Whatever you heard about Sears going under....

[Mighty Favog]

...believe it.

 

(rant switched on)

 

Two weeks ago I went on line and had my local Sears store pull and hold some replacement lawn mower wheels for my Craftsman walk behind mower. The picture on their web site looked right so I paid for them and went to pick them up that night.

 

I get to the store and they weren't anywhere close to what I needed. Having already paid for them on the net, I just picked them up and went straight checkout counter to return them. It took 4-PEOPLE and OVER AN HOUR to get a credit back on my credit card. Two of the four people trying to complete the transaction (17-18 year old girls from the Electronics/Jewelry Dept.) could only come up with the solution of me calling 1-800-sears.com. 

 

Finally there was one guy that was covering 4-5 departments (and this is a BIG Sears too) that knew how to do what we needed done. He also began the ordering at a computer kiosk in the store the correct wheels from the owner's manual I brought with me; I filled in the rest with my name, address, etc. and put THAT order on my credit card. I was astounded that they charge $10 shipping on these things when they're supposed to be regular stock in the store!

 

The new order took 5-DAYS before it shipped from a warehouse in Texas and another week to come via USPS to my house. YUP!! You guessed it, those wheels were wrong too. It was the correct part number but the picker at the warehouse grabbed the wrong ones. So, I go back to the store and much of the same people waited on me again with one exception....the guy that knew what he was doing. His last day was the day after I was there the first time. He told me they put too much responsibility on him and pay him too little. Said he didn't have another job lined up either, but he just had to get out of (Sears).
 

While returning the new, and wrong, wheels they called over a manager (who would not come out the first time I was there) who wasn't dressed any better than a store janitor. She played around with the transaction only to say to the 17-18 girl that SearsPartsDirect.com orders can't be returned at the store and I'd have to call them. She made no attempt to get me their phone number, or talk to me directly, or even apologize TO ME. She just walked away.

 

The 17-18 year old girl was still trying to keep things in an up beat mood and told me she hoped this doesn't ruin my faith in Sears, I held back on asking her if she had another job lined up because this place wasn't going to be around much longer. I also looked around and saw, again, that there were very few customers in the store. Fewer employees. And not a whole lot of stock on display.

So I come home and look at Amazon to find the correct wheels not only cheaper but with free 2-day shipping (Prime).

 

Edited August 22, 2015 by Mighty Favog

[The History Kid]

Sounds like just about every corporation. I'm about where that guy that helped you out was at Petco about now. Too much they demand you do, no appreciation, no recognition, and they expect it better be done, or else. It doesn't help that management in these stores is usually staffed by people who have no business working with the public. I feel for you, I really do.

[Jim Naseum]

Sears is an old line company circling the drain. One of the worst performing retail companies out there. They still sitting on a pile of cash, but the business has left them. Dead man walking. 

[JL Sargent]

When I first moved out I wanted a TV but I was broke. A tried to buy one on credit from a few different places. Sears stepped up and sold me a TV on credit. I hope they can survive.

[Mighty Favog]

From what I've heard in the news media, they took a lot of money usually used on store stock and upgrading their infrastructure and spent it on other companies that the parent company owned. Relying on their laurels.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Mighty Favog

[The History Kid]

From what I've heard in the news media, they took a lot on money usually used on store stock and upgrading their infrastructure and spent it on other companies that the parent company owned. Relying on their laurels.

The KMart rebrand/advertising campaigns come to mind on that note.

[WMcD]

"Rant switch 'on'"  I loved that MF.

 

I suppose what you describe is an accurate criticism of Sears.  But I think that it is also a matter that high management has put all control into computers.  "Thou shall not make a machine in the image of a man's mind."

 

The young people are told to just work the computer, and they can't argue with it. 

 

One example is that I was at a Sports Authority to by a pair a sandals.  At the display they were marked down from $30 to $15.  When I got to check out the nice young lady said they were $8.  I said there was a mistake.  She had a troubled look and it was pretty clear that the only way I was going to get to buy them was for $8.  So why argue with the computer.

 

An episode at HD was more frustrating.  I wanted a specific wide size of shelf liner.  This took a couple of hours over two days.  Overall, the inventory control computer said it was in the store.  Three reasonably intelligent people could not find it.  But also, the computer dictated that it could not be special ordered and delivered to the store, because the computer said it was already at the store.

 

Eventually a very tall assistant manger found the un-opened shipping box of a dozen of these on a very high shelf. 

 

This also speaks to the plight of the young people.  They do want to help and do something intellectual. But all they can do is interact with an unhelpful computer.

 

Rant switch "off."

 

Good night.

 

WMcD

[Mighty Favog]

Gil, yes, that was one of the two problems. The cash registers were at least 15-20 years old and, I'm assuming, not that user friendly. What also happened was that the returned merchandise had to be taken off and employee's totals that no longer worked there.

