A Staples spokeswoman, Carrie McElwee, said the company does not comment on personnel communications.

Ms. Shah had told the Haggler about the warranty issue, but it wasn’t mentioned in the September column — the whole “walking the customer” thing seemed meaty enough. But afterward, several current and former Staples employees got in touch — and when the Haggler asked if they sold redundant warranties, they said yes. The tactic, they continued, is actively encouraged by management and is often the only way to remain in good graces.

“Epson has a sticker that they put on the floor of the store, about how they’ve got the best warranty in the business,” said one former manager, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. “You’re supposed to stand on the sticker. And if they ask about the manufacturer’s warranty” — which is also described on the box — “you’re supposed to say that Epson is in the business of making money. Staples is in the business of taking care of you. And that you’ll have to ship the product back to Epson and Epson might reject the claim.”

In fact, according to this former manager, the Epson warranty is excellent, but he said it was common practice to tell customers that “it’s worth spending extra money for the peace of a mind of a real warranty.”

Employees, the Haggler was told, are taught to deal with “I’ll pass on the service plan” in the way black belts are taught to deflect kicks to the head. “You are paid to hear ‘no’ three times,” is a refrain at stores, say these current and former employees. And, they say, there is computer-based, interactive training for new hires to make sure that they understand the fine art of overcoming objections before they start selling.

The Haggler sent Ms. McElwee, the company’s spokeswoman, all of these particulars. She e-mailed back with a statement that read, in part: “Staples is committed to providing excellent customer service and making shopping easy for our customers. We do this best by making sure our customers are informed about the options that are available to them. Furthermore, we expect our associates to behave ethically and use sound judgment.”