Sears Service Saga
(A Case Study)
November 24, 2009

It all started when the sensor lights on my $250, two-year old Sears Progressive vacuum cleaner would not go out and the front light bulb began to flicker. I consulted my manual and checked for clogs and changed out all the filters. No luck. My vacuum had been used fewer than once per week in very light duty. No pet hair to contend with, a small carpeted area to clean and never suffering any clogs that might cause harm.

After research I found that the closest Sears store that would take repair items was located in Fairfield, CA where I purchased the vacuum. I reside in Napa, CA, 22.5 miles away. On a Thursday evening I dropped the vacuum off for repair. The representative told me that there was only one pickup for vacuum repairs (on Thursdays) and I had missed the truck so I would need to wait two weeks for the vacuum to leave the store.

On the third week I received an automated call indicating that my vacuum problem had been diagnosed and a number to call to learn the results. I called the number and after going through two menu items, was connected to a repair representative who informed me that the motor on the vacuum was defective and would have to be replaced for a repair charge of approximately, $112.00. I was shocked – first that a motor would go out on a vacuum with such light duty in such a short time and secondly, a repair bill that was almost half the cost of a new vacuum. I told the rep that I thought that failure was not reasonable and that under the circumstances, some adjustment seemed in order. This lady then said that she could not help me but that she would contact the technician who had diagnosed the problem and see what he said. Two days later a technician called me to say that the motor was going bad. (Note: I didn’t question the diagnosis, I just wanted to talk to someone who might consider an adjustment under the circumstances.) I then repeated my desire to have my case considered and he said that there was no way they could do that at this service location and that I would have to speak to a store manager at the Fairfield store. He then said that in the meantime I would need to decline to have the repair made and the unit would be returned to the store. I agreed and declined the repair.

One week later I received an automated call that my repaired item was ready for pickup. I then drove to the store and after explaining my situation to a representative in the customer pickup area and asked to speak to a store manager. A manager eventually came and I explained my situation and asked if there was any way that I might get an adjustment given the circumstances (the vacuum looks almost new so it is easy to see it has not had much use). He agreed that a motor should not go out so soon and maybe it was a defect from the factory or other problem but then he said that they were not permitted to make any adjustments at the store level. He would give me a number to call and said that this person would make a decision very quickly, probably while I was on the phone. (Was he ever wrong!) I went to my car and called the number on my cell. I reached a menu list with no choices that clearly corresponded to my situation. I chose a service repair option and was placed on hold. After some time a representative answered and I told him my story. At first he could not find my record after I gave him my telephone number. In time, he did find the record but had some difficulty understanding my issue. Eventually I did make him understand and he went off line for a while to consult with someone. When he returned he could not help me with this but he would give me another number that would work for me. The next number: another menu again with no clear choice and no guidelines offered of which to choose. I made a choice and told my story to another rep. Again I was told that they could not help me and they gave me still another number to call.

I dialed the next number and was again confronted with a menu and forced to play a guessing game of which choice to make. I chose one and “Chuck” answered. It turned out that Chuck was a “.com” representative. Once again I went through my story and once again heard “I can’t help you.” But this time he went on to say I’m going to give you a direct number into customer relations and they should be able to help you. (Bless you Chuck for a direct number!) This number I dialed and this representative listened to my story and once again told me that he could not help me but said he would connect me with (I think he said a “jobber”.) who he said could assist me. I asked him if he could give me a direct number in case we got disconnected and he said no, he had to dial an extension. And now Yolanda came on the line, a very pleasant lady (all the people had been polite). Once again I tell her my story and doggone if she doesn’t say, “I bought a vacuum cleaner many years ago for $80 and it is still going strong!” In her next breath, she says, I can’t help you. You will have to contact the service people! Now I have completed the circle! I then related the saga of my telephone experience and then she said, “Hold on, I’m going to check something and it may be a long time. Don’t hang up.” “OK, I said and then there was silence. When she at last came back on the line 35 minutes have elapsed since my last call. She said that Sears would issue me a $50 gift certificate that will be mailed to me. She went on to say that she must build a case and put me on hold again. (I can now hear typing in the background.) She came back on the line and said she was almost finished. A moment later I was disconnected from the call!!! When I try to redial I’m connected to another menu so in frustration I gave up and drove home. Forty-six minutes elapsed on this last call! Now Sears did something right – when I got home there was a call from Yolanda saying we were disconnected and that the gift certificate would be mailed.

