My complaint goes back 2 weeks. On November 24 I visited the Sears outlet at Cross county Mall, Yonkers, NY. The service rep was not at all proficient in the product I was intending to purchase (46 inch SONY LCD V3000). Late that day I met with the store manager to discuss the price match policy since Circuit City was offering it for a lower price. The Store Manager said that only if the product is in stock will they offer the price (This is not mentioned in Sears Price Match Policy). My family and I walked out of the store.
I continued to research the prices online and on December 5, I saw an online offer for KDL46V300 Sony and a Sony home theater Free with the purchase. I also read online that if I use my sears card I will get a mail in rebate of 10%. So I call the sears store at Cross County. The next 30mins of the call was the most awful experience I ever I had with a company that claims to be a Fortune 500.
My first call was to the service line 914-377-2100 where I spoke with Aaron (no last name since they are not authorized to do so), employee ID 14703. He explained to me that the offer was online and that he could help me place the order. Unfortunate it was middle of a work day and had to request him to assist me alter when I call. That's exactly what I did. At appx 2pm I called Aaron once again but this time the service rep (SR) informed me that there is no such person. The SR transfers the call to the electronics section at Cross county Sears. There I spoke with Mr. Tapley (no last name again). I will say with much confidence that he was the RUDEST person I have come across at Sears. He first informs me that when I called 914-377-2100 I was talking with a call service agent and that they are not Sears employees. Next he tells me that the offer is in-store only and after that he tell me that I cannot avail of the 10% Cash back mail in rebate since I am opting for the Home theater system. There was not an ounce of politeness in his conversation. I felt I had called a store manager at a Dollar-Store. After all of this I decided I needed more respect.
I called the sears 1-800 # and spoke with a complaint agent Stephanie (no last name) at 3:39pm on 12/5/07. After a 15 min conversation, she transfers the call to Ms. Tina (no last name and no department location). I spoke with Tina for another 15 mins and she explained that Juan (no last name, ID/Extension # 63753) at sears.com will assist me with the order. Juan informed me that I could purchase the TV online and that I was eligible for the Home Theater and the 10% CB mail in rebate. I informed him that I will place the order later that evening since I was at work.
Later that evening my wife and I logged into the site and placed an order for the TV and the home theater sys. We were quiet excited with the prospect of owning a 46" Sony LCD as is evident from the fact that we have been researching for a good deal since late November. Only if Sears could stop disappointing us.
Today in the morning my wife receives an email from sears.com (mail attached below) that one or more of the item (s) in our order were not in stock. They cancelled the order.
How is it that a firm known for it service integrity is unable to service customers and seems to do it's best to keep disappointing them every step of the way. My family has been making a lot of purchases from sears as is evident from the reward points. I must also state that your firm employs Service reps untrained to provide service. Some of my colleagues are now aware of the "service I have received" and this is definitely not helping the firm's reputation.
In the last 2 days I have seem to have analyzed the strategy Sears uses for its "grant a wish" offers. Here goes - Sears's offers a Sony TV and a Home theater sys (FREE) along with a 10% CB or no interest until 2010. However to get this offer you have to fight you way through rude and obnoxious sales reps. Then you are told that the Sony home theater sys is replaced by a Samsung sys (worth half of what is being advertised, 399 v/s 699). Nonetheless you place an order. The next day sears email informs you that the TV is out of stock (it was in-stock when you placed the order the previous evening). Finally, the winner: SEARS
Let me conclude by saying that I am glad I could use this email as a source of resounding my frustration but if sears has a heart (so it claims) I will hear from some senior representative at the earliest and help resolve this issue. After all Sears does "GRANT A WISH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON."
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