Black Hawk Down

This week we’re blogging our annual business kickoff, Hometown Celebration, which took place Jan 28-30, 2010 in Washington DC.

 

On Friday, we were honored to hear Sergeant Matt Eversmann, a US Army Ranger and the leader at the Battle of Mogadishu (capital of Somalia), speak about self-less service, belief in the greater good, and how to be successful in a tough time.

 

On a war memorial, a Bible verse, Isaiah 6:8, is inscribed: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

 

Sgt Eversmann explains this verse is the reason he, his team, his squad, and our country chose to get into harm’s way in 1992 – to save up to one million Somalis exposed to starvation and war in a relief effort called Operation “Restore Hope”. Between 1992 and the day of the battle, “diplomatic appeasement” failed and American forces had to be inserted.

 

On October 3, 1993, the US military executed Operation “Taskforce Ranger” intended to capture one man, warlord Mohamed Aidid, in a city of 2 million. The assault force consisted of Army Special Forces known as “Delta Force” to capture him, Eversmann’s 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment known as “Night Stalkers” to fly overhead and provide cover, and US Army Rangers to keep the bad guys away. During the operation, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). As a result, some of the soldiers were trapped at the crash sites and cut off from communication and a fierce battle ensued throughout the night. Early the next morning, the trapped soldiers were rescued.

 

The caliber of men who served that day was amazing – demonstrated tenacity, resolve, and ability to be successful in tough times. Within the first 30 seconds of Sgt Eversmann’s leadership (heart beating, blood pumping rapidly, sweating profusely, as if time almost stopped), Murphy’s Law applied – the pilots were blinded with clay, a “fast roping” soldier fell 60 feet from the helicopter to the ground, two helicopters crashed from RPGs, the soldiers took heavy gun fire from Somali gangs, and lost radio communications.

 

In this tough time, Sgt. Eversmann’s team had the DNA for success – training and preparing for this at Fort Bragg, NC over the summer – and executed perfectly for an operation which immediately turned into search and rescue. The soldiers without hesitation got into harm’s way and inserted themselves – providing security to the crash sites, moving wounded soldiers to safety, and taking and returning fierce gun fire that lasted throughout the night.

 

These self-less servants, who live in your community and come from small town America, were committed to their team, squad, and country and live by three basic principles.

 

1.     Free the oppressed.

2.     Night Stalkers don’t quit.

3.     Rangers lead the way.

 

About Me

 

My name is Shaunak Davé and I am Director of Multi-Channel Integration at Sears Hometown Stores based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

 

About Us

 

Sears Hometown Stores, LLC are part of the retail operation of Sears Holdings Corporation and are located in your community. Sears Hometown Store is the locally owned and operated store in small town America, Sears Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping, and Sears Hardware Stores is the center to fulfill all hardware needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you the largest selection of Home Appliances, Tool and Lawn and Garden equipment, and Home Electronics, Sears brands like Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, and exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation services and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears Hardware Stores

http://bit.ly/HWstores

 

Fan Us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SearsHometownStores

 

Follow Us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SearsHTS

How’s Your Customer Service?

Feb

09

2010

I have a customer service experience, which I want to share because we are all in the customer service business. Needless to say, there’s a little irony in this story.

 

The DVD/CD burner in my computer wasn’t working properly about 3 months ago and I contacted customer service of the computer company I purchased it from who quickly sent someone out to replace it. I’ve always been happy with this company and the quality of their service. Unfortunately, I didn’t check to make sure it worked with all of my programs at the time of installation. About a month ago, I wanted to burn a CD and I received an error message that it wasn’t connecting with my CD/DVD burner. But, I knew that the company would handle it when I called.

 

I called on a Saturday at 11 AM for what I thought was an easy fix. After many hours on hold, then explaining my issue with software and hardware technicians, attempting to be sold warranties for stuff that was already under warranty, and being disconnected several times, it was 4:30 PM and the CD/DVD burner was still not working – a little frustrating to say the least.

 

Throughout this experience, I thought about my customers and our customers. I am sure that that this computer company has many happy customers and I was one of them until that Saturday. However, how many times have we not taken care of our customers? They are why we are here. The folks that day had lost sight of that. My perception was that company was more interested in selling me something than helping me.

