Numerous news reports are highlighting the fact that same quarter sales at Sears fell 99% from 2006 to 2007.  Sears is in a tailspin that, quite frankly, I doubt they can pull themselves out of.  How did it get so bad at the retailer that used to define American culture?  Edward Lampert and Kmart.

Sears was the place I grew up at.  Mom and dad bought everything of any value from Sears.  The washer, the television, the refrigerator.  They bought them there because Sears stood by what they sold.  Their motto was "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back" with no ifs, ands or buts about it.  Today, that motto was scrapped (one of the first things Lampert did) and good luck getting customer service out of Sears.  Some of their junk you are lucky if it will make it home before it breaks.  I've literally had to get in shouting matches with folks at our local Sears to get my money back on merchandise that hasn't lasted more than a month.

Once they did away with customer service, it marked the end of Sears.   They killed the one thing that set Sears apart -- the one thing that kept generations of people coming back to buy their washers and dryers from Sears.  All Edward Lampert saw was dollar signs in gutting Sears and now he is getting his payback.

Have you walked into a Sears lately?  Let me describe the Sears store in Columbia, Missouri.  Dirty, dark and cluttered.  Sound familiar?  It should -- that is exactly how most Kmart's are!  They literally have half the lights turned off in the store -- I asked an employee about this and was told it was to "Save Money".  HELLO???  If I can't see the merchandise I sure in the heck am not going to be buying it!  Talk about a stupid idea.

About three years ago, right when Kmart and Lampert took over, they started closing out the Parts and Repair Centers.  You know, the people who fix the things that go wrong with stuff?  This was another gem that Sears had that they destroyed.  You bought your major appliances and lawn tractors from Sears because, no matter what, they had a fleet of service people and facilities to fix it should something go wrong.  They stood behind the product -- again, when customer service went they also got rid of all of the people who services the items as well.  Got a problem nowadays?  Call an 800 number and talk to someone in India who you can't understand.

Basically, at this point I'm counting the days to the bankruptcy sale.  Sears has lost this former loyal shopper.  I'm tired of the lack of customer service, tired of the dirty (dark!) store and tired of having to wait forever to get anything taken care of nowadays.  If there is any good news, at least when it is all said and done the Kenmore and Craftman lines will no doubt be bought out by another company -- maybe one that cares about customer service.