craftsman is going down hill...get over it

[bobbar]

Seriously. We all know craftsman is going down hill quick. We all know stuff is being imported. And most likely everything will be at some pt....
Get over it. We know sears doesnt care bout us i.e. india customer service, **** in store service, and i know how we all love the website right.
i voiced my option be not stepping foot in their doors and voice myself with my wallet. The people ***** bout them and then buy everything on discount you are the problem too... (you hate what there doing, yet you keep going in and buying...) all they care bout is the $$$ so why purchase a product that lacks quality compared to other usa brands...

To many threads for me. Im sick of what sears did but i have moved on. There are brands to pick from. If you dont like what there doing dont buy from them. They will listen once the stuff sits on shelves for monthes...

And the people that still want cm buy it, has anyone actually tested the quality of the imports? I just have an issue with pricing. Thats why i stopped

 

[magova1104]

"To many threads for me. Im sick of what sears did but i have moved on. There are brands to pick from. If you dont like what there doing dont buy from them. They will listen once the stuff sits on shelves for monthes...

And the people that still want cm buy it, has anyone actually tested the quality of the imports? I just have an issue with pricing. Thats why i stopped."

Tired of these threads and you are starting a new one?

 

[TwoInch]

"To many threads for me. Im sick of what sears did but i have moved on. There are brands to pick from. If you dont like what there doing dont buy from them. They will listen once the stuff sits on shelves for monthes...

And the people that still want cm buy it, has anyone actually tested the quality of the imports? I just have an issue with pricing. Thats why i stopped."

Tired of these threads and you are starting a new one?

only thing to add to the original post, dont forget many are upset that they already spent thousands of dollars on their tools, and dont want imported replacements! thats my biggest gripe. im getting over it. ill buy better stuff when i need too in the future. but thats my biggest problem with the whole shebang. fugg 'em

 

[Scuba Steve33]

Seriously. We all know craftsman is going down hill quick. We all know stuff is being imported. And most likely everything will be at some pt....
Get over it. We know sears doesnt care bout us i.e. india customer service, **** in store service, and i know how we all love the website right.
i voiced my option be not stepping foot in their doors and voice myself with my wallet. The people ***** bout them and then buy everything on discount you are the problem too... (you hate what there doing, yet you keep going in and buying...) all they care bout is the $$$ so why purchase a product that lacks quality compared to other usa brands...

To many threads for me. Im sick of what sears did but i have moved on. There are brands to pick from. If you dont like what there doing dont buy from them. They will listen once the stuff sits on shelves for monthes...

And the people that still want cm buy it, has anyone actually tested the quality of the imports? I just have an issue with pricing. Thats why i stopped

 

[Need4racin]

I can't handle it, have me committed.

 

[Knuckle Buster]

only thing to add to the original post, dont forget many are upset that they already spent thousands of dollars on their tools, and dont want imported replacements! thats my biggest gripe. im getting over it. ill buy better stuff when i need too in the future. but thats my biggest problem with the whole shebang. fugg 'em

Thats a good post, but who will we buy from in the future? I mean, heck, I've seen some Snap-On stuff that isn't made here.. so I wonder if they will jump on the cheap labor ship on more stuff? And if they do, will they pass the savings down to us, or still make us pay top dollar?

 

[OEXL16B]

Sears was going down hill even before they went Chinese. They were forcing Danaher to make Craftsman tools cheaper and cheaper and cheaper until Danaher said, "we can't make the tools any cheaper and still pay our workers minimum wage." So Sears got a new supplier to make their tools - the Chinese.

 

[allinon72]

 

[Bill R.]

I've been hearing this same **** for the last 40 years, each time sears switched anything. They are still one of the best deals around for me, when i need a warranty tool i go to the closest one and get it now. I don't mail off a tool that i need and wait 2 weeks for a replacement maybe depending on how the tool company judges.
I don't usually buy craftsman at list price, i always check sales, if i need a special tool then i go elsewhere and get it. The point being that craftsman for the last 40 years has enabled me to make a living while spending less of my personal income on the tool truck, with the advent of the internet i'm finding even more deals.

