I will never call Sears again...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

The washer broke down almost 2 weeks ago. I called for a service appointment, and set one up for last Thursday. They said they'd be here between 8am and 12 noon, and that the serviceperson would call me before they came over. I received a robot call Wednesday evening to let me know that I was on their scheduled appointment list for the next day.

At 11 am on Thursday, I started getting nervous, because I had to go to work at 12, and Mr GoG needed to leave at 1. When I called the service number to express my concern, I was assured that someone would call me before 12:30. Ha ha.

When I returned home, there was a message on my answering machine that said I'd need to reschedule my appointment, because nobody was home when the repairman came by. I called Sears, eventually got past the robot, and explained the situation to the customer service rep. He was very sweet over the phone, and went to check my file. Then he very politely said, "Yes, we'll need to reschedule your appointment. Let's see, the next available day is next Friday."

I was livid. "Next FRIDAY! What if the same thing happens then? I've already been without a washer for a week!"

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" He said, totally sincerely. At this point I told him I thought I'd just call a smaller company, because if they made a mistake like this, they'd be out the next day to take care of the people they'd missed the day before. He was very polite, and sent messages to the routing office and the complaints department. He told me that I should call them if I didn't hear from them by Monday.

Well, I didn't hear from them by Monday, so I called a small company, (Wooten Appliances, in case you're in the DC area, and you need someone good), and they came out today, when they said they'd be coming. I thought the machine was a goner, and that I'd have to shovel out $500 for a new one. Fortunately, the problem was pretty simple to fix, and we only had to pay about $100.

What's really interesting is that I always figured Sears rates for service calls had to be at least $20 less than any of the little guys. Actually, this company charges $5 less than Sears, and the $55 I spent went toward the cost of the repair.

Sears sucks.

[Wcross]

1. Piss poor service is what I ecpect these days......

I had an air conditioner go out on me within a month of purchase, was told the service man would be out monday morning. He made it by 6:30pm, I had to take a vacation day for nothing. The kicker is he pronounced it dead and I had to drive back to the store to get a new one. I could have done that without waiting all day.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. I was so afraid they'd pronounce it dead!

These guys were really good. I told them I'd had it with Sears, and they said it wasn't the first time they'd heard that.

[Danocrat]

2. I had a similar experience with UPS

Called them about a Christmas package my sister had sent and they said it would be delivered that day. Waited and waited and waited to find the little sticker on the door that said nobody was home. After the customary waiting period for it to get back to the warehouse, they assured me it would be delivered a few days later. Waited some more only to find it had been stolen because they left it outside the door--because nobody was home.

I'll not go to Sears if you'll not use UPS. Deal?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Sounds good to me...

Is FedEx any better?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

7. True Fed Ex story -

Rented a small house waiting for our new house to empty out. The house wasn't much to look at and the owners were planning on tearing it down (to build a new huge house) as soon as we moved out. Moving day comes and we are outta there. About two weeks later we go back to the old house to see how much is gone. Pulled into the drive and everything of the old house was down but the front porch and front door. Huge hole in the ground, studs, insulation, windows, junk everywhere but the roof, walls and floors were gone except for the front porch.

For some strange reason I opened the front door. Sandwiched in between the storm door and the front door was a package that had been delivered by Fed Ex. Checked the label and the dern thing was mailed the day before and couldn't have been delivered any sooner than the day we found it. I get a lot of packages from UPS and Fed Ex so I knew all the delivery guys pretty good. UPS had a good chuckle out of that one. The package - a sales promotion from Fed Ex advertising their excellent rates, fast and dependable service.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. HAHAhahahahaha!

Morans.

[sbj405]

5. Good to know a good repair company in DC

I never know who to call. Glad to hear your washer was revived. Sometimes I think Sears does it on purpose so you'll give up and buy a new one.

I have been attempting to get service on some windows (still under warranty) for 2 months now. So frustrating. So if you want to know who NOT to get windows and siding from in College Park, let me know.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. I'd be glad to know

for future reference!

[Blue in a Red State]

9. Cost 55 bucks

For them to come out and tell me that my above-the-range microwave's magnetron was fried and it would cost an additional $589.00 to repair it. I think that's the only thing that ever goes out on them and they know it. I now have a cheap $50 microwave (actually cost less than the service call) and what now amounts to just a very large kitchen timer over the stove...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Extra cabinet space!

Oooo...A breadbox!

[jburton]

11. Sears can go to hell

I wanted to replace a kitchen stove, and due to the funky design of the kitchen I had to special order a unit so it would fit.

Well, delivery was set for 2 weeks. I get a robo call the night before saying it will arrive between 8am and 10am the next day. Sounds good.

The next day, I get a real person phone call saying they had to cancel the delivery and would call me later to reschedule. Many phone calls later, I found out the unit was DISCONTINUED. They had sold me a stove that is no longer made! Oops!

They offered to give me a better one at no extra charge, so that soothed me over. Then, the same damn thing happened: I got a robo-call confirming delivery and a call the next morning saying the unit was unavailable. Unfriggin real!

Finally I got one delivered -- two months after the initial order. And to top it off, they sent it without the gas valve connection, but didn't tell me in advance. Bastards. I had Sears cancel the backordered valve and I just went to Lowes and got one myself.

Icing on the cake: over 3 weeks later I get a robo-call to confirm a delivery for the next day. It seems they didn't cancel my valve order and were going to send their big ass freight truck to my house to deliver a $5 valve.



:grr:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. What a nightmare!

I hope you weren't completely without a stove that whole time!

[BamaGirl]

12. I have a Kenmore sewing machine that I need to get repaired but

they have pissed me off so bad just trying to get a real live person on the damned phone that it isn't going to them! Sorry to hear about this aggravation. Sears is just not the same.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. My mom has a Kenmore dryer that she bought 30 years ago

It's a little beat up, but functions just fine.

Now they make them to last 10 years tops. The part that was broken, a coupler, was made of plastic. I guess I'll buy a do-it-yourself manual for my machine, so I can take care of simpler repairs without the hassle.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Erma Bombeck wrote an excellent piece on waiting for the washing

machine repairman. I am glad you got it fixed and didn't have to replace it. :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. Erma was great!

I miss her "Wit's End" columns...

[Blue Diadem]

16. I know how you feel.

Over the years, I have stopped purchasing from Sears. I used to work for them when they were the number 1 retailer and customer service was their mantra. The year I quit, way back in the 80's, I ordered all new kitchen appliances to complete our newly remodeled kitchen. Their version of the Jenn Aire arrived without the burner units, they were on backorder with expected delivery in a month. The fridge looked like someone had hit it with a forklift and I never bothered to open the dishwasher because I told them to take them all back.

I did step foot in a Sears store recently to look at a fridge. I found one on sale that wasn't going to take 1-2 wks to order in, it was floor model. When we asked when it could be delivered, the answer was almost 10 days. It had to be shipped to the warehouse, then wait until delivery day for our area. We promptly went to Lowes, bought our fridge on a Sat. night and it was delivered on Sunday around noon...and it wasn't a floor model either.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. They're so busy making themselves larger

and economically more efficient, that nobody's checked to see whether they suck.

[oregonjen]

19. We just bought a Kenmore dryer from Sears

So far, everything is fine. I think they are trying to improve on customer service because I got 3 different phone calls after the dryer was installed to see how satisfied I am. One call for the delivery people, one call for the salesperson in the store and one phone call for the dryer itself.

By the third phone call, I was a little irritated, but considering what I have read in this thread, I think they need to improve!

[Left Is Write]

20. I had a similar experience with Sears service a while back.

I'll never call them for service again either.

Glad you're washer is up and running again!