Friday Morning Videos: 10 Things You Didn't Know Your Microwave Could Do

A microwave can save time, reheat leftovers, and make popcorn. But it can do so much more...



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How to Handle Angry Customers [Infographic]

One of the most challenging aspects of customer service is what do you do when a customer is unhappy. At some point, no matter how good your work is, someone will be unhappy. It may be a valid complaint, or it may be someone's bad day trying to pull you in. Regardless, it is crucial with today's means of communication among customers that you deal with the situation well. This infographic courtesy of the Provide Support Blog outlines tips on how to deal with that situation should it arise.

Full disclosure: I, personally, have been guilty in the past if letting my pride get in the way of good service, violating the third suggestion on the list. I was wrong at the time, and have experienced regret as a result. Don't make the same mistakes I have made!

From: www.providesupport.com

Preconceived Notions

This is a repost of a short post from March 17, 2013. It's as true today as it ever was. Consider it food for thought.

A few years ago the ASTI (Appliance Service Technical Institute) was being held, like this year, in Orlando. Being in Florida, our representatives Todd and Bradley expected warm weather-especially when compared to chilly and damp Portland in winter. As a result they packed a wardrobe that would have worked well for a sunny spring day. To their surprise, it was an extra cold week in Orlando and the weather here in Portland was warmer. As a result they spent the week shivering when they went outdoors. Why am I telling you this story? They could have been dressed for cool weather, as Portlanders they certainly had warm coats they could have taken. It was Florida. Florida is usually warm. Their preconceived notions were wrong.

If you do appliance repair for a living preconceived notions can take money right out of your pocket. For example, a lot of times I will hear a servicer saying, before consulting with the client, that their consumer likely won't have a job done because a pricey part was involved in the job. Yet time and again the consumer proves them wrong and has the job done. Other times a technician will assume that a part is no longer available because it is a piece for an older machine. This preconceived notion is also not always correct.

It is true that OFTEN Florida is warmer than Oregon. It is also true that OFTEN a pricey part will make a consumer consider replacement over repair or that an older machine may have a lot of discontinued parts. Experience can blind us into assuming that what is OFTEN true is what is ALWAYS true. So when you go to Florida take along a jacket. When you are looking at an expensive repair job offer your quote with confidence. And when you are dealing with an older appliance take the time to verify availability.

You might be surprised at the results if you can remove your preconceived notions and approach each service call with a positive attitude. Customers will surprise you - I promise. And like they like to say in the lottery ads-you can't win if you don't play!

Customer Service in Appliance Repair Can Get Tricky

When you are an appliance service technician, the job can be very rewarding. Like the times that you help that sweet older lady that reminds you of Mom. Then there are the times when your assistance helps a young family avoid purchasing a replacement appliance that wasn't in the budget. Most of you also enjoy demonstrating your expertise by offering advice to those who are trying to perform their own repairs-even if that is not making your company money. When you are doing appliance repairs you are in the position to be a hero, and that always feels pretty good.

Sometimes Breaking The News Can Be Tricky... (Flickr/CC)

Like any job, however, there are times that are less fun. Like when a customer pressures the technician for a lower price by saying something to the effect of :"I can get a new machine for a few hundred bucks". When this happens it may help to remind the customer of the features involved in that $200 machine compared to the features they may have on their $1500 dollar appliance. Will this explanation always help? Probably not, but sometimes it will. Simply put, for a customer to make an informed decision about a repair job it is important that they are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges when considering whether the cost of a repair would be worthwhile.

If you are billing for your services by the hour, do you find customers will try to rush out to get a job done before they get billed for another hour? Or you may find customers who are upset to pay for the time if you get done too soon? A lot of service companies have addressed this potentially awkward situation by instituting flat rate pricing. If a customer knows it will cost x number of dollars to do a given repair, they will be less likely to be unhappy that your work was faster or slower than they expected. You can work out your own pricing list or you can use a tool such as the Appliance Blue Book, either way removing the surprises can help remove some of the frustrations.

