The Sears Home Service Debacle - Chapter 2; In Which I Express Myself
[Link to Chapter 1]
Submitted online feedback via Contact Us on the Sears website with the short version of the issue, and a statement that I would be sending a letter to corporate.
Sent a letter of complaint via certified mail to Sears Holdings Corporation.
19 December 2014
Sears Holdings Corporation
ATTN: Public Relations
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
On 12/6/2014 the motor burned out on my Kenmore Built-In Vacuum Cleaning System with Cyclone Separation (Model 11640532; SN deleted). As it was originally purchased from Sears Roebuck & Co, calling Sears Home Services seemed the optimal path to resolution. I could not have been more wrong.
Of the seven Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) I have spoken to thus far, six have been unable to comprehend what the appliance in question even IS, much less pronounce it correctly, much less pronounce my name correctly. All seven have, at approximately the same point in our heavily-scripted interactions, encountered what they have variously referred to as "technical issues," "system issues," "a system outage," "an error code," & simply "a problem."
Interaction specifics include:
• CSR #1 (12/11/2014) promised an escalated callback within 24 hours, which did not occur.
• CSR #2 (12/15/2014), said I was being transferred to a subcontract specialist, but the interaction was not in any way different, much less specialized.
• CSR #3 (12/15/2014) said I was being transferred to "someone that can help," then sent me back to Sears Home Services proper.
• CSR #4 (12/15/2014) advised that the "system issues" should be resolved in an hour, & I should call back.
• CSR #5 (12/15/2014), to whom I was redirected while attempting to contact my local Sears customer service desk for advice &/or a local referral, said there were no appointments available in the system, & promised an escalated callback within 24 hours, which did not occur.
• CSR #6 (12/19/2014), to whom I was redirected while attempting to contact ANYONE at my local Sears store, at least appeared to understand my issue, but after several minutes on hold she introduced me to someone at Sears Home Services proper & released the transfer.
• CSR #7 (12/19/2014) put me on hold to "investigate the error code with his supervisor" then dropped the call 27 minutes later.
Speaking as a former Escalation Supervisor at a customer service call center, this is an absolutely DEPLORABLE level of ineptitude, & there are no socially-acceptable words negative enough to describe how unsatisfied I am.
I will consider this issue satisfactorily resolved upon receipt of a written apology, which includes affirmations that:
• The exact nature of the mysterious "system issue" reported by EVERY CSR I have interacted with will be investigated & resolved, &
• My experience will be addressed with every Sears-contracted call center, to ensure that their leadership understands that such appalling customer service will not be tolerated.
I will consider this issue exceptionally enough resolved to continue as a Sears customer upon additional receipt of:
• A referral to a Sears-certified repair contractor in my area that can resolve my issue, &
• A voucher affirming that at least 25% of that service's cost will be paid to them by Sears.
I can be contacted by any of the following means:
Address, email, etc.
Submitted online feedback via Contact Us on the Sears website with the short version of the issue, and a statement that I would be sending a letter to corporate.
Sent a letter of complaint via certified mail to Sears Holdings Corporation.
19 December 2014
Sears Holdings Corporation
ATTN: Public Relations
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
On 12/6/2014 the motor burned out on my Kenmore Built-In Vacuum Cleaning System with Cyclone Separation (Model 11640532; SN deleted). As it was originally purchased from Sears Roebuck & Co, calling Sears Home Services seemed the optimal path to resolution. I could not have been more wrong.
Of the seven Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) I have spoken to thus far, six have been unable to comprehend what the appliance in question even IS, much less pronounce it correctly, much less pronounce my name correctly. All seven have, at approximately the same point in our heavily-scripted interactions, encountered what they have variously referred to as "technical issues," "system issues," "a system outage," "an error code," & simply "a problem."
Interaction specifics include:
• CSR #1 (12/11/2014) promised an escalated callback within 24 hours, which did not occur.
• CSR #2 (12/15/2014), said I was being transferred to a subcontract specialist, but the interaction was not in any way different, much less specialized.
• CSR #3 (12/15/2014) said I was being transferred to "someone that can help," then sent me back to Sears Home Services proper.
• CSR #4 (12/15/2014) advised that the "system issues" should be resolved in an hour, & I should call back.
• CSR #5 (12/15/2014), to whom I was redirected while attempting to contact my local Sears customer service desk for advice &/or a local referral, said there were no appointments available in the system, & promised an escalated callback within 24 hours, which did not occur.
• CSR #6 (12/19/2014), to whom I was redirected while attempting to contact ANYONE at my local Sears store, at least appeared to understand my issue, but after several minutes on hold she introduced me to someone at Sears Home Services proper & released the transfer.
• CSR #7 (12/19/2014) put me on hold to "investigate the error code with his supervisor" then dropped the call 27 minutes later.
Speaking as a former Escalation Supervisor at a customer service call center, this is an absolutely DEPLORABLE level of ineptitude, & there are no socially-acceptable words negative enough to describe how unsatisfied I am.
I will consider this issue satisfactorily resolved upon receipt of a written apology, which includes affirmations that:
• The exact nature of the mysterious "system issue" reported by EVERY CSR I have interacted with will be investigated & resolved, &
• My experience will be addressed with every Sears-contracted call center, to ensure that their leadership understands that such appalling customer service will not be tolerated.
I will consider this issue exceptionally enough resolved to continue as a Sears customer upon additional receipt of:
• A referral to a Sears-certified repair contractor in my area that can resolve my issue, &
• A voucher affirming that at least 25% of that service's cost will be paid to them by Sears.
I can be contacted by any of the following means:
Address, email, etc.