TGIF...Easy Money

Happy last Friday in July!


Announcing our August referral program! We are very excited about our new referral program and we think you will be to. It's simple. You refer a friend during the month of August (make sure to call or email us and let us know who you've referred), that friend orders from us before the end of October and viola! You get a gift card. The more friends that order, the more gift cards you get:

If one friend you refer orders, you get: 

$10 Starbucks or Jamba Juice Gift Certificate

Choices, choices, choices! Latte or Cappuccino? Something Iced Perhaps?

If two friends you refer order, you get:  

$10 Starbucks or Jamba Juice Gift Certificate 

AND 

$25 Gas Card or Raley’s Gift Certificate

Again, so many choices...fruit, candy, toilet paper, party supplies?

If five friends you refer order, you get: 

$10 Starbucks or Jamba Juice Gift Certificate 

AND 

$25 Gas Card or Raley’s Gift Certificate

AND

$100 Paragary’s or Raley’s Gift Certificate

Yet again. All about choices. 8 different restaurants...all so yummy!

Quick! Tell your friends, your family, your dentist, your pet groomer, your attorney- anyone you think uses office products. Put it out there on facebook, twitter, use email or go old school and pick up the phone. Doesn't matter how you tell them, just tell them. Don't forget to tell us who you told so you get your gift cards.


Burkett's wishes you a safe and happy weekend!

MEET THE HEROES: KIRK

Introducing Burkett's Hero Kirk. Kirk has been heroing at Burkett's for 14 years. His current job title is Warehouse Manager. 

What are your responsibilities at Burkett's?


Too many too list.

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


Yes, setting Furniture appointments, driver, furniture assembly.

What is your favorite aspect of your job:

The customers.

What is the most memorable thing to happen during your time at Burkett’s?

Karl's bachelor party.

The warehouse hours are a little different from standard business hours. What time do you typically get to work?

2am.

What are the pros and cons to a nontypical schedule?

The best part about getting to work that early is getting off at noon. It makes it easy to pick up my daughter.

What are 5 things Burkett's customers might be surprised to find out about you?

5. That I am a widower.

4. I don't like to camp.

3. I love to shop.

2. I'm a single Dad and my daughter is 5'7" at age 12.

1. I can't swim.

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

The catalog with all that we offer. There isn't anything we can't get.

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


Box cutter.

And that's a wrap. Thanks Kirk!

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...(cue suspenseful music)

TGIF...Summertime.

It's Friday. It's summer. The sun is shining. The kids go back to school in just a few short weeks. Yay! I mean, bummer... better get in some more summer fun.




Today on Facebook: Friday Deal of the Day: Hon 4 drawer file cabinets for the bargain price of $219.

Blog design update: As you may have noticed, the look of the blog got updated this week as part of introducing the new blog name. The design has actually changed several times this week as we are trying to find just the right look. I wonder if a blog needs a consistent look like a website or if more frequent changes are good like with hairstyles or shoes?




Tease: A new installment of Meet The Heroes is coming next week. Out of the air conditioning and into the warehouse.




Burkett's wishes you a safe and happy weekend!

IS THAT MY PEN?

I've been noticing that people get really attached to their favorite pen. Over and over this topic keeps surfacing on facebook, twitter and here on the blog. It seems to be mainly about function, although a cool look doesn't hurt. I have complied a list of customer and hero's favorite pens. If your obsession isn't on here and you feel it's important for others to know the greatness of your fav, please leave a comment. I understand the pen loyalty thing, but don't be afraid to try somebody else's favorite. You might like it. I promise not to tell your current pen what you are up to. Maybe you'll discover a new favorite or have more than one favorite!?! No one said you have to choose just one pen for the rest of your life.  




My favorite pen right now is the Pilot B2P (Bottle 2 Pen). It's has 89% recycled content and it looks like it used to be a water bottle. It also writes smoothly.

Looks cool, writes well, 2 thumbs up!