Speaking of expectations, how many of you have arrived at a call only to find an unplugged appliance? If that happens you are in an almost no win situation. If you simply plug the appliance back in, the customer likely won't feel that you should receive payment. Meanwhile you know that between your time and vehicle expenses, not charging means lost money. A lot of companies try to address this by asking the customer if they have checked the power source. Of course, most customers would not want to admit overlooking that step so they will just say that they made sure that the machine was plugged in. Many customers consider the question to be an insult to their intelligence, so many service companies don't even ask the question-even though it is an important thing to check when troubleshooting. Recently, I heard an idea of how to approach that question with some tact. Instead of asking the customer if they have verified that their machine was plugged in, this company suggests that they have found many customers were plugging in their appliance "upside down". They then suggest the customer turn the plug over to see if the problem would solve itself. Naturally any REAL problem would still be occurring. However, sometimes the unplugged appliances then get plugged in and the problem "solves itself" giving the customer the opportunity to cancel the service call and avoid embarrassment.

As you all know, there are a lot of different ways of achieving total customer satisfaction. At W.L. May we want to give a hand in however you are working to attain that goal. Let us know how we can help.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Appliance Tweets: Dishwasher Edition

While looking through our Twitter feed we found these dishwasher tweets to share with you.

We start off with some practical advice:

Soap film coating your dishwasher? Run it on an empty cycle using vinegar instead of detergent which will clean it and remove film.
— Busy Household (@BusyHousehold) May 16, 2014

And another post describing a scene where some advice may have helped....

"What the…! Who used Dish soap in the dishwasher?!" Tup's mom wailed as she waded thru the overflow of bubbles. Somebody's in trouble… #FP
— ApplianceTechs_Marin (@ATOMsanRafael) May 9, 2014

Here is some more practical advice, but it really only applies to beekeepers.Which just goes to show, you never know what you will learn on Twitter.

Today I learned beehives are dishwasher safe. pic.twitter.com/dp0GErDWce
— Micah Scott (@scanlime) May 6, 2014

I'd suspect we have more readers who dabble in painting than we have that dabble in beekeeping. This tip is for them...

Top tip from Daddy. Keep the cutlery thing from your old dishwasher to store your paint brushes :) pic.twitter.com/034W1WMyCQ
— TheChasinRacers (@TheChasinRacers) May 10, 2014

Maybe video games are more your "thing". Hey, even they can have a dishwasher tie-in...

I'd like to take this moment to thank Tetris for making me really good at loading my dishwasher.
— Tyler The Creator (@TyIerThaCreator) May 9, 2014

Unfortunately, dishwashers can bring out some tensions between men and women sometimes...

My Duke gender equity water bottle melted in the dishwasher. I'm sure there's a metaphor in this somewhere. pic.twitter.com/XBcUlCFRa6
— Kara N. Slade (@KaraNSlade) May 6, 2014

Things like this can happen...

Good stakes for a thriller: a guy trying to keep his wife from finding out he doesn't know how to work the washing machine or the dishwasher
— Matt Selman (@mattselman) May 13, 2014

Which can then lead to this...

Don't want to brag, but guess who got dishwasher-unsafe dishes for Mother's Day? Yep, I was gifted with chores! My life is complete.
— AcerbicSuburban (@AcerbicSuburban) May 12, 2014

Or this....

There should be some sort of bat signal that lets husbands know the dishwasher is empty so they feel safe to come home.
— Kristin Long (@KNL123) May 10, 2014

To close out, we also found a dishwasher posting tweets to Twitter. This tweet isn't bad but this dishwasher lies. Some of its tweets can be a little adult oriented, but most are just funny comments on other dishwasher related tweets.

Recent studies show that dish washers won't talk dirty to you
— The Dish Washer (@YoDishWasher_) May 15, 2014

If your dishwasher is acting funny and you need a part to make things right, give us a call. Our stock of dishwasher parts can help solve the problem in a hurry.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Appliance Tweets: Laundry Detergent and Lint Screens

Looking through our Twitter feed, we found some appliance tweets to share with you.

