Outsourcing stinks!
Photo from stock.xchng by Oleksiy Petrenko
This isn't about international outsourcing, but about the use of outside delivery services. Sears used to deliver its own appliances and set them up.
Recently, I purchased a refregerator and gas dryer from Sears, paid for delivery and for the removal of my old appliances. As the delivery men were removing the old appliances, the lead worker asked, "Where do you want us to put the appliances?"
"You're supposed to take them," I said.
"No, no, no, no," the man said. "I don't have room in my truck."
"Excuse me," I said, "I arranged to have the appliances removed."
After my insistence, he finally said ok. But I was furious with Sears and called my salesman, who assured me that I had paid for removal and there should be no problem.
The deliverer had a fit then and said I put him in a difficult position by calling the store.
You see what the issue is here. They hire out the delivery to small companies at cheap rates. They have the customer pay for removal. The deliverer tries to cheat, probably because he's not really paid enough, and Sears basically washes its hands of it.
Talking about going to hell in a handbasket.