WTF has happened to customer service? A rant...

Man, I just plopped down 1600 bucks for a new Sears riding mower. Today was the first time I was able to get it out and mow a little. What's the first thing that happened? An oil leak....dripping on the muffler. Being a mechanic by nature I look for the obvious, thinking I'll save myself a headache and just fix it. Then I start thinking...why should I? It's brand freaking new. Well, long story longer....I can't locate the leak but it's leaving a substantial amount on the driveway.

Fast forward....I call Sears where I bought the unit less than 3 weeks ago.....Umm...you'll have to call service. Service? Ok, whatever....call service...so what do you want us to do? Well, I want a new mower since this one hasn't even left my garage yet. We'll hafta send a tech to look at it to verify it's not overserviced. It's not...I checked. Well, we'll hafta send someone.

OK whatever.....when can they come? M-F 8-5.....well I work can they come after work? No, can you take off work? You're kidding right? No I refuse to take off work. He can come on Saturday.....No, but you can leave your mower outside and we can look at it then. No, I am not leaving the keys in my brand new mower ...outside. Then the guy tells me to deal with the store directly.

I call, get the store mgr. blah blah blah.......we'll hafta restock you 15% ......
NO! That ain't happening. Then she says, the tech has to look at it before she can accept it. The guy on the1-800 phone calls her and explains to her she doesn't need a tech if it has been less than 90 days....

Anyway....so she will not take my word for it that it leaks. So ,now on Sat. I am taking it to the store where her "***istant" and a PM guy(the guy who ***embles it) is going to check it out and give her the thumbs up or down. Gimme a break.

This has me fired up. What happened to the customer is always right? Sorry for the rant but I am tired of talking to these people.

 

You're actually doing pretty well--I doubt anyone at our local Sears hardware could be induced to answer the phone...or focus his eyes...or understand a complex concept like "leak"...

 

First mistake....going to Sears...I HATE that place...

 

I don't generally deal with Sears, but this one was a better built mower(I thought) for less money than the retail lumber yards etc.

 

Sears and especially their Craftsman brand at one time had a name to be proud of. Those days are gone. I've had a few misdealings with them over the past year; I'm done with them. Their mentality is a special blend of ignorance, apathy and ... KMart.

 

unfortunately these days the customer is not #1 and they could give a **** . Like the guy in the movie says........."They **** you at the drive thru ! "
I hope they come up with a great idea...customer service...and take care of you as they should.

 

We if you put it on a charge card you have the upper hand,let them know what's going on.
Bob

 

"a great idea...customer service"

Nowadays, a great new business idea like that means NEW SLOGAN, not any thought of customer service...

 

Sears has really dropped downwards in quality in the last ten years.
Service Im sure is second to that.....Our local store has appliances and tools and really just a minimum of inventory.....I have had about the same resulting experience with a washer/dryer, last year.
They sold me a gas dryer with that washer.... When it was loaded at the rear door of store it was in a closed box.I say- is this the right unit-I live 35 miles away.....??
Yes they said....I get home and I have an electric dryer -then they ask me to deliver it back- I refused too.

 

The mgr just called and she's wanting to swap my 2006 48" with an automatic for a 2007 42" with a stick......not gonna happen. She's using the "It's a new model" line. Look lady I bought a 48" and an automatic cause that what I wanted.

 

What S**ts me the most is they expect us to take time off from our work ( usually = lost wages) to fix stuff that aint our fault.....***hats!!!

 

Good luck with it Roothawg. I got the same deal going on, the mower I bought from Lowes last fall is all screwed up, blowing oil, throws the belts, now the rear diff is locked up. I called the lowes 'service' number Saturday and the first appointment I could get was 3 weeks from now between 8 am and noon.

But I know already the guy's not gonna have any parts or be able to fix it, he's just gonna look at it, tell me it is indeed all ****ed up then either take it away or have to order parts.

I'll be lucky to get to use it this season.

 

A nice rant for sure! It's that way all over the country. They all ****. They have got it down to hiring pissants and peabrains for minimum wage. I always go to the head of the cl*** when I'm disatisfied. That jerk at the local store isn't going to put himself on report.

 

Don't forget..Sears was bought by K-Mart in 2004.

 

No ****??? Boy thats a good thing to know.

 

She told me she had to talk to the store mgr now.....he'll be in tomorrow afternoon. I'll be calling for sure.

 

i often hear the rants about guys having issues with their new vehicles and say they're only gonna drive hotrods from now on... well here you go! even has the red blades

 

Y'know what they say........ "I'm sorry sir, but the quality went down - The price HAD to go up."

