Friday, December 28, 2012

Sears, Change in a Bad Way


My first memory of Sears was when I was six. Walking into the store with my father when it was still more or less a catalog location on Maine Street in Keene, NH. I recall a man at the counter greeting and shaking hands with my father as soon as we walked in. My father presented the man with a broken Craftsman box wrench and before my father could explain what had happened to it, the man was returning with a wrench to replace it. “No explanation necessary Bill” was all the man said. That's how Sears used to do business. 



Problem:

My mother has a Kenmore gas oven that since day one, a monthly tightening of the bolts that hold the handle to the door must be performed. The door itself works perfectly and in fact there is so much spring tension that if you don’t hold onto the handle tight enough, it will nearly rip your arms out of their sockets and slam shut. It needs tightening so often that my mom keeps a screwdriver in a drawer next to the oven just for that purpose. One day about 6 weeks ago my mom called and said she thought the threads were stripped because it wouldn't tighten back up.

I went over the next day and took the handle off to see what the issue was. Here’s what I found…A metal bolt that has no more than four or five threads going into a plastic handle with plastic threads trying to hold back a door that has something on the order of 20 ft lbs of torque when it’s closing! Genius…a design fail. So I went online to see if I could get another handle and tried to find the part myself. It was difficult even using the model number of the actual stove.

So I called Sears Parts Direct, explained the problem and gave the woman the model number to see if she could pull the part number. “Yeah it doesn't work that way sir I need a different number”…I said I’m not at my mother’s, isn't it possible to cross reference from the model number?! “No.” So there’s nothing you can do? “No sir I’m sorry…anything else I can help you with? I guess not. So after some digging I was able to find the part online. For an injection molded plastic handle that weighs less than one pound they want to charge $63.93 thirteen dollars of which is shipping. For thirteen dollars I can overnight a hamster to Zurich!

I refuse to pay for a handle that was poorly engineered from the beginning. So I thought a faster way of bringing attention to my problem was through social media so I tweeted and within five minutes had a response and was told to direct message my contact info so they could remedy the situation within 24 hours… it has been 5 and a half weeks. 

I have sent multiple messages and tweets and in return I am told a multiple of conflicting stories about how the problem resolution is being handled. In short… their customer service not only sucks, but is non-existent. The only response I got was 2 days ago a phone call from their Round Rock Texas call center with no message left in my voice mail as to whom had called or a number or person I could call back.

I have a solution to the problem which has cost me less than 4 dollars and five minutes to install. But What I’d really like is to get a properly made handle from the people who are supposed to stand behind their products (one with metal threads or at least a metal shim not the cheap injection molded plastic one that is already an engineering fail) and an apology for such obvious and gross disregard for customer service. 

The ball is in your court Sears, are you going to keep me as a lifelong customer, or are you going to drop the ball...again. 

8 comments:

  1. We had such problems with Sears this year. Bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff for our new apartment and they were total douche canoes...rude, ungrateful for our business, and very unwilling to assist. I'm over it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really upsets me because I like to have fun and use a sense of humor when I write. These people are just plain pissing me off. I have a solution to the problem so I'm not needing really anything... but to be willfully ignored deserves some "How about a nice can of Go Fuck Yourself Sears" just because I can. Thanks for reading and for commenting.... much appreciated.

      Delete
  2. I don't know how old you are but I am 48 so I am old enough to remember the awesome Sears you describe. And HOURS of my childhood poring over their catalog, designing my good, better, best home of the future. I know times change, business changes, global economy, etc. etc. etc. but I am always sad to hear of a decline like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly... yes I'm 44 and the catalog was how my brother and I made our Christmas list because Santa was apparently a Sears man as well. I guarantee if he still is, there are a lot of people at Sears getting lumps of coal in their stockings. There is just no need of it, and I guarantee if the CEO saw this, they would feel embarrassed.... or should. Thanks for taking the time to comment.... I apologize it was more of a rant and not well written at that, but I'm just pissed beyond words to write in the spirit I normally do.

      Delete
  3. That's too bad, but it really isn't just Sears so many companies now-a-days do not stand behind their products. Its absolutely ridiculous once they get your money (and even sometimes before that) the customer service ends. I hope you hear from them soon.
    Jae Mac, I'm Just Sayin'...(Damn!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm guessing after 6+ weeks they thought by replying to enough Tweets that's as far as their obligation to customer service went. A shame really... Thanks for your comment and have a great New Year!

      Delete
  4. Years ago when Sears and K-Mart merged, one business analyst -- and I wish I could remember his name -- said it was like tying two drunks together in the hopes that they would be able to walk straight.

    I have two Kenmore freezers that hold a substantial portion of my meat inventory, and I know when they give out they will be replaced with a different brand. So far these seem to be very well made -- one is seven years old and one is five, and both have functioned continuously without flaws. But I know that when the time comes for repair, it won't be a Sears number that I call. It'll be Korvin Appliance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The analogy sounds about right... When they hitched their wagon to Kmart that should have been the first sign they were getting ready to drive off a cliff. Hope all is well Bill, and thanks for your comment.

      Delete