We start out with the sort of frustration that we all feel when a favorite product is discontinued...

I'm a laundry detergent fanatic and my favorites are discontinued. What scents do you love? Which last the longest? I need a new fav.
— Corporette Law (@CorporetteLaw) March 14, 2014

Maybe this Unknown twitter user is using a product you might like...

Every time I'm doing the laundry I stand there for like 5 mins sniffing the laundry detergent because it smells soo good.
— نادرة (@101_Unknown_) March 13, 2014

This detergent might even be a little TOO good...

My new laundry detergent smells like I wanna make sweet sweet love to it and then make it waffles in the morning.
— The Scarlet Stoner (@ScarletStoner) March 18, 2014

When the wash is done, its time for the dryer. Power stream reminds us of a good way to save some energy and prevent fires...

It can be simple to realize energy-savings. One way is by cleaning your laundry dryer's lint trap after every load. pic.twitter.com/O9EzlzKIwy
— PowerStream Inc. (@PowerStreamNews) February 18, 2014

PJ Shuping doesn't find cleaning the lint screen to be challenging.

I mean is it really that hard to clean the lint out of the dryer after you use it?
— PJ Shuping (@PJShuping) March 16, 2014

Kameron Anderson, thinks it is so easy to clean the lint screen, that he would rather do that than his homework. Quit stalling Kameron, and get back to work!

I'm the best at finding the most random things "to do" before I actually sit down to study. Like check if there is lint in the dryer haha
— Kameron Anderson (@Kamderson19) March 17, 2014

Jim has some strong feelings about people who don't follow this advise...

Also, people who don't clean their own dryer lint out are monsters.
— Jim (@JimmyMakes) March 13, 2014

Annie Kennedy isn't a monster...

I get genuinely excited to clean the lint screen from the dryer when I do my laundry. Not quite sure what this says about me as a person.
— Annie Kennedy (@annfran8) March 6, 2014

Not sure if Amy Farley is a monster, but if she is, at least she is witty about it!

Giving up dryer sheets for lint.
— Amy Farley (@amyfarley) March 18, 2014

Of course, you could disregard our advise, and eventually have a broken dryer. If that happens make sure you hire a qualified technician or you could find yourself with a problem like this...

I wasn't lying when I told you the dryer repair man came to fix the dryer and ended up breaking the door off instead pic.twitter.com/7U9xi2czZa
— Kameron Gorres (@kamgorres) March 4, 2014

So what did Twitter teach us today? We learned that its no fun when they stop making your favorite laundry aid. We learned that there are some great smelling options in the way of laundry detergent to try, We learned to keep our lint screen cleaned in our dryer. We learned that people have strong feelings about cleaning the lint screen, and we learned that if we neglect maintaining our appliances, things can snowball into even bigger problems. Thanks for learning with us, and we sincerely hope you find your own useful information the next time you check your Twitter account.

Web Tools Wednesday: Frequent Part Research Frustrations

It isn't as easy as it looks

Researching an appliance part seems like it should be an easy thing. Somethings it can be surprisingly tricky. There are a number of reasons for that. Over the years literature has changed with times. Some of the older models research materials started out as paper booklets, then they were scanned to microfilm cards, then they were digitized for computer access, along the way mistakes can get made, engineering art can get blurry, and some formats that were used just don't translate well at all. Among the many things we do here to make your parts department supply chain easy and convenient, we also can help when the parts research gets tricky. A lot of folks like to do their own research. If you are one of those people, here are a few things that can slow you down, confuse you or maybe even get you the wrong part. It is our hope that this list helps you increase the accuracy of your do-it-yourself research.

O's or Zero's?

