If You Need a Chatbot to Fix a Stapler,
You've Got a Problem
Broken processes cost more than broken office supplies. Here's what smart ops teams are doing instead.
Published on April 22nd, 2025, by Jennifer Waugh, Director of Operations at HMS Office Solutions
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Let’s cut to the chase. Ordering from Amazon feels easy—until it isn’t. Sure, it’s one click. But then what?
- You’re chasing a delayed order through a chatbot that’s stuck in a loop.
- A new piece of equipment shows up busted, and now you're managing returns instead of your team.
- Your “subscribe and save” toner? Never shipped. Oops.
Sure, it happens once in a blue moon - no big deal. But, stack them over a month or two and they start to eat into your time, your team’s focus, and your bottom line.
You're Not Just Buying Products—You're Buying the Process Behind Them
The harsh reality is this; when you hit Buy Now on a faceless site, you're handing a piece of your operations over to a system that doesn’t know (or care) about you. (oof..)
And when that system breaks—because it will—you're stuck waiting, reordering, or worse, explaining to your team why you ran out of paper - again.
Now compare that to working with a team who knows your business inside out. Knows how often you run through toner. Knows which door the delivery guy should use. Knows your name.
That’s not just service. That’s peace of mind.
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What Smart Businesses Are Doing Differently
In the last few months, we've seen more local businesses taking a hard look at where their supply dollars are going—and what they’re getting in return. Here’s what they’re doing differently:
✅ Choosing People Over Portals; They’re ditching the “ticket system” and going back to real relationships with local teams who actually pick up the phone.
✅ Prioritizing Reliability, Not Just Speed; Next-day delivery is useless if it doesn’t show up. That’s why they’re sourcing from suppliers with local inventory and a grip on logistics.
✅ Looking at Total Value, Not Just Sticker Price; A few dollars saved on pens doesn’t mean much if you’re spending 30 minutes fixing a stapler from the same box.
✅ Keeping Their Dollars Local; When your supplier’s in your community—not across a border—your orders bend less when the global supply chain breaks.
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Pictured here from left to right: Phillip Brown, Mayor of Charlottetown; Pierre Gallant, President of HMS Office Solutions; Dawn Allen, CEO of Downtown Charlottetown; Peter Holland, HMS Office Solutions Furniture Consultant
Our Model: Built for Business Owners, Not Algorithms
At HMS Office Solutions, we’ve been doing this for over 40 years. And we’ve built the kind of supplier relationship we wish every business owner had.
✅ We’re 100% Canadian-owned and based in PEI.
✅ We ship 98% of our office supplies from Canadian warehouses - with our main hub only 3 hours away in Dartmouth, N.S. (Check our full list of Canadian made supplies here.)
✅ 95% of our office furniture is manufactured in Toronto by Global Furniture Group
✅ And we're almost entirely immune to that looming 25% import tariff mess .
Most importantly? We’re in your corner. When you call us, you get Chantal, Joey, Marlys, myself Jennifer —or heck, you may even get Pierre the President!
Bottom line -we don’t believe in outsourcing customer service to bots. We believe in showing up. Every time.
What You Can Do Right Now
So, if you want you or your team to spend less time chasing orders and more time running your business; here’s your 3-step action plan:
1. Do a quick audit: Look at your last 60–90 days of supply orders. Where did delays, errors, or returns cost you time or money?
2. Pick one problem area: Start small—paper, toner, chairs, whatever. Try ordering it locally and see how it compares.
3. Have a conversation: Ask your current vendors what their process is when things go wrong. If it sounds like a script, you already know the answer.
Don't get it confused, we’re not trying to be Amazon. We’re trying to be better for businesses that want smarter service, fewer headaches, and real relationships.
Because in a world where everything’s speeding up and breaking down, local just makes more sense. Not because it’s trendy—but because it works.
