Why doesn't Sears offer some of the same services as Sears Canada? Sears Canada  offers supplemental insurance on the front  web page, Sears USA you have to dig to find any information. Maybe you should offer an optical insurance, that would go hand in hand with your optical dept.

clean up the store and have smiling friendly associates.  If you make your associates happy then word of mouth family and friends start to come in and business grows.  Kmart is so much better than walmart but people don't see that.  You brought back the blue light and that is your symbol compared to the walmart smiley.  Have blue light speacials real bargain specials in the store. Don't have to advertise - word of mouth

my husband is a Kmart employee for 4 years. Since he started working there I have been shopping at Kmart. The Kmart where he works was saved from closing by the community via huge petition, chamber of commerce begging and I think even lawmakers. Now the community that fought to keep it feels betrayed by Kmart.

Reasons: (1)The store is dirty:floors, shelves, bathrooms. The bathrooms are so disgusting my hubby refuses to use the bathroom during his shift which is a total of 9 hours w/ 1 hour lunch.

(2) Not enough help (due to the number game) - I have gone shopping at all hours on the weekend and they usually only have 1 or 2 cashiers causing the lines to bend all around the clothing dept across from the registers.

(3) poor customer service - usually with the <20 associates. For example: my husband is lead of electronics. I wanted a BlueTooth for my cell. I called when he was on his way home and asked for the price. The kid said "Oh, we haven't sold them in months."  When I asked him about 1 hour later if they had any, he said "yes." so I called again and the kid said "we do sell them but we're out." Hubby said "we have at least 3 unless they all sold out in 3 hours which is not likely since ppl prolly don't think of kmart for bluetooths. I was so made that we went to the store. I told the customer service desk assoc. what was happening and asked her to call back. Finally he said, "yeah, we have some." I walked back to electronics and got it. When I paid I said "I called 3 times and it took the customer service desk to call you for you to provide the right answer." I was so pissed that I told the mgr that if it weren't that my hubby worked there, I would never shop there again. If it weren't for me knowing there actually were bluetooths available, I wouldn't have shopped there. Who knows, I could've been different persons...and you would've lost 2 sales!

(4) have plenty (more than 3) of advertised items. I know this is not the store's fault. This comes from higher up, like regional or corporate.

(5) larger amount and variety of plus size clothes. - 95% of my friends wear plus size clothes (18+). They would love to be able to go shopping locally (5-10 mins) rather than traveling 30-45 mins for clothing!

 More will come as I think of them!

I agree with the cleanliness of the store.  The bathrooms are So outdated and have a permanent smell that is offensive!  The closest K-mart to me is 2 hours away! So, I travel one hour to shop mostly at the WalMart. I love the sales that KMart have as they beat WalMart by a landslide and it is strange to shop for Craftsman there *diehard craftsman folk*. 

Someone mentioned lighting and it's a good point.  Have you realized that when you walk into a Walmart, it's a "bright and sunny day".  The place is well lit but not so bright it hurts your eyes.  The types of lights they use instill a "warm, happy, sunny day" feel.  Their flooring also reflects it.  They got rid of the ubiquitous mustard carpet that is so standard for retail stores and put down faux hardwood.  Think about it.  When you think of a store you don't like to shop in, doesn't that mustard carpet predominate the picture?  Kmart still has that carpet.  I can't remember if Sears still does, but I ASSOCIATE the Sears store with the mustard carpet, whether they've still got it or not.  I think the clothing department has it, because I don't like to shop there.  The appliance section has tile, so (unconsciously) I like to shop there.  When so many people say the stores are dated, I think the mustard carpet is a good part of the reason.

The flooring thing relates to "home".  Hardwood floors, ceramic tile, these are the current building trends and are what a lot of people have in their homes.  To go to a store that has these floorings unconsciously says "home" to the shopper.  A very simple way to say "welcome" to your customer without even using  a person.  A store with the outdated flooring or 70's colored fixtures dates itself immediately in a shopper's mind. 

