WHAT'S IN A NAME?

This blog needs a name. It will still be the Burkett's blog with the Burkett's logo, but I think a clever, catchy, jazzy name would be swell. Some ideas I've been mulling over include:


Stock, Paper, Scissors.


Paper Jammin.


Paper & Chairs & Printing Oh My!


As The Pencil Sharpens.


I am looking for further alternatives. In the coming days, there will be a facebook poll with the top choices of the powers that be at Burkett's for all of you to vote on. I would LOVE IT if customer and employee entries showed up in the poll!


If you have an idea, leave a comment here or on the Burkett's facebook page. Go wild. Get creative. Keep it work appropriate. Bring it!

MEET THE HEROES: JENNIE

Welcome to the first installment of Meet The Heroes. Burkett's considers all of our fine employees to be Office Heroes. These guys and gals know their stuff and are willing to go the extra mile for customer satisfaction! We thought it would be fun to profile our heroes and let you get to know them a bit better.

The first victim hero is Jennie Orris. Jennie has been heroing at Burkett's for 9 years. Her current job titles include Print Department Coordinator, Furniture Project Manager, and Account Manager. Jennie graciously agreed to open up and answer the following hard hitting questions. Enjoy!

Jennie @ work

What are your responsibilities at Burkett's? 

Managing the print department including, but certainly not limited to, artwork, shipping & receiving, billing; managing my supply account base; design/create our marketing materials & emails; managing furniture projects; and generally help anyone who needs it. So I guess the easier answer is a little bit of everything.

Have you ever held a different job at Burkett’s? 

I've pretty much done most of them except accounting, and upper management.

What is your favorite aspect of your job? 

Currently, the furniture aspect of my job. I’m very mechanical, so I like “making stuff”. It’s really nice to watch an empty building become an office.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened during your time at Burkett’s? 

Probably having my kids… I’ve been here 9 years, so lots of things have happened. I started as the assistant in the print department and 6 months later I was in charge of it. That was pretty cool. I was only 21 or so at the time.

You have a unique email Office Ninja signature. Where did the idea for the Office Ninja come from?

I’m really into martial arts. I have a ton of old kung fu movies and ninjas are just cool. I was asked to create T-shirts for our company picnic. Karl, Burkett's General Manager, is really into pirates so I was throwing that idea around, when an office ninja just popped into my head. That was pretty much it, he went on the shirts. I’ve gotten quite a response about him. One of my customers asked me if she could use it on her email.

I love this guy!

What 5 Things might Burkett’s customers be surprised to find out about you?:

5. I have 6 year old twins

4. I REALLY like MMA. It’s awesome and the only sport I avidly follow.

3. I created the original Office Hero in a logo contest we had here a few years ago.

2. I’ve worked here for 9 years and I am still a relatively “new” employee. Burkett’s keeps it’s employees for awhile. I won't name names, but one guy has worked here since before I was born…

1. I work in just about every department we have except HR & accounting. 

What is the coolest supply/furniture/printing item you know of that Burkett's offers? 

There is a stool called the Swopper stool. Not only is it good for you (it helps strengthen your back & core), it's totally fun. It rocks back and forth side to side, and it's available in a bunch of cool colors.

Super sleek, modern AND it rocks-literally!

What is the supply/furniture/printing item that helps you out the most or that you use most often in the office? 


As silly as it sounds, poly file folders & removable file folder labels. I used to use regular manila file folders and you can only get 2 uses out of them. With the labels and the poly folders I can reuse them over and over. The other item would be Avery's durable tabs. I use them to label the different catalogs I have so I can find specific items quickly. It really helps a lot.

Not just 1, but 3, THREE!, awesome product suggestions people!!

And that's a wrap. Thanks Jennie!

We hope you have found this edition of Meet The Heroes both informative and captivating! Our goal is to get the inside scoop for you on ALL the Burkett's Heroes. Which hero's life will we delve into next? You'll have to wait and see...(can't you just feel the suspense?)

TGIF

It's Friday. Friday afternoon everywhere in the country except Hawaii and Alaska who each apparently have their own respective time zones. Totally makes sense for Hawaii, but Alaska? Really? PST just not good enough for you guys? I digress. Doesn't matter. The point is in just a few more hours  it will officially be the weekend. "Everybody's working for the weekend..." Now you have Loverboy stuck in your head too. You're welcome! 

Friday afternoon seems like a good time for updates and a good old fashioned tease for next week. Off we go...

Sticky Note Update: So no one, including me, has been brave enough able to put in the time to create a fabulous sticky note art piece and submit it yet, BUT I did receive this awesome photo from my friend Sharpie Fine Girl:

Sharpie Fine Girl included this message with the photo: 

"Lil Sharpie dumped out her backpack today and found a gabillion little post-its of secret notes passed during class last year. They're small (great for passing) and can be quickly taped to a hand or book to hide the evidence....they also make a great cat bed."

Love it! Thanks Sharpie Fine Girl & Lil Sharpie! Ah, Post-its, so many uses so little time.