The cheapest price is the typical american attitude, they don't care if 1% of the tool buyers demand more quality/buy american only. The intend to satisfy the largest part of their customer base, people who don't use tools daily or in some cases even weekly

To do that they have to do what every company with an overpaid Exec. structure has done, cut costs to make the picture pretty for the stockholders, which means produce where its cheapest, redesign tools to meet the needs of the majority who aren't going to subject them to the limits and rarely will warranty one.

 

[thejudges69]

I went there yesterday, spent $350 in tools. everything was american made and stamped except the gear wrenches that were on sale. Don't see what the fuss is about anyways

 

[thehazmatguy]

I'd rather get a Chinese replacement for a broken tool than no tool at all. If Sears folds, what will we do with our investment in Craftsman tools???

I'm also tired of the Sears bashing. Sears is just trying to stay afloat, keep their people in jobs and keep a 100+ year old business going. They've got TREMENDOUS overhead because, at one time, they were a first rate company to work for. If they need to make tools in Asia to keep up with their competition then that's how it goes. If that's what it takes for them to stay in business and keep offering me a replacement tool, then PLEASE make tools in Asia.

I worked for Montgomery Ward and later worked at Sears during my college years. When I was 17, I was working part time while living in my parents' house - I made almost $15K that year! I had a commission job selling electronics and I think I averaged $12 an hour. That's when minimum wage was $3 something an hour. They offered serious training to their employees and they could pay adults a livable wage for working full time.

That was 1988 to 1998 and there was still some money in retail.

I worked at Sears in the late 90's, part time. A few months ago I got a notice from Sears about my pension plan. 1st, I didn't even know I had a Sears pension plan. 2nd, I haven't "kept in contact" with Sears, so they must have had to search for me. The notice said that because my current pension plan was under $5000 they are going to send me a check to close my pension fund. Can you imagine what Sears is spending, finding all of their old employees and sending them checks?

I think Sears is just trying to stay in business and not end up like Montgomery Ward. Let's hope they do.

 

[osborn.ozzy]

I went there yesterday, spent $350 in tools. everything was american made and stamped except the gear wrenches that were on sale. Don't see what the fuss is about anyways

go back in a few months and try to find the USA stuff.

 

[Aberdale]

Actually, I believe that Sears is trying to bring the quality level back up a notch, or at least keep it from sliding further, by exporting their tool production to China. Sears has pressured their domestic manufacturers to reduce cost, reduce cost, reduce cost, year after year. Where does Danaher and WF cut cost? By taking more shortcuts. By reducing the amount of material used. By using less energy in the forging, heat treating, and plating processes. By reducing quality check frequency, loosening pass/fail tolerances, or using tooling a bit longer before refurbishment. The EPA has done all but make chrome plating illegal in North America. Legacy costs make reducing labor costs impossible.

There is no magic metallurgy or processes here in the U.S. that cannot be replicated elsewhere in the world. The Chinese are fully capable of making quality products, if Sears specifies it. The chrome on the Chinese tools looks far superior to the nickel plate used domestically. In short time, I believe the tool quality coming out of China will be better than the tools that Danaher and WF were making for Sears. Not that Danaher or WF can't make superior tools, it's just that they can't make them at a Sears price point. China can because they have a huge labor cost advantage. Japan and Taiwan made the transition from the perception of poor quality to high quality. China will too, and it will probably happen faster.

I own quite a few Cman tools, all American made so far. They sit right next to the MAC, Snap On, Channel Lock, Knipex, Duracraft, Thorsen, New Britain, Ridgid, Sparta, Vice Grip, HF, etc. brands. All the tools in my box seem to co-exist just fine. They all work, regardless of where they were made. I'm not a tool snob, but I do admire quality tools that do the job that they were designed for. I could care less about a warranty because I very rarely break a tool. I use a warranty as an indicator that the tool is probably built well enough to last a lifetime, if not abused. I'm a big fan of only buying a tool once.

Sears has been trying to squeeze blood from a turnip by pressuring their domestic manufacturers to make a quality tool at a discount price. I believe that moving production to China will actually improve quality, not hurt it, because the Chinese manufacturers have a more favorable cost structure than domestic manufacturers. That should allow better quality tools that Sears can still make a profit on.