But, you know, when you shop a little Mom and Pop store, they don't have the newest flooring or the latest in lighting.  They DO have personal, one-on-one customer service.  I guess the lesson to be learned here is, if you can't offer the personal one-on-one service, then you are going to have to make it up with surroundings.  Of course, a Mom and Pop establishment knows what they have invested in their store and are usually proud of it.  A teenager paid $5/hr has no investment in anything and it shows.  Someone on here mentioned how most companies just hire anyone with a pulse, people skills or no, and put them in a position where they deal with the public, and then are shocked when customers complain.  Yet, that same company would never hire an HR person that didn't have the proper background and skills.  Or a marketing person who didn't understand advertising.  It is rather ridiculous to think you can stuff anybody in a retail vest and get great customer service.  A place I used to work had a policy of "cross training" everyone on the customer service phones.  (mostly because the company was so small at the time and short staffed.)  I was hired into the shipping department, and when told of this "cross training" I flat out told them they didn't want me talking to customers.  I'm not customer service material.  It's not what I was hired for, it wasn't my forte, they would be jeopardizing their customer service if they put me on the phones.  I never did get "cross trained" and not long after that we finally got three full time CS employees.  (who were much happier than I ever would've been talking to customers).   

You get what you pay for.  The floor associates/cashiers/CS are your company's face to the public.  If your "face" is only worth an untrained $5/hr, then don't be surprised when the public balks and goes elsewhere.  For all of Kmart's high paid managers, CEOs, CFOs, Directors, etc, it is the underpaid $5/hr cashier who will make or break them.  And right now, it sounds like it's breaking them.

when you took firearms out of the store, we quit shopping with k-mart.  As you know most if not all the stores left Texas because they could no longer make it here.  Almost everyone I talked to quit shopping at k-Mart because of this. Bring back guns and ammo, and your sales will go back up.  This use to be one of the biggest sellers in Sears years ago!

What a great website, it's nice to see the Holdings Corp being proactive in improving things at Sears and Kmart.

I still love Sears, it was my first employer and I will never forget that. So, here are my ideas:

1) Stop shoving everything down customer's throats. I feel this was Sears' major problem back in the 90's and slowed the turnaround back then. Customers are harassed by sales associates to open a credit card or buy an extended warranty because they are hounded non-stop by their supervisor if their numbers suffer. So, how about trying what most other successful retailers do- offer these services, but don't threaten associates with their jobs if they don't succeed. This will take alot of pressure off your associates so they can deliver a great experience for the customers without that cloud hanging over their head. Do not continue allowing customers to be hassled non-stop so you can make an extra buck. Be thankful they bought from you period.

2) Phase out Sears Full-Line. Malls are dying all over America, and have been for almost ten years now. Sears is in the position its in now because back in the early 90s, management didn't have the foresight to move out of the malls and into the communities where their customers lived. In so doing, they lost alot of their customers, who decided it wasn't worth driving past 4-5 competitiors to come to Sears, which leads to my last point-

3) Remember Sears Grand? In 2003, before the merger with Kmart, Sears unveilved the Sears Grand prototype stores in suburban communities without a traditional Sears presence. These stores were large 150-200,000 square foot stores featuring everything a normal Sears would, plus new departments such as pantry, books, garden center, HBA, toys, a real electronics department, among other things. These stores featured softlines more than hardlines and achieved great results, producing revenues 30% higher than a traditional Sears FLS. What happened to this idea? After the merger, Sears Holdings decided it could slap 'Sears' onto an old run-down Kmart building and it would have the same effect. They found out the hard way this was a very bad idea. So, I suggest the company take some of those billions of dollars in stockpile and invest in several hundred new Sears Grand stores all over America, and replace your mall stores with them. They will be more competitive, and customers will return to Sears in these new, bright, innovative stores.

How about adding a full grocery to Sears Grand? It would be a unique concept- the first true 'one stop shop'. A store where you could buy a refrigerator and everything to put in it. The mulch and fertilizer along with the quality Craftsman lawn tractor. The possibilities are almost endless.

In the end, in my heart and soul, I believe Americans want to shop at Sears again, I mean, Sears used to be 'Where America Shops' after all. Show them you want their business by being respectful of their time and money. Lower prices and compete head to head with your competitors, and last but not least, become more convenient. The reason most people don't shop with Sears anymore is because they moved to the suburbs a long time ago and Sears didn't follow.