Some customer favorites include:

Uni-ball Vision Exact Micro Point in Green 

Uni-ball Gel 207

Sharpie Plastic Point Stick, Fine

Pentel EnerGel RTX

Around the office favorites include:

Shannon's favorite: The Zebra Sarasa

Jennie's Favorite: The Pilot Better Ballpoint Retractable, Fine

Sharlene's Favorite: The Uni-ball Jetstream Sport RT

Sharlene claims that the Uni-ball Jetstream is also Todd's favorite. Allegedly he has accused her of stealing his pen when he sees her pen on her desk and it is the Burkett's "red stapler". I will admit to having to look up the "red stapler" reference. It is from the cult classic movie Office Space which I have seen parts of, but perhaps never the whole movie. I remember the part about Jennifer Aniston having to wear flair at TGIFridays, but not so much the red stapler thing. Apparently people in an office continue to abscond with a poor guy's favorite red stapler and this along with other mistreatments lead to him setting the building on fire (I believe I have that correct). Don't worry, I'm positive Sharlene was not threatening to burn down the office or suggesting that Todd would burn it down, just a little office humor ;-).

New Name. New Look.

Introducing The Burkett's Blog: That's What We Said! I'm very excited for this first post with the new blog name.


I thought it would be fun for the blog to get a new look to go with it's new name. So... ta-da!. The new design and name are fun and hip just like the Burkett's Heroes. The content will remain compelling and informative.


Thanks again to all who voted in the blog name poll!

TGIF...THAT'S WHAT WE SAID!

It's Friday! Congratulations on another productive work week. Almost all of the Burkett's heroes had a great week! We didn't get evacuated, not even once. Yay! The Social Media Director had a few bumps in the road this week including a slight mishap with my laptop involving a 4ft high ledge, a tile floor and a whole lot of gravity. I will apologize now for the lack of bells and whistles in today's blog. There will be no colored text and no pictures. My new iPad is beyond words fabulous, but I don't have complete access to all the blog editing features. Right now I'm just thrilled to have blog, Facebook, and Twitter abilities at any level as the show must go on.

Today on Facebook: Friday Deal of The Day: An Alera Etros Series Mesh Mid-Back Swivel/Tilt Chair in Black for $118.00 (list price is $279.00). If you need a new comfy chair for a fantastic price, it is your lucky day! No special code needed. SKU:ALEET42ME10B


Blog name update: I am thrilled to announce that the new blog name is, drum roll....

The Burkett's Blog: That's What We Said!

Thank you to everyone who voted! If you aren't sure what's clever about the new name, I recommend watching a couple of old episodes of a certain show about a certain paper company with a certain boss that has a favorite saying quite similar to the name. Hint: Michael Scott on The Office cracks himself up by saying "That's what she said". It's pretty well known. There are t-shirts.

Tease: A new look to go with our new name (fingers crossed the laptop gets fixed in time to unveil next week). Also, a much anticipated in-depth look at the world of pens.


BURKETT'S WISHES YOU A SAFE & HAPPY WEEKEND!

MEET THE HEROES: SHANNON

Introducing Burkett's Hero Shannon Base. Shannon has been heroing at Burkett's for 8 years. Her current job title is Customer Service Representative. Beloved by customers and co-workers, Shannon rocks her job. Enjoy!

Shannon @ work

What are your responsibilites at Burkett's?


Taking care of Todd, Margaret, Chrystle and Carol’s accounts – maintaining valuable business relationships, finding solutions for clients.  

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


Yes, I worked in the front office handling the accounts receivables for the first 2-3 years.

What is your favorite aspect of your job:

I wake up in the morning happy to go to my job – I don’t dread having to go to work.  I consider the people I work with my family and my best friends.

What is the most memorable thing to happen during your time at Burkett’s?

There are so many to choose from but I think one of the funniest is when we caught the skunk in the warehouse in the cat trap. Jeff thought he was feeding a black and white kitty but it ended up being a skunk when we caught it and oh boy did it smell up the warehouse for a couple days.  Poor Jackie had to clean the trap and call animal control so they could release it.  

Jackie The Skunk Buster

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

5. I love all kinds of music

4. I don’t have kids – only pets.  I have 3 dogs (Boston Terriers), 2 indoor cats and 3 outdoor cats plus I feed the “Burkett’s stray cats.”

3. I had weight loss surgery in March of this year (2011)

2.  I have been to Maui and want to someday live in Hawaii

1. I love watching true crime TV shows like Cold Case Files and 48 Hours Mystery.

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

One of the coolest things I have seen is the Post-It Purse because it is fun and I love funky purses. 

Super stylish for those that want a properly accessorized desk.

