Last Wednesday I called Sears Repair Center 800 number to have a Kenmore refrigerator repaired. There were some odd things about the original call...apparently they have my phone number listed under someone else's name. I gave them my correct name, my address several times and directions to the house.

I am the first house on my road just off the main road that goes through our community. Not very hard to find, especially since anyone in the several stores that were open today, also within 500 feet of my house, could tell anyone where I live, and often do! I also told this operator that I DO NOT HAVE A TELEPHONE IN MY HOUSE! I call from my business, located within sight of my house and back door.

Since I called on a Wednesday, I had to wait a week without a refrigerator because the technician is only in our area on Wednesdays. Since my father is diabetic and I have to walk to a neighbor's house to take his insulin back and forth from their refrigerator, this was annoying but not major. However, I spent NINE hours sitting in my kitchen watching my back door while waiting for the SEARS technician, who never showed up. At 2:50 PM I got nervous and walked to my shop to check on things. I discovered two phone calls from an 800 number, but no messages were left on my answering machine. I called the 800 number and sure enough, it was Sears. Naturally no one knew why I was called. I reminded them that I DO NOT HAVE A TELEPHONE AT MY HOUSE and the operator assured me that the technician would be told that I WAS AT HOME AND HAD BEEN THERE ALL DAY.

At 6 PM I came back to the shop to call and see why my Kenmore refrigerator was still sitting in my kitchen taking up useless space. The answering machine was blinking with two messages, one at 3:10, saying that the technician had reported that I was not at home and another at 3:20 saying that he needed directions.

Keep in mind that I had called them not twenty minutes before to say I WAS AT HOME, and had given the original operator directions to a house that is VERY easy to find. Needless to say I am unimpressed with Sears, their service and the intelligence of their technicians regarding following a map. Now my choice is to go without a refrigerator for yet another week, or go out and buy one that is NOT a Sears appliance. Which do you suppose I'll chose?