 Thanks!

I live across the street from a Sears Essentials.  it used to be KMart.  the KMart was always dirty and prices never rang up correctly, so I was happy that it was converted to a SEars Essentials.  It is cleaner and more organized, but the problem is, I have no idea what to expect to find in the store.  I guess growing up with KMart, I knew what to expect, but Sears Essentials is new and different from KMart.

I always try to start with SEars essentials and nearly most of the time I have to go to another store.  Sears essentials sells tools, but after I got there I learned they don't sell contractor grade trash bags.  The store sells food, but not bread.  I think it was eggs but not milk or the other way around. 

I want this store to stay in business, so I want people to shop there, but no one goes because they don't know if they can get everything in one stop.

 The store is on Camino De Estrella in San Clemente, CA  92624.

 Thank you for this opportunity.  I have been wanting to share this for over a year now.

I would like to suggest if you can also have clothes of size small in addition to medium and large. Lot of my friends were disappointed and could not buy because there were very few options available in size "small".

THE O'FALLON & FLORISSANT, MO STORES HAVE THE WORST SERVICE AND CHECK OUTS. I NEVER GO TO KMART NOW BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE BAD CHECK OUT DESIGN, TOO SMALL AND TOO SLOW. I GOT TO PENNY'S AND TARGET.

SEARS IS TO HOT, IT SEEMS THAT THEY NEVER TURN ON THE A/C, THE FRIENDLY STAFF ARE HOT AND WORK SWEATING

I agree with qnsinhere....I am a very tiny person and finding clothes in my size is very hard...It seems more and more stores cater to the larger sized woman.....that leaves ladies like me,  made  to have to shop in the Juniors area...and when your my age....some things just don't look right on a Mom who's turning 50!  LOL  I just wish they would consider smaller framed women more!

I also was very disapointed today when I went to K-Mart...the store was trashed..clothes and shoes all over the floor...and only one person to check you out!  This was not a good K-mart day!

To begin, train your associates! A little training goes a long way in attitude, customer service, the desire for consumers to continue shopping. I do not want to shop where the employees do not know answers and are unhappy, grumbling, and sweating because the temperature in the store is always too hot!

Turn the air on! Shoppers need comfort in order to want to be there. If it is too hot to comfortably shop, I leave. The workers are suffering more than the shoppers, but we all want cooler temperatures! It is easy to put on a sweater or jacket if it is too cool, but when it is too warm, I do not want to be there for five minutes!

If you feel you must move things around, provide customers with a simple store guide showing where they can find the items they want. When it is already too warm to shop comfortably, I am not going to search for what I wanted when it is not where it was the last time I shopped. I do not want to ask ten employees until I find one who can help me! (that is based on the assumption that ten could be found-try finding ONE!)

Get some men in management at store level! All these power humgry women have too much hormone and emotion behind their management decisions, and customers feel it. We don't want to be part of angry exchanges between employees because they are unhappy with the unprofessional, power hungry, hormone driven women above them! Get some managers who have been trained and know how to leave their emotions out of the picture, who will effectively train the workers for a happy work environment that will be passed along to shoppers!

 

 

I am legally blind so it is very important to have items in the same general area for my shopping experiences.  I find that Kmart does this very well.  Keep up the good work. 

Our Sears store is in a mall and I do not visit the mall all that often.  When I have, I have found that the Sears store is very hard for me to get around and find things.  It mostly is that I do not often get a chance to get to Sears. 

 

THis is from a former retail/manager/shoes sales/merchandiser... Sears/Kmart needs to push brands, they now own the shoes brands they only just sold through footstar. Sell it baby Thom Mcan has great name appeal and older folks love ez strider. Ape yes ape the clear isle concept from target and kolhs, reduce the sporting goods dept, put new flooring, clean the bathrooms and get rid of layaway - this is the age of credit cards. More and better private labeling or purchase some private label/store brands and bring them into the stores. Improve the basic editions line whoich tends to be the poorest quality clothes line in store ( lots of shrinkage) co-brand like target and costco. Finally, train your employess, imposed
a politness policy, update your distribution or take in in house...this is the time to make the move, the economy is screaming and people want to save but do so in a
nice,clean,friendly,stylish well stock chain of stores. Zig away from walmart and zag parallell to target.....get going.