A lot of model numbers contain an O or a zero. It can be hard to know what you have.More often than not, if is the last digit of the model number it will be a zero. In fact, I would guess that most of the time even it is in the middle of the model number, it is probably a zero. A common occurrence is mistaking a D as a O. 6's and 8's can also be troublesome on some worn model number plates. Sometimes it can help to try one of those alternates if the model doesn't show up on your first attempt. To confuse matters, a lot of GE model number will include a zero in the middle of them. It assumed that you will know that that zero drops off when reviewing a list of models. An example of this would be found on model number JCSP38B0K3BB. GE assumes that you will know to remove the zero from the number so you end with: JCSP38BK3BB. Often the confusion can be eliminated by typing a partial model number into your research program. Most programs will give you a list of models that start with what you entered. From there it is often easy to pick the correct model to search.

I's or One's?

Another hard to decipher model number issue is when the number includes a one or an I. As was the case with zeroes, more often than not, when the choice is between an I or a one, you are usually dealing with a one. A notable exception involves Maytag refrigerators. They have a popular line who uses MFI as the prefix for the model number.

Z's and 2's, 5's and S

Just a few more examples of letters and numbers that can easily be confused for each other.

Sound Alike Letters

It never hurts to make sure you are hearing correctly

Many times the person doing the parts research is having a model number read to them over the phone. There are a lot of letters that sound very similar such as X, S, and F or  A,J, K, or M and N or B,C,D,E,G,P and V. To avoid confusion we strongly recommended that you review the letters phonetically. You can do this by using the military Alpha, Bravo, Charlie phonetic alphabet, or you can make up you own words. The important thing is verifying that you are hearing what you think you are.

Serial numbers, Manufacturing Numbers, BM and P Numbers

Another thing that hangs up a lot of people when they are trying to do their own research is how to deal with Maytag machines where the serial number affects the part needed. Before Whirlpool acquired Maytag, Maytag was unique in that they would make component changes to a machine and rather than issuing a new model number, like most manufacturers, they would make a note on the research material referring to series number. A lot of people have trouble wrapping their brain around what to use as a series number. The series number is simply the first two numbers of the serial number. Sometimes they will also identify the series number as a revision number. Often the number referenced on the part list doesn't match the series number on the machine. What to do then? You want to use the closest number on the parts list that is over the number on the machine. Sort of like the casino game of Blackjack, you want to get as close as you can without going over. As an example to sum up, suppose the serial number on the machine was 11658481JF. The parts list shows different control boards for series 10, 14, and 20. Which one do you use? If I am making sense and you have been following along you will know that the correct answer is the part from series 14.

Beware of the Word Search Feature

The search tool-Use it with caution!

I get it, we are all busy. Consumers want the answer ready before they have even asked the question. It is tempting to type what you are looking for into the search field of the research program and then quote the number that comes up. Our recommendation is to take things just one step further and actually pull up the picture to verify that you have the right part. Some descriptions can lead you astray. Also, in some instances the serial number can affect the part used, but for some reason the search option doesn't show all the series options until you pull up the illustrations parts list.

Missing Descriptions and Parts Lists

To add a few more wrinkles to the mix, some parts lists lack descriptions of the item pictured. GE is notorious for this. They will use "Unknown" as the description for every part on the list.. In those cases, you need to know what item in the picture to reference. Also, on some older models from Whirlpool there wont be a parts list in the usual place. On these models you will frequently find that the page after the illustration in the breakdown will be tiled "section" and it will have a scan of the paper books part list rather than the digital parts list most models show.

As you can tell, sometimes this research stuff can be clear as mud. Luckily for you, we have over 200 years worth of accumulated parts researching experience at your disposal. If you are having trouble tracking something down, or just want us to give you a hand, give us a call or send us a fax or email and we will do everything in our power to find that part for you. We want to see you be successful, and we want to help make that happen. Happy researching and happier servicing!

Fun Friday: Twitter Tweets

Looking through our Twitter feed, we found some appliance tweets to share with you.

We start off with an observation on security and what causes it.

Security is not having things, It's handling things
— Jim Shannon (@QuartzDragon) January 13, 2014

One thing to try and handle is the sound coming from your refrigerator. Should it be making that noise? Luckily, the owners manual explains it all?