 

Bought my new mower about 3 years ago from an old fashioned hardware store..according to an auctioneer guy I know,they are almost all gone now...BUT,it was loaded into my truck with a full gas tank,they ran it for me before they loaded it,and if it ****s up,they have guys who can fix it...and it cost almost exactly the same as the similar size POS from Home Depot...
Learned this **** the hard way..
If it has an electric cord on it,do NOT buy it at Sears..
If it has ANY MOVING parts on it,do NOT buy it at Walmart...
"Traditional" isn't completely dead in retail,but it's on life support..
Except at my bike shop..
Oh BTW...the customer is NOT always right....

 

The cheaper deal is seldom the best deal. Good service costs money. When you find someone who does a good job, patronize their place for everything they sell. Even if it costs more.

My local Ace hardware is owned by the past president on the Model A and T clubs. Great source for grade 5 & 8 bolts. He sells chrome acrorn nuts and other neat car stuff. I could get propane cylinders and other things MUCH cheaper at other places, but I buy anything that he has that I need from him. I want him to be able to survive. Great service too.

My advice? Find a good family owned place and give them all your business. Send your friends there. The Wal Mart/KMartization of America is at least partially our fault. We are also the solution.

I know ity's easier to rant, but, hey…

 

Root,
You can borrow mine if you need it. Sounds like your gr*** might be 3 feet deep before you can get action. See if you can break mine so I don't have to, I mean can't mow. Customer service is like nickel beer and a 16 year old with an American Made hotrod wtihout a computer: few and far between. The succesful companies are the ones who understand the importance. The one's who gave up, now offer discounts if you order big ticket stuff online and pick it up yourself. Can't tell my story without self incriminating.

 

For years we all wanted everything as cheap as we could get it. To provide things cheaper, something had to go. Quality was the first thing we lost, only in most cases it went away slowly and we didn't notice so much. We still wanted everything cheaper, Manufacters had to find cheaper labor to cut the prices. We didn't mind too much at first because all the good stuf was still being made, it was just expensive. Pretty soon all the good stuff started going away because no one was buying the good stuff, everyone wanted cheap stuff. We still did not learn, we still wanted cheaper stuff. In order to comply, manufacters had to cut customer service. After years of this down ward spin, we still haven't learned. We still want stuff cheap, only now we are starting to miss the things that we have lost. The worst part is now that all the good stuff and the places that made them have disapeared, and all we have left is the cheap stuff, and now it is getting expensive. Only now are we realizing the things we have lost, unfortunately most of us still want things cheaper. Its called the Walmart Mentality.

Fortunately a few places are starting to build back in the quality, but they have an up hill battle because it doesn't come cheap. We need to forget all of what used to be "name brands" and start looking at how and what quality things are being built with before be buy things. It's not always easy, sometimes more money does not mean better quality and we are still being ****ed into that "name brand" ****.
Now, if I could only find that good stuff, just a little cheaper........
Gene

 

its sad, I got a $50 gift card for sears to buy tools from my mother-inlaw 3 years ago !
I still have it.
I go into sears every now and then but it all looks like ****.
the only thing I think I will buy are wrenches or maybe a tool box.

 

our crafstman mower is just shy of 2 years old. the trans started acting funny. they sent a guy out friday, hes coming back this week with a new trans. luckily, where we live, nobody will steal cause there's nobody around.

 

For a little insight(and a good laugh if it wasn't so true)go to the link below.When you get there,click on,"Fred's Columns" and on the left side of the screen scan down until you come to the column ***led," A Colony Again". You might want to check out some of his others too.

http://fredoneverything.net/index.html

 

I have come to cherish the dark little shops with the cranky old men that run them. I helps that I am a cranky old fart also.

 

I went to sears last week and saw a damaged roll-away that was too cheap not to buy. I tried to find someone to ask if there was more damage than what i saw, but there was not a person in sight. it was a ****ing ghostown

it had bent and dented drawers so I pulled practically the whole thing apart and was making a whole lot of noise trying to get the bent parts straight for a full half hour. I thought that would bring somebody over. it didnt.

so, I ended up pulling some nice drawers off another one, and got myself even a better deal.

I should have filled it full of tools because the teenaged girl who barely said a word to me never even peeked into it while ringing it up...

 

That one's across from the High School I went to. Know it well!
If you need some #12 machine screws to put your old GM interior trim together you can still get them at Seal Beach Hardware on Main St in SB

Mr. Hawg;
I buy EVERYTHING on the VISA card.
That way I can take it back if "I'm not satisfied with this purchase" and if they don't I just say, "Either you take it back and credit my VISA card or I will just call VISA and have it done and you'll be out the money and the product."
Worked every time so far.