Customer Feedback Discussion Board

What company should Sears be more like?

Rvblue — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:27:22 GMT

...great analysis, clear, concise and excellent viewpoints....i couldn't agree with you more....reinvent the store concept but keep the sears identity...that's the key.....

What company should Sears be more like?

bocephendorfer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:55:59 GMT

Really good product too... however the service.... kinda tells the story or the end of the story so to speak

What company should Sears be more like?

worldweary2 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:49:14 GMT

I heard Saturn was started out as a great company, and treated their employees rather well.

What company should Sears be more like?

bocephendorfer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:46:44 GMT

Sears should just be sears.

The corporation should remember they are there becasue the customer comes in the door. (or on line)

The customer does not come in simply because they are there.

Sears of old? I remember...lots of kudos..

Rember if you solve a problem with blame, you only fix the blame not the problem

What company should Sears be more like?

worldweary2 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:36:37 GMT

Catalog ordering.

I like it.

On second thought, nah, that'd never work...

What company should Sears be more like?

searskue — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:44:42 GMT

I can remember as a little girl, looking forward to the Sears catalog coming out each season. Coming from a large family, even Sears was a bit pricy for us. Not everyone enjoys the internet. I would like to see some beautiful catalogs again. I still get all the Penney's catalogs and because I can peruse them again and again, I tend to order more. As far as the stores. I often feel like I am in a library because there is a depressing silence. Our store is like a ghost town. It can even be hard to find someone to assist you or at a checkout stand! I really dislike smelling the strong odor of tires and equipment when I want to shop for clothes. The old department store concept of separation by floors was MUCH more appealing than everything on one floor. I think Sears should reinvent the true department store and get away from the Target, Walmart, Superstore places that I loathe. JC Penney has done a better than average job of making a midlevel retail store feel a bit glamorous. Sears needs to make the women feel pampered while the men shop "downstairs" for the hardware. Aromatherapy goes a long ways when enticing shoppers. Get away from the garage smell in the soft departments, soften the lighting, develop unique new lines such as JC Penney's "American Living", Studio and "Linden Street" and hire younger, more fashionable employees. Merchandising is basically non-existent. Why is that? Perception is reality.

What company should Sears be more like?

rayman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:25:35 GMT

Okay, this is not a hate site!

What company should Sears be more like?

michelina — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:58:03 GMT

Sheesh, you're right!

What company should Sears be more like?

rayman — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:04:45 GMT

Sears needs to become a brand name. Not just a store. Sears Auto Centers stand alone locations as well as in Kmart stores. Sears Electronics brand, only at Sears and at Kmart. The next step for Sears would be creating a brand that you know where to get their service and selection.

1. Sears Grand(preferred store concept!), Sears mall stores, and Sears.com

2. Sears branded Kmart sections Auto, Appliances, and Electronics and Kmart.com

3. Specific stand alone stores Auto Center, Appliances, and Tool stores.

What company should Sears be more like?

BlueCrewGuyInMA — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:24:32 GMT

TTI and Panasonic make Kenmore uprights; Panasonic makes Kenmore canisters (though think the Magic Blue and yellow bagless are made by another company).

What company should Sears be more like?

squeegee — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:54:07 GMT

my main complaint is stock whats in the ads in all the stores, i would see a lot more smiles in my store everyday if we did that one simple thing

What company should Sears be more like?

thatmanguy — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:26:14 GMT

Techtronic Industries ... TTI ... they own a lot of power tool brands (Ryobi, Milwaukee, etc) and cleaning brands like Hoover ...

What company should Sears be more like?

Firsttractor — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:07:18 GMT

I'm pretty sure Hoover was sold to a company in Asia.

What company should Sears be more like?

ryank401 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:52:57 GMT

Hoover was owned by Maytag for sometime the last few years and as some of you know, Maytag was bought by Whirlpool. Not sure who owns them now, but I know they are trying to revitalize the Hoover name brand. Also, I could've sworn I saw the 35922/3 and 36932/3 uprights with a Panasonic QA sticker posted on the side of the box several times Blue.

What company should Sears be more like?

ryank401 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:48:33 GMT

norske2383 said…
Sears stores need an overall face lift but keep the quality products at reasonable prices! Sears stores never appear to be very inviting to me, One time I was standing in the checkout line and witnessed the shift manager completely yelling at the two cashiers about virtually nothing in front of a large line of people waiting to checkout. That's not a very friendly, inviting atmosphere! I go to Sears not for the service, but for the prices and proximity. Sears need to put their customers first - have a birthday club, coupons in the mail, late night/early bird specials, etc. The surveys on the receipts are okay but they never really seem legit. It seems more like 'take this survey and if we like your responses we may enter you in a drawing for a $4,000 sears gift card'!

