Sears STILL Cannot Properly Define "All"

[Stuey]

I was emailed about the current Craftsman Club promotion. 20% off all Craftsman and Gladiator garage stroage items.

I load up a few Gladiator items - a geartrack, and something else. Is there any Craftsman Club discount? Nope. I proceed all the way to checkout. Nothing.

So what am I going to do about this? Going to go to Lowes even if I have to pay a little bit more.

I don't want to beg and cry every time Sears decides to throw a promo that they can't honor properly. Well, I'm going to rant here, but I'm not going to go through the gauntlet they call customer service. Last time, I contacted Sears and asked what I can do when this happens. They said to "contact Sears' customer service." But then everytime I do contact Sears' customer service, they cannot do squat.

[/rant]

 

[Commando]

Do you have your club account linked to your regular Sears account?

 

[HandyManny]

There is absolutley nothing you can do about this except to rant about it online as much as possible

Plain and simple - SEARS SIMPLY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. They employ people who barely know their own name let alone anything about a product or service. All big-box stores are the same.

They're customer service hotline ***** big time. No one on there knows anything. Not even their supervisors and managers seem to be capable of handling a simple task or answering a simple question correctly. They are completely useless. I have too many personal experiences with Sears over the last 7 years to even list here. I could write a book about it. In the end the CEO and all the board members of Sears could care less.

It's really a crying shame what they have become. All big-box store included.

 

[Stuey]

Do you have your club account linked to your regular Sears account?

Of course I do.

There is absolutley nothing you can do about this except to rant about it online as much as possible.

Yep. This is far from being my first Sears rant on GJ.

 

[84TurboBuick]

There was just a big article on Yahoo about the CEO of Sears...

It basically said what we all have been saying for years...

He does not care about customer service nor the quality and amount of merchandise available, nor the condition of the stores. It went on to say that unless Sears changes course soon... one of America's last great icons will be gone...

Just to save a buck!

 

[dede2897234]

84TurboBuick,

Can you please share the hyperlink to the Yahoo news article on the CEO of Sears?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[vartz04]

thats why the only thing I buy there is hand tools. The 2 stores i shop at (the one at school and the one at home) are both good about warranty stuff. Anything else I buy at lowes, HD, or menards. All of those places have **** customer service but I usually never have to return stuff, and I know a lot of people who work at the local menards so that helps.

I think this is why costco does so well. I worked there for 2 years. They stress customer service so much its insane. A customer can cuss out a manager about something that is totally the customers fault, and the store should do nothing about, yet the manager will do anything, and i mean anything to make it right. If more companys used jim senegals approach to treating customers right, we wouldn't have to have these threads.

 

[rsanter]

let me address several of the comments made here:

sears customer service *****.
YUP, and that is not new news. And they dont seem to care. they are only interested in selling to the stupid people that are not smart enough to notice that sears has got their heads up their ***.


SEARS is one of the great icons....bla bla bla.
yea, not anymore and has not been for a while. what do you guys think about the guy who is labeled a genius because he aced the IQ test, only to find out later that he cheated? do you still think he is a genius?
and the other view that a retail store can be a great icon....that does not work for me.
a store is a store is a store.....some are better than others, and are worse than they used to be....

sears account.
no thank you, not anymore. that is a whole other group with their heads up thier collective asses.
I had a sears charge and there was an unotherized charge made to the account. turns out there was no card used, the account was looked up by the cashier. the charge was only for a couple hundred dollars which I will never charge to a sears account. a sears account is only used (by me) to buy an appliace or something over $500 or $800 that I need and cannot afford to pay for right now. and then only when using the sears charge is going to ge me an 'extra' discount or free delivery and setup.
I called and questioned the charge and then contested it. it was removed from my account. well a year or so later it is back but in the form of a collection agency harassing me.
NO MORE SEARS CHARGE!!!!!!!

bob

 

[tpolley]

its not just sears. if ALL big box stores would spend half as much energy on customer service as they do on pushing those f@#$ing store credit cards they would all do much better.

i was in a home depot saturday just as they were opening and having their "team meeting" i overheard the manager asking "so how many credit apps did you get yesterday, so and so?" i about bit a hole thru my tongue trying not to interrupt their pow-wow and tell them exactly what i think about thier (and every other retailers) pushy credit app practices. i was at kohls the other day and one of the cashiers hollered at me almost half way across the store if i wanted a kohls charge card. seriously, i'm on the other side of the mens department, she's standing at one of the registers. a good 50-75 feet away.

