Visit our other sites for great shopping

5 posts categorized "Service"

11/24/2009

Bringing Holiday Cheer

Nov

24

2009

International Shipping

For anyone looking to ship that perfect holiday gift to friends or family overseas, Sears.com now offers international shipping to 90 countries, providing yet another convenient option for customers to get everything they need this holiday, where and when they need it.

Customers can choose from over 300,000 products in a variety of categories including tools, children’s and infant clothing, shoes, jewelry, and home fashions, and can have it delivered to locations all around the globe as Sears.com expands its reach to major markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Spain, China, India, Japan, Argentina and Brazil.

This is actually a pretty cool option because a friend of mine is working on a one year project in India and now she can get many of the conveniences of home through Sears.com.

What’s great about the option is that it’s simple to use. Prices will be displayed in the currency of the customer’s choice. International shipping fees, customs duties, and taxes are automatically added and processed at checkout, eliminating the need for the customer to pay additional fees upon delivery. There is also an international filter that allows customers to select only the items that are available for shipping to their selected destination. The eligible items for shipping are identified by the special globe icon located next to the products.

To learn more about international shipping, including the most up-to-date list of available countries, visit www.sears.com/international.


Send joy to someone you know overseas this holidays!

 


SHC-MichelleH is a wife, mom and Sears Holdings employee who blogs about her experiences using Sears.com.

10/02/2009

Sears Hometown Shop Talk – Customer Satisfaction

Oct

02

2009

What do you think about when you are asked about great customer satisfaction? 1) Were you greeted promptly? 2) Were you able to locate the products or services you were looking for? 3) Was the store neat and clean? 4) Quality of the product? I think the number one driver of customer satisfaction is often overlooked by many store managers, business owners, and service providers.

 

All of the above are valid drivers of customer satisfaction, but dedicated, knowledgeable associates are the key. Each one of us is a consumer and we all experience frustration with customer satisfaction from a store manager, business owner, or service provider on a daily basis. These frustrations usually end up driving us away from their place of business. Unfortunately, sometimes we settle for the best of the worst in satisfaction because we have no other options.

 

Imagine if your business had engaged, knowledgeable, and friendly associates! What would that do for your business? Customer surveys attempt to quantify the level of associate engagement, but that responsibility really falls directly on the associates’ supervisor or manager. Do we really spend enough time every day teaching, coaching, and training our associates? We all worry about sales and getting our assigned tasks done. But, how much energy do we put in developing our number one asset – associates?

 

Food for thought. Every business has had a great associate who decided to leave for one reason or another. When the associate leaves, there is a void, which impacts your business. The question I ask is, “Why did that associate leave? How could we have kept them on the team?” In most exit surveys, the number one reason quoted is not salary or benefits or work environment or schedule. It is “how I am treated by my immediate supervisor.” The simple answer to retain associates is to make sure you treat them with respect, listen to their ideas, and teach, coach, and train them every opportunity you get.

 

I started with Sears in 1971 as a tire installer in a small store in New Rochelle, NY where I was born and raised. A little known fact about me is that I have only received a W2 from one company, Sears! I have had many assignments and in almost every case I’ve been fortunate to work with teams that are passionate about our business and care about our associates! When I first started out as a Division Manager, I definitely had different priorities than today. I had four young children involved with lots of activities and a house to maintain on a limited budget. So, I made two requests of my boss. First was to make sure my paycheck was accurate and on-time and second was to have a flexible work schedule (so I can be a part of my children’s lives while working a 50+ hour work week). Obviously, my managers delivered and I, in turn, delivered by working extremely hard to meet or exceed Sears’ expectations.

 

If we look at each associate and take the time to understand and meet their needs, we will develop great associates who in turn will keep our customers coming back to us!

 

Please voice your opinion and leave us a comment and please support your locally owned and operated Sears stores.

New-york-yankees-logo About Me

My name is Jim Flynn. I am the Divisional Vice President, Operations and Process for Sears Hometown Stores, LLC.

 

About Sears Hometown Stores

 

Sears Hometown Stores are two Sears store formats located away from shopping malls. Hometown Store is locally owned and operated Sears stores and Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you largest selection of home appliances, tool and lawn and garden equipment, and home electronics, exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears in Spanish

http://espanol.sears.com

 SearsHTS on Twitter Sears Hometown on Facebook  

10/01/2009

Sears Hometown Shop Talk – New Store Openings

Oct

01

2009

This is an exciting time of year for Hometown Stores. Not only are we on the verge of the holiday selling season, but this is when new store openings hit a frenzied pace. Not sure why it happens, but every year we peak around now. If all goes according to plan, we will open an average of two stores a week from here until the end of the year. The challenges abound, but getting stores open on time and under budget is what our New Store Team does best. We know each one is special and unique to the owner and their community and we treat it that way. Despite having been involved with hundreds of store openings, the excitement, the anticipation, the anxiety…and the sound of the register ringing…is still a thrill! (Those who’ve been there know what I’m talking about.)