THis is from a former retail/manager/shoes sales/merchandiser... Sears/Kmart needs to push brands, they now own the shoes brands they only just sold through footstar. Sell it baby Thom Mcan has great name appeal and older folks love ez strider. Ape yes ape the clear isle concept from target and kolhs, reduce the sporting goods dept, put new flooring, clean the bathrooms and get rid of layaway - this is the age of credit cards. More and better private labeling or purchase some private label/store brands and bring them into the stores. Improve the basic editions line whoich tends to be the poorest quality clothes line in store ( lots of shrinkage) co-brand like target and costco. Finally, train your employess, imposed
a politness policy, update your distribution or take in in house...this is the time to make the move, the economy is screaming and people want to save but do so in a
nice,clean,friendly,stylish well stock chain of stores. Zig away from walmart and zag parallell to target.....get going.

My husband and I purchased a Kenmore Elite Trio about two years ago. We went with Kenmore because it was a trusted name, my parents had Kenmore products all their life and they were sturdy, well-built, and long-lasting. Just over a year after purchasing our fridge, my husband smelled smoke in the kitchen -- we discovered the light fixture in the fridge was not turning off, even when the doors were shut. The lights were so hot, they were smoking and had melted the plastic around the fixture. We called to report the problem and we told that because we had not purchased the extended warranty, we would have to  pay to have the repairman come out and for the repairs. That was unacceptable -- there is nothing we did or could have done to cause this problem; it is a flaw in the design of the fridge and ours is not the first to have the problem based on postings on the internet.
We were VERY disappointed in Sears lack of response -- we have written numerous letters/emails and made numerous calls all to get the same 'sorry that you paid over $3K for our crappy product but your are out of luck' response.
If you won't stand behind your products and you offer poor customer service and poor repair service, then there is little reason for us to shop at Sears any longer. We believed Sears offered quality products to last a lifetime, they proved us very, very wrong.

I I shop at kmart every week out of convience.  The things I see that need to be addressed are staffing, enviromental controls and being in stock on sale items.  Many times there is just no one to wait on customers either on the floor or at checkouts.  I hear other customers voicing the same comments while I am in line.  I realize that you are trying to cut costs but you are just shooting yourself in the foot.  My grandfather used to say you cant do business with an empty cart and if there is no one to unload the cart.  The store is hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  I and others are standing in line fanning our selves, turn on the A/C the other thing that I have experiance is being out of stock the day the sale breaks....others comment "typical Kmart".  The store I shop at is clean but dated.

I like kmart and shop often. If I go to customer service its early in the day before the line gets so long as there is only one person . I have learned to bring a cart in from the parking lot as ther is never one in the store. The trick is to find one with tires.They all are on rims. I find the cashiers very nice. It would be great for them and the customers to have a bagger during big sales.

I think the quality and design patterns of clothing should change. Also there are very few in XS and S(misses and petite). People always look for change when it comes especially to clothing. you don't want to wear the same kind of t-shirts with just solid colors and ribbed patterns. Come up with some new designs, quality material and perfect sizes in good prize . There is a lot of room for improvement in this area as far as I have seen. Instead of putting a whole bunch of junk(very cheap material) in sale racks which are usually disorganized...have some embracing designs in an organized way with knowledgeable associates around to help the customers.

I always loved KMART but I rarely shop there an more because I feel like I am being punished when it is time to checkout. Every time I decide to give KMART a try again, it is the SAME problem - one check out line open. Two trips ago, I approached the one checkout line and there were 9 people in line. I went to the service desk (there was one customer there fooling around with printer cartridge returns and two associates) and asked if she could ring me up. She asked if I had been waiting in the line. I told her no, the line is too long and I need to go - and she said that if she was going to ring anyone up, it would be someone who was waiting their turn in line.I said but you are not calling anyone over here - and she said she had other things to do. It got ugly - and I walked out leaving my cart with $100 of items in it. She still let those people wait in line. I would not go back for six months, then yesterday I tried the KMART in the next town. Again, one checkout line was open. I was customer number seven in a line that reached to twelve by the time that I paid. There were so many employees at the service desk talking that it made the lady behind me and myself start laughing. They had to call the manager to help the one customer returning something, and I thought that would solve the problem. But she came up and was as oblivious as the rest of the people at the service desk. Anyway, it will be a good six months before I try again. Such a shame, because KMART has such good values, but shopping there upsets me due to the lack of customer service.