 

The second problem was human error of the person that did the warehouse picking at the Texas warehouse.

[The History Kid]

Will, I'd give anyone the benefit of the doubt. However, human error was required for that box to be placed where it was and not shelved properly. Human error also corresponds to the attitude of some individuals at the business - which doesn't help the issues that are out of the control of those employees. When you genuinely get the sense that the employee is doing all they can, that's one thing. But when you get the sense that they're just blowing you off because "hey, what the hell can we do?", that's not customer service.

And while there are many who are good employees and want to help, there are also plenty of less-than-desirable employees out there who genuinely do not care about whether you're satisfied or not.

[Mighty Favog]

That's pretty much why I held my temper at the young girl the second time I went back to the store. She was trying her best and keeping a good attitude. The on-duty manager, however, was not someone I'd put a lot of trust into.

[garyrc]

My Sears story:

 

One person in each department -- max -- knows anything, and they don't train the rest.  And some have no sense of company history.

 

I wear blue work shirts for years at a time.  The ones I bought at Sears about 15 years ago finally were over the hill, so I went to Sears.  I could find nothing like them, so I asked, saying that the last ones I bought were the Roebuck brand.  The young clerk said she had never heard of that brand.  I said "Roebuck, as in Sears and Roebuck."  She confessed she had never heard of the Roebuck part of "Sears & Roebuck."  A short video of company history, as a 10 minute part of training would have done the trick.  Back when I was in college, when I worked at Capwells in Oakland for Christmas vacation only, they gave us two solid days of training, partly in a classroom upstairs.  We learned that before any of our parents were born, Capwells was called The Lace House, etc., and other details of history.  We were told how to handle customers, and yes, that the customer is always right.  Then were given a detailed tour of our department, going through the stock.  Sigh.

[Jim Naseum]

Couple years ago there were many stories on the business press about a goofball (Eddie lampert) who took over Sears, made a hack of it, and greatly de-motivated the employees.

[Dr Morbius]

This is just sad……………….. that reminds me of trying to get a slo blo fuse (3.2 amp) for my Scott amplifier.  3 people in the store didn't know what slo blo meant but the manager finally did. Told me they don't stock it and to order from Amazon. Figures, so I go to Amazon and they are out of stock, no idea when they get them in. I just need 4 or 5 but another retailer has them but minimum order is 100. What do I do with 100? Crazy!

[T2K]

The young lady said, 'that'll be $36.02'. I gave her 2-twenty dollar bills, a one dollar bill and 2 pennies. She stood there looking at the cash in her hand long enough that I heard crickets chirping. I asked if the register did subtraction. She said yes. I said why don't you enter $41.02 and see what happens. She did that, the drawer slid open and she handed me a 5 dollar bill after looking at the digital read-out on the register. She asks, so you didn't want any ones?

 

Keith

[angusruler]

sad....I always check amazon before anywhere else.

[minermark]

My broker calls me once a year for years, i remember him calling me because i liked retail store fronts for awile, so he tells me to trade for some sears stock because he see's some things going on, sure go for it.

Basic trade, couple years it just remained the the same, the only one who made money was him.

So a year later he calls and tells me i should buy more, rumor of the Kmart takeover, i then tell him sell everything and transfer to Goldman. Fk him, have a nice day.

I learned, if you do not shop the store, do not own it.

Edited August 22, 2015 by minermark

[teaman]

I have purchased three Panasonic plasma televisions from Sears and in all three cases they undersold Best Buy on the sets I wanted. We recently lost our Sears store and only have a small mom and pop owned Sears spin off store. They seem very nice and offer in store specials which draw you in. Hope they don't go under, however I am not sure how any big box stores compete with the online businesses any more.

[mike stehr]

The on-duty manager, however, was not someone I'd put a lot of trust into.

 

You have some serious patience...I would have snapped on her walking away like that. I would have told her she can't manage her own period...or she Can't Understand Normal Thinking.

[WMcD]

Couple of stories. 

 

- - - - -  

 

While in grad school I worked for a guy who was, in many ways, Andy of Mayberry. 

 

He grew up in West Virginia in the 1940s and I'll guess that was poverty stricken Appalachia.  Regarding Sears, he said, "When you buy something from Sears, you know it is fair price and it is going to last a long time."  That was my impression of Sears too. If they would only bring that back. 

 

- - - - -

 

I'm appreciative that young people don't know everything that old people do.

 

We have a GBC binder machine at the office and it needed some service.  It was about 25 years old.  The local dealer sent over a young man.  He looked at it and called his boss, saying, "I don't know what this machine is, it's older than I am."

 

- - -  -

 

Smile,

 

WMcD

Edited August 22, 2015 by William F. Gil McDermott

[oldtimer]

I'm appreciative that young people don't know everything that old people do.

 

That's one way to put it.