We don't give out free office supplies

[jb17kx]

And since those are usually the expensive pens, no way in hell am I going to let anyone swipe my pen!

Fortunately these Pilot V7s fall into that middle ground of $7 for two, so they're not too expensive to buy, but sufficiently exclusive - I know its mine when I see one.

[PhotoChick]

I'm left handed and I have trouble with cramping hand and such so I bought this pen The one thing thats great is if you hold it incorrectly (meaning any right-hander) it won't write. They also have a right handed version and I won't put it pass sucky customers not to know how to properly hold a pen.

[bainsidhe]

Pens pens pens

Hi everyone! This is my very first time posting. I've been reading the thread on pens and simply couldn't resist. I used to work at a reception desk in the hotel sales/catering department. Pens would mysteriously disappear constantly, usually picked up by someone (aka: employee) signing a letter, contract, etc. The only pens that stuck around were of course the crappy hotel pens. So....I ordered a few nice pens that were a couple bucks each and so help me, I taped a post-it note along the side of the pen that stated in no uncertain terms: "Bainsidhe's pen - Do Not Take". It was such a charm that my pen took trips through the entire hotel and yet magically made it's way back. People would randomly find my pen in another part of the building and would then bring it back. Gotta love it. I now work in retail hell, but it isn't customers that don't return pens, it is employees. Grrr.
Thanks all!

[MystyGlyttyr]

No one ever wants my pen. Oh, I keep pens for them to use, little dime a dozen Bics and whatnot, but I have the nice Magnatanks that write just the way I like. No one wants to touch that pen.

Probably because I've developed the habit of jamming it in my mouth whenever anyone approaches my desk and says "Hey, Mysty..."

"Hey, Mysty..."

*CHOMP* "What?"

"...do you have another pen?"

[Bank Lady]

What kills me is that customers only seem to want to use MY pen. At my teller window I have an entire cup of pens for customers to use. It is usually filled with 10-15 pens. The cup is set out in the window where it is easily accessible by customers. I keep a pen for my use in front of my keyboard. Inevitably customers, when asked to sign something, will reach all the way across the counter to grab MY pen. Others who are apparently not as rude, but just as entitled, will motion for me to hand them my pen.

Now the kicker is, the pen I use is exactly the same as the ones in the cup. I've even had customers pick up my pen, use it, and then set it in the pen cup. Then when they ask for their balance (or something else that requires me to write) I pull a pen out of the cup to replace the one they previously took.

We also get pen stealers, but they don't bother me. They're more amusing than anything else. They usually look me in the eye and announce "I'm stealing some pens" as they stand there with 8 pens in their fist. I just say "Thanks, it's good publicity." (Our pens have the bank info on the side, of course)

[Jester]

Being a server/bartender, I have always had to have pens, and as part of my job, I have to willingly give my pens to customers, so that they can sign their credit card slips. Which means inevitably, my pens are going to wander off, either through carelessness or thievery. This I cannot avoid, so I buy semi-cheap pens. I have gone through various phases of ones I prefer, but the only thing that has held constant is that they need that little clippy thing, as I use it to clip the pen, the card, and the credit card receipt all in one nice little package for the customer.

Recently, I found myself running low on pens. My apartment complex, which is managed by a good friend of mine, has tons of pens that she was more than willing to give me. It is not only good advertisement for the complex, it also makes a point. See, what they have printed on the pens is this:

"Stolen from Cool Apartment Complex, Key West, FL."

It kinda makes a point, don't ya think?.

Sadly, I do believe people will steal these just as much as they have stolen my other pens. But I became resigned long ago to that just being another cost of business....and another reason why I tend to stick with cheapo pens.

[AriRashkae]

My method for keeping employees from stealing my pens (no matter how they came into my possession ): they either rode around in my pony tail, or off the lanyard w/ my nametag. Really easy to tell when someone tried to snatch it.

My method for keeping customers from stealing my pens; When I get my pen back, they get their credit card back.

[Primer]

For those of you that are at some kind of a desk, the best way to keep pens from walking off is to get stick pens, and remove the caps. Not many people will take a pen with an unprotected tip. It does happen, but not often.

As for myself, I get pens wherever they are given away for free, and then don't worry about them walking off. Actually, I use pencils more (I'm a teacher) so anytime I go to any kind of expo, I pick up advertising pencils and set those out for my students to use.