Having a Refrigerator
“Having a refrigerator is vital to a household.” That is what the amazing customer service reps at SEARS continue to tell us. After being without a fridge for a month, I can assure you, they are right. A fridge is a vital part of any household. It’s what keeps food cold, and allows you to cook meals and save the left overs. Having cold drinks and ice is also nice. LOL.
It began last month, around the 10th of June. We came home from a trip and opened the door to a spoiled fridge. It just stopped cooling. Devil unplugged it, reset it, and did some trouble shooting. The next morning I woke up and the freezer had thawed out and the drained all over the floor. Normally Devil would be hands on and fix it himself. However, we bought this fridge 3 yrs ago and it shouldn’t need to be dissected and pulled apart already. He decided to call Sears.
He bought the “$79” service pacakge. Strange, but that got the service call scheduled. While on the phone the CSR tried to up-sell him to a “$250 package.” He wasn’t all that comfortable giving them the $79 before they came out, so he decided not to opt for the more expensive package. The wonderful, and very helpful CSR assured him that he could call back at any time before the scheduled call to opt into the bigger package. The earliest someone could come out was 5 days. That seems strange. But what option did we have? The very next morning he decided to go ahead and do the “$250” and so he called to change it. That’s when he was informed that the original service call would have to be cancelled. When he mentioned his conversation w/ the CSR the previous day, the lady on the phone went into robotic mode and read from the screen. “Your next service call will be rescheduled on this day.” After at least thirty minutes of Devil rehashing his point, he finally accepted the changed service call.. for two days after the original one, which would be a week out.
The day of the first scheduled service call Devil receives a call from the serviceman who told him he would be to our house in an hour, and to confirm we have the $79 package. Devil told him no, we have the $250 package. The guy informed Devil that he’d have to cancel his call then because he wasn’t scheduled for the $250 plan. Devil, a better person than I am, patiently asked him why that would be the case. The serviceman replied with a snippy, “contact the SEARS #800 and reschedule. Place your complaint with them.” Then hung up, if you can believe that.
Devil calls the #800, sits on hold for 30 minutes, which is the standard for these calls. The answering machine politely says that they currently have an overabundance of calls, but what that translates to is they’re understaffed. He finally gets someone on the phone. He explains to them what happened. They appear to listen, but really the CSR are so well trained that they zone out at any grievance, even when the customer is being nice and patient. Like I said, Devil is a better person than I am. Finally the CSR says, “I apologize for that sir. Let me reschedule another service call at the earliest available time.” …. That happened to be another three days. Devil informed them that the serviceman that was scheduled for the first one would not be welcome in our home. So, they made sure he wasn’t the one scheduled. Surprisingly, that didn’t set us back another two days.
Finally! The serviceman has arrived, and he’s glad to help us with our “$250 package of bullshit”. A nice fellow. Talkative. Whatever. He looks at the fridge and says that it was leaking freon and the compressor and something else needs to be replaced, too. He mentioned that this particular model has had this problem and it’s not uncommon, even though we just bought it three years ago. He orders the parts to be delivered to the house.
We receive the part three days later. It was damaged in shipping. (Or a disgruntled SEARS associate bashed it to hell and then shipped it out of spite.) Either way, we’d have to schedule another service call so the serviceman can take a lot at it. Brilliant. I’m so glad we gave SEARS money.
Three days later, the serviceman arrives. He looks at it. Orders another part. Leaves. All within five minutes. Great. Glad we paid for the $250 package, I’d hate to think what the $79 package would be like.
We receive the part. Call and sit on hold for another 30-45 minutes. They’re busy with calls, you know. A service call is scheduled.
It’s another three days. Are you noticing a pattern? Everything takes three days with SEARS. Those three days add up. At first I was furious, but it was July 3rd, so I thought, okay, I’ll hold off on my social media blast and see if they’re capable of repairing it this time. Especially since it was before the fourth.
The serviceman arrives. He’s nice. He’s chatty. Whatever. It takes him at least an hour, maybe more, to replace all of the parts, including the ice maker. While he was replacing it, he did a freon pressure check and tested it, to make sure it was working. Devil asked that he stay for thirty minutes to make sure it was repaired completely. The really nice, chatty, serviceman assured him that it would work, but we wouldn’t notice it cooling for a few hours.
One hour later, it’s still a hot box of junk.
Two hours later, it’s still a hot box of junk. Devil calls the amazing #800 customer service to sit on hold for another 30-45 minutes, just for a CSR to tell him that he has been put on “emergency call back” notice. Those were the words of the CSR. No one called back.
The 4th of July was good. Devil BBQ’ed for an Army and all of their family. Only six people were invited, though. LOL. All of that food went into coolers… and are still in coolers.
Monday. No call back. Devil calls the #800 and sits on hold for another 30-45 minutes. Someone finally answers. He has to go through the motions and explain to them, again, what has been going on. The CSR zones out. Waits for him to finish, then tells him a service call is scheduled for Saturday… as in six days from now. For the first time he said, “that’s unacceptable, I want to speak to a supervisor.” She replied with, “no, they won’t tell you anything different from what I am, sir.” Devil, “What is wrong with you? Just because you call me sir, I’m supposed to accept another line from you people? Let me speak to a supervisor, or better yet, someone who cares that I’m being given the run around, again!” She replied with a standard, off the screen reading. You know, they’re highly trained to spew the bullshit over and over again. Anyway, he asked her if he was going to have to hang up, sit on hold another 30 minutes just to ask for a supervisor? She responded with yes! Unbelievable! Still, he didn’t tell her what I would have. He is, after all, a better person than I am.
He calls back. Sits on hold for 30 minutes and politely answers the CSR’s standard questions. Name. Phone Number. What appliance needs serviced. Then he asks for a supervisor. She responds with a standard, let me help you line. He repeats, “I need a supervisor. I don’t want to waste your time, nor do I want to be mean. Please put a supervisor on the phone.” Five minutes later, she’s still trying to get him to open up to her. LOL. He is persistent. She can’t help. A supervisor is requested. Finally, she puts him on hold for 20 minutes before a supervisor surfaces. The supervisor tells him that we are on emergency service notice and we will be taken care of on Saturday the 12th. Devil goes round and round with that person before hanging up on them.
I turn to Twitter, and the @blueservicecrew, who assures me they will look into my case. At that same time, Devil contacts them on FB, so I step out of it…. the SEARS FB person tells Devil that a case manager will be in touch with him ASAP. Three hours later Devil sends them a message asking if a case number has been assigned, and if a case manager will be in touch with him. They respond with. It’s only been three hours. We’ve had an influx of service after the holiday that has put us behind. Please be patient. A case manager will contact you ASAP. Tuesday afternoon. No call. Devil contacts FB again… same response. They are being unbelievable!
Today I’ve spent the day blasting them on Twitter and reading hundreds of complaints about SEARS Service. It’s unanimous. SEARS Service is nothing but a fraud.