Tease: Brand new feature next week: Meet The Heroes! Who will it be? Try not to let this question distract you from your weekend fun. All will be revealed on Monday or maybe Tuesday at the latest.

For those of you keeping close watch on the time it is now officially afternoon in Alaska. It was still morning there when I started this post. I got interrupted by a very important phone call plus I was having font issues. I know, excuses, excuses. It's still morning in Hawaii though. Too bad for them as they have more hours to work until the weekend. Except too bad for us, because they are in Hawaii and we (at least I) am not.

Burkett's hopes you have a fantastic weekend! Cheers!

It's an office supply, it's an art supply, it's... a sticky note!

The other day I was cruising the interweb for cool office supplies*, don't judge me - you are reading a blog about office supplies, and I came across tons of art. Yes, art. Art made with and from office supplies. Too many types of art to cover in one post (notice the foreshadowing here- I'm thinking reoccurring feature). Today the focus is: The Sticky Note aka The Post-it Note. Folks are doing some amazing things with sticky notes!

Pen & pencil on paper sticky note collage.

I like the blue alien with 3 eyes, although I feel like the green faced creature a few squares to the right is staring at me in a judgy way.

Rolled sticky note sculpture.

This is pretty awesome. I wonder if glue was involved or if the sculpture has superior core strength and is able to balance like this sans glue. Glue, right? Got to be glue.

Sticky note collage

Very cool. This looks tricky. Clearly beyond my artistic range. Admittedly it gives me the creeps when I stare at it too long. What's with me and eyes today? Am I the only one who feels like they are being watched?

I feel inspired. Perhaps a torn sticky note collage in warm colors? A block self portrait in neons? A sculpture in pastels? An outdoor scene? The options seem limitless. Wait. Little problem. I am low on sticky notes. Think, think, think.... Got it! I'm contacting one of my favorite Office Heroes at Burkett's and placing my art supply office supply order. I'll keep you posted on my forthcoming creations.

Are you inspired? Do you already have a sticky note art piece? Do share. Email a picture to burkettsoffice@gmail.com with 'sticky note art' in the subject line and you might see your artwork on this blog. If you'd like credit, don't forget to include your name and feel free to write something about your process.

Also, sticky notes are excellent to use around the office for actual work purposes as you can write on them and then stick them places.

* No, "Cool Office Supplies" is not an oxymoron. Of course, you're here & reading this so perhaps I'm preaching to the choir. 

WE ARE HERE TO HELP!

At Burkett's, customer satisfaction is our NUMERO UNO PRIORITY! No problem is too big or too small for us to tackle for you, our customer. No such thing as a stupid question. We are Office Supply and Furnishings Experts, Heroes if you will, and we are here to help!


There are on occasion requests for help that make us smile, maybe even cause us to chuckle. Let's be clear. We would not laugh at our customers. We might laugh with them. But, most likely we are laughing at ourselves. We probably did not provide a clear explanation for product use. We are willing to shoulder the blame 100%. Consider the following:


Customer orders a chair mat at a fantastic price. Chair mat arrives on time as promised in the correct color and size, but something is amiss. Customer wisely calls a Burkett's Office Hero. "What seems to be the problem?" says Hero. "I can't roll my chair on this mat. I need to return it and get one that isn't bumpy." states Customer. Hero offers, "Is the other side smooth?" "Yes." says Customer. "I think if you flip over the mat, so the bumps can grip the carpet and the chair can roll on the smooth side you will be happy with the mat." replies Hero.


Customer orders a comfy new desk chair at a fantastic price. Chair arrives on time as promised in the right style and color, but it leans to the left. Customer cannot get the chair adjusted to level. Customer wisely calls a Burkett's Office Hero. No matter what Hero asks Customer to try the chair is still out of level. Hero makes a personal visit to Customer's office. Hero inspects the chair. The casters, wheels and legs all seem to work. Hero steps back and looks at the chair and then she sees it. The left arm is adjusted lower than the right. 


Brain Cramp. Blonde Moment (the blogger is blonde, naturally once upon a time, and therefore within her rights to invoke this label). Mental Lapse. Whatever you want to call it. It happens to the best of us. I once left a note with a tip for housekeeping in a Mexico City hotel that said "Garcias!" Thankfully, my husband saw it and said "Who are the Garcias?" Oops! Gracias! I meant Gracias! 


Please share your best Blonde Moment so I can take comfort in knowing that it's not just me. Garcias!

A BLOG IS BORN

Welcome to the Burkett's Blog. Burkett's is a locally owned and operated Office Product and Furnishings Company that has been serving Sacramento since 1959. 


Why does an Office Product Company need a blog you ask? Excellent question. Really, really, good question. A question for the ages. An excellent cocktail party topic. Discuss amongst yourselves. No, I'm not just typing filler until I come up with the answer! The answer of course is that everybody is doing it. It's hip to blog. I blog therefore I am. 


Will anyone read a blog about pens and paper? Maybe. 


Will anyone read a blog about the people at an Office Products Company (something about that seems familiar)? Maybe. 


Will anyone read a blog that is a dazzling collection of information about office products, special deals, and the smiling faces that make it all happen? Let's find out...