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The Customer is Always Wrong

A typical customer these days thinks they know a lot more than they do, but you can’t tell them that!  They have access to the internet just like you do, which means DIY forums, manufacturer’s websites, and online parts, suppliers.

They honestly start out thinking they don’t need an appliance repairman at all, and that they can fix their appliance themselves.  Sometimes this is true, but more often it is not.

By the time I get a phone call, the customer has usually tried the obvious things, replacing a few snap-in parts, cleaning out the dryer vent, etc.  It hasn’t worked, so they have called someone who knows what they are doing.  That’s the best case scenario.

In the worst case scenario, the customer imagines themselves to be far more mechanically and electrically inclined, and dismantles the entire appliance, or worse, busts it to pieces trying to get to the part they think is broken.

I’m sure in the back of their head they are thinking, “It’s worth a try, and if I screw it up, I can always call a service technician!”

By the time I get that call, the appliance is a mangle of bent metal and scrambled parts that take me an extra half hour to put back together.

But the fact that the customer has finally broken down and called me to ride to the rescue doesn’t mean they have been humbled.  Oh no.  They are still going to help me do my job.

They know all the things that aren’t wrong with the appliance, because they’ve tried all of those, and they definitely know what is wrong with it because they’ve narrowed it down with troubleshooting tips from fix-it answer sites.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in appliance repair, the customer is always wrong.

In fact, their misleading “help” can actually cause delays in the repair by requiring extra proof that the problem isn’t the issue they think it is.

You can also spend extra time explaining the operating theory to these junior repair technicians in order to give good customer service, which also slows down the repair process.

Also, their misdiagnosis can cause them to omit important information that would help you with what the appliance is really doing wrong because they have “eliminated” it as a possibility.

And finally, their inquisitive interference can ultimately distract you from your standard troubleshooting routine.

But, it’s all part of the job.  Appliance repair is not necessarily conducted in a clean, well lit, whisper quiet environment where you have all the time in the world to get your work done.

I consider it a challenge of my skill to go in after a do-it-yourselfer.  I don’t prefer it, of course, but I am always a little prouder when I get those jobs done.

And smart customers keep me on my toes with my technical knowledge.  If I can explain it to them, I have to know it myself first.

Of course, they are more impressed with my expertise if they have tried to do it themselves, which makes for a lasting impression and often repeat business.

So if your customer knows it’s the motor, or the belt, or the pump, remember they are calling you because you are the real expert.  Just be sure to take what they say with a grain of salt.

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Cherry Pick Til You Make It

If you want to start an appliance repair business on your own, there is really no way around the hands-on experience learning curve.

I armed myself with good training to start with from Uncle Harry and relied heavily on his support system, but at the end of the day I still had to do the repairs myself, alone, in real time, and there was no way around it.

I had to find a way to ease myself into the water, especially on the tougher calls, and get them on the job training I needed, but still satisfy my customers and get their appliances fixed.

What I finally developed was a “cherry-pick ‘til you make it” strategy using alternative referrals.  Let me explain how it worked.

PART I:  THE “ESCAPE HATCH” TECH REFERRAL

First, I had a friend who sounded like they actually might be a customer call around to my competitors. I had my friend ask about a repair job that could be a lot of things, and how much it would cost to get it repaired.

My friend took lots of notes about which competitor was the nicest, which was the most knowledgeable, and which was the best value.

Now, I obviously used the pricing information to make sure my pricing was in line with my market, but the key point of this exercise was to find my “escape hatch” tech.

I picked the nicest, most knowledgeable and reasonably priced guy to refer jobs to when I didn’t feel comfortable doing them yet.

For example, I got a call from a property manager who wanted me to fix a coin-op dryer in an apartment complex.  With everything else I had to study, I hadn’t gotten around to coin-op yet.

In order to get to the call in a decent timeframe, it would have taken me a few hours of study, and I was booked solid for a couple of days with calls that I already knew how to do.  Sure I wanted to learn coin-op at some point, but this wasn’t destined to be the time.

So I pulled out my trusty “escape hatch” tech’s phone number, and told the property manager, “I know of a guy who might be more familiar with your unit, and I have his phone number right here if you would like it.”  The property manager was delighted, took the phone number and went on his way.

Now everybody’s happy.  I pass a good lead on to the “escape hatch” tech, the customer has a knowledgeable resource, and I look like a real nice guy.

You may never need your “escape hatch” tech, but with his number handy, you just feel more prepared for anything when you pick up the phone.

PART II:  THE FACTORY AUTHORIZED TECH REFERRAL

It’s your worst nightmare.  You’re out on a service call and you’ve tried everything.  You’ve exhausted all of your resources.  You can’t solve the problem, and nobody else can either!

The customer is getting antsy.  You are beginning to sweat.  How in the heck do you handle this one?

You’ll need a strategy to deal with this situation ahead of time, because after one of these, you might become a little gun-shy going out on service calls, and that’s death to your appliance repair business.

Here’s what I do.

I carry the factory authorized tech contact information for all of the major brands with me out on service calls.

If I get in a dead-end situation, I tell the customer, “I have exhausted all of my resources, and at this point, I recommend a factory authorized technician who is particularly familiar with this unit to take a look at it.”  I give the customer the contact information, they are delighted, and I go on my way.

Now everybody’s happy.  I pass a good lead on to a factory authorized tech, the customer has a knowledgeable resource, and I look like a real nice guy.

Once again, you may never need your factory authorized tech contact information, but with the number handy, you just feel more prepared for anything when you go out on a call.