Marketing and More: A tale of two Sears letters

Cruises - dinners - hotel accommodations - theater tickets - gift cards - amusement park tickets - merchandise... it's a long list of what I've received over the years from companies apologizing when their product or service failed to match their marketing promise. The list is even longer when you include letters I've written for family and friends.

I also write letters of compliment when I am extremely satisfied with a product or service or when an employee has gone above and beyond expectations. If warranted, I'll post a positive online review.

Washing Machine - RIP

A recent experience with my sears credit card Kenmore washing machine highlights what happens when customer service and marketing promises collide.

Our washing machine finally died on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. After a respectable mourning period - about five minutes - I drove to the Sears store in the Buena Park Mall to purchase a new unit. The saleswoman said the first available delivery day was Sunday, Dec. 29 - four weeks later!

Although I've been a rather loyal Sears Kenmore customer for many years, I should have canceled the order rather than wait four weeks for delivery.

Pay now, receive merchandise later

Finally, the washing machine was delivered and installed. Receiving what I thought was the first statement, I was dumbfounded that Sears had charged me a $25 late charge along with $8.42 in interest charges.

Annoyed about the late fee and finance charge, I wrote two letters:

• Letter #1 - to the customer service department using the address listed on the credit card statement.
• Letter #2 - to Edward Lampert, chief executive officer of Sears Roebuck & Co.

Sears responds

A few weeks later, the Sears Cardmember Services department sent me a form letter stating there was nothing they could do about the $25 late charge or $8.42 interest charge.

A few days later, "BR," Sears Blue Ribbon Service Case Manager, wrote to me on behalf of CEO Lampert:

Post office box versus CEO office

Let's review the situation. Unhappy that Sears began its billing cycle the day I placed the order although the item could not be delivered until four weeks later, I wrote to the Sears Customer Service department via their post office box and the Sears CEO.

Results of my letter to the Sears Cardmember customer service department:

Received a callous form letter stating that they couldn't do anything about the $25 late fee or $8.42 charge.

Results of my letter to CEO Lampert:

• Received a heartfelt email message with an apology stating I am valued as a Sears customer.
• Received a Sears $25 gift card.
• Received removal of the $25 late charge from my credit card statement.
• Received removal of the $8.42 interest charge from my credit card statement.
• Received assurance that the late charge was not reported to any credit agencies.

Is my experience unique?

In "A Day at Sears Reveals Pitfalls of Retail Tech Implementation," author Michael Hickins discusses Sears' effort to improve its customer service with technology. His article begins with -

How YOU can get results

Viewers of the popular CBS program "Undercover Boss" know that disguised CEOs are often shocked to discover that their view from the board room isn't the same as the view from the stock room.

If you have an issue with a product or service, here are my suggestions to improving your chances for a positive conclusion:

• Write to the address listed on the credit card statement so the system notes that that you sent a response. At the same time, write to the chief executive officer.
• Be respectful to customer service representatives since they are often limited in what they can do. Keep notes as to when you called and who you spoke with.
• Stick to the facts and include metrics; keep emotions to a bare minimum.
• Do not say/write that you are going to take your future business elsewhere. Instead reiterate your loyalty. After all, if you are no longer going to be a customer, why should the company care about resolving your issue?
• Ask for the response in writing (email or letter). This way, you have documentation.

If you ever find yourself disappointed, don't just post, tweet and tell family and friends. Contact the company's CEO and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that they truly want their product or service to parallel their company's marketing promises. At the same time, when satisfied with a product or service, write and post a letter of compliment.

For more information on current conditions in retail, read KPMB's Retail Outlook Survey for 2013 (pdf).

Editor's note: we recently had to replace a dead dryer, and I went to the very same Sears store. According to the sales clerk, washers and dryers labeled Whirlpool, Maytag, or Kenmore are manufactured by the same company! I am happy to report that our new dryer was delivered the very next day - the difference, I suspect, being that we weren't buying during the holiday shopping season.

