Sears (lack of) Customer Service

The following is a letter I have sent to the Sears President:

On May 3, 2006, I purchased a gas range online at Sears.com and

requested an afternoon delivery for the following Friday, May 12, 2006.

In the meantime, I donated my range to Habitat for Humanity. Since that

time, I have been insulted, disrespected, laughed at and hung up on by

your so-called customer service representatives.

It began simply enough when I received a call Thursday, May 11,

2006, that my range was to be delivered between the hours of 10:00 a.m.

and 12:00 noon. This is not a convenient for me. I had requested a

late afternoon delivery. I called to speak to a customer service

representative because I am unable to leave work in the middle of the

day to take delivery of the range. Additionally, I work more than hour

away from my home. I called and spoke with Anthony, another gentleman

and Roberto in the delivery department on May 11, 2006, regarding the

delivery of a range purchased through Sears.com.

After receiving absolutely no assistance or understanding or

even an attempt at listening to my situation from Anthony, I requested

to speak to a supervisor. Anthony advised that it didn't matter who I

spoke with, I would get the range when it is scheduled and there are no

deviations from the way the computer prints out. I again asked to speak

with a supervisor. Anthony placed me on hold for eleven (11) and

one-half minutes and then a very rude, fast speaking, heavily accented

male, whose name I could not understand, picked up, and after

interrupting me numerous times, I asked to speak to his supervisor.

This is when Roberto got on the line and appeared at first to listen.

However, when I explained to him that I work far from home and cannot

make it home for a mid-day delivery, Roberto told me "many people spend

8 times more money that you do and they get their purchases when the

delivery people say they get their purchase" and there are "no

guarantees and you will not get a time frame on your delivery until the

night before. End of story." I was in total shock and disbelief that I

was being treated this way by not one, but all three of these so-called

customer service representatives. I asked to speak to Roberto's

manager, who I was advised was Mike. However, Mike was "out to lunch"

and not available. After spending over one hour on the telephone with

the delivery department, I decided I would wait until the following

morning to speak to someone else and to call and lodge a complaint.

On the morning of Friday, May 5, 2006, at 8:31 a.m., I spoke

with a customer service representative and received the Sears National

Customer Relations telephone number. I advised the operator of my

problem and she promptly transferred me to the Rebate Department - who

of course was no help and the wrong department. I then called back and

spoke with Sara. Sara advised that Sears.com contracts out the delivery

company and Sears has absolutely no control whatsoever over the delivery

division. I find this hard to believe. I believe that I lodged a

complaint at that time; however, it appears that anything I have done to

this point has fallen on deaf ears. It was crystal clear that I was

not going to receive any assistance whatsoever from Sears with regard to

the delivery of my range.

Next, I received a telephone call from Arthurene in the delivery

department - who after 35 minutes of having to put me on hold to get the

answer to every single one of my questions, was also no assistance in

rescheduling this delivery at a time that was convenient for me. At

first I was told that the delivery could take place between 3 and 4 p.m.

on Friday, which was acceptable and what I requested from the beginning;

then Arthurene called me back and told me that the driver was going to

be on the "other side of Palm Coast" and could not deliver in my

neighborhood. Palm Coast is not Orlando, it takes 15 minutes to get

from one end of Palm Coast to the other. This could have been done that

day. Please understand my request is simple: last delivery in the

afternoon.

At this point, I suggested they drop off the range my local

Sears Appliance Store and I would, at my own expense, rent a truck and

pick up the appliance myself. Arthurene, after placing me on hold,

advised that me that this could not be done.

I again called Sears National Customer Relations. I spoke with

Sue who told me that there was nothing she could do to assist me since

the purchase was made through Sears.com and not the physical store. I

asked to speak with a supervisor. I was connected to Maria, who advised

that I might want to consider canceling the order with Sears.com and

purchasing the appliance directly through my local Sears, since the

delivery department was difficult to deal with at best.

After some thought, I attempted to call Maria back to ask some

additional questions. I called the Sears National Customer Relations

number and spoke with a man who refused to give me his name. I

requested to Maria, the supervisor, I was just speaking with. He

advised that Maria was not a supervisor and that he did not have the

capability to transfer me to anyone and began to laugh at my

frustration. When I told him that I had just called this same number a

few moments before and was able to get transferred I told him that I

needed speak to supervisor when he said let me transfer you. When I

astonishingly questioned him why did he just tell me that he could not

transfer me and now he can, he hung up on me.

