ErrantPixels

Sometimes I wonder how Sears stays in business.

I was shopping for a new Dishwasher yesterday, and after hitting the regular scratch & dent outlets, local independent places with decent deals, and checking the local BigBox stores, I finally landed  at the Sears in the mall near my house. Like most Sears locations, they keep the appliances down at the lowest level with the tools, the TV’s that never get sold anymore, and the wall of video games that time forgot. But the oddest thing about the Basement is the constant gaggle of 6 - 10 middle aged men with bad haircuts and ill fitting polyester dress shirts called “sales associates” lounging at the intersection of Ranges, Washing Machines and Vacuums.

“Has anyone helped you yet Sir”, each one of them in turn will ask as you prairie dog around once locating the unit you want to buy.

“Not yet, I was wondering if you know if  $feature comes with $unit becau…. ” you begin to reply before being cut off with “oh, this isn’t my department, let me find someone for you”, walking off to the tall grass of Refrigerators, never to be seen again.

Eventually, someone will redirect you to the youngest person on the floor who enthusiastically completes the sale (probably his 100th of the day, and the store’s too, go figure) and sets you on your way, but I wonder … Is he paying back some commission to the clique of loungers in some odd ponzi scheme of referral madness, how else are the old men even keeping their jobs?

But hey, Sears out of box deals are awesome. A $700 Bosch DW for $200? Take two, they’re small.