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Office Kitchen Supplies; Is there a normal?
Topic Started: Apr 16 2018, 11:54 AM (1,070 Views)
kartmom53
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What would you consider to be normal company supplied kitchen items? I do the office supply shopping, and we provide things like coffee, paper products and basic salt/pepper/sugar. Here recently I have had people add different spices to the list that they want (nothing outlandish - cracked red pepper and a different kind of black pepper for example), but to me - if you want something like that then you bring it yourself. I put condiments along the same line as specialty creamers, if you use something out of the ordinary than you should supply it yourself. I mean, these things aren't costly, but it just kind of irritates me. Might just be because I really don't like shopping. I ignored the cracked red pepper request for a long time before I finally broke down and got it. Part of the other problem is that I typically go to a wholesale place, and really don't want to buy a pound of cracked red pepper flakes.

Thoughts?
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Sew Birdy
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Good Tidings
We provide coffee, plastic silverware, paper towels, dish soap and paper plates. Condiments, sugar, creamer are up to the employees. I really wish we could get away from disposables, but my office is terrible about recycle/reuse.
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Walternate
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Walternate is a fuzzy smurple.
I agree with you. If they need that pepper they can supply their own. Basic table salt and basic pepper is fine. If they want different then they can supply it.
Edited by Walternate, Apr 16 2018, 12:01 PM.
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Oh My Stars
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Bored Darling
I agree with you, kartmom, and I'd draw a hard line so as not to start the conversation of "but you bought xxx".

We had the tea conversation recently. The company supplies reg orange pekoe tea, requests came in for other varieties. The answer was a fast and firm no. We aren't even opening that door, and if a fuss kicks up the office will stop supplying anything.
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AquarianGrandma
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Purple Enchantress
My office supplies coffee, powdered creamer, salt, pepper, napkins, and paper plates. We have silverware, cups, and glasses to use (and a dishwasher to wash them).

We do have a supply of packets of pepper flakes but only because they accompany the pizza that gets ordered once a month.

If any employee wants anything else, including sugar for their coffee, they have to bring it in.
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monica
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Our office provides coffee (regular and decaf drip coffee, plus a Kurig with about 8 different choices of coffee, decaf and tea), regular and decaf tea, hot chocolate mix.

They provide skim and whole milk for mixing your coffee/tea. They provide disposable cups, sugar/sweet-n-low packets, paper plates, paper bowls, napkins, paper towels, and plastic silverware.

Everything else is on us to bring, if we want it (i.e., I used to bring in my own coffeemate creamer to add to my coffee).
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Karaokemama
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15 years is big metal chickens!
We supply coffee, sugar, splenda, powdered cream, 4 kinds of liquid cream (in the little cups), stirrers, disposable cups, forks and spoons, and individual salt and pepper packets. We also supply orange pekoe and green tea, along with hot cooca packets (regular and sugar free). The liquid cream is new, we got it when they switched coffee services. The coffee service brings it all.
Edited by Karaokemama, Apr 16 2018, 12:11 PM.
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kartmom53
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Oh My Stars
Apr 16 2018, 12:05 PM
I agree with you, kartmom, and I'd draw a hard line so as not to start the conversation of "but you bought xxx".

We had the tea conversation recently. The company supplies reg orange pekoe tea, requests came in for other varieties. The answer was a fast and firm no. We aren't even opening that door, and if a fuss kicks up the office will stop supplying anything.
That was my intention originally, I just couldn't believe the persistence from multiple people that came with it. Unfortunately I think some of it stems from a select few that have no problem spending the companies money. If they want to put it on their company card, not mine, go for it.
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shantroy
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Princess Sex Worker
My previous company supplied: a fancy coffee machine (made hot chocolate, lattes, espresso, mochas etc.), several types of tea, creamer, sugar, sweetener, flavoured creamers, compostable dishes and cutlery, S&P, hot sauce, fruit, granola bars, and a couple of flavours of cup o'noodle packages.

Current company supplies: multiple types of tea, fancy coffee machines, sugar, sweetener, milk, creamer, flavoured creamer and S&P.
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collegebound
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The company I worked for in the US provided a Keurig and 4ish coffee choices, hot chocolate, and black tea. There was powdered creamer and sugar. Cups with lids and stir sticks were also provided. We had salt and pepper shakers, but I'm pretty sure an employee bought them and filled them for everyone. It was hit and miss with paper plates and plastic utensils.

