Here’s a good way to lose customers. Tell them that their order is in stock and ready to be picked up, even though it is not. Hey, at least they came in, right? Maybe they’ll buy some gum on their way out of the store… forever.

Reader Andrew writes in to tell us of a policy confessed to him by no less than 3 Sears employees. In fact, we’ve received several complaints about this very behavior, and lo and behold: We’ve even written about it.

Here’s how it goes. You go to Sears’ website. You look up an item. You type in your zip code. The Sears website says your item is In Stock (pending email confirmation.) You go ahead with the order. You get an email telling you that your item is ready to be picked up. It’s not. Why?

Sears confirms every order, regardless of whether it’s actually in the store. After the jump read several complaints about this policy, including Sears’ response.

Andrew writes:

I was absolutely shocked to find out about a Sears policy relating to Web sales.

When you buy through Sears.com, as you probably know, you can opt to pick items up at the local store. The Web site will even tell you if it’s in stock there.

The Sears.com system checks the store’s inventory, but to make sure the information is correct (i.e., that it is in stock) the local Sears store sends you its own e-mail telling you it’s ready for pickup.

Here’s the rub: The policy for local stores is “accept every order.” In other words, whether or not it’s actually in stock, say that it is. The idea, I guess, is to at least get people to come to the store.

I was told this by the guys working in the customer pick-up area of my local Sears. I went to pick up a car seat that I was told was in stock and ready. (“Thank you for shopping with sears.com. Your order #015977560 containing the item(s) listed below is now ready to be picked-up.”)

But it wasn’t ready because the store was out of stock. But the Sears policy of “accept every order” meant the e-mail gets sent out regardless, according to not one but three guys in the warehouse.

They were apologetic (and it wasn’t their fault), and one even told me — and this is a quote, “Eighty percent of the Internet orders have problems.”

I can imagine, considering Sears’s policy of ‘bring ’em in regardless.’

Edward sends this exchange with Sears customer service:

—-Original Message—– From: Sent: Mar 7, 2007 6:03:43 PM CST To: order@customerservice.sears.com

Name: Edward E-Mail Address: Browser/Operating System: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv: 1.8.1.2) Gecko/20070219 Firefox/2.0.0.2

Comments: I bought an item online for store pickup today (March 7, 2007).

Sears.com indicated it was in stock.

Then I got an email confirming–yes, it’s ready for pickup, but call first.

I called that store.

First no one answered.

Then I finally got the right department. The clerk said he’d have to go look for the item and call me back.

He never did.

I called back. The person in merchandise pickup told me the item wasn’t in stock. I asked when it would be. He said it wouldn’t. He claimed he couldn’t order it for me to pickup.

He suggested calling every other Sears store in the area to see if anyone had the item.

I thought that’s what Sears.com was for.

Couldn’t he look at the inventory of other Sears stores? No, he couldn’t And he said Sears.com couldn’t either.

Your “service” of ordering for in-store pick-up is no service at all.

You don’t know if the items are available.

No store can tell the customer if any item is available elsewhere.

All the fellow in merchandise pickup could tell me was to order the item from Sears.com < http://sears.com/> for shipping.

I don’t want the item shipped. I want to pick it up.

You present only the illusion of being one unified company. Instead, you are nothing but a web site and a bunch of stores with no sharing of information.

The result is awful customer service.

I was ordering an adapter I need for one of your products. Since I can’t get it, I’ll just return the product.

Total sales for Sears: $ 0.

Congratulations.

Your system has been completely effective in discouraging sales.

It’s almost as if you designed it that way.

Sincerely, Edward

On 3/7/07, order@customerservice.sears.com < order@customerservice.sears.com> wrote:

Please include the following line in all replies. Tracking number: UT20070307_0000003568

Dear Mr.

Thank you for contacting Sears regarding order number 015275280.

We apologize for the difficulties that you have experienced with the order referenced above. It is our goal at Sears to make every shopping experience a great one from start to finish. Obviously we did not meet

that goal in your situation. We again apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.

If you are still interested in the item we would be more than happy to

have the item sent to your home. Due to your inconvenience, we would be more than happy to refund your shipping for the item, as well as give you 5% off the the price off the item. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please phone in your order at 1-800-349-4358, and refer to your previous order number, 015275280.

At Sears we value you as a customer and we value your business. If you have additional questions or comments please contact us. Sears uses customer feedback in the review and planning of current and future policies, procedures and website enhancements. Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

Marissa S. Sears Customer Care 1-800-349-4358 webcenter@customerservice.sears.com

–

—–Original Message—– From: “Edward” <> Sent: Mar 8, 2007 12:43:13 AM GMT-06:00 To: ” order@customerservice.sears.com ”

Dear Marissa,

I appreciate the offer of a discount and free shipping.

