Well I’ve had problems with Sears about 3 times now, once at the Erin Mills location, another two times at the Bramalea City Centre Location.

All and all, Sears has very very poor customer service.

No one is around to help you when you go into the store, and no one ever comes up to you to ask you for help.

This is the basic letter I wrote to the Office of the President since both the store manager, and then the customer service department dropped the ball and became part of the problem.

I will comment at the end to the end of the story.

Hi,

I was told this is the e-mail address to the Office of the President. Is it?

I am being forced to write to you because of the very negative experiences I have encountered all the way from the store level all the way up to the head office level with customer service.

This problem started last year with an employee at the Bramalea City Centre. Her name was Nadia, & she wasted my time describing a clock to me that wasn’t even in stock. Had she told me it wasn’t in stock, then it would have been up to me to decide if I should continue listening, or hear about another clock.

Note: I never asked for that specific clock, I asked about any clocks that had 2 alarms & set themselves. In the end I had to do her job for her asking about another one I saw trying to troubleshoot which clocks were actually there so I could purchase it that night.

Anyway, I was a bit teed off with her & asked her why in the world she would waste a customer’s time describing something Sears didn’t even have.

She proceeded to come up with an excuse that people usually don’t buy when they are there, they are just browsing.

While that may be true for high ticket items, to make that assumption about every single low priced item is ignorant.

I had already had to wait for her because she went to help another customer 2 minutes after she told me where the clocks were located, so instead of me being in & out of there in 5-10 minutes, the entire incident took me 20-30 minutes.

She gave me attitude about my complaint, so I decided to contact her manager. The manager apologized for Nadia’s behaviour, & that was the end of it.

Fast forward to the end of September 2007. I was looking for a VCR.

I called the department & someone put one aside for me. I came in & bought it from a very nice man who also helped me to find out information on some Halloween items.

We tried to use the VCR, & it wouldn’t work. We spoke to JVC & they recommended we return it for another one.

I called on the Saturday (Sept. 30) to have the department put another VCR on hold for me because I knew there weren’t that many available. I was told by a guy that I don’t need to, there were plenty. I said “are you sure?” he said yes, no one ever buys them. I wasn’t 100% sure he was correct, but took his word for it. I told him I wouldn’t be in until Sunday or Monday, he said that was fine.

At that time I decided we didn’t want the Halloween item I purchased, so I took that to return as well.

On October 1st, my son & I carried the heavy items all the way to that department & I put them on the counter.

Nadia was at the counter, but at the time I had no idea who she was.

From the minute I put them down & said I’m returning one, exchanging the other, there were problems.

First she tells me I can’t return the Halloween item & I’m like, “WHAT???? Why not???” She asked me if I opened it. What does it matter if I opened it??? It’s not like it was after Halloween & I was returning something I had already used.

When I ask to speak to a manager, she walks away & eventually comes back to start running it through. No apology, explanation, nothing.

Then she tells me there are no more VCRs left & I will have to wait until a new order comes in, so at this point I was pissed! First she gives me attitude trying to prevent me from getting my money back, now I’m being told there are no VCRs left when I specifically called up a couple of days earlier to put one on hold.

I don’t like wasting my precious time & money on gas plus having to deal with a very very rude sales person.

I said in a somewhat raised voice that I specifically called up to put a VCR on hold, this is ridiculous, etc. etc.

She goes to look at the shelves & comes back with one (she never looked before) & tells me I don’t have to be rude. This makes me even angrier. Not ONCE did she ever apologize for making 2 mistakes, & now she has the nerve to tell me I’m being rude???

I started raising my voice at this point & asked her for the store manager’s name.

After I walked away, I remembered the incident back in 2006 & wondered if this was the same girl. I mean what are the odds of having a very negative experience with 2 totally different people who both don’t know how to do their job properly & aren’t very smart & clearly lazy.

I called on 10-03 & spoke to Brian Ohasky (store mgr.) & while relaying the incident, told him that I actually think this is the same girl I had a problem with several months earlier & maybe she recognized me & this is why she treated me this way. (Either that, or Sears clearly goes out of their way to hire the most rude people ever.)

I told him that I shouldn’t have to fear going into Sears to purchase something, & me & my ex bought at Sears (not that location) all the time & I have been a great customer over the years.

I was never sure she was the same person, but I did ask him if the clocks are in the same department as the VCRs & he said, “yes.”

I told him the full story, & then he told me he will call me back after speaking with her.

He called me back 5 minutes later stating she wasn’t on until Saturday, can he call me back after that. I said sure, I was in no rush.

I completely forgot about the incident until it popped into my head. I was then left wondering why Brian never called me back. On 10-15 I called again leaving him a VM message.

Still no return call.

Now I’m getting upset.

What is going on here???

On October 23rd, I call the head office & spoke to Sylvia. She thought maybe Brian was away or something & I told her I don’t think so.

I had even asked the operator at the store if he was still around when I called a 3rd time & it was his day off, so I didn’t leave a message.

I really don’t think that 20 days later he was away for that entire time.

He called me to tell me Nadia wasn’t going to be in until that Saturday, if he knew he was going away, why didn’t he call me to tell me that too.

I had also left another message on the 15th too, if he was away, why didn’t someone else call me to tell me that?

As an aside, I told Sylvia at the customer service department that there was a noise when on hold. Every time the message comes on, there is this sharp noise that is irritating & hurts my ears. It hasn’t been fixed because I encountered it today as well while on hold.

So anyway, it’s now 10-31 & still no call from Sylvia.

She told me she would call me back.

I call & speak to someone named Ruth who starts giving me attitude right away.

I had given her my phone number & name, she could easily have read over the notes, but instead, she keeps asking me what the problem is. I DON’T like repeating stories over & over & over again.

I asked to speak to Sylvia. She said unless I give her an extension, she doesn’t know who Sylvia is.

What, you don’t have employee names & ID numbers in the system as to who writes what notes???

I tell her I’ve been having nothing but problems with Sears, & if I have to, I’ll go to the Office of the President.

I don’t get any empathy from her whatsoever, only a robotic response of “what is the problem?”

I even tell her there should be notes there, I don’t feel like repeating myself again, she refuses to acknowledge what I say once again saying “you aren’t telling me the problem.”

I ask to speak to a manager, she refuses to let me speak to someone & at one point it almost sounded like she was telling me that she was a manager. Is this how your managers treat customers???

I ask for the number to the office of the president, she refuses to give me that number.

I finally hang up the phone after asking her for her name.

Very nice staff you hire.

I call back again, this time going to a different department. I ask for the number to the Office of the President, Connie ends up either hanging up on me, or somehow the phone gets disconnected. Lovely.

I call back a 3rd time, I get Lila who FINALLY gives me this e-mail address.

Now Lila is very empathetic that I was hung up on, & that I’ve been having nothing but problems with Sears & I didn’t even tell her my story, I just told her I was hung up on & have been having serious problems with Sears.

She sounds like she actually cares about what happens to a customer. Is she like the only nice person who works at Sears???

So here we are.

I wonder how I will be treated by the Office of the President.

Am I going to be ignored like I have been by the Store Manager, then Sylvia. Is this even the e-mail address for the Office of the President?

Michelle