OK, this is specific to my area, so it won't fit everywhere.

KMart employees seem to know absolutely NOTHING about merchandise. Oftentimes they are young teens who are more interested in hanging out than in serving customers.

Sears has a diametrically opposed situation. Their empolyees tend to be oder--middle-age and up. They seem to project a "Let me convince you of what a superior being I am because of all I know that you don't" attitude. The focus is on showing you how smartthey are and how dumb you are. Service is NOT the main objective in either store. In fact, service ranks very low.

Next, the Kmart store here is dirty and under-staffed. Merchandise is old; some of it is very out-of-date. I go to KMart as a last resort.

Sear has good quality merchandise, but the service representatives are focused on their positions and in getting their shelves stocked, not on helping a custormer.

Neither store is big on smiles..

I would like to see Sears be the first to be a family-focused store. A place where the family can get almost anything and everything it needs and wants in all areas. For example, I dream of a Sears where I begin  early in the morning, walking with my kids the walking zone around the upstairs atrium. I stop for a quick bite at one of the three in-house restaurantettes. By one oclock I am ready to start my shopping time. There is an in-house childcare facility  (certified by the state) for my toddler. I am able to find everything I need for everyone in my family because Sears is a true DEPARTMENT store. One of the originals. Next, my oldest decides he needs a haircut so I drop him off at the salon on the atrium and stop at the shoe area for a quick fitting--grabbing my spending money from the in-store ATM. My store cart pushes easily and has room for the little one when I have her with me. From the salon, my oldest goes to the arcade on the atrium and my second oldest heads for the in-house, media room where a recent movie is being played on the huge screen TV (the TV and the movie are on sale on the lower level of Sears. I finish my shopping and start for the daycare; I cut my finger on a sharp blade in my purse. So I make a quick stop at the medicDesK before I pick up my little one.
A smiling cart attendant helps me to my car and then returns the cart to the store.

One thing Sears must change is delivering what their Marketing department advertises. I bought a Kenmore dishwaher while Sears had an active campaign stating "next day installation and old appliance takeaway".  There was no way they could deliver on this offer! Even the installation contractor said the same thing. How could people schedule their work? An old problem where Marketing is out of touch with real customer relationship management and retention.

Good point!

I thought of something VERY specific about the PAYMENT process in retail stores at Sears. The customer service booths are accessible 360 degrees. BUTone must get into an imaginary line behind an imaginary gate. The 360 degree access booth is misleading and confusing. Back the booth up to a wall to ground it and give customers a real line to get into while waiting for attention. That way customers will be serviced direct correlation to the order in whidh the lined up.

Another issue is credit cards: OFFER CREDIT CARDS WITH THE CUSTOMER'S PICTURE ON THEM. HAVE A PHOTO BOOTH SET UP (LIKE SOME PASSPORT BOOTHS) IN THE STORE.

Offer reward points based on customer loyalty, purchases, brand loyalty, prompt payments, website visitation, credit card use, etc.

Provide the customer an avenue for rewarding service personnel. Give them opportunities for nominating an employee for exemplary service or assistance beyond the call of duty. "Star" comment cards could be placed at strategic points throghout the sore next to a collection box. Staff could wear "how am I doing/" buttons. Then customers could "vote" for a staff that really earned the moniker "customer service associate.: Then they could be entered into drawings for  rewards.

As a parallel, offer customers (like ME!) rewards for submitting good ideas like these that improve service. You'll get alot more feedback.

i worked at a store in the northeast. I worked in the stock room. Can some one please explain why there would be 7 -10 associates working in electronics, home appliances, and lawn and garden but there was only enough hours for 2 people in the "back" and they wonder why we were getting upset. When you have 20 plus people selling and only tow people pulling and getting merchandise to the customer. Then we were told to clear it from the SNIC so that the store did not get a coupon.  Was this so that the managers could get their bonuses?

I totally agree with you ...Value means everything to a customer. Even if the store is a little old, or disorganized, I can overlook all that if I am valued. If I walk in that store and feel that every associate has my purchase in mind. That they realize that I am important, my purchase pays their salary. A  sincere hello, can I help you, thank you all that counts in my book. I love Walmart for their prices, with a big family it really behooves me to shop their, but their service is not the best: I sometimes feel less likely to buy anything if I dont get the service I deserve. I have also shopped my local Kmart and Sears quite a bit and service is slacking in my Kmart. My local Sears is ok. They are mostly a gardening store, so the associates are not consumed by a large store. The are very helpful and nice when I go there. But I do whole-hearted agree with you mercyme...Value is extremely important...in service, price and in product!!

