One of the most confusing things about calling Kenmore with a customer service problem is that where you purchased the product seems to play a large role in the process. In fact, this threw me for a loop the first time I called, and I had to call back a second time because I got confused. If the automated messaging system had clarified that the call was going to be transferred depending upon where I purchased my Kenmore unit, it would have helped with the situation in the long run. Besides that, so long as you have some time to kill, you can eventually talk to a live agent by calling this number.

When you first call Kenmore, you're greeted with a message that thanks you for calling the Kenmore customer care hotline. It then says: "If you need general information about Kenmore or Kenmore products, press 1; For Kenmore repair and service, press 2." I had an issue with my washing machine, so I pressed 2. The next prompt stated: "If you purchased your Kenmore product from Sears or Kmart, press 1. If you purchased it from any other retailer, press 2."

This is where I got confused. I pressed 1, since I purchased my washing machine from Sears. Then, a new voice said: "Thank you for calling Sears Home Services." I actually hung up because I thought I had made a mistake, but apparently, this redirect was intentional. Kenmore will automatically reroute any of your requests for help if you bought a machine through Sears or Kmart.

Once I figured out what was happening, I listened to the rest of the Sears directory, which stated: "If you are calling about repairs, press 1; For parts and part orders placed at Sears.com, press 2; For home warranties and protection inquiries, press 3; For Sears.com orders, press 4; For delivery and installation, press 5; For any other inquiries, press 6."

I chose option 1 because I needed to see if my repair plan was still valid. The voice agent told me that it was unable to pull up my information using my phone number, and it asked if there was another registered number. I chose "no."

Next, it said: "If you are calling about repairs for small appliances or products, such as vacuums or lawn mowers, press 1; Existing appointments, press 2; To schedule a service covered by Sears protection agreements, press 4; To schedule a service covered by a Sears warranty, press 4; For services on a product no longer covered, press 5." Then, finally, it said: "If you are unsure if your product is covered by a protection agreement, press 6."

I chose option 6, and then it told me that the estimated wait time was 23 minutes. At this point, I had already been on the phone for a while, but I had no choice but to wait. At the least the hold music was pleasant.