Dec 22, 2010

An Open Letter to Sears

Dear Sears,

I have worked in Customer Service and Retail for 10 years and I have never encountered the rudeness that are Sears call center associates.  WEEKS ago, I placed an order for a car charger adapter.  It took Sears THREE WEEKS to e-mail me telling me the order had been canceled.  Meanwhile, I had been calling and inquiring, they would always tell me the order was on it's way when it was not.  After I received very late e-mail telling me the order was canceled, I called back to place the order. The first agent I spoke to RUDELY told me that she could not give me the sales price of the item that I PAID FOR and I would have to now pay full price.  Now, come on, Sears, I've worked in retail long enough to know that your rude agent was bullshitting me.  (And oh yes, she was very rude to me too. She treated me like I was a 5 year old who got scolded for not listening to the rules.)  I hung up out of anger and because I had other things to do. 

Calling back the day after actually gave me the one nice agent that I had spoke to.  He placed my order again for me and told me that he would give me the sale price that I had originally paid.  I was happy to actually speak to someone who cared for a customer.  (Or at least seemed like it.)  My order was placed and I was a happy camper.  Unfortunately, this isn't the "happily ever after" ending when I STILL had not received my item.  Called numerous times to rude associates who told me the item was shipped, I should be receiving it soon, etc...  Two weeks later I got the package.  They told me 5-7 business days when it took 15 to send it?  Come on, Sears...

Fast forward to Thursday night... I go online to check my credit card bill and to tally how much I spent this Holiday season when I see Sears took $79.00 off my card.  Oh really?  For what?  I call sears to get ANOTHER angry and rude agent who told me that I had not cancelled my ShipVantage membership and that's why I was charged.  I told said agent that I had an agent cancel it for me after the second order that I placed. Agent gets VERY angry with me and tells me that I'm feeding him a line because I didn't want my card to be charged.  No, I had canceled it and was angry that they still charged my card.  That agent rudely hung up on me.

I call back an hour later and speak to an agent who said she cancelled it, but I would have to wait 10 days for the shipping department to call me to tell me if I can even GET a refund.  No, no, no, I'm not going to do that.  I demanded to speak to a manager.  After asking me many questions that I REFUSED to answer, I got a manager on the phone.  Oddly, this manager told me Sears' computers were down.  It was shocking especially since the agent prior was able to tell me the information from the computer, but this girl couldn't even pull up any information?  Hmm...  I was told I would get a call back in 2 hours.  Friday passed, Saturday passed, Sunday passed, Monday passed and part of Tuesday.  I wasn't waiting any longer.  That 2 hours was turning into a week very quickly. 

Today when I called I encountered 3 rude (very rude) reps who refused to transfer me to a manager and EACH of them said I was acting irrationally and hung up on me.  IRRATIONALLY?!  DO YOU WANT TO SEE IRRATIONAL!?  TELL ME AGAIN THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN I AM GOING TO GET MY MONEY BACK!  I called a third time, hoping not to go completely nuts on the agent, when this agent asked me over and over again, "What is your name?" "What is your order number?" "Why are you so upset?"  Listen, if I have to tell you my name (and spell it) 5 times, there's something wrong.  When I have to explain to you 5 times that I DO NOT HAVE AN ORDER NUMBER, you're not listening to me. AND THEY WONDER WHY I AM UPSET.  I eventually refused to answer anything else until I got a manager.  After being put on hold for 15 minutes, I finally got a manager.  (Who had absolutely no compassion for me.)  This manager tried for 35 minutes to pull up my account with my name. 

"Are you sure you used your name for the order?"
No, I used Abraham Lincoln's name...WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"What is your order number?"
For the 100th time, I DO NOT HAVE AN ORDER NUMBER.

"Ok, then we can't pull your account, are you sure you shopped with Sears?"
No, not at all. I just feel like calling and telling you off for nothing. It's amusement to me.


"Maybe we canceled your order. If so, you'll get a refund."
Ok, let me say this like I'm speaking to my kids... I... DO... NOT... HAVE... AN... ORDER.


"Oh, you don't have an order? Then why did we charge you $79?"
I am just the customer! I found it on my credit card statement! Why don't YOU tell me, Sears Supervisor... (if that is your real name.)


After going back and forth with this unhelpful supervisor and a long ("brief", they called it) hold, she came back and told me that the agent prior who said she canceled the ShipVantage NEVER DID and she would do it for me now.  She also told me that I would have my money back in 3-5 business days.  I'm praying I do, but after the crap I have gone through with Sears, I'm not holding my breath. 


The kicker, before she ended the call, she asked me "Do you have a Sears credit card and would you like more information about signing up for one?"  No, no thank you.  I'm never shopping with Sears again.  JC Penney has much better customer service and I'll use THEIR credit card.  I WAS a Sears card holder, but no longer.  Not after the way the agents made me feel small and insignificant when customers are supposed to be one of the most important part of the company.

So much for good customer service with that company.

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