# Disappointment with a major department store!



## Michael (Sep 16, 2003)

Today or should I say yesterday I was shopping or should I say my wife was at the other end of the store shopping when I walked over to the outdoor power equipment side of the store and saw something on sell that I could use but I had some questions.

Well I look over at 4 of the "assiotates" shooting the breeze. There was about 4-5 people in the area and everyone wanted help but these charactors could not take the time of day to help the customers in the area.

I feel that the sales folks in this store are totally useless and this is the 3rd time I have seen this. I walk out of the area and find my wife, she had the same thing happen to her with 3 of them over in the clothing area of the store. 

I guess I know why the rest of the store was dang near empty, It sort of disappoints me that this happens so I give my father a call. He retired from this company a few years back and after I told him the story he informed me that this is common since they took and put the folks there on salary instead of commisssion. 

BTW, It was Sears. I am actually so tired of the shoddy service we get when we go there that I do not go there very much anymore because of it.

I was wondering is the local Sears stores near the rest of you guys as bad as this.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

You know I knew it was Sears as soon as you talked about them all hanging around chatting. Same way in my area. It has to be from the higerups. Cant say it is just "the slacker kids" becouse the same age group works at Wal Mart, and all the groucry stores, and dont have the problem. Pretty sad realy, becouse Sears has always been a big name, and for the most part, I have been happy with there stuff. Still not as bad as the Comp USA stores, but that is a WHOLE diferent rant.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

it seems that it always like that at my sears too... 
3-4 associates doing nothing and they look as if you are bothering them when asking a question.

I think that if it were not for the quality of sears tools the whole store would be gone..

ive thought for years that eventually all there will be will be sears style hardware stores where they sell tools... 

which is the only reason i would ever walk into a sears anyway!!


But i do like their american made tools....


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by simple_john _
> *snip
> 
> I think that if it were not for the quality of sears tools the whole store would be gone..
> ...


IMHO thats a good candidate for the joke of the day. Not wanting to get any flame wars started etc, but I think everyone on this forum knows my feeling stowards Sears / Crapsman in general. I had tried to give them a chance on winning my busiiness back, when I bought a hose and nozzle, well it just did not work.....American made hose has failed on me not once, not twice, but a total of 4 times and its not a years old yet. I don;t mind it too bad as its replaced, most of the time hassle free its the time I need to stand inline or find an associate that will handle it, its not worth my time anymore to spend it waiting for help in a Sears store. As for their hand tools, to me, and this is only my opinion, their tools feel awkward and unbalanced and just do not have that "Feel" to them. Their wrenches and sockets are kind of sloppy on nuts and bolots as compared to other major brands, and certainly are not what they used to be. I have had just too any screwdriver blades snap off or turn loose in handles or have the tips of phillips screwdrivers breakoff between the flutes, and get accused of putting a pliers or wrench on the screw driver to break them......Nope Sears can take a flying leaf, and take Bob Villa along with them when they jump off that cliff! Sure don;t want to let old Bob Know it All Villa standing by that cliffside when he should be the first to jump!


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

Michael,
I can't believe just how you could bust on those poor folks! 
After all it was Sunday and you know it is football season. They have to be allowed to watch the game!NANA 

I think I had a post along the same line a few months ago. I am not a big fan of sears much at all anymore, their quality adn customer service seem to have come down quite a bit:naah:


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Their service may suck.. but when im looking for a hand tool, I want to buy one made in the US.... may not be as good as others.. but i want one from the US. there are not many options..


home depots tools are almost all made overseas... and up my way.. thats about all we have.. home depot, walmart and sears.. 

i know i could get snapons or other customer specific brands but the price is too high for me as an end user. 


so ill make the inconvenient trip to sears.. if their staff is a bit numb... im used to that, because i shop at walmart and home depot and get about the same service.. although the folks at my home depot are very friendly..


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I find it kinda funny. My Sears hardware store is great. The folks are always helpful, it is a well organized store, and overall their prices are good. Like anything else, you have to watch their prices, but if it is an oddball item that you need to get, chances are they will have it their.

I also like it cause I can get the everyday tools that tend to break that have a lifetime warranty.


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## Michael (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Stewart _
> *Michael,
> I can't believe just how you could bust on those poor folks!
> After all it was Sunday and you know it is football season. They have to be allowed to watch the game!NANA
> ...


The point of this discussion was they have slipped real bad at this particular store. We also have another Sears store 17 miles to the North and this store is great. Stand looking at something more then 3-4 minutes and a salesperson ask you if they can answer any questions. I know that going into this store is a waste as it happened so often. But I know the management is to blame. My wife and I were just trying to save some time. 
Oh yea football only 2 lousey teams beating the crap out of each other. I would rather watch NASCAR racing which I did before I went ot Sears, at least I get to watch 43 teams going at it.


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## Gregg (Aug 30, 2004)

Look carefully at the packaging, because here in Canada, Sears tools were made in the USA and are now mostly made OVERSEAS


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## Rodster (Sep 26, 2003)

Hi
I bought a set of impact sockets from Sears about 15 years ago. they are stamped Craftsman and also stamped Tiawan. They were also very expensive. they are a good set and have taken a beating but not all sears tools are made in the USA. 
Rodster


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## Toolman (Sep 16, 2003)

We have just the opposite thing happen here. Our Sears store is independently owned & operated. You can't walk 10 ft into the store without a sales person asking if they can help you.


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## Deerehunter (May 28, 2004)

> _Originally posted by simple_john _
> *home depots tools are almost all made overseas... and up my way.. thats about all we have.. home depot, walmart and sears..
> *



For some reason, I was under the impression that Craftsman and Husky tools were made by the same people


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## johndeere (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Toolman _
> *We have just the opposite thing happen here. Our Sears store is independently owned & operated. You can't walk 10 ft into the store without a sales person asking if they can help you. *


Thats where I shop the owner is a good guy and cares about his customers.I have bought many tools and even a generator from this independtly owned Sears store.He even sent me a Thankyou Card when I bought the generator and is a friendly nice guy


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## mowdaddy (Sep 17, 2003)

*Stores*

Sounds to me the quality of the service you recieve speaks more about the people in your local(stores) employment pool and less with the name of the corporation.
Many of you Demonize the store, when its the people from the geographical employment pool and there attitudes toward the public they deal with, maybe they passed quick judgement on you by the way you were dressed and put you in a looker not a buyer catagory, who knows but I'm sure the local management would work to improve thier associates performance, if prompted to do so by complaints of poor service.... or maybe they do just suck.
Generally pretty polite, helpful and responsive in the Sears I've shopped here in Iowa.


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