 

[vartz04]

its not just sears. if ALL big box stores would spend half as much energy on customer service as they do on pushing those f@#$ing store credit cards they would all do much better.

i was in a home depot saturday just as they were opening and having their "team meeting" i overheard the manager asking "so how many credit apps did you get yesterday, so and so?" i about bit a hole thru my tongue trying not to interrupt their pow-wow and tell them exactly what i think about thier (and every other retailers) pushy credit app practices. i was at kohls the other day and one of the cashiers hollered at me almost half way across the store if i wanted a kohls charge card. seriously, i'm on the other side of the mens department, she's standing at one of the registers. a good 50-75 feet away.

I was at khols, and kind of in a hurry, I needed a shirt/tie for a wedding I was going to that afternoon.

I had to hear this guy try to pressure the lady in front of me to get the damn credit card, and she was like I don't think so i dont have time, but then he goes on and on and on.

Then guy rings up my stuff and before putting it in the bag stops what he is doing and starts trying to get me to apply.

"sir, would you like to open a khols charge today, you will save 10% on your purchase"

"No thanks, I don't have time and its only going to save me $3.58, not worth it"

"oh but sir you will get..." - "STOP, you say one more thing about this credit card I am walking out of the store"

"It is a really good way to save some money though"

" Go ahead and put my stuff back, and tell your manager that I will never be back in this kohls because you don't know when to shut your mouth"


I HATE credit cards, and people who try to get you to sign up for them. I am digging myself out of credit card debt because I got tricked into think it was a good idea to have them when I was younger. God i was stupid, and I never want to see one in my wallet again.

 

[84TurboBuick]

84TurboBuick,

Can you please share the hyperlink to the Yahoo news article on the CEO of Sears?

Thanks,

Dave

Heres the link.....http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/320517/It's-Too-Late-to-Save-Sears-Matthews-Says;_ylt=AitXMyzmZ1d3PAQm0avBenuCfNdF?tickers=shld%2Cazo%2Cwmt%2Ccost%2Cdia%2Cspy%2CXRT


Watch the video too... its really interesting.

 

[rsanter]

their pricing is not very good on most of thir stuff

their employees are not knowledgable about the product

their stores are not organized well and not kept up well

many employees have a bad attitude

they have no concept of good customer service

they run too many sales, too often. they have taught us not to buy their product untill it goes on sale. hey I want that wrench set, Ill just wait a couple more weeks and it will be half off...again.
just lower the damm price 25% and leave it there and you might make a little more money at it...

stop competing with yourself...
sears closes out stuff like crazy to these guys that buy them by the truckload and the sell them off. the stuff ends up on ebay in mass and sells for cheap. you just lowered the value of your stuff and tought people to look on ebay for your stuff cheaper than they can buy it from you.....
close it out yourself or just destroy the stuff and be done with it. you know, like other companies do who are actually making money....

if it were not for the cman tools I would have no reason to go into a sears. they have pissed me off so many times that I go in to get my stuff exchanged and I wont even bother to buy anything there unless it on clearance and its at a price I just cannot pass up.
not to tip my cards too much...but
I was in sears not too long ago to get something warrantied.
went to look through their clearance bin and I see something there with a clearance sticker for $20 ($19.97 actually). that got my attension so I grabed it at walked over to grab a catalog to see what the full price was. how about $279 and its was still in the newest catalog. so I bought it and the resold it to someone for $100 (which was still a deal). the thing was new, if they are not selling in that store then just ship them to a store that they are actually selling or ship them back to the catalog warehouse.
and dont say it was sitting there for a while and went through several markdowns, I was there a week before to look at their clearance stuff only becasue they are next to Borders Books and I was there to get a magazine so I figured what the heck.

bob

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I was emailed about the current Craftsman Club promotion. 20% off all Craftsman and Gladiator garage stroage items.