The Canadian company I worked for provided a breakroom with a sink.
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Kanye West
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We get a few kinds of coffee, liquid creamer (plain and flavored), hot chocolate, 4 kinda of tea, sugar, salt, pepper, napkins, plastic and metal utensils, and ceramic plates and coffee mugs and glasses. We also keep a supply of paper plates and plastic cups for office parties.

And special requests would probably be met with a laugh.
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jaybird
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Paper goods, coffee, powder creamer, 2 kinds fake sugar, powdered hot chocolate, salt and pepper. Anything else is on the employee.

Eta the coffe, sugar, creamer and I think the hot chocolate is supplied by the same people who rent us our coffee machines.
Edited by jaybird, Apr 16 2018, 01:44 PM.
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artisticlicense
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Varies.
One theater has a wide variety of teas, couple different coffees, fully stocked kitchenware, anything in the fridge with a yellow sticker on top is fair game.
Others just do coffee and tea, have a few dishes available, filtered water pitchers in fridge.

Best theater is attached to a restaurant/banquet hall and provides a full lunch every day and, if working late, orders in dinner, as well.

Industrial shop has vast quantities of coffee, creamer (dry and liquid), and sugar, plus lots of non-disposable kitchenware and dishwasher to clean it.
Fridge full of soft drinks are 50 cents, honor system to pay in box.
Wednesdays are doughnuts at morning break, Saturdays are bagels (from good place, with lox and tomato and onion as toppings), and Sundays are pizza, should you be unfortunate enough to work on the weekend.
They are also the place that provides a full, fancy catered lunch for Christmas and a few other employee appreciation days a year.
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Cecilia
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I think if drink service is provided you should provide coffee, basic black tea, sugar, creamer and maybe salt and pepper. Any specialty condiments should be self provided by the individual or you get into an arms race; if you provide cracked red pepper for Fergus why shouldn't you provide green tea for me and hot sauce for Eduardo and flavored coffees for Susie etc etc. Unless you have a K cup system in which case variety is great, providing the basics and basic utensils is all you need to do.
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Lady Wolf
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Sigh nothing I work in government. In my office we bought the keurig and mini fridge or we would have nothing.

Were I'm stationed at now they have provided refridgerators and microwaves. People donated the coffee pots and keurigs. We all bring our own coffee, tea, whatever
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Oh My Stars
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Bored Darling
DH's former company had a Kerug when it was a new thing, and people were stealing the pods to take home, so the company stopped providing them. People bought their own and left them in desks, and those got stolen regularly, too.

There was a company cafeteria and people also stole those little packages of condiments, plastic utensils, serviettes, pretty much anything that wasn't inventory tagged.

He retired from a large international tech company, there is way that anyone who worked there should have been hard up for money. It was actually comical in a way.
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kartmom53
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I would love to have a Keurig here, but we have just a regular old 12 cup. The guys drink so much coffee it would cost an arm and a leg to keep them in K-cups.
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nanamar
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The basics only: A dark brew coffee, a standard brew and a decaf, two varieties of tea, paper products, coffee mugs, a dishwasher, dish soap and salt and pepper. Dry creamer, sugar and sweet-n-low for the coffee and tea.

This is not a fully stocked pantry catered to individual tastes. If an employee wants specialty items, it is up to that employee to provide it.
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JoCoSweetTea
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When I first started here, it was just two of us and nothing was provided. We brought our own stuff. Now that we have grown a bit, we get coffee pods, hot chocolate, bottled water, soft drinks,paper goods, salt and pepper, some snacks and popcorn. I feel a little spoiled and don't take it for granted. I got annoyed the other day when some other employees stopped by (they always go through our break room like locusts) and requested a certain type of soft drink. Seriously?? It's not McDonalds. Be grateful for what is there and hush.
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Terabethia
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~*~Terabeara~*~
I don't think there is a norm really, it just depends on the office.

I have worked at places where you get nothing at all, places where you get the basics (8 o'clock coffee in regular and decaf plus sugar and powdered creamer) and places where they provide all sorts of random shit you wouldn't even have in your own home.


I do agree that once you start buying special request items it opens a door you may not want opened. And if you say no, you'll be met with "but you bought blah blah because soandso wanted it!".
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melonbird
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Microwave, fridge, dishes and flatware. We do have a dishwasher. Some disposable dishes and utensils are around, but we are pushing to be greener and going with reusable stuff. That said, we recently got an email that most of the forks are missing.