About the Author

Robin Marlena Itzler has worked in some facet of marketing, communications or training throughout her career. Recognized for her marketing expertise, Robin is theMarketing Maven for the "Orange County Breeze," where her columns intertwine marketing and politics. She also authors the Pet Tails feature in the monthly "Breeze" print edition and Market My Words in Pet Sitters International's "World" magazine. As a training coordinator and public speaker, Robin is involved with a variety of projects - facilitating public speaking, writing and generational differences workshops. She and her husband own Royal Care Pet Sitting, which has been serving pet owners since 1998. Their love for animals began as humane shelter volunteers where for nearly 20 years they walked and bathed rescued dogs. A former NASD licen sed securities representative, Robin once served as president of the Animal Assistance League of Orange County In 2011, she founded Motivate Your Something. Along with her autobiography, Life Is an Open Seating, Robin promotes her belief that everyone has at least one challenge in life that makes getting to the starting line harder. What is Robin's something? She is legally deaf.

This week's best shopping deals: Save £150 on THESE hidden bargains

The savvy shopper would have to visit multiple stores to see exactly what was on offer in their local area - so if nothing else you would save a fortune on gym memberships with all the walking around.

But who REALLY has the time or the energy to trawl the shops to find out where the latest best prices are?

Thankfully, those days are gone for good.

Now, with the simple click of a mouse, you can find the Amazon Deal Online. And comparison site MySupermarket.co.uk even lets you build your weekly shopping basket and compares prices from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Waitrose, Asda and Aldi, Boots and Superdrug to tell you where you should shop to save the most.

Using their service, you could save an impressive £850-a-year - that's free money in your bank to spend however you like.

HOW TO SLASH YOUR SHOPPING BILL

* Download the MySupermarket App Its FREE!
* Boots: Nivea Sun Regenerating After Sun Balm 300ml was £9.00 now £4.50, this is a great time to stock up for the summer, and you get those points too.
* Boots: Oral B Professional Care Triumph 5000 Electric Toothbrush was £199.00 now £79.99, that's a massive saving of £120.00.
* Boots: Wilkinson Sword Hydro Moisturising Shaving Gel 240ml was £3.59 now £1.79
* Asda: Right Guard Xtreme Invisible Antibacterial Anti Perspirant Deodorant £1.00 at Asda compared to £2.29 at Tesco.
* Asda: Gillette Fusion Manual Blades (4) down from £9.89 to just £5.00 shaving of £4.89!
* Sainsbury's: Pantene Pro-V 1 Minute Wonder Ampoule, 3 x 15ml down from £4.00 to just £2.00
* Sainsbury's: Pampers New Baby Sensitive Size 1 Newborn 2-5kg £3.99 compared to £ 5.99 at Morrison's.
* Tesco: Garnier Nutritionist Skin Naturals Nutritionist Caffeine Eye Roll On down from £9.99 to £4.99, and still beating all other stores which have a similar offer.
* Tesco: Johnson's Face Care Makeup Be Gone Extra Sensitive Wipes down from £3.05 to £1.50. * Set your preferred store and make your shopping list
* Then see what you can save by taking your list to the best deal in town, which will be £17.00 on average for each time you use the app
* If you haven't done so already enrol into any and all of the loyalty schemes
* Tell all of your friends how they can save too, they will be glad you did

Here are my best deals of the week all found on MySupermarket.co.uk using just their Health & Beauty section. And I didn't even leave my house!

So, Just by visiting one department on MySupermarket I have found savings which total over £150.00. Imagine what you can do with a whole month's worth of shopping!

If you only do one thing today try it for yourself! And come back again tomorrow for the latest deals and bargains to be found across Britain...

The End Is in Sight for Lands' End at Sears

It's finally happening. After months of speculation on the timing, NASDAQ: sears outlet Holdings ( SHLD ) says it will spin off its clothing retailer Lands' End next month, allowing it to exist on its own as a publicly traded company that will reside on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol LE.

Acquired in 2002 for $1.9 billion, Lands' End has been lost in the rubble of what its holding company parent has become, and its spinoff will mark yet another step in the dismantling of the once-iconic retailer. Also jettisoned from the Sears stable over the past few years were Orchard Supply Hardware (which was bought out of bankruptcy by Lowe's), Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores,and Sears Canada.

The Lands' End business is largely online and catalog-based, featuring a mix of clothing, footwear, and home products, but there are several stand-alone stores and several hundred store-within-a-store shops inside Sears. Although the business is profitable, its image has been tarnished by its association with the retailer, which has seen losses widen exponentially as shoppers abandon it in droves. When Sears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert recently tried to shop the retailer, there were apparently no takers.