I load up a few Gladiator items - a geartrack, and something else. Is there any Craftsman Club discount? Nope. I proceed all the way to checkout. Nothing.

So what am I going to do about this? Going to go to Lowes even if I have to pay a little bit more.

I don't want to beg and cry every time Sears decides to throw a promo that they can't honor properly. Well, I'm going to rant here, but I'm not going to go through the gauntlet they call customer service. Last time, I contacted Sears and asked what I can do when this happens. They said to "contact Sears' customer service." But then everytime I do contact Sears' customer service, they cannot do squat.

[/rant]

Forward the stuff. Print off the email, your lists etc and forward them to your states attorney general, false advertising dept. Put a page on your website about it, and forward it to consumer affairs type reporters.

This type of junk needs to be hit from multiple sides, to get the message across.

 

[global72]

Maybe 15 years ago I read a book that sent the standard for how I view customer service. Sears was one of its main examples. The book discussed how short sited many businesses are.

It went into detail in regards to the dollars Sears spends per customer in advertising just to get someone to walk through the front door. Then it said how few nickels it was willing to spend to try and keep the customer if there was an issue.

Basically just summing up how short sited many big businesses are.

The other thing is this: A SHOCKING number of people do not review their online orders before submitting them. Sears may get hundreds of orders where people clicked into the site from an ad and do not realize they did not get the discounted price.

We have had people ship to the wrong address and several people order 2 boxes where they just meant to order one. They did not even notice the order total was over $4000 were it should have been about $2000.

It always amazes me that people do not review their orders before placing them and happens often.

 

[Stuey]

Another thing I had issue with once...

I placed an order online. I didn't like one of the items. The receipt said to go to a local store and return it, and so I did.

I went to Sears Essentials. "Sorry, we cannot and don't know how to return this for you. Go to a different Sears."

I went to Sears at the mall. Cashier couldn't do it. I ended up at like the HR room waiting for 20 minutes for them to process the return.

 

[a390st]

Sears' deal with best price guarantee for 30 days or whatever is ****. I had three instances where I legitimately tried to use that service. Twice they said I was wrong until the sale was over then they said the sale was over and there was nothing they could do. I finally gave up. The one time they said I qualified, it was for less than it should have been, but they agreed. A few days later I got an e-mail that said they were wrong the first time and they wouldn't make the adjustment. Each time it was plain and obvious that they were full of ****. That is how they beat you...terrible customer service.

Another time I got the same gift twice. I took one back to the Sears near my work, and they said it would be a 15% restocking fee to bring it back. It was just a regular in store item, so there shouldn't have been. Three different ladies, none of whom worked in the tool department regularly, told me that. One was even a department manager, but in the women's clothing dept that was next to the tool section (why do you put women's clothes next to tools?). That isn't to run down women, just to say that these people had no idea about the tool section and were just there to ring up items since the tool people had all called in. Anyway, I took the item to the Sears closest to home where I normally shop, and they said "no problem here's your money". That is another reason they **** as a company. Every store should be a clone in terms of the service you receive. With Sears, though, it's always an adventure.

 

[toolnut]

If Sears and Kmart **** out will there be a Craftsman tool store to shop at????? Like the tools don't really care about anything else....

 

[vartz04]

If Sears and Kmart **** out will there be a Craftsman tool store to shop at????? Like the tools don't really care about anything else....

there will be I am sure of it. My uncle is the facilities manager for the place that makes craftsman hand tools. I asked him that same question, According to him there has been talk of it already. It would prolly be set up like sears hardware stores, but just sell tools.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

there will be I am sure of it. My uncle is the facilities manager for the place that makes craftsman hand tools. I asked him that same question, According to him there has been talk of it already. It would prolly be set up like sears hardware stores, but just sell tools.

Your uncle works for Danaher?

 

[vartz04]

he is a regional facilities manager for them, as far as I know thats who he works for. I got a factory second 300 piece set for $75 from him cause it was a "factory second" cause the case had one broken clasp

 

[danski0224]

I was at khols, and kind of in a hurry, I needed a shirt/tie for a wedding I was going to that afternoon.

