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abcdefz
12-09-2005, 02:17 PM
Pretty darned clever, but it really ticked me off:

So I was at the library and hit "print" for an item. (Print copies are sixteen cents a page.)

I picked up my copy and my document was printed on top of... some weird.... what is it...? It's an.... it's an ad for some beauty shop that's having a grand opening. that's weird...

I checked the printer, and, sure enough -- someone had loaded the printer with flyers for this beauty shop. Unfortunately, they loaded them face up instead of face down, so instead of a person's document printing nice and neat and then -- oh, look! -- an advertisement on the back! -- it prints the person's document right on top of the ad, thereby making the ad and the document pretty worthless.

The lady at the library desk says they can't refund for copies unless the printer jams. I handed her the stack of flyers and suggested someone from the library call this place and ask them not to load library printers with their advertising.

1) yes, it's entirely circumstantial evidence; the salon may have had absolutely no connection with their flyers being loaded into the library printers;

2) yes, it's very clever. I must admit that. I wouldn't have thought of spreading my company's flyers around this way. Maybe they even hired some kid to post flyers everywhere and agreed to pay him or her by the flyer, and this was how he or she dumped 1000 of them. I don't know; I've heard that people delivering freebie newspapers do that sort of thing sometimes -- load up their trucks and dump 'em by the railroad tracks.

It's just not cool. It's like SPAM -- more of an assault than an ad, really.

cookiepuss
12-09-2005, 02:36 PM
I don't think that was too clever of a marketing campaign. I mean it's best not to piss off your customers before they are even your customers.

marsdaddy
12-09-2005, 02:38 PM
The library is going to charge you to print where your document is illegible? And you paid? Sucker!

abcdefz
12-09-2005, 02:47 PM
I don't think that was too clever of a marketing campaign. I mean it's best not to piss off your customers before they are even your customers.




...that's why I say it's like SPAM. I mean... SPAM must have a high enough margin of success that it's worth the trouble, right? How many people go, "Dammit, I DON'T need my love tube turned to hot aching steel for eight hours at a time, but since you've asked me 4,000 times, YES! YES, I WANT MY LOVE TUBE TURNED TO HOT ACHING STEEL FOR EIGHT HOURS YES I SAY YES YES YES!!!" :confused:




The library is going to charge you to print where your document is illegible? And you paid? Sucker!




You can only release your prints by swiping your prepaid copy card through the machine. The money is deducted, and then the document prints.

:(










...very savvy, on the library's part, though. I've printed more than a few times and realized that page two only says "END OF MESSAGE" or has the web site's copyright info or whatever.

Ooops. Must "print preview," must "print preview."

jabumbo
12-09-2005, 03:22 PM
the print outs in the shcool labs all have cover sheets, with the username, print quote remaining, and document name on them.


i am suprised they don't throw advertisements on those things....

abcdefz
12-12-2005, 09:32 AM
^

Dang! No doubt!


That's not very environmentally friendly. I'd think their better bet, if they were going to that crap, was to have a section of their site where users could log in and look at account balances and such.

That's like faxes.... fax cover sheets are such a waste, 80% of the time....

jabumbo
12-12-2005, 01:33 PM
well, they do have listings of your print quota online if you want it...but the cover sheets are more or less there so you can find otur print outs. in all the labs, during most hours of the day, there are dozens of print outs laying on the table so you need the sheets to avoid confusion and people taking others' papers. and i use the cover sheets to take notes or do work on now.i can't stand lined paper anymore...



on another unrelated note, when i went to print a report the other day at a non lab printer, i couldnt do it because some kid before me accidenttaly started to print a 150 page document that he didnt need, and it owuldnt let us cancel the job so we just have to pull the paper tray out

abcdefz
12-12-2005, 01:35 PM
well, they do have listings of your print quota online if you want it...but the cover sheets are more or less there so you can find otur print outs. in all the labs, during most hours of the day, there are dozens of print outs laying on the table so you need the sheets to avoid confusion and people taking others' papers. and i use the cover sheets to take notes or do work on now.i can't stand lined paper anymore...






...it sounds like it's not wasted, then. That's cool.






on another unrelated note, when i went to print a report the other day at a non lab printer, i couldnt do it because some kid before me accidenttaly started to print a 150 page document that he didnt need, and it owuldnt let us cancel the job so we just have to pull the paper tray out





CALL ME the next time this happens. I know a zillion ways to make print jobds clear. (y)