There are several things my Berlin/Marlborough Sears could do that would be better.

1) Stop selling so much clothing.
2) Get bigger!
3) Sell a larger variety of merchandise.  For instance shoes.
4) Fix the landscaping.
5) Pickup all the trash, and keep doing it.  Don't just do it once in awhile!
6) Be more like Target.

There are things that are great:
1) The people.  Friendly, helpful,and nice.
2) The lighting.  Can see everything.
3) The value.
4) The tools.  More variety please!
5) Speed of pickup from the warehouse.  Great system!!!
6) The return policy.
7) The sales!

Damon

I completely agree. 

I want to expand on one thing you said. They need to get out of the malls, and the ones in the malls need to become bigger.  But... Who says that the different stores within a mall (they could just buy out other store spaces within a mall) couldn't be some kind of Sears specialty store?  Maybe they could offer services in this way, such as optician, siding/windows, home heating/cooling, rental center, tools etc.  That could be something worth driving for.


Thx,

Damon.

Has anyone compared the look and feel of a Kmart (and Sears Essentials), a Target and a Walmart? I won't go in a Walmart because it feels like a big warehouse with everything stacked to the ceiling, harsh lighting that makes everyone look old, fat and pale, the shelves are generally a mess, and you generally have to walk the whole store to find anything. Target used to be a really good store with signage indicating where each department was, neatly displayed merchandise on modern shelving, though not a real extensive selection, and the store, while relatively brightly lit, was arranged so it didn't have the feel of a warehouse. Targets have gotten messy, the merchandise is displayed haphazardly on the shelves and there is a lot of aisle clutter. Kmart falls in between, but a little too close to Walmart for its own good. The stores and the shelving seem a bit dated and have a warehouse feel to them. Stores don't feel cluttered like a Walmart and the merchandise is generally neat and well-displayed. Kmart could use more well-defined sections like a Target and some noticeable, unifying color scheme. Signage is also lacking, at least any that can be seen from all parts of the store. All of this also applies to Sears Essentials, since they seem to be Kmarts in Sears clothing. Unrelated to the look of the Kmart, but part and parcel to it is the lack of any identity for Kmart. Advertising for Kmart is sporadic and I don't have any sense of what Kmart is trying to sell. Maybe if people realized what a con Walmart's pricing is, there might be more traffic at Kmart, but there is no clear theme to its advertising, what little I've seen of it. With the economy in the shape it is in, people are looking for bargains, maybe they need to be reminded that Kmart prices are the same or better than Walmart's for all sorts of products.

I am an associate at Kmart store #9600 which is located in a small town of 15,000 in ND.  Evil Sprawl-Mart just recently opened up one of their supercenters in this town as well after tearing down the old smaller store.  Here are a few of my suggestions to improve the Kmart expereince and also some bright spots as well:

-Remodel and throughly clean the store from top to bottom.  No one likes to shop in a store that is dirty and cluttered. Invest in new checkouts with conveyor belts and new tills.  Replace the flooring.  Move the fitting rooms to the center of the store and the children's clothing by the toys.  Make the aisles larger and more customer friendly. Get rid of the items in the middle of them as well or reduce the number of them.  Turn on the air conditioning in summer.

-Concentrate on inventory.  Many times this store looks like it is going out of business with all of the empty spaces on the shelves.  Also, make sure the ad items are in stock for the customers.  No one wants to make several trips just to get an item.  No inventory=no sale.

-Verify prices more often and make sure the prices match the signs.  I don't know how many times a day that I have override an item as either the sign is old or the sale price does not ring up.  Very frustrating to customers.

-Focus more on chic, quality items like Target.  People will pay the dollar or two more for quality verses cheap made in china products that Wal-Mart pushes onto its customers.  Push the quality items such as Craftsman, Martha Stewart, and Kenmore.

-Continue to focus on excellent customer service and asking people if they need assistance.  This is Wal-Mart's weakness.