Quality products at a reasonable price - Ever read a Best Buy flyer and seen something actually on sale? Because it usually isn't. Sears is not inviting to me - Ever been to a Lowe's or Home Depot? Hang out there for about a half hour and then go into a Sears and tell me otherwise. Then go into a Best Buy where there is a Security Associate greeting you at the door ...thats real welcoming. Coupons in the mail, Late Night/Early bird specials - Sign up for Sears email. Surveys legit - A customer of a store in Natick, Ma and Marlborough, Ma that won in my area.

What company should Sears be more like?

birddog333 — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:56:20 GMT

Sears has to carve out its own area of the retail market. They must develope their own plan and march to their own beat.

What company should Sears be more like?

BlueCrewGuyInMA — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:30:23 GMT

You're absolutely right that service is what sets apart a great retailer from a price-based retailer.

The call centers for the mall stores were actually an attempt to address a long-time problem (calls not being answered). While there has been some resentment on the part of some sales associates, the fact is that it's better to service the customers who call than let them hang on the line. There are ways it can improve, but as a new program, it's a huge step in the right direction.

Training is the other facet that must be addressed, and it becomes even more important in tight times, when people begin seriously weighing the benefits of service against the purchase price. Many people are willing (even happy) to pay a premium when they know they're going to get a higher level of service. When the service starts to wane, the price becomes more of an issue to those customers. That's why it's so crucial to make sure our sales force is the most informed, helpful, proficient, and professional crew in the industry.

While I can't speak for every store, I know that in my store we place an extraordinary focus on customer service and ways to make the shopping experience and pleasant and easy as possible. That includes service after the sale, which some people don't understand is bridge to the next sale. Often, a problem is the best way to get someone to come back, based on how a resolution is found.

If you watch Sears over this coming year, you'll see some big improvements happening, and Sears will make a better place for itself in the market by making itself a better place for its customers.

What company should Sears be more like?

tgawel — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:57:19 GMT

Blue,

I totally agree with your analysis. You hit the nail right on the head. There is no perfectly manufactured appliance, or product for that matter.

I am a computer engineer by trade and I am well aware of the deficiencies in the manufacturing process. I am currently a Senior IT executive with a large international organization. I previously ran a repair depot with a dozens of service technicians for several years and performed level 2 repairs and outbound QC for customer equipment.

In my experience what distinguishes a “World Class” quality manufacturer or retailer, like Sears, is the customer service and how they stand behind their products. Like you said you could have the greatest product ever engineered, but a small item could cause an expensive item to fail. How the manufacturer or retailer handles that failed item is what distinguishes them as a high end retailer or lumps them in the category of a Big Lots. Quality “and” customer service is what creates product brand loyalty with customers. Customers will remember how they were treated for many years and share their experiances with others.

What has made the Craftsman and Kenmore brands famous house hold names is quality products and customer service.

The question has to be is where does Sears want to position themselves?

What I am seeing lately in multiple store locations and when you call in is disconcerting. While Sears “might” have quality merchandise, the customer service from my perspective and some of my friend is even more troubling.

I am well aware times are tough, but in these times it is even more important to take care of you customers as you are fighting for their business with the less expensive retailers like Target and Wal-Mart.

What company should Sears be more like?

BlueCrewGuyInMA — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:41:27 GMT

I understand. And, generally, the Kenmore/Craftsman name DOES mean it's the best value available. That doesn't mean everything will be perfect. Even Mercedes-Benz makes some lemons. It happens. Nothing mass-produced will be perfect 100% of the time, and when a product is redesigned, sometimes there are unforeseen consequences of the redesign that can't be known until far greater numbers of that item are in use than are used in testing. But that's the same with all brands and all types of products. And just like if a Ford breaks down it shouldn't be seen as typical of the brand, a Kenmore or Craftsman having a problem shouldn't be seen as typical of the brand. Any brand can be put into google with the word "complaints" and zillions of hits will emerge. That's just life. While Sears has high standards for its products (often higher than the manufacturer's own standards), that can't 100% guarantee perfection. Nothing can. We do have complete control over the service you receive, but we do not have complete control over every step of the manufacturing process. We do what we can to solve the issues based on manufacturing defects and errors so our customers aren't held responsible for them, and often go beyond that. I hope you find a tractor you like that does what you need it to. Good luck!

What company should Sears be more like?

tgawel — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:10:44 GMT

The biggest problem I am seeing here in CA is that the sales associates for the most part are rude, obnoxious and could care less. The spend all of their time talking to each other rather than helping the customers.

What saddens me the most on top of all of that, the quality of the Kenmore products appear to be no better than the Wal-Mart and you are paying way more for the privileged of being snarled at and dismissed. It is sad because I just dumped over 4k into appliances last year and now they are starting to crap out.

