Customers Formerly Loyal to Sears Say Poor Service Has Driven Them to Shop Elsewhere

My wife and I have had a Sears charge account since 1956 and have bought many things there over the years. But not lately.

Part of the problem is its prices; they are not that great. And the product quality is not too good anymore. However, the main problem is service, or actually, the lack of it. The people behind the counters, when you can find them, aren’t even cashiers; they are order takers. They know absolutely nothing.

I used to have a lot of auto work done at Sears. Always a good job. Recently, I inquired at the service desk about a new muffler for my car. The man at the desk said that in my car the muffler and tail pipe are one unit so they would have to replace the whole thing. Also it would have to be ordered. I asked him if he could tell me the approximate cost including labor; he replied, “Not offhand.”

That was it! He didn’t even check a price list--nothing. So I just walked away.

WALTER J. VANDERVORT

North Hollywood