I just wasted my lunch hour on a wonderful example of how not to treat customers. I will preface this by saying DON'T EVER TAKE ANYTHING TO BE REPAIRED AT THE SEARS REPAIR CENTER ON KIRBY NEAR ASTROWORLD! Two weeks ago, I took my Black & Decker string trimmer there because the casing was cracked and I needed it put back together. I waited in line for a half hour and then filled out the paperwork and dropped it off. Yesterday I received a recorded message that it was ready for pick up. I go there today during my lunch hour, and waited 45 minutes before I was helped. Gave the guy my claim ticket and 15 minutes later he came out with my string trimmer. It hadn't been touched. There was a note on it that said FINANCIALLY UNFEASABLE FOR REPAIR. This was NOT on the recorded message. When I asked the guy at the counter what that really meant, he stared at the repair order for 5 minutes, and then said he had no idea. As I left with my "still-cracked but operable" string trimmer, I told the guy I wouldn't ever be back, because the Sears Repair Center was obviously 100% worthless. Looks like I'm fixing this myself with superglue and duct tape, unless anyone knows of another place that will actually replace the casing!
RM T - Any chance you could replace the casing yourself? Does B&D (or Sears) have a website to find the part and it's cost? (I found my GE dishwasher parts on the Sears appliance website). Also, if it's a high end trimmer and/or you just like it, would getting a cheap one off fo eBay help? You'd have lots of spare parts. I am always amazed at what passes for Customer Service. Any posters out there thinking about going into self-employment should keep customers and employees at the top of the list. They are the real keys to success IMO.
It's looking more and more like this will be a fiberglass epoxy/super glue/duct tape repair job on my part. I'm just the most handy-less handy man on the planet!
how much was this 'string trimmer'? is it cheap enough to just buy another one? although one hour to get back a piece of equipment that is the same as when you dropped it off does suck. that is pretty poor customer service.
Good News...just talked to the Black and Decker service center in North Houston, and they are going to swap it out and give me a new one for free!!!!! SCREW YOU SEARS SERVICE CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pardon, but Sears SUCKS When I was 19, I brought my car there for oil change and belts. It should have only taken a few minutes, but I was sitting there for an extra 30 minutes wondering what the 2 teens working on my car could possibly be doing. Instead of releasing a few bolts on the alternator so they could slip the old belt over it, they removed my fan blade. They failed to tighten it, and the blade flew into my radiator about a mile down the road. Took out the fan too. $450, and they denied that it was their fault.
Memories of shop class. Kids and power tools Congrats on the new trimmer -- but a real man would have used the duct tape.
Is it only me, or has customer service overall gone down in the country. It seems like back in the "old" days customer service was part of the package of buying a product or doing business. Now, it is sold as an "extra" or is not available at all. With more and more customer service going overseas to call centers as well as people not taking their job seriously, there is a lack of customer appreciation and service today.
Im an advid believe that increasings one pay will not solve productivity issues. however, i do believe there is a pay scale that distigues between profession and non professional. A person needs 25-30k a year to live comfortable w/out strugging. So why is it that when you go to macdonalds, ask for no onions, are you not suprised that they are there? If you go order a large meal and get it right, you think "wow, they did a great job". Same goes for Customer Service. These people make less than 20k a year. Do you really expect them to give a rats ass?
Rocketman Tex, The latest issue of US News & World Report is titled "The Ultimate Consumer Survival Guide". I just got it and haven't really read it yet, but in skimming through it talks about how people were getting shafted and how they finally got through to the companies/people screwing them around. I did read one article about some guy who had a "guaranteed" room in a hotel. When he showed up, the hotel had overbooked their occupancy and had given away his room. They didn't even offer to find him another room elsewhere since it was their screw-up. He insisted they do it. The man put together a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Yours is a Very Bad Hotel" and e-mailed it to the hotel manager and a few friends. The presentation quickly got around the globe and within days he got a call from hotel executives that asked "What do you want?" His response was that they should retrain the hotel's workers. There are a few other stories in there like how it's becoming more and more difficult to find 800 support numbers on a lot of these websites because they intentionally bury them miles deep into some obscure section of their page or remove it altogether. Interesting reading if anyone is interested.
"Yours Is A Bad Hotel" was better than any McKinsey Powerpoint presentation I have ever seen, plus it didnt waste my time with buzzwords like "synergy" and "asset-centric".
I've noticed a service drop off at Sears over the past 2 years, probably related to the economy and the inevitable cutbacks on staff and overtime.
