Reality check here.
Not that long ago, I also helped to clean every rug and the floors. I also helped throw away and send may things off to another store or send back to HQ
The store never looked better.
It was empty. Devoid of everything but the walls and pillars that hold up the roof.
The last day was the saddest of all. It was the last time that we would all be together on a daily bases. What made my store special to me, wasn't the building, the pressure, the complaints. It was every single person that I had the honor of working with. When I found out that the previous store manager was leaving. We asked for a very specific person to be the next manager of our store. That person came back to us.
Now, none of us failed Sears. Sears, failed us. Not just everyone that worked in our store. But, everyone company wide. Since, my store was closed. I stopped by one time. I was surprised to find that the doors and windows weren't covered up, as that is what the mall usually does to a closed store. But, the place was just as empty as we left it.
To use the phrase, "we are witnessing retail history in the creation of a "new Sears." REALLY? Come on. What has changed? Is the company going to remodel all of the existing stores? Is the company going to give the managers and associates the ability to run the store as they see fit? Is the company going to fix the logistic nightmare known as delivery? Is the company going to run advertisements? I'll give you the answer to every one of those questions. NO.
If anyone here has been with the company long enough to remember "clean and bright?" We used associates and managers from other stores to help us to clean every rack and shelf and straighten everything in the store. It was their version of a "store remodel" on the cheap. It was a miserable experience for everyone involved. People who didn't know how to paint, were painting, ect, ect.
I have stated it before and I'll state it again. In lots of ways it was a relief that our store was closing. Because, of all of the pressure that was put on everyone to make the metrics. Those metrics, are what have ruined the company and customer service. It used to take me about 5 minutes to resolve a customer issue. Then you have to call, XYZ or ABC department and have them resolve the issue which commonly took between 20-30 minutes. IF it got resolved.
I can't tell you how much I miss everyone that I worked with. They are family and that is something that Sears will never take away from us. You can kiss Edward Lambert. That isn't going to save that company. That isn't going to put a penny in your wallet or Sears.
What would save Sears is everything that I mentioned above. As well as, fixing and remodeling the stores (using professionals and replacing equipment), having ample stock available and on hand where appropriate, giving everyone from associates to managers the authority they need to actually take care of the people that walk through the door, ensure that when someone purchase something from the store that it is delivered and or installed on time and advertise.
Till the company does all of these things. Nothing is going to change and Sears will soon be as irrelevant as all of the other companies who's name we all remember. But, no longer exist.
When you hit that down arrow on the OP or anyone. Take a moment to realize that everyone laughed. Because, no one believed a word that came out of the managers mouth. If I ventured to guess. The OP probably stays. Not because of Sears. But, because of the family that he works with. I stayed. Not because of Sears. But, because of the family that I worked with.
Well said @XhwIoFV-guf