Make more available to the KMart stores that are in more rural areas. Those areas may not have a Sears nearby, and may need the convenience of having products at KMart...as with mower accessories (hint, hint). KEEP LAYAWAY available. I am a single mother, and COULD NOT make it WITHOUT having that option at my local KMart!!! It's quality apparel now, and times are tough. Keep it AFFORDABLE for those just like me. Thanks!

sears and kamart brought in the bean counters a couple of decades ago. then focus on sqeezing every bean instead of their customers. they always "had" good quality products at blue collar prices. The bean counters decided to change the companies focus to poorer quality products at higher prices for more beans, the customer is on his own.

this isn't the way sears built it's customer base. customer satisfaction was number one.

 

A lot of the changes did not bring in new customers and it lost some of the old ones.  Sears and Kmart really need to bring in the young customer.  I have shopped sears and kmart and feel that more popular hip items need to be brought in.  Stay away from south pole it has been over done.  Take a look at the Aero and American Eagle stores in the malls for ideas.  Aero has a section in the back where they always have current items that are limited in number at a reduced price and then another percent off.  Customers love that.  If priced right the customer feels that they have got a bargain and the store does not lose profit.

My local Kmart is so dirty and the kids who work there don't give a darn about customer service.  I would love to shop there more but it's too stressful.   Store is in middle village, ny on Metropolitan Ave.  

I feel that since Kmart has become a part of Sears that the quality of product has not changed that much but your pricing is getting higher.  I think that some areas that have improved in quality is the linens and bath items, therefore I can see an increase in pricing.  But some of the other areas are still the same.

Very good comments.  I think that when it comes to retail that business hire employee and then just put them in the store with little or no training.  People are taking jobs in retail to put food on the table, but have no people skills.  Sometime they feel that they are working below themselves and it reflects in how they deal with others.

 

I always want to shop at Kmart.  I live in metro-Detroit and still remember Kmart as the place to shop..  However, I'm tired of seeing empty shelves, shelves filled with things I don't want, the store still looking like the 50's, 60's, and 70's- no matter how may re-do's.  The employees still don't seem to care and the whole check out is SLOW.  Sears is just as slow in checkout.  I've never seen so much paper for such a little transaction. 

Additionally, I love the hardware/appliances/outdoor equip. section, but won't buy from Sears again for those items.  I need to take all of the gas out of the lawn mower????  It gets sent "where" to be repaired?  It's going to take THAT LONG!!!  Additionally, getting in home service for a washer, etc. is horrendously expensive.

Craftsman is now giving "used" or "refurb" products instead of new wrenches, etc. when they get broken.  I still want NEW replacements.  It might cost more, but it is why Craftsman has the reputation of being life time.  Please reconsider this!

It just seems like Sears/Kmart have forgotten who pays the rent.

 Like I said, I'm a pro Kmart/Sears type of guy...but I've lost my patience...

However..."sk" having the guts to let us spew is really a wonderful idea.  If things get "fixed" at Sears/Kmart it would really make my day!  I guess a lot of other folks feel the same way, or they wouldn't be writing things here, eh?  Good luck!

I shop the kmart in Mitchell, SD.  It is always clean, and the staff is fantastic.  The only complaint I have had in 15 years is that when I went to buy car seats for the grandkids, it took about a month to get them.  The staff was very helpful, and I guess they were just out all over. I certainly understand.  Other than that, I enjoy the prices, and am really glad to see that the clothing dept has taken a step up in fashion.  As for Sears in Sioux falls,SD well, that's a different story.  The buyer for that store must be 60 and completly out of touch.  If you aren't 13 or 60, you are out of luck for clothing.  Definately need some improvement there.  I don't even bother to go there unless we need tools. Customer service in the tool dept there is really good also.  Back to KMart in Mitchell. PLEASE keep the aisles open, and don't clutter them like Walmart.  Junk all over is just visually distracting, and no wonder people come out exhausted from Walmart.  Keep up the good work with trendy clothing....in a rural area, that is really appreciated.  The groceries and stuff, well I prefer to grocery shop in a grocery store, but that's just me.  It would be nice to have a great leader (something that is exceptionally low in price, that people need on a regular basis, to draw people into the store, in the hopes that they will buy other items.  My ideas on this would be a great 2 day sale on a certain brand of diapers, the next time, on a certain tool, then maybe on a lawn set in the spring, you get the drift.  It would get people watching your ads religiously.  The only thing would be that you have plenty in stock, because in some rural areas, people travel 60 plus miles to get to the store, and when you are out, well, we all know that doesn't work!  That's just my 2 cents worth, all in all, I hope we never lose our Kmart in Mitchell!

