KMart/custoner service

I drive into town on 5/28/06 to New Albany, In. solely because of a

table I see in the 5/28/06 morning ad. I see the ad about 11:00 and get there about 3:30.

The table is not on display and I inquire about it and then have to produce the ad to explain

the Biscayne table set. The clerk has never seen it and went to look in the stock. Then said

no we've never carried it. I went to customer service to ask why is it in the ad

if there was no intention to sell it. She asked the manager who said they

weren't going to carry it and never will so no rainchecks I asked if another

store could deliver it (that's been done by Target before) and they said no.

There was no apologies, no effort to make it up, just defensiveness. Not one

person said sorry about that. I was going to buy a deck box and other small

items along with the table. I felt this was a bait and switch set up so I bought

nothing. I went to a Big Lots and found the same table for $10 cheaper and the

deck box for a third of the price so I came out ahead. But while I was there, I

passed along my story and was shocked at the number of strangers who chimed in

with their own bad customer service experiences at KMart. This is my second

time I have felt slighted by KMart so I am done.

Comment On This

the weekly ads are printed 8-10 months in advance, and not all locations carry every item because of many factors like availability from the manufacturer, or in some cases an item may be discontinued.

If you read the disclosure at the bottom of the ads, it explains all of that very clearly.

Most people assume the ads are printed up weekly and the stores just get ready for it, but they are actually 8-10 months in advance, and the stores have to try and schedule their stock based on that, and occasionaly it just doesn't happen..

Comment On This

Usually there is the phrase "subject to availability" somewhere on those ads meaning some stores may not carry a certain item while some will..one Kmart might, but the one 15 miles down the road wont..