I have been shopping at Sears for over 40 years and over the last year I am amazed at how poor the customer service has gotten.

I am seeing it at the local level in a number of stores as well as when you call the main phone numbers if you can get through.

I had a Kenmore microwave crap out 1 year and 3 months after receiving the product. I was told by the local Store and the national warranty, too bad so sad you didnt buy the extended warranty.

While the Kenmore had the reputation for quality I would question that in this day and age.

What company should Sears be more like?

Firsttractor — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:12:09 GMT

Blue crew--I was talking about Sears' relationship with Hoover 30 years ago. You couldn't give me a Hoover today.For years I owned nothing but Hoover, then they sold out and quality took a dump.

I used to always buy Craftsman until I got burned by two Craftsman Lawnmowers (as did a number of people I knew -friends and family --my grandfather, who I speak of on another post got so fed up with Craftsman, he took it back and bought a Lawnboy!!!). This was from mid 70s to mid 80s. Craftsman was still puting B&S engines on them and B&S had become junk.

I did my research and took a chance on Sears again and recently bought a lawn tractor (as you know) and bought a Kenmore sweeper a year ago and am very happy with it. The sweeper and reviews on the tractor is what led to taking a chance on the tractor. The missinformation from Sears staff has nearly queered my purchase, even tho it has nothing to do with the product.

Let me put this as succinctly as posible.Blue and Gen: I can't speak for those who blame Sears because the LG, Sharp, etc. they bought quit working. BUT, I hope Sears has learned its lesson, when it puts its mark (Cratsman or Kenmore) on a product, it should mean "the best for the money" like it used tto be in the "good old days" and the Sears' staff ought to know what they are talking about or it wont matter if Craftsman and Kenmore are quality products. If not, I pesonally wont be giving Sears anymore chances, nor will my son, or his son or his son--then again by then, Sears will be a small department in the back of Kmart for discounted and discontinued items. The topic of this board is "what should Sears be like. So I said what Sears should be like--and why..

What company should Sears be more like?

GenJones32 — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:20:37 GMT

Sears buys majority of its items in bulk just like other retailers do, like BlueCrew and I are saying why is it Sears will come under fire if a product breaks down thats sold from us, when the same exact product has broken down from Walmart but they are given a free pass.

I think the name should stand for the quality of customer service you provide not the longevity of the product, because the fact of the matter is most of all products that stock retail stores are produced by Japanese or Korean companies in their (china, Korean, Mexican, or Philippine) factories.

The reason why Sears products of old use to last so long was because the product was made in America with higer quality parts, but when Walmart took over people stop caring to buy more expensive products that last longer, items became viewed as "throw away", if someone wont buy from Sears because all of our products cost more than $100, to $200 bucks on everything we sell, Sears would surely go out of business. So now we have to buy the same as our competitors buy.

What company should Sears be more like?

Chomper — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:15:45 GMT

It's funny that I first saw this question and had an answer right before the page loaded for me to answer and there it was already. You took the words right out of my key board. I've been a loyal fan of Sears and Kenmore of old since around 1973 starting with a washer and dryer. Still working, we let it go in the sale of our mobile home to get brand new for the brand new house in 1983 and with a whole house full of Kenmore appliances. The refrigerator is still going. It is now a spare. Now that's quality for the price. Quess what the new one had to be. Yes, a Kenmore. So why have any other brands in the Sears stores these days?

What company should Sears be more like?

BlueCrewGuyInMA — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:10:51 GMT

Technically, Kenmore vacuums aren't made by Hoover, any more than Craftsman drills are made by Ryobi. TTI is a manufacturer of some of Kenmore's vacuums (Panasonic makes the canisters, TTI makes some of the uprights, and LG makes the Premalite). Kenmore vacuums are generally regarded as some of the best on the market, and quite reasonably priced for such high performance.

Similarly, Kenmore dishwashers, refrigerators, grills, and Craftsman tractors tend to be highly rated by Consumer Reports.

However, I'm not sure what's raising your hackles. Kenmore and Craftsman continue to be industry-leading brands in sales and performance.

What company should Sears be more like?

Firsttractor — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:42:43 GMT

GenJones32,

Sorry I hadn't read your past post. You, I believe or on the right path. Sears used to find the best product made and negotiate with the manufacturer to produce a version with the Sears' brand on it. Sears traded on their large purchasing volume to negotiate a profit margin and customers learned that the Sears' name on the product meant they were getting the best made at the best price. (see Sears relationshiip with Hoover sweepers as an example)

Too bad Sears wont promote someone with a brain to CEO. (and yes, I know Sears is owned by a holding company---the kiss of death)