We used to have a coffee maker, and then a keurig, but people refused to clean up their messes around the keurig, so it went away.

Work got the pods, but they were 50 cents each on the honor system. We are a non-profit.
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coco
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No, don't open that can of worms!

It amazes me how selfish people are about stuff in the breakroom...whether or not they brought it in. :-/
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speducator
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Office kitchen supplies??

I provided the microwave for current building (in law's used it in a rental house, then didn't need it when they bought a house).

I provided the refrigerator, too. We were given a new-ish (3 years old, maybe) fridge, and our house came with one, so I gave the old freebie to the school, because we didn't have one at all.

We are still using the napkins that DH had as extras for one of his events last August.
Someone bought a big box of plastic ware. Not sure who. Plates come when we have pot luck style lunches, again donated.

Coffee is a community collection/donation. I don't drink coffee at work, and am not part of the coffee club.
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helent70
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Stirrer of pots.
Our place doesn't provide much of anything. Dish soap, hand soap, dishwasher detergent, paper towels.
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hmm

We provide paper or plastic everything. There was a short lived trend when people started being their own silverware, which was fine until they stopped washing them and just left all of their dirty silverware on the table. After 3 days I threw them all in the trash.
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Sassy Sybil
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Bottled water service machine, fridge, two microwaves (both suck), toaster, toaster oven, Keurig. Multiple types of pods, sugar, artificial sweetener, liquid concentrated creamer. Paper plates, paper bowls, plastic silverware, cake knife & ice cream scoop.

Employee supplied for communal use: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, Tapatio sauce & salad dressing. Also birthday cake candles.
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MrsCowboy
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I have worked in places where everything was provided. And places where nothing was provided.

Where I am now, we have a fridge, toaster, microwave, filtered water dispenser and keurig. We are provided pods, powdered creamer, sugar/Splenda, plastic utensils and paper plates/cups.

We also frequently have lunch provided.
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Sugar and Spice
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I work for the government. I get nothing! Well, boiling water, a microwave and a fridge, I suppose.

I just realised I'm a big old pepper thief - I regularly use the pepper that sits above the microwave. I just realised because of this thread that I didn't buy it. I guess I'll be purchasing a replacement today. Oops.
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Roor
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bad hombre
I think every office is different, there isn't a norm.
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Figment
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Dh took his Keurig into his office and when someone complained that he wasn’t also providing pods he brought it back home. Don’t piss him off people.
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Pudgy's Mom
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We order coffee pods, creamer, a couple of different sodas, bottled water, snacks and granola bars. No one abuses the snacks, and we keep them on hand for the late nights and for visitors. We do have a refrigerator and microwave.
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kartmom53
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Roor
Apr 16 2018, 10:26 PM
I think every office is different, there isn't a norm.
I get that, we are a small privately owned company so it will definitely be different from government/public sector places. For the most part thought I'm glad to know I'm not completely crazy...yet. ;)
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majjic
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We have a coffee pot, microwave and fridge. There are also some ceramic mugs that people donated for community use, but most people bring their own. Employees provide coffee and creamer to share, but it's usually only a few of us. There are usually salt, pepper and condiments left over from some event, but it's hit and miss. There are usually paper plates, utensils, etc, as well.
However, there's almost always food leftover from the meals we provide for families. The cooks are good about setting food out in the break area/staff fridge when it's available.
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Pennies
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I would agree with you but then we'd both be wrong.
Figment
Apr 16 2018, 11:32 PM
Dh took his Keurig into his office and when someone complained that he wasn’t also providing pods he brought it back home. Don’t piss him off people.
People are such dumbasses.

I had an extra Nespresso machine and brought it in to work at the old campus. But the only people who used it were the two or three faculty members who grew up in Europe where Nespresso is as popular as Keurig is here in the USA. They brought their own capsules though. I took it back when I got my new job.

As for what’s normal, my current office is super tight for space so our break room is also our storage room. There’s no communal coffee machine or any coffee accoutrements. We do have a fridge, toaster oven, and microwave. Tableware is whatever is left over from office celebrations and whatever people donate from home. There is no sink in which to wash dishes so everyone either takes their food containers to the bathroom to rinse out or if they’re like me, they just put the containers away and take them home to wash.