I do not, however, want to wait for the item to arrive. I think three days is your shortest window for shipping. With in-store pickup, I was hoping simply to get the item the same day.

I can’t understand why the item can’t be sent to the store through your own shipping. Presumably items arrive everyday. Why this item can’t be added I don’t quite understand.

The problem you don’t mention is that in-store pickup is really an illusion–an empty promise.

Ordering something for in-store pickup implies NO guarantee that the item is *available* for in-store pickup.

Hence it’s meaningless.

That makes Sears.com just that much less useful.

Basically, one simply has to call or go to the store to find out if the item is or isn’t available.

Sincerely, Ed

On 3/8/07, order@customerservice.sears.com wrote:

Please include the following line in all replies. Tracking number: UT20070308_0000000041

Dear Mr. ,

Thank you for your recent e-mail correspondence regarding your recent experience with picking up merchandise that was not in the store after being told it was. Please be assured that we understand your frustration, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.

By sharing your concerns, you have enabled us to address the issues and provide feedback to the appropriate person. Truly, your remarks provide forthright feedback that will enable Sears to achieve excellence in everything we do.

We appreciate your business, and value you as a Sears customer. We certainly hope you will continue to make Sears your choice for quality and value.

Again, we thank you for taking the time to contact our office with your concern.

Look for Great Ideas throughout the store and find Sears exclusive innovations from great brands like Sony, Kenmore, NordicTrack, Craftsman and Reebok. Sincerely,

Zane B. Sears Customer Care webcenter@customerservice.sears.com 1-800-349-4358

—–Original Message—– From: “Edward Sent: Mar 8, 2007 12:29:38 PM CST To: “order@customerservice.sears.com” < order@customerservice.sears.com>

Dear Zane,

I’ve contacted various consumer-oriented web sites about the inaccurate claims you make regarding your in-store pick-up service.

Below, I’ve quoted the exact passage from the Sears.com email. It includes the words: “Your order…is now ready to be picked up.”

That is blatantly false. The fact is: the customer is not really ordering an item that is available in the store. You merely pretend to know the item’s availability.

The goal of your so-called service is merely to get the customer to call the store to check. That is not a service. You merely transmit a order that may or may not be one the store can fulfill.

Your site and emails make representations otherwise–e.g., “Your order…is now ready to be picked up.”

You should not offer a “service” that does not exist. It is unethical and a waste of consumer time.

To truly improve your service, as you claim you want to do, would involve:

the web site being connected to the individual store inventories; one store being able to look at the inventory of another store to check availability; transferring items from store to store, if need be; shipping items to the stores for pickup rather than insisting (as your San Bruno store clerk did) that special orders and online orders are different and cannot be mixed.

As is, you have a runaround masquerading as a service to cover your company’s inability to know what’s where.

Good grief, man: they’re computers. They can be networked. Why can’t each network access the other databases? The technology exists….

Sincerely, Edward

*Dear Edward,*

Please scan at Merchandise Pick-Up *Thank you for shopping with sears.com. Your order #015275280 containing the item(s) listed below is now ready to be picked up. * IMPORTANT: This store has multiple pick-up locations, based on the type of merchandise you ordered. Before you pick up your order, call the Sears 1178 EL CAMINO REAL store at 650-553-8800 and:

* choose option 2 for Store Information; * At the voice prompt, say “Merchandise Pick Up” * Advise the associate that you have placed a sears.com Store Pick Up order, for the items listed below, and that you are requesting a pick up location.

Please be sure to take this email along with you to the “Merchandise Pick-Up Area” at the store listed below. Also, you must keep this receipt for in-store and mail-in returns. If you purchased by credit card, be sure to bring your purchasing credit card along with you as well. If you purchased by gift card only this email will be sufficient. Please see below for more detailed instructions on how to pick-up your merchandise today.

———- Forwarded message ———- From: order@customerservice.sears.com Date: Mar 8, 2007 2:42 PM Subject: Re: Order Status Request To:

Please include the following line in all replies. Tracking number: UT20070308_0000002032

Dear Mr.

Thank you for your recent e-mail correspondence regarding order number 015275280.

Please be assured that we understand your frustration, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with your order.

By sharing your concerns, you have enabled us to address the issues and provide feedback to the appropriate person. Truly, your remarks provide forthright feedback that will enable Sears to achieve excellence in everything we do.

At Sears we value you as a customer and we value your business. Again, we thank you for taking time to contact our office with your concern.

Thank you for choosing Sears and have a great day.

Look for Great Ideas throughout the store and find Sears exclusive innovations from great brands like Sony, Kenmore, NordicTrack, Craftsman and Reebok.

Christina V. Sears Customer Care webcenter@customerservice. sears.com 1-800-349-4358

Thanks Sears, for listening to Ed’s “forthright feedback.”

Remember: Just because Sears says your item is available, doesn’t mean it is. —MEGHANN MARCO