I do like the convenience of having a well stocked Sears store nearby. Where else can you get the same selection and quality close to home? I have not had a bad experience buying tools from Sears on-line either, although I've read on this forum where others have.

So far, it seems like most of the heated discussions about Chinese Craftsman tools are political or based on loss of jobs. These discussions really haven't made a bit of difference, and quite frankly have gotten a bit stale over the past 10 years.

Vote with your wallet. It doesn't matter what your criteria is. Lowest cost. COO. Bling factor. Quality. Color. Value. Warranty. We all set our own priorities, and we shouldn't judge others just because their priorities are different than ours.

Support Sears or not. Your choice. But as the OP stated, let's just get over it. It might be nice if someone started doing some comparisons and evaluation of the new Chinese tools compared to the old North American counterparts. That would be much more useful than bashing Sears/Craftsman for making business choices to survive.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

Sears was going down hill even before they went Chinese. They were forcing Danaher to make Craftsman tools cheaper and cheaper and cheaper until Danaher said, "we can't make the tools any cheaper and still pay our workers minimum wage." So Sears got a new supplier to make their tools - the Chinese.

So this is how it went down?? Where did you get this information from? I can't find any documentation on the internet or sears intranet to substantiate your post.

Are you Eddie Lamperts personal concubine and this was whispered in your ear one night?

 

[MarkH]

The import issue has been going on for years. But this is the difference that is hitting emotions.


First cheap German tools, As currency values and regs changed, now expensive German tools compared to US.

Next cheap Japanese tools, same thing happened now expensive compared to US made.

The list goes on just fill in a country. Sooner or later things change it will happen sooner or later with anything made abroad.

Guess what the now frustrated buyer went back to Craftsman the now cheaper choice. I am seeing that will not happen and all of us over the LONG term will be paying more. It has started for some industries China is getting to be too expensive. I think back about all of those other imports and going if that is all that is left what will I be paying in the LONG term. We get stuff every day for work. Look at some old Harbor Freight ads either the COO is changed or price when up. Some items at 7.99 are now 17.99. Some items are down, but they are loss leaders for supplies that have gone up.

I also hear alot of talk about the supplier side being pressured by the fill in the blank vendor. But as part of those agreements there are guarantees made to the supplier. In the news last winter there was articles written about vendors leaving Sears after Sears either would not renew or sought to break its part of the that bargain. New vendors who either were more naive or had less to loose were being sought to replace vendors who did not want to go down with the ship.

 

[Zeke]

Sears is letting an opportunity slide by. They could be the company that stands for made in America such as Sam Walton did in the beginning. But, when you look at the reality, what happened to Walmart is happening to Sears. I have to believe the towels, the small appliances, the clothes and most of the stuff is already made overseas. No one seems to have complained loudly until the tools thing.

You guys are clearly not enough to support an all American store. The average American family just doesn't know how to shop American nor do they care.

There are lists of places to buy American tools and most of them have been posted here before. An example: http://www.americansworking.com/tools.html

 

[GOLF for LIFE]

IMO, RIP sears craftsman and k-mart. It's all over folks but the shouting as they say.

 

[TwoInch]

Sears was going down hill even before they went Chinese. They were forcing Danaher to make Craftsman tools cheaper and cheaper and cheaper until Danaher said, "we can't make the tools any cheaper and still pay our workers minimum wage." So Sears got a new supplier to make their tools - the Chinese.

danaher/apex is still making the chinese tools.

as for sears forcing danaher to make anything, i dont think it works that way. im sure they contracts are bid out to the lowest dollar.


i agree the quality has been slipping for a few years with craftsman USA products, BUT for the price you could have them for, they were a tremendous bargain and value. they were AMERICAN MADE and they were of very usuable, and dependable quality. not the best, not even close, but they were still an american made tool, that the average guy could feel good about owning, and have at least SOME pride in owning USA made tools.

any USA made 250ish peice set of tools for $150 bucks brand new is a steal, even with slipping quality. the tools worked, easy as that.

