because my Lakers, as terrible as they are these days, play in the Staples Center. I got the $2 a slice quote from the nice clerk who held the company line on price when I told her that seemed a bit high. She pointed me to a large cutter at the table to do it myself. I asked if anyone could assist me since I didn’t really know what I was doing. There was no interest in helping me, so I left.