"Well, y'all used to do it..."

[Rine]

I am so sick and tired of hearing, "Well, Sears USED to carry this" and "Sears USED to do this."

My first story was related to me by a co-worker. Older woman comes in with a single china plate with a flower pattern. She approaches the cashier in the home fashions department and sets the plate on the counter.

SC: I bought a china set with this pattern from this store...I need to buy some replacements for it or just by a new set.
CW: Okay, I can see if we have anything like this.

So, CW consults with other CWs and she is informed that we don't carry anything with that pattern (let alone CHINA). CW informs SC...SC turns from nice old lady into raving lunatic.

SC: I BOUGHT it from here!
CW: Well, uh, when?
SC: When y'all were still downtown!
CW: We...uh...thirty years ago? Ma'am we just don't carry items for that long.
SC: This is SEARS. You are supposed to! I need a replacement! What am I supposed to do with a china set that has one plate broken?!
CW: I'm sorry...I don't know what you should do.
SC: I need a manager! Get me a manager. This is Sears--you carry everything, all the time--I was promised when I bought it that if I ever needed a replacement plate I could come here!
CW: *phones manager immediately*

Manager said she spent twenty minutes with this SC and the SC left empty handed. I shit you all not--this lady honestly thought she could come and get a replacement plate for her china set THIRTY years after the fact. Manager said the china company when out of business ten years ago.

I almost want to go back in time and smack whatever employee told her she could buy replacement plates for as long as she needed them.

-

I hear on a weekly basis about the fact that we don't have catalogues anymore. "What--but you always had catalogues! I want one!"

The catalogue is online now, technically. We do carry a lot more things on line than in store.

I'm tired of people saying...

- You used to have guns in the store.
- You used to have pocket knives in the store.
- I want to buy a bike here. You used to sell bikes!
- I thought everything was lifetime warranty in the tool department. It used to be like that!
- There used to be a credit office in the store--where is it? I don't want to talk on no phone!
- What?! You have return limits now?! You never had a return policy before!

It's not that I don't mind it when people tell me about how Sears used to be...it's the people that whine and complain, like I can wave a magic wand and do what they want--like the old Sears.

I'm sorry, really truly sorry that we aren't the awesome company we used to be. The one that carried everything and anything and took back stuff without questions.

Yes, there was a time (seriously not long ago...maybe five or six years?) where we had no return policy. We would take anything back at the drop of the hat. Well, people took serious advantage of it and it ended up costing money. So, we ditched it.

Honestly, compared to many companies, I still think Sears has a liberal return policy.

It's not like that anymore. No amount of complaining, whining, threatening, etc will get me to change my mind.

Now, if you approached the situation like a responsible and calm adult, trust me--I would see what I can do....we've replaced old tools and whatnot, violated company policy, etc...to keep a GOOD customer happy. Not a sucky one. You sucky=no help.

I'm just so sick of hearing how Sears used to be......please stop comparing us to the catalogue company that we once were.

[Sheldonrs]

Next time someone complains, just tell them that it's all Roebucks' fault. He took all the stock with him when he left. :-)

[IHateStupidCustomers]

I'm totally with you. I worked at Sears for three years (like four years ago) and got the same crap.

I'd be a millionaire if I had a dime for every time I said "No, we don't have a catalogue anymore. Yes, I'm sure."

And yes, Sears has TOO liberal of a return policy, if you ask me. I was forced by managers to return used stuff that had nothing wrong with it all the time. I worked in shoes, so I would say in the three years I worked there I'd returned at least 100 worn prom/homecoming/misc dance shoes that had nothing wrong with them. The little prisses just wore them to the dance and returned then afterwards.

Did you work at Sears when they first started carrying Land's End in the stores? Oh....my....god. Talk about brining the crazies out.

As crappy of a job as that was, I still made more money there on commission (in the old days, before they screwed with the percents) than any other job I've ever had or currently have. Sad, actually.

[Mark Healey]

I am so sick and tired of hearing, "Well, Sears USED to carry this" and "Sears USED to do this."

If you can find one, a reprint of their 1905 catalog is interresting. You can just tell the SC "We USED to sell opium.". "We USED to sell houses.". "We USED to sell carriages and buggy whips.". "We USED to sell hernia trusses.".

[draftermatt]

Ask them if they shop at Wal-Mart.