-Continue to provide more than 1 till open when it is busy.  People appreciate it when the line is less than 3 people in length. 

-Continue to ask questions of your customers and provide unique items that can't be found at other store. 

Sam

 

FIRST THINGS FIRST WE NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE CUSTOMERS WITH THE FAILURE OF CLEAN AND BRIGHT WE HAD TO CUT OUR HOURS HAVING LESS ASSCOITATES ON OUR SALESFLOOR TO HELP CUSTOMERS FIND WHAT THEY NEED. SECOND CALL CENTERS THAT SAY THERE FROM OUR STORE GIVING MIS INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS THAT COME INTO THE STORE SAYING THEY SPOKE TO SO AND SO FROM OUR STORE WHILE ITS A CALL CENTER IN INDIA . SERVICE ALOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS EXPERNCE WITH SERVICE ISNT A HAPPY ONE. DELVERY PROBLEMS 90% OF OUR CUSTOMER PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO OUR DELVERY AND WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM AND TRY TO CALL IT TAKES AN HOUR TO GET SOMEONE ON THE PHONE THEN THEY WANNA TRANSFER YOU JUST TO BE DISCONNETED. ONE SOURCE IS A JOKE THEY TRY TO PUSH EVERYTHING BACK TO THE STORE THE SEARS BIGWIGS NEED TO SPEND SOMETIME IN OUR STORE OUR FRONTLINE AND SEE ALL THE PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING OR ASK SOMEONE WHO IS IN OUR STORE AND COME UP WITH A PLAN TO SAVE SEARS CAUSE ITS A SINKING SHIP 

ALSO I THINK SEARS NEEDS BETER PRODUCT AS FAR AS ITS SOFTLINES THERES ALOT OF STUFF FOR OLD LADYS BUT TEENAGERS WONT WEAR WHAT WE SELL ! WHY NOT MAKE SEARS A 100% HARDLINE STORE THATS REALLY WHAT DRIVES PROFIT ANYWAY . GET RID OF ALL THE STAFF MEETINGS I FEEL WE ARE IN MEETING HALF THE WORK DAY IS THE MANAGERS ARE ON THE FLOOR THINGS RUN BETTER ALSO "MANAGER WALKING" THIS IS A WASTE OF TWO HOURS WITH A WALK OF 2 HOURS A 45 MIN LUNCH THATS 3 HOURS OF ME NOT BEING ON THE SALES FLOOR

PAY BETTER WE WILL GET BETTER PEOPLE WORKING FOR US IF WE PAY BETTER .. PLUS WE KEEP CUTTING COMMISSION THE GOOD PEOPLE WE HAVE WILL LEAVE TO GO TO OUR COMPETIOR THAT WILL PAY HIM BETTER. IAM A SEARS HARDLINE LEAD MY FIRST YEAR AS A LEAD I MADE $1100.00 LESS THEN I DID AS A SALESPERSON HOW IS THIS RIGHT ? PEOPLE WHO WORK UNDER ME OUR MAKING SO MUCH MORE THEN A MANAGER? PLUS HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT A FAMILY ON WHAT WE GET PAID? MUST SEARS HAVE HOUSEWIVES WITH A HUSBAND BRINGING HOME THE REALLY MONEY OR OLDER MEN WHO BEEN THERE 30 PLUS YEARS IN CLOSING MORE MONEY = HAPPY ASSCOTAITES =HAPPY CUSTOMERS=MORE MONEY FOR SEARS

I don't think the problem is isolated to the woman store managers...I have seen this issue a couple of times when I am standing in line overhearing two associates complaining about their manager or what was said etc. etc. -- This seems to be a problem at Sears. Associates don't get that they are 'on stage' in front of customers, or the problems are so great that they don't care if they are on stage - not sure which.

tippysmama said…

Get some men in management at store level! All these power humgry women have too much hormone and emotion behind their management decisions, and customers feel it. We don't want to be part of angry exchanges between employees because they are unhappy with the unprofessional, power hungry, hormone driven women above them! Get some managers who have been trained and know how to leave their emotions out of the picture, who will effectively train the workers for a happy work environment that will be passed along to shoppers!

 

 

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