I’ve considered going in there and reorganizing it so that there’s room for a coffee machine because the room’s chaos makes me crazy every time I go in there but I sit at the front desk and can’t leave it long enough to do that sort of organizing. Not to mention I’d wind up having to coordinate the coffee shit. I still might do it anyway.
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Allday
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My company supplies: cutlery, sugar, coffee, a ton of snacks, pop, water, and doughnuts on Fridays.
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bigbosslady
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Because we have both kosher and non-kosher keeping staff, we have:
2 microwaves
2 toaster ovens
2 Keurigs
1 drip coffee maker

We provide disposable cutlery. cups, and dishes, because trying to keep everything kosher vs non would be impossible. We will provide flavors of k-cups on request, but most seem to like the same 3 or 4 things, so that hasn't been an issue, and the recyclable cups seem to be a favorite, so that's good. Chock Full O' Nuts regular ground coffee for the drip. No one drinks tea. We will pay for the milk or creamer, but they go buy it, so they can pick what they like. If we've ordered in, extra condiments/packets of salt and pepper are left for communal use; we don't buy salt and pepper. There's enough though, that we haven't had any requests.

We do buy lunch every so often, usually sushi or good sandwiches, sometimes it's a 'whatever you want from this restaurant'.

Most here prefer to bring from home anyway, and aren't ordering in. One guy has gone and bought steak at the local grocery a block and a half away, and made it for dinner in the oven. He works weird hours because he's finishing up his Masters.

Being where we are, we are VERY close to a lot of food options, and most places here have free delivery to our address, so it's pretty convenient, even when we aren't providing the food.

ETA: we do provide sugar/sweetener. It doesn't get used too much though.
Edited by bigbosslady, Apr 17 2018, 02:51 PM.
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Figment
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That sounds like a good idea Pennies, would asking someone to cover you on a slow day so you can accomplish the organizing/coffee center be possible?
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Pennies
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I would agree with you but then we'd both be wrong.
Figment
Apr 17 2018, 02:58 PM
That sounds like a good idea Pennies, would asking someone to cover you on a slow day so you can accomplish the organizing/coffee center be possible?
My coworker doesn't mind if I step away for a few minutes but the storage/break room needs like a whole day to rearrange. I don't see her being too keen on manning the front desk alone all afternoon.

Maybe I'll wait for DH to upgrade his coffeemaker and bring the old one in for the office if he decides not to take it for his work. That would give me a good excuse to clean out the break room.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Annoying, little twerp.
I work for a large, global company. There are three buildings on my campus. I work in the second largest of the three. Each break room is different. I don’t know what they have on the first floor. That’s a completely different division so I stay out of their stuff.

I’m on the second floor, but my division also has the third floor. On my floor we have a Keruig, but you need to supply your own k-cups and coffee cups. We also have a Tassimo that you have to pay per use. The company supplies basic items like sugar, powder creamer, and straws.

On the third floor is the free coffee and cups. I don’t care for it though so I just bring in my own k-cups.

The main, largest building has a Starbucks, but since Starbucks coffee is nasty I don’t go over there.
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Sugar and Spice
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BBL, may I ask why the 2 Keurigs? Does kosher affect coffee, or is it a cross-contamination kind of thing?

I want to come and work with some of you guys. I want donuts on Fridays!
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bigbosslady
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Sugar and Spice
Apr 17 2018, 05:42 PM
BBL, may I ask why the 2 Keurigs? Does kosher affect coffee, or is it a cross-contamination kind of thing?

I want to come and work with some of you guys. I want donuts on Fridays!
Not all k cups are kosher certified. Someone put a non-kosher one through the first Keurig by mistake, so we bought a second one, and labelled them. This way, people can have what they want.

ETA it's generally added flavorings or things like hot chocolate that present an issue.
Edited by bigbosslady, Apr 17 2018, 06:17 PM.
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miss jojo
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Current job provided coffee machines that make regular, decaf, cappuccino and hot chocolate. Sugar, sweetener, powdered creamer, liquid French vanilla creamer, and half and half. Pretzels, Chex mix, goldfish crackers, two kinds of peanuts, twizzlers, and a popcorn machine. Paper goods, full kitchen, 4 microwaves, three full size refrigerators in the break room and mini fridges in multiple places fully stocked with soft drinks, fruit juices, iced tea and La Croix waters. Only one kind of tea bag, though. Also salt and pepper.

My other work places generally had coffee and paper products.
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