If they say yes then say "that's why Sears isn't like it used to be"

[Rine]

And yes, Sears has TOO liberal of a return policy, if you ask me. I was forced by managers to return used stuff that had nothing wrong with it all the time.

Yes, I hate that sometimes. I hate it when people are all smug and return things they used only for one purpose...then they return them and get all their money back. I also hate it when people use something for 89 days and then return it or exchange it for a new item. But you know, as long as they have the receipt...there isn't too much we can do except call them on it or if it's applicable, charge them a 15% restocking fee.

Did you work at Sears when they first started carrying Land's End in the stores? Oh....my....god. Talk about brining the crazies out.

I think I came in a little after Lands' End moved into the store. Still, I agree...some Lands' End customers are nuts. A lot constantly complain that we don't carry Lands' End kids. Sorry--Lands' End has a whole catalogue for that sort of thing. But we carry a lot of neat things from them now--bedding, towels and rugs, dishes, PICNIC baskets (omg, cute, but expensive!), and these cute little plate sets for kids. Bwah...

You worked in commission shoes? They cut commission out of shoes a year or so ago...my store was one of the very last to hold onto the commission in shoes. I really wish it was still commissioned because people really liked it. Now we only have ONE shoe person on the floor at all times...it's awful because that's the highest area for theft and constantly our busiest department.

If you can find one, a reprint of their 1905 catalog is interresting. You can just tell the SC "We USED to sell opium.". "We USED to sell houses.". "We USED to sell carriages and buggy whips.". "We USED to sell hernia trusses.".

I can't believe the stuff that Sears used to sell--even houses! Sears also used to sell vibrators. Check out this ad from 1918. It's pretty much safe for work and isn't explicit at all. Just sort of humorous.

It's here.

[RetailWorkhorse]

If you can find one, a reprint of their 1905 catalog is interresting. You can just tell the SC "We USED to sell opium.". "We USED to sell houses.". "We USED to sell carriages and buggy whips.". "We USED to sell hernia trusses.".

Wait, wait, wait! I have one of those around here somewhere!

*Digs around for a couple hours*

FOUND IT! .........dude, I want a pretty Victorian house for that price.....

[myswtghst]

I almost want to go back in time and smack whatever employee told her she could buy replacement plates for as long as she needed them.

Think about it this way - given what we know about SC's, it's highly unlikely ANYONE told her that she'd be able to buy replacement plates beyond a certain, limited amount of time. Chances are, she made it up in her little head and assumed it was true.

Heck, I have dishes that my mom got sick of, and I'm thrilled if I find replacement or additional stuff in a similar color pallette, let alone that matches.

[LifeCarnie]

That's just stupid. China patterns change frequently, it's up to the individual manufacturer, not up to Sears.

Does she call Ford trying to get parts for her Mazda too? Because Ford used to own Mazda.

[rvdammit]

I wonder if Sears also used to sell radium corsets.

[Aethian]

I think it started going down hill when K-Mart bought them. At least thats when I noticed the tool department shrunk to half it's size.

[InsanityInc]

*Snicker* I guess I could go ask Sears for a replacement wall for my house. My house was built from a package in a Sears catalogue.

[mattm04]

I bet the SC assumed that the mfgr. going out of business can't possibly effect what sears can get. When we needed to replace some broken china plates we were able to get them from the mfgr. because they were only about 1 year old. Someone, not me, dropped 4 coffee mug saucers.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

Apparently CL in the OP never heard of Replacements, Limited? There's a reason that they do booming business.

[bainsidhe]

I almost want to go back in time and smack whatever employee told her she could buy replacement plates for as long as she needed them.

What, you honestly believe an employee said that? (well, it COULD have happened) More likely though, is that SC "thought" employee said that. After all, you're SEARS!!

[/QUOTE] The catalogue is online now, technically. [/QUOTE]

We encounter the same crap from customers regarding our literature. We have distributors, so why not contact them? I mean, why would we want to waste our time, pay to print the catalog ($2.00 if it's just one brochure, not the entire $20.00 variety) plus pay postage to send you our brochure if 1) you're "just looking" and 2) we will never hear from you again. If we do, you're buying a $12.00 item and frankly, it just isn't worth it. It boils down to me reeeally pushing the catalog on our website. 'Course then you talk to those without internet access.