I had to hear this guy try to pressure the lady in front of me to get the damn credit card, and she was like I don't think so i dont have time, but then he goes on and on and on.

Then guy rings up my stuff and before putting it in the bag stops what he is doing and starts trying to get me to apply.

"sir, would you like to open a khols charge today, you will save 10% on your purchase"

"No thanks, I don't have time and its only going to save me $3.58, not worth it"

"oh but sir you will get..." - "STOP, you say one more thing about this credit card I am walking out of the store"

"It is a really good way to save some money though"

" Go ahead and put my stuff back, and tell your manager that I will never be back in this kohls because you don't know when to shut your mouth"


I HATE credit cards, and people who try to get you to sign up for them. I am digging myself out of credit card debt because I got tricked into think it was a good idea to have them when I was younger. God i was stupid, and I never want to see one in my wallet again.

Unfortunately, the cashier was simply doing his job.

They are pressured by management to get credit apps. Their job depends on it.

 

[rjohnson]

I've had the same problems.

 

[bchee]

he is a regional facilities manager for them, as far as I know thats who he works for. I got a factory second 300 piece set for $75 from him cause it was a "factory second" cause the case had one broken clasp

there will be I am sure of it. My uncle is the facilities manager for the place that makes craftsman hand tools. I asked him that same question, According to him there has been talk of it already. It would prolly be set up like sears hardware stores, but just sell tools.

hey that's cool. I didn't know that. Do you have any other inside info to share?

Wouldn't it be funny if they opened a CRAFTSMAN store and it only had Evolv tools?

 

[bchee]

Does it seem strange to you guys that the hand tools are getting cheaper, but Sears is still coming out with these huge professional 72" boxes?
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00982453000P

 

[toolnut]

hey that's cool. I didn't know that. Do you have any other inside info to share?

Wouldn't it be funny if they opened a CRAFTSMAN store and it only had Evolv tools?

ugh! No!

 

[toolnut]

hey that's cool. I didn't know that. Do you have any other inside info to share?

Wouldn't it be funny if they opened a CRAFTSMAN store and it only had Evolv tools?

What a freakin' ugly green handle color!!! Could anybody have selected an uglier color!!!

 

[hguerrero]

wow? what article did you read?
cause this is the major part of the article...

Matthews says facts are facts: Shopping at Sears remains a lackluster experience, five years after Lampert bought the company and merged it with Kmart. "They've totally lost touch with the American consumer," says Matthews, who has no position in Sears stock.

Here's what bothers him about Lampert's management of the once fabled retailer:

Lack of investment in stores. "The stores are terrible; they don’t look any better than they did five years ago. In fact, they look worse." Matthews notes Wal-Mart spends tens of billions a year on stores, while Sears is spending about $200 million. That's no way to compete.
No retail expert at the helm. For more than 18 months, Sears has had an "interim" CEO, Matthews notes. Until they hire someone more permanent with retail know-how they're doomed, he says. "I kept waiting for five years: when is he going to hire the guy? Never happened."

There was just a big article on Yahoo about the CEO of Sears...

It basically said what we all have been saying for years...

He does not care about customer service nor the quality and amount of merchandise available, nor the condition of the stores. It went on to say that unless Sears changes course soon... one of America's last great icons will be gone...

Just to save a buck!

 

[Stuey]

hey that's cool. I didn't know that. Do you have any other inside info to share?

Wouldn't it be funny if they opened a CRAFTSMAN store and it only had Evolv tools?

Actually, those crappy Evolv tools are now under the Craftsman envelope. Instead of standalone "Evolv", they are "Evolv by Craftsman."

Some of the new Craftsman hand tools coming out are NOT made in the USA. One-time coincidence or precedent?

 

[vartz04]

no other insider info, I havent seen my uncle in a while. Next time I go home from school im sure Ill see him. Have any ?'s you would like me to ask

 

[dede2897234]

Actually, those crappy Evolv tools are now under the Craftsman envelope. Instead of standalone "Evolv", they are "Evolv by Craftsman."

Some of the new Craftsman hand tools coming out are NOT made in the USA. One-time coincidence or precedent?