Fine, at this point I decided that I had had enough and I was

going to cancel the order; however in doing so, I was advised by Chris

in the credit department that the credit would not appear on my card for

48 hours. I pondered this as I am having the gas line installed on

Friday, May 19, 2006, and after speaking with Tom at my local Sears

Appliance Store was advised that the order would need to be placed that

day (Friday - May 12, 2006) for delivery prior to Friday. Chris

suggested that since they have not fulfilled my need that I may not be

charged with the 15% restocking fee. He also advised that a sales

credit could be issued and the store sale should still go through.

Armed with this information, I called to cancel the range, I

spoke with Kevin who was completely unwilling, after hearing about this

fiasco to waive the restocking fee. I then spoke with his supposed

supervisor, Robert who advised that the credit would take 5-7 days for

the credit to appear on my account and I would absolutely be charged the

restocking fee. Hence my total frustration with the lack of concern,

compassion, understanding, truthfulness and problem solving of your

customer service in each department that I have spoken to on Friday

morning.

At this point, I had spent 3.5 hours of my employer's time being

lied to, disrespected, mocked, laughed at and hung up on by your

so-called professional customer service representatives and supposed

supervisors.

In the meantime, at 11:43 a.m. Jerome, the delivery truck driver

called to tell me that he was on his way to my house. Jerome advised

that he was told to call me prior to delivering the range and nothing

else. Unbelievable.

At my wit's end, I called to completely cancel my order and

spoke with a Ruth in your sadly lacking customer service department.

Ruth, to her credit, tried to appease me and made a last ditch effort to

save the sale. She got Keegan in your delivery department on the

telephone at approximately 12:15 p.m. who said that my range would be

delivered the next day - Saturday. At no time has anyone offered to

deliver the appliance on any other day than Tuesday or a Friday. I was

thrilled - FINALLY some resolution. Keegan advised that I would receive

a telephone call after 5:00 p.m. on Friday advising when to expect the

delivery on Saturday. I received that telephone call at approximately

5:30 p.m. and through a recorded message was advised that my delivery

was scheduled between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May

13, 2006.

The delivery never happened on Saturday, May 13, 2006.

I received a telephone call from Alisa at approximately 9:35

a.m. on Saturday, May 13, 2005, who was calling to reschedule my

delivery. I assured Alisa that this was taken care of and I was

scheduled for delivery later that day. Alisa tried unsuccessfully to

reach anyone in the warehouse and after three telephone calls to me,

apologized that she was not able to confirm or deny the delivery as she

could not get anyone to answer the telephone.

After rearranging my Saturday plans to remain at home between

2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and not receiving my range, I began another

round of telephone calls to Sears at 3:40 p.m. I spoke with Lori in

delivery who advised that she did not see my delivery scheduled for that

day. She placed me on hold and when she returned she advised me that

Keegan did not put in the correct code and therefore the delivery was

not scheduled. What should be a simple, routine task, has now become a

comedy of errors. Because of the incompetence of your employees and

Keegan, I am again going days without a range. Lori offered a $75 gift

card from Sears but that is little compensation for what I have had to

deal with in the past two days. When I asked to speak with Keegan, I

was advised that he was conveniently not available.

My range is supposedly scheduled for Tuesday, May 16, 2006;

however Lori advised that Tuesday is a very busy day, so it may actually

be delivered on Friday!! I am appalled at the treatment I have received

from just about every Sears customer service employee. I cannot fathom

what type of training your employees receive, if any. If the policy of

Sears is to demean, disrespect and belittle your customers you have

achieved that goal.

You can be certain that I will never purchase another item from

Sears, Sears.com or any of the Sears subsidiaries and will not hesitate

to verbalize my frustrations with your company with every person I have

the opportunity to meet. After investing more than 5 hours with your

various customer service departments, I am in a no better position than

I was when I first contacted them on Thursday.

I would appreciate it if someone, with some authority to make

decisions and rectify this problem would call me as soon as possible to

deal with my issues.