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Department of Communications and Agricultural Education

Equipping students for the real world

Story by Kaitlyn Vicker, junior (ACJ)

Rollin Mensch, the Printing Coordinator and Estimator at the University Printing Center, has been working in the print business for approximately 47 years, and almost 4 years working at Kansas State University.

“I’ve been in the Manhattan area most of my life, except for when I was in the service,” says Mensch. “It’s like home to me. I knew a lot of the people who work in the office already. I was lucky enough to find a position here.”

One main role in Mensch’s job is customer service and helping the incoming customers with the paperwork. He makes sure all the correct information is filled out or provided to complete the job to the best of the printing center’s ability.

Some goals Mensch has for the staff and students are to work well together as a team and make the process smoother. For the staff, Mensch said he would like to have everyone on the same page, where they can get the job to move through more efficiently and making the next person’s job in line easier.

“For the students, a goal I have for them would be to orientate them into the business world,” says Mensch, “and making sure they understand what good customer service is and how to treat your customers.”

Advice Mensch has for others, in regards to the printing center, would be not be afraid to ask questions. He said for some customers they try to figure out the paperwork on their own. Mensch says it is better to come down to the office and work with an employee to make sure everything is done correct.

“It’s hard to figure out what someone is thinking when all you have is the order form from them,” says Mensch. “Once we get more details, then you can direct them into an area where it will work better or be more cost effective. Everyone is concerned about budgets, so that really becomes important that you watch the dollars for them.”

One of the most important parts of working at the printing center to Mensch is the purpose of the project. He will ask questions to customers like, “How are you going to use it?” and “What’s your audience going to be?” Mensch said a lot of times people put color on things when it doesn’t necessarily need to be color. But he understands that flash is important and color is flash.

“We can target the orders that come from either students or different colleges to different resources within the printing center,” says Mensch. “It all boils down to using the information given and the tools we have in the most efficient way possible.”

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