Sears

It seems like half my posts these days have to do with sucky places of business. This is another one. Sears sucks.

I remember going there with my parents when I was very small, it was just the thing to do. I remember THEM talking about going to Sears with THEIR parents when they were small. Sears has been around for millions of years. I think the cavemen shopped there, but unless they change their ways, they won't be around much longer. In the days of shopper convenience, they are at the bottom of the list. When I go to the store, I want to see what I'm buying right there on the shelf. If I don't see it on the shelf, they don't have it... simple. Not at Sears. No. You go in there and pick out what you want, stand around waiting for a sales clerk to help you. You point to the display, say, "I want that thing right there." You put your hand on it, you make sure their eyes are on the item that you want. They eyeball it, then look at you and say, "I'll check and see if we have that in stock." They leave for a few minutes and come back. "Yes," says the sales clerk, "We do have those." Good. You hand them your cash/check/credit card, they process the sale and hand you your receipt. Okay, where's my thingie??? They then inform you that you have to take the receipt, go down the escalator, take a left, go past the home improvement department, past the riding lawn mowers, and through the glass doors, which is Merchandise Pickup. Ohhhhhkay (says I). I then proceed to go down the escalator, take a left, walk past the home improvement department, glance at the riding lawn mowers, and find the glass doors. I go in, scan my receipt (its computerized for our convenience), then proceed to wait 5 or 10 minutes until someone in the back can fetch my item that I already paid for. I wait. And wait.

After a bit more waiting, a guy walks out, says we're all out, who was your salesperson? I have no idea. He takes my receipt, goes and makes a phone call, and comes back to tell me that I should go back to my sales person, that she says she will work something out with me. Okay great.. that means a deal on the next up item (at least that is what it should have been). But no. I go out the glass doors, walk past the riding lawn mowers, through the home improvement department, take a right, and go back up the escalators to my sales person. She gives me a refund, I go back to work because I'm already 20 minutes late back from lunch for doing all that walking.

Don't shop at Sears unless you have a LOT of time and a LOT of patience.