Fact 1. YouTube Has Changed the entire “How To” World
It is undeniable that the millions of YouTube videos have changed the “How To” world. Appliance repair is just one of many service business affected by all this content. Plumbing and electrical issues, HVAC work and medical problems all look easily solved when you view them on YouTube.
I saw a great sign on the wall in my doctors office, it said “Please don’t confuse your Google search with my medical degree.” I pity the poor doctors.
Fact 2. YouTube has resulted in a proliferation of information
There is an incredible amount of how to information available on YouTube and elsewhere on the web.
Fact 3. There is no editing or filtering of videos on YouTube. Everything gets posted!
Virtually no web information is edited by any fact checker. I’m certain that most content is well intended and not intentionally misleading. However, accidentally or not, a tremendous amount of questionable or completely inaccurate information is posted. Every happy egotist proudly posts his solution to his problem. And his problem seems exactly like yours!
Fact 4. There is no easy way to determine whether YouTube facts are accurate or inaccurate?
It is very difficult for the average person to determine if the solution is correct and is it going to work for them?
Fact 5. The average Joe believes everything he sees on YouTube
Innocently, most people jump on the first popular how to video that they see and follow the instructions as gospel. They really have no way to determine if the help they are getting is accurate. Oh boy, does that ever create a quagmire of trouble.
Fact or fiction? Nobody calls servicemen anymore, they use YouTube and fix everything themselves.
It has gotten to be common place for a customer to call for service only after they have exhausted themselves trying to fix it on their own. They open the conversation with a long story of how they have tried to fix their problem.
As servicemen we never know how many are successful and how many fail. We only hear from the frustrated failures. Some companies get huffy and refuse to work on machines worked on by others. I can certainly sympathize with that policy; however, I prefer a different response. It has been my experience that few customers get in very deep. They get frustrated quickly. In most cases you can easily solve their problems and become a hero. Now the customer knows an appliance expert who they can call plus they have your name to give to their friends.
It is safe to say that most of the problems solved by YouTube are simple ones. It is also true that there is so much repair work available that we are just as happy to not take the silly, simple calls. Middle to upper income families, the ideal customers by the way, seldom have time or interest in repairing their own appliances. They have more important things to do and are happy to pay us for service. (Learn how to attract the ideal customers by studying Uncle Harry’s guidelines.)
“Youtube and Ductape” dont always work! There are 50 videos saying 50 different things when you look up things like repair my refrigerator. How can you trust what anyone says? Thanks for this article! I hope to read more soon!
Mike,
Free advice is worth just what you pay for it. Nothing! The pros don’t pay much attention to YouTube.
Ran across this site and really appreciate all the great appliance repair start up information you’re putting out, but this article in particular caught my eye.
We’re just getting our site built and were wondering about YourTube videos and what you said makes a lot of sense, and our experience confirms your analysis.
I really like the points you made in your penultimate paragraph on this page.
Thanks for offering all this insight and services to those just starting out in the biz or those just starting to but their biz online
It’s impossible for a novice, and most youtuber’s are, to figure out what is accurate and what is not. I get so many calls from folks totally frustrated with bad YouTube advice.