 

[SearsCares]

Hello bobbar,

My name is Mike and I am a member of the Sears Social Media Support team. I saw your post today and wanted to reach out to you. I am very sorry to see that our service has let you down. We strive to make every customer interaction a positive one and I apologize as that does not appear to be the case in this instance. If you would allow us the opportunity, we would like to connect you with a dedicated case manager to discuss your experience. At your convenience, please contact our office via email at [email protected] so you don’t have to be upset by this any longer. In the email, please provide a contact number and we will call you directly. In addition, please include your Screen name (bobbar) in the email for reference to your issue. Again, we’re sorry for any trouble we have caused and we hope to talk to you soon.

Thank you,

Mike D.
Social Media Moderator
Sears Social Media Support

 

[franzdom]

I don't think Mike really gets it. This is not an isolated issue, for instance the whole website is very difficult to navigate and is painfully short of useful descriptions and accurate information such as country of origin COO.

Mike, if you really do care, please read Stuey's open letters to Sears:

Thread with links to Stuey's Open letters to Craftsman and Sears

 

[archirelic]

Hello bobbar,

My name is Mike and I am a member of the Sears Social Media Support team. I saw your post today and wanted to reach out to you. I am very sorry to see that our service has let you down. We strive to make every customer interaction a positive one and I apologize as that does not appear to be the case in this instance. If you would allow us the opportunity, we would like to connect you with a dedicated case manager to discuss your experience. At your convenience, please contact our office via email at [email protected] so you don’t have to be upset by this any longer. In the email, please provide a contact number and we will call you directly. In addition, please include your Screen name (bobbar) in the email for reference to your issue. Again, we’re sorry for any trouble we have caused and we hope to talk to you soon.

Thank you,

Mike D.
Social Media Moderator
Sears Social Media Support

This isn't a singular instance of a bad online shopping experience or poor customer service in-store...and your lack of ability to read and comprehend what was being discussed in this thread is why at all levels, Sears is failing the public it depends on to keep it afloat.

So, nice try Mike & Sears, but once again, you've failed to respond to the legitimate issue.

 

[franzdom]

Indeed. Mike, read the title again, craftsman is going down hill...get over it.

Mike, what part of craftsman is going down hill do you not understand???

Do we all need to type louder?

 

[concealer404]

Hello bobbar,

My name is Mike and I am a member of the Sears Social Media Support team. I saw your post today and wanted to reach out to you. I am very sorry to see that our service has let you down. We strive to make every customer interaction a positive one and I apologize as that does not appear to be the case in this instance. If you would allow us the opportunity, we would like to connect you with a dedicated case manager to discuss your experience. At your convenience, please contact our office via email at [email protected] so you don’t have to be upset by this any longer. In the email, please provide a contact number and we will call you directly. In addition, please include your Screen name (bobbar) in the email for reference to your issue. Again, we’re sorry for any trouble we have caused and we hope to talk to you soon.

Thank you,

Mike D.
Social Media Moderator
Sears Social Media Support

This is pretty much how my "customer service" goes every time i try to talk to Sears. Bonus points for missing the point/question at least 3 times.

 

[sk farmer]

Hello bobbar,

My name is Mike and I am a member of the Sears Social Media Support team. I saw your post today and wanted to reach out to you. I am very sorry to see that our service has let you down. We strive to make every customer interaction a positive one and I apologize as that does not appear to be the case in this instance. If you would allow us the opportunity, we would like to connect you with a dedicated case manager to discuss your experience. At your convenience, please contact our office via email at [email protected] so you don’t have to be upset by this any longer. In the email, please provide a contact number and we will call you directly. In addition, please include your Screen name (bobbar) in the email for reference to your issue. Again, we’re sorry for any trouble we have caused and we hope to talk to you soon.

Thank you,

Mike D.
Social Media Moderator
Sears Social Media Support

nice to see you mike.....or is it james or brian or susan. 6 postts on this acount by four differant people. more not getting it. people have been trying to get your attention. uncle buck authored one of the largest if not largest threads on this subject on your own chat room. either a, you guys don't care or b, you so deep in the doodoo that this is your last ditch to stay alive.

more fathers day gimmick tools and shipping every line overseas will not save craftsman or american mfg. us made raised panel ratchets, pear and round head... gone. us made raised panel wrenches..supposedly gone. us made professional wrenchs, some of the best made by any company...gone. us made professional pliers... gone. the list goes on and continues. what next? sockets? pliers, screwdrivers.

how about just being honest with consumers? of course like all other posts you have made you have not responded with any answers or info.

i hate to be the pessimist but the track record is not real good.