The next day I attempted to call the store to ask them to return the vacuum for repair. Unfortunately, I could not get connected to a human being at the store and menu choices shunted me over to the central technical services people who informed me I must return to the store. I again returned to the store trying to explain to the nice lady that they have my vacuum cleaner that I wish to have returned to the service center for repair. She eventually understood my request after first thinking that the vacuum had already been repaired. She consulted with someone in the back room and then said that she must write a new repair order at which point I ask her if that means that they will re-diagnose the problem and charge me another diagnostic fee? She is not sure – and she confirms to me that the repair bill is $112. I asked her if that included a diagnostic fee and she replied that she assumed it did, but she would check. After some time, a gentleman appears who informs me that a $29.95 diagnostic fee is not included in the $112 charge (now that $50 gift certificate really looks small.). He points out that the repair order I signed allows for such a fee (and I didn’t dispute this) but he would waive the charge this time. He says the charge may still appear on the final bill but I will not be charged. (Not sure how that bit of magic will occur, if it does.) Then I tell him what I went through on the telephone with Sears. He is sympathetic and even says that, as employees, they have the same problems going through multiple menus and getting to correct numbers in the Sears network. At this point I told him that I would write a case study of my experience and he offered the hope that maybe such a letter would lead to some changes. Interesting…. After another wait, another representative came out to tag the vacuum cleaner and presented me with another work order to sign. I asked him if the unit would go out for repair today (it is a Thursday morning) and he thought it probably will.

Four days passed and it is now Tuesday, November 17, 2009. I received two automated messages today saying that my repair item was ready to be picked up. At last I will have my repaired vacuum cleaner – this is good turnaround, I’m thinking. Once again I make the trip to Fairfield, now a total of 67 miles on the car. The Sears rep goes into the back room to look for my vacuum but he cannot find it. He asked me to describe it and I tell him it is a grey Progressive that looks almost new. He returns, telling me the only vacuum he sees is one to be sent out for repair. He goes back out and returns again. It is my vacuum that has not yet been sent out!!! Someone apparently failed to update the automated telephone database that thinks I’ve never picked up my vacuum or they saw mine sitting in the store and thought it had already been repaired! Ugh! Now I have no way of knowing which “it’s ready for pickup” message in the future is for real. The rep assures me that he will call and get the problem corrected. Two hours have now passed since I returned home. I suspect that he is still on the phone lost in a morass of menus and I don’t have much hope.

November 20th, received call from service center rep who told me the motor was going out and they would repair it and waive the labor charge. The repair cost would be $60.

November 24th, received automated call indicating my repair item is ready for pickup. Will today, my fourth round trip from Napa be my final one?
I arrived at the store at 1:30 p.m. and after searching for a while, the Sears rep came out and told me that my vacuum was on a truck that would arrive late this afternoon. This is after receiving two automated calls indicating the repaired item was ready for pickup!!!

It’s now November 25th and once more I have traveled to the store to pick up the vacuum (the 5th round trip). When I return home with the vacuum and unwrap it, I discover much to my dismay that the telescoping wand and crevice tools are missing! I give up dealing with Sears at this point.

For over 50 years I was a Sears’ customer. I recall as a young man looking forward to the arrival of the Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward mail order catalogs. I’ve always felt that Sears stood behind its products. My purchases have provided enough in profits to Sears to pay for many, many vacuum cleaners. Over these years it became impossible to pick up a phone and speak to your local Sears representative about a problem.

The customer service challenge of a large company is to “act small”. That is, to treat the customer as if they were in the small store in their home town. In this case, the personalized service would have been for the first Fairfield store manager to take the time to connect me by phone with the person I needed to talk to, rather than passing on a telephone number that was problematic. What a different outcome could have been possible!