WorkingHAS part time at Sears in Brockton, MA during high school, it would have been hard to envision where my career would take me or how the company would evolve. I’ve had the good fortune to work with incredibly talented people and live in some great places (I’ve got to tell you, Chicago is nice, but it doesn’t compare to Newport, RI or Hyannis, MA).  For the last 16 years, I’ve been involved in business development, having worked with Homelife Furniture, The Great Indoors, and Sears Home Appliance Showrooms. But growing Hometown Stores has proved to be the most exciting. With over 200 new stores opened in the last four years…obviously this is a winning format!

One thing that sets this business apart is the way we operate. The organization is lean and empowered. Team members are talented and accountable. We measure results in days- not weeks or months. New ideas are welcomed (actually required) and processes regularly reviewed and amended…change is a constant. All of this allows us to move, adapt and execute fast while ensuring a high degree of quality and consistency. When combined with the energy and enthusiasm of our owners, it doesn’t get any better for people who thrive on this sort of stuff.

 

If you’re able and can spare the time, please support locally owned and operated Sears stores.

Peter nero

About Me

My name is Peter Nero. I am the Director of New Stores for Sears Hometown Stores, LLC. I have two kids and have pretty much worked for Sears forever.

 

About Sears Hometown Stores

 

Sears Hometown Stores are two Sears store formats located away from shopping malls. Hometown Store is locally owned and operated Sears stores and Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you largest selection of home appliances, tool and lawn and garden equipment, and home electronics, exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com \

 

Sears in Spanish

http://espanol.sears.com

SearsHTS on Twitter Sears Hometown on Facebook 

09/30/2009

Sears Hometown Shop Talk – Take a Little Raford with You

Sep

30

2009

Most people will read this title and think to themselves, what could “take a little Raford with you” possibly mean? To me, it is personal reminder of how important the customer is in retail.  It is easy to get caught up in the daily activities or running a retail store or working for a large corporation and forget about the most important asset that any retailer has.  It is not the inventory, the store location, the land or even the brand image, it is the customer.

 

On my first trip to Northern California with my wife some years ago, we were stumbling through the Russian River valley with no real plan.  It was a fly by the seat of your pants vacation, no plans, we will figure out as we go along.   Looking for a place to stay one night, we stumbled upon a bed & breakfast with a couple of palm tress in the front yard and I said “we have to go in here”.

 

Well, needless to say,Radford   that was my first Raford House experience and now I cannot go to California without a stay there.  The inn is always neatly kept and clean, not fancy, but not shabby by any means.   The difference that this inn has over any other in the area is the innkeepers, Rita and Dane.  Both go out of their way to make sure every guest in their home is comfortable.  They make you feel as though you are one of the family and not simply a patron who is paying to stay there.

In the morning, Rita makes one of the best breakfasts that you will have and Dane is always there to greet the guests and to talk about what plans they may have for the day before he heads off to work.   He makes sure everyone has directions to where they are going and points out the best place to stop for lunch, wine or if you want to canoe on the Russian River.  The thing that stands out the most to me is this: Before Dane leaves and the guests head out on their daily adventures, Dane gathers Rita in front of the fireplace, thanks everyone for spending part of their vacation with them, wishes everyone a great day full of fun and exploration, and for those who have to leave and go home to make sure and “take a little Raford with you” wherever you go.

 

All departing guests are given a special gift when they leave. It is not a 10% off coupon for your next stay or a bottle of wine; it is a large bear hug from Dane.  Many people have probably read Jack Mitchell’s book, “Hug Your Customer”.  I would venture to say that Dane has not read Jack’s book nor did he go to business school to learn the theories of customer satisfaction and the best methods for customer retention.   It is the simply the theory of making a personal connection with every customer and making them feel special.  It is as simple as thanking every customer who decides to walk through your door, even if they are not buying, and make them feel as though they are the most important asset that you have. Help all of your customers “take a little Raford with them” as they leave your store.

 

I would like to hear about a customer service experience that was above and beyond what you expected.  Please reply to this blog post and let me know about your experience

Jon phillips

About Me

 

My name is Jon Phillips. I am the Director of Field Business Development for the Sears Hometown Stores. I look forward to hearing about your great customer service experiences.

 

About Sears Hometown Stores

 

Sears Hometown Stores are two Sears store formats located away from shopping malls. Hometown Store is locally owned and operated Sears stores and Home Appliance Showroom is the leader in home appliance shopping. Our friendly and knowledgeable store owners and showroom managers proudly serve your local community and offer you largest selection of home appliances, tool and lawn and garden equipment, and home electronics, exceptional customer service, best price guaranteed plus credit, delivery, installation and protection agreements.

 

Sears Hometown Stores established in 1993

www.SearsHomeTownStores.com

 

Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007

www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com

 

Sears in Spanish

http://espanol.sears.com

SearsHTS on Twitter Sears Hometown on Facebook   

09/03/2009

New Commercials: Sears makes it easy to "Shop Your Way"

Sep

03

2009

Take a look at some of our latest TV commercials. Pretty funny! Which one do you identify with? Which way do you like to shop (online, mobile, in the store, etc.)?



Sears Shop Your Way Commercial - Tailgate

Sears Shop Your Way Commercial - Five