Lampert is under pressure from investors in his hedge fund who've tired of waiting for a turnaround that's always around the next corner. Recently they pulled money out of his ESL Partners, necessitating he distribute some 7 million shares to them, which dropped his ownership stake in Sears to 48.4% from 55.4%. It's still a sizable position and he says the distribution doesn't reflect his confidence in the retailer's eventual recovery, but it suggests even the staunchest of believers are growing weary.

The dwindling department store chain reported earnings last month that, as Lampert admits, didn't offer much new: mounting losses, dwindling cash, and diminished sales. Yet he continued to defend his decision to not invest in his stores, believing that customers don't want "decor and fixtures," just a means of shopping when they want, how they want. In short, since they're shopping online more anyway, why waste money fixing things up?

Contrast that strategy with fellow troubled retailer J.C. Penney, which is also pursuing an omnichannel approach to sales, but is investing in its stores (it will soon unveil its "store of the future") as well as in new product. It's by no means out of the woods, but there's a noticeable uptick in sales and even market share.

But why do that when you can just spin off assets for a payday while saddling the new company with debt? Lands' End will pay Sears a cash dividend of $500 million before the spinoff that will be financed with a new term loan. It may also borrow up to $175 million for working capital. Investors will receive 0.3 shares of Lands' End stock for every share of Sears Holdings they own. The new shares will begin trading on April 7.

I keep waiting for something to emerge from Sears that shows it's serious about the turnaround it says it wants to happen, but instead we get superficial changes that do nothing to restore the fundamental value it could have. I disagree with those analysts who say Sears Holdings' store of value is in its real estate, since to me that is a defeatist attitude calculated for companies that are otherwise stripped naked. Then again, with another vestige of the old retailer being taken away with the Lands' End spinoff and the possibility the automotive center business will soon follow, perhaps they have a point.

Best March Madness 2014 Deals, Discounts and Coupons

You might think about betting money on some NCAA basketball games during the 2014 March Madness tournament, but above all, you should bet your bottom dollar on saving money during this amped-up sporting event. Many retailers are offering promotions and sales. Let's take a look at some of the best savings out there.

TV Deals

You can't watch the games all home without a TV, and many retailers have offers for lower priced electronics and televisions:

• Dell coupon code F6QLF1RRZJ$GVJ saves you $460 off the LG 60 Plasma Smart HDTV. Expires: March 25.
• Save during the Sears sale for up to 30 percent off TVs and electronics. Exclusions apply. Expires: March 22.
• Use Abe's of Maine coupon code GIFTCARD50 for a free $50 gift card with you select TV order. For a limited time only. Expires: March 24.
• Take advantage of this special for a free $500 Crutchfield rewards card with your select LG HDTV order. Expires: March 30.
• Get up to 20 percent off TVs and electronics at Kmart during their sale. Expires: March 22.

Related: First Day of Spring 2014 Freebies and Discounts

Sporty Savings

Witnessing the action might inspire you to play. Shoot hoops for less, and represent the team you are rooting for with fan gear and sporting goods:

• Save during the Eastbay Basketball Sale. Online only. Restrictions apply. Expires soon.
• Finish Line is offering up to 50 percent off NCAA apparel, plus free shipping on many items. Expires: March 28.
• Shop during this Walmart sale to get a Lifetime 44″ Pro Court Basketball Hoop for only $104. Expires: April 10.
• Sports Kids has special pricing with 30 percent off NCAA items. Expires soon.
• Use the College Shack coupon code MADNESS5 for $5 off your $25 or more order. Expires: April 30.
• Save during the Rawlings gear sale for 15 percent off basketballs. Expires: April 1.
• Lids has a 2 for $25 special with select NCAA hats. Expires soon.

Fan-Friendly Sales

Everyone wants to get in the game. Even stores unrelated to basketball are offering March Madness savings:

• Save up to 70 percent off with the Heidi Daus Designs March Madness sale. Expires: March 31.
• There is a Magazines.com extra 20 percent off March Savings Madness sale, where you can save on ESPN, Paula Dean, Girl's Life and many more. Expires: March 20.
• Save 15 percent off any order plus get free shipping when you apply MagicMurals coupon code MADNESS15. Expires: March 20.
• Use Nearly Natural coupon code MARCHMADNESS for 10 percent off all orders for silk flowers. Expires: March 31.
• SmartWool coupon code MARCHMADNESS gets you free shipping on any order. Expires: March 31.
• Get a Sports Shot Glass for only $5 at Things Remembered with your Sports Mug order. Expires: April 13.

