Sears Roebuck's Definition of Customer Service

A PROFILE OF EXTREMELY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

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This is an example of the repair service offered to customers by Sears, a well known, well respected American Company.

After this experience I'm left wondering how they've stayed in business.

My refrigerator is 2 years old. I paid $1,100 for it and purchased a 5 year extended "Master Performance" warranty. This is what I've gotten for my money.

The following events take place between 8/5/05 and 8/25/05. 20 days and counting from the first call for service.

Fri 8/5/05 - My refrigerator stops working. It’s the compressor. I can hear it buzzing. A call to the repair center nets a service call appointment for Fri. 8/12 between 8a and 12n. Its the best they can do. "Having no refrigerator is not an emergency".

Sat 8/6 - I call again to complain about having to wait a week for service. They add an "emergency, as soon as possible" note to my repair appointment. I ask if the repairman would have the compressor when he arrives. I'm informed that any parts will have to be ordered - 2-3 business days. When the part comes, I can schedule another appointment for replacement. The entire contents of my refrigerator and freezer are lost. I can claim $250 in food loss in one 12 month period. I email Sears and convey my disgust through the "contact us" on their website. That evening I get a response letting me know they'll have to "investigate" and, if warranted, the district manager may contct me on Monday.

Mon 8/8 - I receive a call to say they can get to my fridge today. I'm encouraged at their efforts to fit me in. The repairman replaces a relay switch (he happened to have one in the van). The fridge is working. I claim $150 in food loss. 3 hours work lost cannot be recovered.

Fri 8/12 - My fridge stops working. A call to the repair center nets me a service call for the following Fri., 8/19 between 8a and 12n and an added "emergency, as soon as possible note". It’s the best they can do. 2nd total food loss. Since the food is already lost, I decide not to make waves & wait my turn like everyone else.

Thurs 8/18 - During the week, my refrigerator starts running for no apparent reason. A day and a half later, it shuts down again. I have not been "fit into the schedule" all week. I receive an evening phone call to tell me "The repairman will be running late tomorrow. He should be there by 1:30". I agree. Later that evening I get an automated call confirming my appointment for 8a-12n.

Fri 8/19 - 4p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 6"."Yes ma'am, I assure you he will be there".

Fri 8/19 - 5:10p I call the repair center again looking for information on where my repairman is. "I see a note here that they'd like you to reschedule". After much ranting they send me to customer service. Nothing they can do except reschedule me and put in a request for customer relations to call me. First available rescheduling - Thurs 8/25. Why am I not #1 on Monday because they didn't get to me Fri? That would be too close to ACUTAL customer service I guess. 5 hours work lost.

Fri 8/19 - 5:20p A call to corporate headquarters gets me to Executive Customer Relations. They actually give the illusion of sympathy and pretend to care. They also show that customer service called and left a message that the repairman wasn't coming. This, I explain is a blatant lie. An appointment is made for early as possible after noon Mon 8/22. "Hopefully your refrigerator will not be working when he gets there." There's a policy, you see, that if a part is functioning and no problem is evident, nothing can be done. She makes a promise to follow up with me on Tues., 8/23. I never got a call.

Mon 8/22 - I've gotten an automated message Sun. night confirming my appointment. At 1:50p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 7". I make it clear that I will be unbelievably upset if he doesn't show. He shows at 2:30 and tells me his last 2 appointments were switched - I was moved from #7 to #6. He spends 15 minutes diagnosing the repair - I need a new compressor. (No kidding) He will emergency order it and schedule me for 8a Wed., 8/24. Its a 4 hour job. If my part isn't here on Tues., it will be here on Wed. and he'll be out on Thurs. 5 hours work lost.

Tues 8/23 - The part is waiting for me after work. I call to confirm Wed's appointment. "You're scheduled for 12n". "I want 8a I say". They transfer me to the routing office. They're closed. I call back. "You're on the schedule for 12n, the first afternoon appointment. I'll add a note indicating you'd like to make it morning. If they can change it, you'll get a call between 7:30a & 8a Wed morning." I get no additional automated call confirming an appointment.

Wed 8/24 - Having gotten no call this morning, I go to work expecting to leave at 11:30a.

Wed 8/24 - 8:50a I call to confirm my 12n appointment. "I don't show any appointment for you. Would you like to schedule?" "No," I say, "I already have an appointment today". "Would you like to speak with the routing office". "Yes". The routing office has no time today and no evidence that I was ever on today's schedule. She can "force" me in tomorrow between 12n and 5p if I want. I want someone there at 8a. She agrees. So now I'm "forced" into the schedule.

Wed 8/24 - 9:15a Next I call back to Executive Customer Relations. The person I spoke with on Fri isn't in today. They tell me there's no way to verify that I had a confirmed appointment today. There's no evidence of it on last night's call report. They put me on hold and call the routing office to verify tomorrow's appointment and make it a "Must make". It can't be cancelled. "If he doesn't show, my next calls will be to the BBB and every media outlet in this city" I tell her. Had I not called Tues. to confirm, I would have been off work Wed. morning since my last information at that point was the repairman telling me as he left on Mon. that he'd see me Wed. morning.

Had I not called Wed morning, I would have been off work Wed at 11:30a waiting for my 12n repair. All in addition to the time I will miss when the work is finally performed. Updates to follow.

8/24 - 7:15p I got an automated call telling me to expect service between 8a and 10a tomorrow. Confidence is building, hope springs eternal.

So far there is nothing short of an offer to replace every appliance in my home at no charge that would ever coerce me into buying another appliance from Sears. On second thought, I have 2 children in college. If they offered to wipe clean all existing and future college bills, I'd take the chance.

8/25 - 9a Sears Repair Center tells me I'm #2 on the list today. Encouraging but after all this why am I not #1? But at least I'm on the list.

8/25 - 10:30a Another call to the repair center and they tell me the repairman is just finishing up call #1 and he'll be on his way. At 10:50a my repair main calls to tell me he's enroute. Yea!

8/25 - 12n I call my repair man to see where he is. No answer. He shows up at 12:15p. But, he stays and replaces my compressor. However, because of the lateness of his arrival, its pointless to try & go in to work. 8 hours lost wages today.

8/25 - 2:30p I have a cold refrigerator, a freezer that freezes, ice cubes... all the luxuries of a real working refrigerator. And the blissful knowledge that I don't have to deal with "Sears' definition of customer service" anymore.......... Until the next time.
Buyers beware.