Consumerist: JCPenney

Latest ACSI Survey Is Out: You Really Like Dollar General

Chris Walters — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:27:36 EST

The American Customer Satisfaction Index has released its latest scores of retail businesses, so we thought we'd take a look at the department store rankings by constructing a handy graph. When it comes to customer satisfaction, apparently Dollar General is doing something right—and Wal-Mart, as usual, is doing lots of things wrong.

In the commentary on last quarters scores, ACSI says they've started including Nordstrom again because of its increasing market share, and back before it dropped off the survey in 2001, it held the top spot frequently, so no surprise there.

They also suggest that Dollar General, "which typically serves neighborhoods that may be too small to attract Wal-Mart," may be scoring high because of its wide variety of items in such small retail spaces.

Sears and Kmart are pretty much exactly where we'd expect them after their plunging customer service last year.

One thing we're not sure about is how the various recall disasters last year affected scores—clearly Dollar General emerged unscathed, despite its healthy dose of lead-tainted toys, Halloween pails, and holiday decorations.

"Q4 2007 and Historical ACSI Scores" [ACSI]
"Customer Satisfaction Falls Again; Retail, Financial Services Down; Wal-mart, Home Depot at All-Time Lows" [ACSI]

RELATED
"How are ACSI data collected?" [ACSI]

(Thanks to Shaula!)

REMINDERS: Print out the website before you ...

Meg Marco — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:43:41 EST

REMINDERS: Print out the website before you go to the store. Reader Jim ran into some price matching shenanigans at JCPenney:

He tells me that if I had tried to purchase over the web, I'd have actually paid $119.99. I tell him that my wife and I have been JcPenneys customers for a long time. We've bought clothes, bedding, all kinds of stuff and recently dropped $200 on cookware. He says to me, "Well, the price is $119.99 and it does show $79.99 as the sale price in the web site. I'll tell you what, I'll split the difference with you."

[JSStudios]

How Do You Prove You're Not Dead?

Ben Popken — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:56:29 EDT

Continuing our foray into the consumer macabre, a reader complains about being dead.

Dallas paid off her JCPenney card balance of $934.98 and closed her account in 2001.

In 2005, she got a letter from TSYS Total Debt Management Inc addressed to her estate. The letter said TSYS was very sorry for her passing but they really needed $934.98 . When she contacted TSYS, they said they had accidentally sent similar letters out to many JCPenney customers and Dallas should just ignore the letter.

Last week, she went to get a mortgage but was unable to. Dallas was dead. Or at least, as far as the bank was concerned, because all three credit bureaus listed her as deceased.

Dallas says she has tried contacting the credit bureaus but they won't help her, because she's dead. Both TSYS and JCPENNEY/CHASE GE Money Bank acknowledge their error, but won't assist her in clearing up the report.

Ask The Consumerists: how do you prove to the credit bureaus that you're not dead?

(P.S. Check your credit report once a year.)