You are so right about people thinking they are working below themselves. I remember last Christmas shopping in a Kmart and hearing the lady working in the jewelry department say "I moved here to retire who would of thought a year ago I would be working at Kmart"

I would say that the prices really need to be clearly marked. It is annoying when there is no price on the product or the shelf. At least have a price checker in between every couple of sections, and have them clearly pointed out so that the consumer can have an idea of how much the shopping trip is going to run. People who try to live off of a budget really need to know what the cost of something is going to be.

Okay Sears...Listen up....When I was a child in the seventies I thought Santa owned Sears because we picked out our toys from the sears catalog and included the shipping weights on our letters to Santa.  When it was back to school time thats where we got our clothes.  I have to drag my teenage daughter into Sears and she never likes the clothes in the Junior department.  I never like the cheap old lady clothes and I can't afford the lands end clothes.  Both Sears and Kmart need to update the atmosphere in the stores.  They are cluttered dated dirty and worn looking.  There is no doubt Kenmore Appliances are great and you can not beat a craftsman tool but when you put out sales fliers the sale stuff is NEVER instock.  That makes me extremely mad because it waste my time and gas.  When you go in the tool dept or electronics there are plenty of sales people but they are too busy talking to each other to be bothered to help the customers but if you go in appliances you cant beat the sales people off of you.  So there are a few things to work on.

My local Kmart store has been in need for a renovation for several (I mean several) years. I can think of quite a few ideas on improving the layout of the store as well. With respects to the customer service at this particular store, there is none. Whenever I find my stuff and get ready to check out, there is usually a line at the one and only cash register that's open. Even when the store is not busy, when a customer walks to the front of the building and sees only one open lane out of fourteen, that alone gives the impression that there's problems with the store. Granted, whenever I go to the nearest Wal-Mart there's a line that's five to ten people deep at any/all checkout lanes and it takes even longer to check out at Wal-Mart. I prefer Kmart over Wal-mart and I can only hope that they improve the Kmart near me sooner than later.

Hi, Better lighting is needed in both Kmart & Sears. When I go into Walmart, it is well lit, and very bright. Maybe it is their subliminal way of keeping customers coming back. Our local KMart in St George, Utah, is not well lit, and it is always cluttered and looks outdated.

I think new paint, flooring, and lighting is needed. (Kmart)
Our Sears store, looks nice, but is also cluttered a bit. The customer service at sears is top notch!

I have always been fond of KMart and the Sears business's and want them to succeed.  I sincerely, hope you'll look at the suggestions made, and take them to heart. I own a RV Resort, and deal with customers everyday, and the most important amenity a campground/RV Resort can have is a "Sparkling Clean" Restroom, and Greeting Area. I spending $3.8 Million building the resort, you better believe I give my customers what they want!

Goodluck.

P.S. Craftsman Tools just keep getting better and better! Just Love em. Great Warranty.

If I were Sears, I wouldn't want people to associate me with K-Mart.

If I were K-Mart,I wouldn't want people to associate me with K-Mart.

This site is an ingenious way to degrade both brands simultaneously!

Great job, marketing gurus.

I think Sears needs to look back at the years they were doing good and see what they were doing right. When I was little (I will say my age I'm 41) around 6 or 7, so it was in the eary 70's, Sears was the place to shop. But if you think back to those stores they were a lot like Wal-mart and Target but had top quality products. That was the only place my mom bought our clothing - the reason? It was good quality, in style and she did not mind paying for that better quality because she knew it would last. Just like everything they had back then it was "all" quality. And everything was in a 1 story store and was not in a mall - it was a separate entity (like Wal-mart/Target, etc...) and when you got customers they shopped with you and no one else instead of seeing what everyone else had in the mall besides you.  The products lasted and they had "exceptional customer service" and took care of the problem or you got your money back as advertised. The departments were smaller - but what is wrong with that - have smaller departments with good quality merchandise, name brand, and competitive prices. Have sales associates working the departments instead of no one except the cashier. And don't expect quick results it takes word of mouth to get the good news out but when it does people perk up and listen. I can't stand Wal-mart - why? Because they have terrible customer service, cheap products that don't last. I do not go there unless I absolutely have too. Target is a little better but there still is not a store out there that provides one large store (like Sears) that offers "good" quality products that last. (which is what Sears use to have). At the end of the seventies Sears changed their clothing suppliers and it showed. Everyone started to go elsewhere. You also need to bring back the Sears catalogs (the big catalog) and the Sears wishbook. It is every kids dream to sit down on the couch 2 months before Christmas and pick out what they want. Now JCPenney gets all of those customers because they are the only ones that have the big catalogs.

