After twenty years, I returned to
where my career started, the independent
service side in the consumer electronics
service industry.
Time can erase memory and it can
help you forget the challenges that
independent servicers face on a
daily basis.
Soon after I returned I realized
that today was no different than
yesterday. The experiences were
the same and listed are some of
the issues.
-
The customer calling for service
believes you have a TV manufacturing
facility in the back room.
-
The customer also believes that
you should know immediately
from their phone call know why
their TV stopped working.
-
They also believe that you should
be prepared with in a few minutes
of receiving their call to rush
right over and repair their
TV.
-
The customer also becomes very
confused and cannot understand
why you do not have the part(s)
required to repair their TV.
-
They become even more confused
and extremely angry when you
cannot obtain the parts needed
in a timely manner from the
Manufacture or Parts Distributor.
-
While you are working with a
challenging customer you are
also having difficulties in
obtaining assistance or support
from the manufacture that sold
the customer their TV.
Well
even though I have been away for
over 20 years it
feels like I am living in
the past. Delivery of quality and
professional service to the customer
remains a top priority.
The customer still feels
it’s a matter of life and death
when their TV needs repair and you
need to
FIX THEIR TV NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what has changed?
·
TVs’ are flat and lighter.
·
TVs’ are hung on the wall or in
custom wall units.
·
The consumer has higher expectations
for timely and quality service.
·
The service center is experiencing
higher cost in providing service.
·
The service center needs to provide
service over a larger coverage area.
·
It is more difficult to obtain manufacture
technical support or assistance
on behalf of the consumer.
·
Some manufactures cannot provide
parts nor have backorder issues
with indefinite ETAs’.
·
There are new manufactures that
have entered into the market place
that have not developed their service
organization or do not provide support
for the consumer or independent
servicer.
So how do we deal with these new
challenges?
I recently
met with some servicers at a service
industry conference and all they
tend to do was complain about their
current problems and do not even
attempt look for a solutions, the
just look for someone shoulder to
cry on.
Some of these service managers or
owners also believe that some of
the manufactures that recently entered
into the market place should not
be able to sell their products here
in the
US.
I guess there goes free enterprise!
Many of these new manufactures
are selling their flat panel TV
and other products at very competitive
prices which also brings challenges
to top tier high end manufactures.
As
I recall many of the servicers that
I met while I was growing up in
this business were once the low
cost service centers trying to position
themselves in their market to grow
their business.
Today when we hear that a
new service center has entered into
another service center’s territory
we tend to talk negatively about
them since they are now moving into
our market and probably at a lower
cost.
If we have a strong business and
have developed a great reputation
of providing professional and quality
service we should not have anything
to worry about.
If we have not we can only
blame ourselves.
My point is we need to continue
to improve how we manage our business.
We started our business to be the
best service provider in our market.
We wanted to be in a position
where we were INDEPENDANT to DO
IT MY WAY!
We believed we could do it
better than anyone else even our
prior employer.
Don’t lose sight of the attitude
that drove you down this path.
So let’s continue to re-engineer
how we manage our business and continue
to remember why we wanted to manage
our own business was to be INDEPENDENT.
Be the servicer who has mastered
the ability to service products
that no one can.