 

So I would like to challenge everyone. As Michael Jackson famously sang, I am starting with the “Man in the Mirror”.

 

1.    Are you an active listener?

2.    Do you really care to help or are you just saying that?

3.    Do you really need to transfer that call or can you help them?

4.    If you get disconnected, do you call back or hope they don’t?

5.    When you are finished with your customer, was there an end result that solved the problem?

 

We aren’t going to make everyone happy but we need to make sure we did everything in our power to try. Sometimes people aren’t going to like the answer, but if they know you really do care, they will understand.

 

Did you help your customer today?  How’s your customer service?

 

About Me

 

My name is Jim Perillo and I am the National Manager of Business Process and Compliance for Sears Hometown Stores, LLC based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

 

About Us

 

Sears Hometown Stores, LLC are part of the retail operation of Sears Holdings Corporation and are located in your community. Sears Hometown Store is the locally owned and operated store in small town America, Sears Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping, and Sears Hardware Stores is the center to fulfill all hardware needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you the largest selection of Home Appliances, Tool and Lawn and Garden equipment, and Home Electronics, Sears brands like Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, and exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation services and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears Hardware Stores

http://bit.ly/HWstores

 

Fan Us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SearsHometownStores

 

Follow Us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SearsHTS

Trouble Starting Your Mower or Tractor?

Feb

08

2010

Ever try to start your lawn mower or tractor at the beginning of the cutting season with no luck?  Well, if this happens to you this season, let Sears Repair Services help!  If you need your lawn mower repaired, you can take your mower to one of our 1,800 repair drop-off locations.  Simply go to the Sears.com Store Finder, type in your zip code, and in the Narrow Your Search box check the “Drop-off Locations” box to find the repair drop-off locations near you.

For riding mowers or tractors, you can schedule an at-home repair by calling Sears at 1-800-4MY-HOME, or you can schedule online at Sears.com.  On Sears.com, you might even be able to find out how to fix your mower or tractor yourself, since Sears has thousands of Expert Answers to questions from people just like you & me.

Also, Sears services all brands, so you’re covered no matter where you bought your lawn & garden equipment.  You’ll be back in the saddle in time to enjoy a long, green summer.

Give it a try!

Pete Magnabosco
Lawn & Garden – Stores & Online
Sears Holdings

Does Your Mower or Tractor Need to Get in Shape for the Season?

Feb

08

2010

Like you, I get my lawn & garden equipment in shape around this time of year.  And one of the best ways to maintain your lawn mower or tractor is to pick up a maintenance kit or a new cutting blade from your nearby Sears store.  You can also shop from home by going to searspartsdirect.com.  Sears PartsDirect provides more than 7 million parts & accessories for all types of products in and around your home, and it has more than 750,000 product diagrams to help you find the parts you need.

Now, sometimes I have trouble finding the right part for my lawn mower, refrigerator or vacuum cleaner.  That’s where Sears really shines!  On searspartsdirect.com, you can always get friendly and knowledgeable advice over the phone or via chat.  Sears parts specialists help you find he parts you need and provide you with help on how to install your parts.

Give it a try!

Pete Magnabosco
Lawn & Garden – Stores & Online
Sears Holdings

Among Friends

Feb

08

2010

Last week, once again, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of Sears Hometown Store owners in Washington DC for our annual celebration.  I was reminded that I am truly among some very special and truly unique folks from all across America – friends, neighbors, and family.

 

Sears Hometown Store owners and Home Appliance Showroom managers represent the true American entrepreneurial spirit that has made our country so famous worldwide. When you attend Hometown Celebration, you meet entire families that are connected to their store- their business, and their livelihood.  The store puts the food on the table, buys the clothes, and sends the kids to college. You meet the dad, the mom, the kids, the grandparents, the grandchildren, an aunt, an uncle, cousins and even friends of the family that are just like family. In so many cases, owning and operating a Sears Hometown Store involves the whole family, everyone is part of the daily operation. Meeting the “clan” as one owner referred to his family last week you realize that for so many families across America, a Sears Hometown Store is central to their family.