BeFrugal.com features cash back, online and Deal News restaurant coupons, weekly ads, deals and bargains, as well as web-based tools to help consumers save time and money. Photo credit: Erik Charlton Join for free today and get paid to be frugal!

TODAY'S DEALS: SARES-REGIS Acquires San Jose Apartments

<Promotional Codesp>San Jose, Calif.-SARES-REIGS Multifamily Fund has completed its sixth acquisition with the purchase of Alterra, a 143-unit apartment community in San Jose, Calif. The 5.1-acre gated community at 1640 La Rossa Circle was built in 1988. It is near the Almaden Expressway, Highway 87 and less than one mile from the VTA, Santa Clara's light rail system, and Caltrain.

"Alterra offers a solid value-add opportunity to renovate and reposition the property so it competes with neighboring communities while capitalizing on the region's significant employment and rental growth," says Kenneth Gladstein, Co-Chief Investment Officer of the SARES-REGIS Multifamily Fund. "Alterra is our third acquisition in California since we formed the fund last year."

Although the previous owner completed significant exterior and common-area renovation, the apartment interiors are original, Gladstein says. The value-add program for Alterra includes upgrading of kitchen cabinets, countertops, stainless appliances, flooring, lighting and plumbing fixtures.

"Once completed, the newly renovated apartment homes will offer residents a value alternative to brand-new product coming into the market," Gladstein adds.

The Fund was launched in 2013 by SARES-REGIS Group with more than $100 million in equity commitments, giving it the ability to acquire more than $300 million in assets.

Kiser Group brokers $28.9M Chicago sale

Chicago-Kiser Group represented the seller of an eight-building, 236-unit portfolio of apartment and mixed-use properties on Chicago's North Side. New York-based Pioneer Acquisitions purchased the portfolio for $28.9 million in a sale that closed March 5, 2014.

Family owned for more than 60 years, the portfolio included an apartment building in West Rogers Park; an apartment building and mixed-use retail and apartment property in Lincoln Square; four properties in Ravenswood; and a mixed-use retail and apartment building in Irving Park.

"This rare opportunity attracted several investors," says Lee Kiser, principal of Kiser Group. He and Michael D'Agostino, managing director of Kiser Group, represented the seller in the transaction. "It's an enormous portfolio in a strong location with upside potential.

"Many of the units are rented at below-market levels, so the buyer could immediately reap additional income by increasing rents," Kiser adds. "Also, with some minor renovations, many of the large one-bedroom units could easily be converted into two-bedroom apartments, further adding value and increasing the portfolio's annual income."

The seller regularly made upgrades throughout the past six decades, so the buildings have little to no deferred maintenance. All the buildings include coin-operated washers and dryers, private storage lockers, intercom security and secure bicycle areas.

"These high-quality apartments are located in sought-after neighborhoods on Chicago's North Side," D'Agostino said. "Also, the large rooms, high ceilings, hardwood floors and irreplaceable vintage architectural details made this portfolio enticing to buyers."

The eight-building portfolio included the following properties.

West Rogers Park

-7434-38 N. Artesian / 2432-34 W. Fargo is a corner 12-unit apartment building located immediately south of the Evanston border. It consists entirely of one-bedroom, one-bath units. The property also has a two-car garage.

Lincoln Square

• 4621-25 N. Lincoln / 2259-63 W. Eastwood is a mixed-use building that includes four retail spaces fronting busy Lincoln Avenue and 25 apartments. Long-term commercial tenants occupy three of these units. The apartment mix includes seven one-bedroom, one-bath units; and 18 studios.
• 2243-51 W. Eastwood, a 16-unit apartment building located just off Lincoln Avenue, is a vintage walk-up consisting entirely of one-bedroom, one-bath apartments.

