Nov
24
2009
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007
www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com
Sears in Spanish
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.) part time at Sears in
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.
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
Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007
www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com \
Sears in Spanish
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 Well, needless to say, 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 that was my first Raford House experience and now I cannot go to
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
Sears Home Appliance Showroom established in 2007
www.SearsHomeApplianceShowroom.com
Sears in Spanish
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.)?