 

[mmack66]

I think SearsCares is a Sears Bot.

 

[87FoRunner]

I think SearsCares is a Sears Bot.

The American ones were good, but the Indian ones take the cake!

 

[4x4gearhead]

Lol. I dont think mike sally or bob are at liberty to respond to complaints about the product itself. This I believe would be above the heads of peons like them. I still grow bored of this topic anyway, maybe we could reopen the thread about segregating the chinese tools in your toolbox lol.

 

[franzdom]

I put them in the back of the drawer

 

[The_Dude]

I think SearsCares is a Sears Bot.

and made in India.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

What I find amusing about these sorts of threads is those who *****, whine, snivel, cry and complain the loudest are the ones who say they are done with sears/craftsman.

If this is the case, shut-up, move on and get a life.

Also when the idea of some sort of petition or letter writing campaign gets brought up to try to have voices heard, usually those same folks are the first to squash the idea and continue to *****, whine, snivel, cry and complain even more

 

[quackattack]

What I find amusing about these sorts of threads is those who *****, whine, snivel, cry and complain the loudest are the ones who say they are done with sears/craftsman.

If this is the case, shut-up, move on and get a life.

Also when the idea of some sort of petition or letter writing campaign gets brought up to try to have voices heard, usually those same folks are the first to squash the idea and continue to *****, whine, snivel, cry and complain even more

Agreed. I myself being new around here get tired of seeing new threads every other day about the same ********. Yes I'm not happy about SHC decision of outsourcing Craftsman, however I speak with my wallet. I will buy the USA Craftsman until they are all gone. After that time as past, I will shop elsewhere.

Needless to say, everyone on GJ knows how the majority of the people feel about SHC outsourcing the Craftsman brand. So it would be nice for a change to see interesting thread topics beside the bitching and complaining.

 

[cvcman]

go back in a few months and try to find the USA stuff.

well this is 10 months later,,,still lots of USA tools

 

[woody 73]

well this is 10 months later,,,still lots of USA tools

Today I had to go to Sears for a tire repair so I killed some time by walking into the large mall/Sears store. If they had USA tools they were very few that I found. Sockets,wrenches,and other hard goods were all coming from China.

I was the only one in the tool dept. for about 50 minutes and from my past memory the floor space is shrinking not growing with more tools.

The tools are not cheap they are on par with the old American made prices.

Woody

 

[shoturtle]

People no long really buy loose stock, everything is kits. They really downsized the tool floor not stocking all the loose tools. They uses to have 6 cabinets wall of just the loose sockets and wrenches. Now they all pretty much fit into 4 cabinets wall. And they have room for their universal and passthroughs and the gearwrench stuff. People no longer get singles loose items. Everyone just buys the kits for the bang for the buck.

 

[byoungblood]

well this is 10 months later,,,still lots of USA tools

Much of it is old stock. Go to a store that turned over a decent amount of inventory over Christmas an it will be a different story.

 

[uniballer]

I'd rather get a Chinese replacement for a broken tool than no tool at all. If Sears folds, what will we do with our investment in Craftsman tools???


EBAY!!!!! Thats where tools go to die and be collected, which means shelved and never used again!

 

[shocksandstrutz]

i still like craftsman tools, its what i can afford and still be able to put food on the table for my family......even if the tools are made in china.....at least right now i see people from my neighborhoods employeed with a job.......ill be happy all the way up until they close the doors

 

[Canoe50]

What's this have to do with lettuce?

 

[Davefr]

What's this have to do with lettuce?

Lettuce is also outsourced. Most of it comes from Mexico.

 

[sselander]

They like playing shell games as well.

Who knew the Sears Home, Hardware, and Outlet stores are now a separate entity?

Sears Holdings Corporation Completes Separation Of Its Sears Hometown and Outlet Businesses; Receives $446.5 Million In Gross Proceeds - Oct 2012

http://searsholdings.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=16310&item=134378

Here is their official website:
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Corporate Website
http://www.shos.com/