Stuey,


Last week, I went to my local Sears mall store to take a look at both the new Craftsman dog bone wrench and the 6 piece universal wrench sets. The pictures and descriptions for both hand tools can be found here: www.craftsman.com/innovation. I believe that the Craftsman dog bone wrench is the same as the Thorsen model since both are made in China. In addition, both Craftsman models (standard and metric) of the universal wrench sets are made in China as well.

I believe a new pattern is emerging at Sears in terms of the country of origin of Craftsman hand tools. First, the tap and die sets are switched from being made in the U.S. to China. Next, the above new hand tools are manufactured in China. I think in the next year or two, the Craftsman mechanic's tool sets and combination wrenches will no longer be made in the United States. Very sad indeed


Dave

 

[bchee]

Actually, those crappy Evolv tools are now under the Craftsman envelope. Instead of standalone "Evolv", they are "Evolv by Craftsman."

I know, I posted about it here
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41507

At first it was just tool storage, now it's hand and power tools

 

[Stuey]

Stuey,
Last week, I went to my local Sears mall store to take a look at both the new Craftsman dog bone wrench and the 6 piece universal wrench sets. The pictures and descriptions for both hand tools can be found here: www.craftsman.com/innovation. I believe that the Craftsman dog bone wrench is the same as the Thorsen model since both are made in China. In addition, both Craftsman models (standard and metric) of the universal wrench sets are made in China as well.

I believe a new pattern is emerging at Sears in terms of the country of origin of Craftsman hand tools. First, the tap and die sets are switched from being made in the U.S. to China. Next, the above new hand tools are manufactured in China. I think in the next year or two, the Craftsman mechanic's tool sets and combination wrenches will no longer be made in the United States. Very sad indeed


Dave

A lot of Craftsman tools are rebadged tools from other OEMs. It's possible (and hopeful) that these new rebadged tools are not signaling a new trend.

I know, I posted about it here
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41507

At first it was just tool storage, now it's hand and power tools

It looks like Sears is trying to artificially instill trust in the new evolv brand. Some clueless exec probably came up with the idea. Little do they realize that this further dissolves our trust in Craftsman. How long until the lines are blurred and new lower quality Craftsman tools emerge.

Sigh. Beginning of the end, or are they already halfway there!

 

[vartz04]

well I better buy all the stuff i want soon that way it will still be USA until it breaks and they replace it with a tiawan/china version.

 

[tpolley]

i exchanged a 19.2 volt cordless chainsaw saturday because it leaked bar oil all over the place. i've had it about 4 weeks. i filled it up with bar oil the day i got it, didn't use it, and with in 2 weeks all the bar oil had leaked out of it. anyhoo, i saved the box and packaging and reciept like i always do, boxed it up and took it back for an exchange. the guy i dealt with was pleasant and didn't give me any ****. he had to get a manager because something with the computer screwed up, no big deal. the manager fixed the bug and proceded to ask me if i wanted a 3 year warranty for $15. i glanced down at the box and said "it says on the box it comes with a two year warranty". he said that with that warranty i would have to take it to a service center and they would fix it and give it back. i said "it says here on the box i can take it back to any sears store". his responce was yeah but they'll have to give you a reconditioned unit. with this extended warranty we'll give you a gift card you can use to purchase a new saw. i pointed at the box and said "the box says i can bring it to any sears store for a free replacement". he shook his head and walked off and let the clerk finish the exchange. i think i pissed him off. sometimes i don't know when to shut up.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

extended warranty

Extended warranty scams are humorous at best. I picked up a ceiling fan from Sam's, for the boss, and CLEARLY, on the box, it said lifetime warranty. The cashier tried to sell me an extended warranty, and I pointed to the lifetime warranty and asked, how many more lifetimes does it add. Of course I got the looks back.

 

[Stuey]

Technically, extended warranties do offer additional benefits, but they're HUGE rip-offs. Plus, once they sell you the extended warranty, they don't give a **** about you. Over on the consumerist.com, they often have stories where people who purchased extended warranties are given the runaround when it comes time to return or exchange a broken item.

Plus, what happens when the company goes out of business? Will a 3rd party really care about treating you right when there's no profit to be gained? Nope.

Salesmen and managers always push extended warranties b/c they get a lot of commission on them.