Ravenswood

• 2104-24 W. Foster (40 units) sits across from Winnemac Park and includes two 20-unit buildings consisting entirely of one-bedroom, one-bath apartments. The property also offers 15 parking spaces.
• 5073-75 N. Wolcott / 1825-31 W. Winona (16 units) is a vintage walk-up consisting of 13 one- and three two-bedroom apartments, each with one bath. It has newer porches and windows.
• 2100-12 W. Ainslie / 4904-10 N. Hoyne (46 units) is a vintage courtyard building one block south of Winnemac Park and within walking distance of the Ravenswood Metra Station and the Brown Line 'L' stop at Damen Avenue. It includes 12 studios, 28 one- and six two-bedroom units, each with one bath.
• 4915-19 N. Damen (21 units) is an L-shaped walk-up consisting of 16 one- and three two-bedroom units, each with one bath, and 1,000 square feet of retail currently occupied by two commercial tenants. It is also close to the Metra Station and the Brown Line 'L' stop, as well as a short walk to the new Mariano's.

Irving Park

4101-13 N. Kedzie / 3148-56 W. Belle Plaine (56 units) is a mixed-use courtyard building consisting of three studios, 47 one-bedroom, one-bath units and approximately 3,600 square feet of retail space currently occupied by six commercial tenants. The property is convenient to the Kennedy Expressway.

NorCal apartment portfolio changes hands

Redwood City, Calif.-A 112-unit portfolio on the San Francisco Peninsula in Redwood City, Calif., has traded hands for $23.2 million, or $207,142 per unit. Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, Interstate Equities Corp., in the five-property transaction. The buyer was a private investor in a 1031 exchange.

"The continued creation of high-paying jobs in Silicon Valley is reshaping the San Mateo County apartment market and creating new opportunities for both large institutional investors and smaller private investors," says Adam Levin, a vice president of investments at Marcus & Millichap. "Favorable market conditions in Redwood City allowed us to assemble this portfolio of 1960s-era apartment complexes and for IEC to successfully implement its renovation, stabilization and repositioning strategy."

Levin worked alongside Robert Johnston, a senior associate, in closing the deal. Both are based in the firm's Palo Alto office.

The properties are:

• 152 Lincoln Ave., 18 units
• 180 Buckingham Ave., 48 units
• 755 9th Ave., 8 units
• 775 9th Ave., 8 units
• 1331 Jefferson Ave., 30 units

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Sony store closures likely good news for Best Buy

Sony's ( SNE) plan to close 20 of its 31 U.S. retail stores is likely good news for consumer electronics retailer Deal Of The Day ( BBY).

Consumers looking to buy Sony televisions, digital cameras, audio equipment and other gadgets will turn to independent retailers like Best Buy in the affected markets. In addition, Best Buy has been setting aside floor space for manufacturers looking to run product showcases and could do so for Sony.

On Thursday, Best Buy reported that it had opened 1,400 Samsung and 600 Microsoft ( MSFT) Windows stores-within-a-store as of Feb. 1. It also operates Apple ( AAPL) product showcases in its stores.

During the holiday season, Google ( GOOG) set up display tablets and end caps in 750 large-format Best Buy stores to show off Android tablets, Chromebook notebooks and Chromecast streaming video players.

On a conference call with analysts Thursday, Best Buy CEO hinted at more opportunities for product showcases from manufacturers. Among the company's priorities over the next 24 months is "to strengthen our vendor partnerships, including launching new vendor shopping experiences."

Could he be talking about Sony?

Sony announced its store closings on Wednesday, as part of a larger restructuring plan.

Five of the remaining 11 stores are located in California, with three in New York, two in Florida, and one in Texas, Sony announced.

The move will close two-thirds of Sony's U.S. retail stores and result in the lay off of 1,000 workers.

On Feb. 5, Sony said it would reduce its global workforce by about 5,000, or 3% of its staff, in its fiscal year ending March 31. It also announced plans to sell its Vaio PC business to Japan Industrial Partners.

Plus, Sony plans to split off its money-losing TV business as a wholly owned subsidiary and focus that business on high-end televisions, including 4K or Ultra HD TVs. Sony expects the TV business to return to profitability in fiscal year 2014, which ends March 31, 2015.

Sony has taken the actions to "maintain its competitiveness in an evolving consumer electronics market," the company said Wednesday.

While its consumer electronics business struggles, Sony appears to be doing well with its next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 4. The PS4 is the top selling next-gen console, outpacing rival Microsoft's Xbox One.

Best Buy stock was up more than 4% in late afternoon trading on the stock market today. Sony's U.S. shares up a fraction.

RELATED: Best Buy now an 'online first' retailer, CEO says.

Microsoft testing deals to boost Xbox One sales.