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


After working for Burkett’s for 8 years, I have become a bit of a pen snob so I am always looking out for good gel pens that write with precision and don’t skip.  Right now, my favorite is the Zebra Sarasa .07.  They write like a Pilot G2 but even smoother and are also less expensive.  I have been using this pen non-stop for a few weeks now.  

Smooth writing goodness!

And that's a wrap. Thanks Shannon!

We hope you have found this edition of Meet The Heroes both informative and captivating (plus you've got to admit, the skunk thing is hilarious)! 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...(cue suspenseful music)

TGIF... Everybody Out!

It's Friday. I hope everybody had a fabulous 4 day work week and has recovered from a fun filled 4th of July. 


Today on Facebook: The Friday Deal of the Day: Pilot Frixion Erasable Highlighters! These things are super duper awesome! Didn't mean to highlight that last word? No problem! Erase it!

We carry green, orange, pink, & yellow in singles, 2 packs, 3 packs and 12 packs. You do not need a special code at checkout. Pricing good today only. 


Stock #'s & pricing:


PIL46513  Green     $1.04
PIL46504  Orange $1.04
PIL46503  Pink      $1.04
PIL46502  2pk Yellow    $2.04
PIL46507 3pk Assorted $2.97
PIL46502 12pk Yellow   $11.88


Evacuation Update: As you may have heard our offices were evacuated on Wednesday for several hours due to a Hazmat situation in the vicinity (read about it here). Our sales force was able to visit customers during the evacuation, but our support staff had to wait until they were given the all clear to return to the office to play catch up. Thank you to all our customers for your patience during this interruption. 


Blog Name Update: No new suggestions this week. Must be because you all love mine so much. Look for a poll next Tuesday on Facebook to vote for the blog's new name. Suggestions will be considered through end of the day on Monday if you happen to have a light bulb moment over the weekend. 


Tease: Installment #2 of Meet The Heroes will come to you on Monday. You don't want to miss it. You will be holding your nose and laughing at the same time.

Burkett's wishes you a safe and happy weekend!

A Hero In Action...Jessica

Jessica has been a Burkett's hero for only a few months. She is a customer service representative for the furniture division. Last week she got the chance to shine. Her boss, Garry Bailey, was so thrilled with a job well done that he sent a company wide email saying just that. 

Here's what happened. A customer arrived first thing in the morning in the market for a new desk chair. None of the furniture sales staff was available so Jessica was asked to come to the showroom and help the customer. Jessica showed the customer a number of chairs and was able to match the customer with a great chair at a great price and everyone was happy. The end :-).

Easy, right? Burkett's sells office furniture. A customer wanted an office chair and an employee helped her. We certainly hope it seemed that simple to the customer. The real story is that Jessica rose to the occasion and did something that isn't within her normal duties and that perhaps made her a bit nervous. She did it anyway and she did it well.  

The closing of Garry's email sums up the situation quite well:

"The client is very happy and stated that Jessica is someone we should hang on to. We are very proud of her for stepping up.

Thank you Jessica."

Yes, Thank you Jessica!

TGIF...3 Day Weekend!

It's Friday. Friday before a 3 day weekend. Woot! Woot! 


Look for the following on Facebook today:

1. The winner of the Paragary's card.
2. Burkett's first Facebook Deal of the Day.

Sticky Note Art Update: Ta-da! Sticky note art as promised. It's pretty basic, but it still qualifies as art under the headings of 'there is no wrong way to do art' and 'one man's adhesive paper is another man's art supply'. The kids and I have been working on covering our family room in self-stick notes of various brands. The kids felt important to be helping with the blog and it entertained them for hours. Win-win! 

 Sticky Note Installation in the Family Room
Paper on Wall

Ocean by 10 y/o

Rainbow by 10 y/o

Flower by 10 y/o

Dance-a-lot by 5 y/o

Steam Boat by 5 y/o

Steam Boat T-shirt by 5 y/o

Wall Weaving by 39 y/o

Blog Name Update: Suggestions so far include:


Supplies & Demand
The Staples Remover
Paper & Scissors Rock!


Tease: Burkett's employee steps up to the plate and hits it out of the park. Who? What? When? Where? Patience. All will be revealed next week.


Burkett's wishes you a safe and happy 4th of July! Cheers!