 

The family includes Sears – a household name. Family activities and functions evolve around the Hometown Store.  Family and friends know the owners as the “folks that own that Sears store in town”.  Families took time to relax and visit our nation’s capital last week.  For many, this was their first trip to DC.  For some, this was the family vacation last week. For some, this was the trip of a lifetime.

 

It is reassuring that we have such a unique opportunity available to so many wonderful people around the country. Sears is truly fortunate to have such a fine group of so many dedicated families and friends behind the Sears brand. My hat goes off to the owners and their families. Thank you! 

 

About Me

 

My name is Frankie Shannon and I am the National Field Director for Home Appliance Showrooms.  I visit our national stores and ensure that our stores are committed to the best service, value, selection, and price in the industry.

 

About Us

 

Sears Hometown Stores, LLC are part of the retail operation of Sears Holdings Corporation and are located in your community. Sears Hometown Store is the locally owned and operated store in small town America, Sears Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping, and Sears Hardware Stores is the center to fulfill all hardware needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you the largest selection of Home Appliances, Tool and Lawn and Garden equipment, and Home Electronics, Sears brands like Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, and exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation services and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears Hardware Stores

http://bit.ly/HWstores

 

Fan Us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SearsHometownStores

 

Follow Us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SearsHTS

The Citrus Experience

Feb

05

2010

Check out "The Citrus Experience" that Chef Rachelle Boucher and I did in Sears at Woodfield Mall. We had a ton of fun doing this!

Boomer Esiason

Feb

05

2010

This week we’re blogging our annual business kickoff, Hometown Celebration, which took place Jan 28-30, 2010 in Washington DC.

 

On Saturday morning, Boomer Esiason delighted us with a conversation about leadership, his Cystic Fibrosis foundation, being 32 seconds away from winning the Super Bowl in 1988, and embarrassing Dan Marino on national TV. He even zipped a few passes around the hall to some lucky Hometown Store owners.

 

Enjoy Boomer’s blog post when he spoke to Sears on September 15, 2009.

 

If you’re able, here’s a pass we should all catch. Please attach yourself to a charitable organization. Sears has raised $2 million to support the people of Haiti In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, which is part of over $38 million raised by Sears Holdings in the past 15 months for community programs such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the March of Dimes, and Heroes at Home.

 

About Us

 

Sears Hometown Stores, LLC are part of the retail operation of Sears Holdings Corporation and are located in your community. Sears Hometown Store is the locally owned and operated store in small town America, Sears Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping, and Sears Hardware Stores is the center to fulfill all hardware needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you the largest selection of Home Appliances, Tool and Lawn and Garden equipment, and Home Electronics, Sears brands like Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, and exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation services and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears Hardware Stores

http://bit.ly/HWstores

 

Fan Us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SearsHometownStores

 

Follow Us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SearsHTS

Expert Focus: Vince Spinnato - Beauty Expert

Feb

04

2010

VINCE SPINNATO - Beauty Expert
I began my career more than 15 years ago as an apprentice at Chanel. I'm working to develop cutting-edge beauty products.

One Essential Tool
The best tool for your beauty-tool kit is a home-treatment mask to be used weekly.

On My Weekend List

• Seeing “It’s Complicated” with my favorite actress, Meryl Streep
• Attending a friend’s surprise 50th birthday party
• Meeting with a potential new client to develop a skin care program
• Having a Spa day comprised of a facial, body scrub, mineral bath, and manicure/pedicure

One Last Idea
Take care of your skin and appreciate and accept your natural beauty before you start covering it up with make-up.

If you love this series and want more, you can become a member of Manage My Life and opt-in to our email program. We feature a new expert every Thursday in our Weekender email. In addition to introducing you to our expert team, we provide links to resources for you to get the most out of your weekend.

Alex, Marketing Manager
ManageMyLife.com

Roasted Garlic Hummus with Flat Bread

Feb

04

2010

So the other day I was asked about a healthy alternative snack food for the upcoming Super Bowl this weekend.  I promised I would deliver a recipe for my roasted garlic hummus recipe and here it is.  Be sure to follow me on Facebook at Chef Billy Parisi on Twitter at Chef Billy Parisi and on MySears at Chef Billy Parisi.