The Kmart's in my area are horrible. I cannot remember the last time I shopped at one. My biggest pet peeve when I did go was that the advertisements were wonderful, but rarely was the merchandise in stock. It also seemed that the employees were very overwhelmed on sale day.  They  were stressed because they could not meet the demand. A lose-lose situation. So I gave up on Kmart altogether.

My relationship with Sears is like that of an old family friend. I don't visit much, but would be devastated if they moved away-- you know what I mean. Sears is not my store of 1st choice. I don't want to get into why I don't like Sears. Maybe if I share what I like about others stores, it would help you to see Sears in a new light.

I am a loyal JCPenney fan. Why? The sales. They have a sale every week, and send you coupons allllllllll the time. I get a flyer, magazine, mini-sale book, I think every 2 weeks. They are always in the forefront in my mailbox. I am a new mother and I have spent thousands with them this past year alone. With a  new baby and moving into a larger place, they have been great.

I love Target. Why? They stay fresh. They have this one section of household accesories that changes everytime I am there. They pick a theme and saturate you with it. It is part seasonal, part new, part fun, part practical, part "Man, that is really nice" or part "That is different", but always affordable. I love there ladies fitness dept. Again always something new, bright colors, fresh! along with their old stand bys. The kid's dept is almost all-inclusive but the clothes are cute, updated and cheap.

Having recently shopped both Sears and Kmart, I will say both need better customer service, faster check out lines... I live 2 blocks from Kmart, but go out of my way to other stores, because I can get in and out faster, even with the travel time, sometimes.

 I'm just going to jump right in and agree with what MOST are accurately stating, customer service at kmart really needs to get better!  More cashiers up front are always a need at kmart stores.  Maybe the self checkout registers would help. I also feel like the store is dirty.  Not sure why,  maybe lighting or old flooring.  Would like a store other then Wal-Mart to shop at so pull it together!  

I was a worker at K-mart in the eighties when I was in college.  And, my parents were Sears shoppers when I was growing up.  My husband and I used to go to Sears when we married in the early eighties to get our appliances, now we go to Lowes.  K-mart and Sears are unfortunately the red-headed the stepchildren of retail and have a lot of work to do to compete in their markets.  We have a new Sears store here in Marietta, Ga that just opened with a Lands End store inside and it is really nice.  I do go in to the Lands End store and there are tons of sales associates everyone in the entire Sears store, but not a lot of customers.  I worry the store will close and we need this type of store in our area.  The customers just are not coming in regularly it seems when I am shopping there in the store.  I think some customer research needs to be done in the area to see why people are not coming in...it is a great store from the way it looks - I just gave my husband a $5 off to purchase something in the lawn and garden area and he went in to buy Round-up and they would not let him use the coupon.  They told him that Round-up was not in the lawn and garden area and he could not use the coupon - not a good customer service move, if they wanted him to come back and shop at the store again.  Just an example of maybe why people are not coming to the store?  I do not know.....anyway. 

Kmart is what this Sears used to be and a new Target opened across the street from it.  Everyone in the area here loves Target, buys their childrens clothing there, toiletries, snacks, birthday party gifts, etc. there.  I am a stay at home mom, but always interested in marketing and why people shop where they do.  I was a manager in charge of employee and management training before I decided to stay home and trained people in many things including customer service, change management, conflict management, management skills, project management, facilitation skills, team skills, planning, etc.  I always am amazed at how companies do not hire people with any people skills to work with the public and expect their companies to be successful.  Making money these days requires it and demands it - yes you have to have the right products in your store, with wide aisles, and your merchandise needs to be shelved and hung at eye level in a clean appealing store at reasonable, prices - but if your people cannot make decisions on the spot and help your customers and care for them - YOU ARE SUNK....that is what it missing - that is why HOME DEPOT has lost it's market to LOWEs and many others are losing to their competitors.

 You have to hire the right people, train them and make sure you have the right store environment, at the right price and stay with the market, and keep the store clean, and keep the people with the ability to change with the market as it changes and the products change as the needs of your customers change and change your prices accordingly!!!  NOT AN EASY TASK, if you ask me.    I almost think as some of the previous writers have said, it might be best to consolidate the two stores and make them one store with a new name and start fresh to burst into the market with a new name at a mid-level with the products that have been winners for you - the appliances, Lands End, etc. and go in with the Winners and have a new store name, new store layout, hire experienced, seasoned, older work force (who now need jobs by the way due to losing money in the stock market) and hire people who know how to layout the store for todays younger and older customer mix and - you might have a win-win....it would take some planning and market research to do it right, but it might work!!  KMART reworked is not going to cut it - the old blue light is burned out....and SEARS name is not really golden anymore in my opinion...unfortunately.....Kathy Petty