Sears: If You Can’t Sell ‘Em Stuff, Make Intros And Get A Cut
Written by Evan SchumanFebruary 18th, 2009
Given that it has one of the oldest names in retail, it’s impressive how Sears is repeatedly on the cutting edge of technology. ServiceLive, introduced this month, is another good example why. Instead of trying to sell products directly, it tries to connect homeowners with contractors and takes a cut of the action.
Here’s how the Sears-described process works: Users review and select pre-screened service providers in their area and then describe a repair or improvement project in detail, including the price they want to pay and their desired appointment time. The project is then routed to selected providers after the user uploads funds to his or her ServiceLive account. The first provider to accept the terms electronically wins the project.
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Our Comment SPAM system is getting very aggressive these days and has been blocking legitimate comments. If you post a comment and don't see it appear within 2 hours or so, can you please send a heads-up to customer-service@storefrontbacktalk.com? Ideally, please include the time you posted the comment. That will allow us to try and hunt for it. Thanks! P.S. We're working on fixing the system, but we don't want to lose any valuable comments in the meantime.
I have strong reservations about the 'individual' certification and posting of that information for merchants. Can you imagine the potential employee poaching that might occur? The implications when competitors can look up how many are certified with each of their competitors? 
-Christine