 

Roasted Garlic Hummus with Flat Bread

• 1/2 Cup Whole Garlic Gloves = 1/2 Cup Roasted Garlic
• 1 1/2 Cups Olive Oil = Will Turn to Roasted Garlic Oil
• 30 Ounces Chick Peas
• 1/4 Cup Tahini
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 TSP Cumin
• 1/2 TSP Cayenne + More for Decorating
• Chopped Chives for Decoration
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• 6 Pieces of Flat Bread

Procedure: To make roasted garlic place garlic cloves in a small pot with olive oil and roast on low heat until golden brown.  Be sure to strain the garlic and reserve the oil.  In a blender add in all remaining ingredients including roasted garlic and puree while drizzling in 6 Ounces of roasted garlic oil.  Decorate with cayenne and chives.  Place flat bread on the oven racks on 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes.  Slice bread and place around hummus.  Enjoy!

 

Blue Crew Comedy Tour

Feb

04

2010

This week we’re blogging our annual business kickoff, Hometown Celebration, which took place Jan 28-30, 2010 in Washington DC.

 

On Tuesday night before the tradeshow, we had a fun, team building exercise – Hometown’s Got Talent. Twelve groups performed special talents! That said I’d like to introduce you to the Blue Crew Comedy Tour…”Git 'er dun!”

 

There’s one man out there that some people kind of consider a big deal, a “man among men” if you will. You might know who I’m talking about already because it’s pretty obvious…it’s…Chuck Norris. However, Chuck couldn’t (wouldn’t) attend our event, so we went to Plan B. And, it was pretty obvious the only guy that holds a candle to Chuck Norris…is…Will Powell, Senior Vice President and President of Hometown Stores.

• When Will Powell falls in water, Will Powell doesn't get wet. Water gets Will Powell.
• Will Powell ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and he got one.
• If Will Powell is late to a meeting, time slows the heck down.
• Will Powell doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets what he wants!
• Will Powell and Mr. T walked into a bar together. The bar immediately blew up because no place can handle so much awesomeness at the same time.
• President Roosevelt made the statement “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Evidently, he hadn’t met Will Powell.
• Will Powell sleeps with a night light on. Not because Will Powell is afraid of the dark but because the dark is afraid of Will Powell.

Needless to say, all the performances were amazing and our senior leaders brought the house down with a spectacular version of “We Are The World.”

 

(Full Disclosure: the jokes were modified from www.chucknorrisfacts.com)

 

About The Blue Crew Comedy Team

 

Our comedy team consisted of rock stars from Sears Hometown Stores Marketing, New Stores, and, Transition teams.

• Terry Bubb – the Cable Guy
• Bill Martin – the man who invented pouring kerosene over a ferret and lighting it on both ends.
• Dan Norris – he’s good at wrestling bears. As a matter of fact it’s the only thing he’s good at.
• Bob Hersberger – he thinks the Twitter is an infectious disease.
• Shaunak Dave – he’s the one that gave Bob the Twitter.
• Jackie Schauer – she aspires to be a brunette. We don’t think she can pull it off.
• Nick Karafotis – if he goes much longer without trimming his mustache, he’s going to have to start leasing space for it.
• Rohit Jacob – he’s the original ladies man. Ladies, if you don’t believe it, just ask him to show you.

About Sears Hometown Stores 

 

Sears Hometown Stores, LLC are part of the retail operation of Sears Holdings Corporation and are located in your community. Sears Hometown Store is the locally owned and operated store in small town America, Sears Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping, and Sears Hardware Stores is the center to fulfill all hardware needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you the largest selection of Home Appliances, Tool and Lawn and Garden equipment, and Home Electronics, Sears brands like Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, and exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation services and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears Hardware Stores

http://bit.ly/HWstores

 

Fan Us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/SearsHometownStores

 

Follow Us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SearsHTS

Are You Getting Married or Attending a Wedding?

Feb

03

2010

Have you considered Sears or Sears.com for your bridal footwear needs?  We have a wide selection of bridal, prom and special occasion shoes in a multitude of colors.  Whether you are looking for white or off-white or something a bit more bold like navy blue or red, look no further.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/c_10153_12605_Shoes_Womens#cName=Womens$$subcat_filters=ageGender&&filter=Category|Evening+&+Wedding&lastFilter=Category