I didn't even think it was possible to *have* a favourite page of a freezer manual… pic.twitter.com/skkuHmPGJC
— Paul (@bitoclass) January 18, 2014

Then again, sometimes appliances can be confusing.

Aluminum foil in the microwave is bad but aluminum foil in the oven is fine? How does anything make sense? Where's Amanda Bynes?
— Brent (@Brentweets) February 1, 2014

So you can't handle the repair without help. Apparently the mail is difficult to handle too.

Mixed up addresses on some letters. Got a signed photo of Craig from tech support & a note explaining how to fix my oven from Anna Kendrick.
— Jamie Tighe (@thejamietighe) February 3, 2014

With better roommates, you might not even need to handle a problem.

andddd the dysfunctional roommates strike again with another appliance broken in a hilarious way
— Claire Kruger (@ClaireBear002) January 27, 2014

You could just enjoy some of the nicer things in life.

I love taking sweat pants out of the dryer and immediately putting them on #niceandwarm
— Mark Bader (@MarkSBader) January 31, 2014

Sometimes though, we don't read the instructions.

Just read instructions on laundry detergent. You're supposed to turn the washer on THEN add the clothes? Been doing it wrong my whole life.
— Dan Campbell (@headabovewater) January 28, 2014

And we don't listen to our mums advise.

Why has my mum never told me that wool shrinks in the tumble dryer!!!!!
— Molly Gentgall (@mollygentgall) January 29, 2014

To wrap up this Twitter roundup we found an actual useful tip...

Instead of mixing your dirty clothes and clean clothes while you travel pack a garbage bag to put the dirty clothes in.
— Organize Your Life (@OrganizeHacks) January 20, 2014

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Are you a Fred Flintstone or George Jetson?

Hey, All,

So you've got a smart phone to stay in touch with your friends and family and a new tablet that you can stay in touch with the world - but what about your business? How do you keep track of your inventory, customers or paperwork?  How do your customers find you?

The Fred Flintstone businesses still rely on the Yellow Pages, have no computer to help with inventory, billing, ordering and research and barely have a fax machine and do everything by hand.


Creative Commons license on image.

The George Jetson businesses have websites that their customers can use to find out information on the company and schedule appointments.  All their accounting information is on the computer and easily accessible and ready for tax time; their parts people/technicians can look up their own parts and don't have to wait for research.  Their customer base is on there also, and easy to bring up when Mrs Jones calls about her washer - all the info you need is there, all you need to do is set up an appointment time.

Research shows that over 80% of people today look for products and services on the internet.  Websites are relatively easy to set up and change as needed - like offering specials, company news, pictures, information, etc.  With a Yellow Page ad you are stuck with the same ad for a year and it costs a bunch of bucks.

Now this is not to say that we here at W L May won't be here for you - we have been for the last 90 years and will be here for the next 90.  But we are wanting our customers to increase their business and we have lots of ways for you to do this.  Talk to your account manager and we can give you infomation on who best to go to to set up a website, organizations to join, and other ways to increase your bottom line.

Give us a call and move out of the Stone Age and into the 21st century!

Have a great week!

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Five Social Media Tips and Observations

Creative Commons license on image.

Today I would like to take a moment to talk to you that are doing social media for your repair company. In the course of running W.L. Mays social media, I get to see social media activity from repair companies literally around the world. Some of them seem to "get it" and have had a lot of success building their business by being social online. Some of them could, quite honestly, use some advice.


Here are five tips and observations (in no particular order):

1. When a company takes the time to like and follow other businesses in their area that deal with the same clients, they expose themselves to a large pool of potential new customers.
2. People like hearing about what your employees are doing. It involves your followers far more than an announced sale price. Even better is to find a way to share your fans with the world. This will only increase your word of mouth as people will often share with their friends that they were featured on your page.
3. When you get a good review, their is nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back a little and sharing it. If you do so make sure you are making other posts as well or people will start to lose interest.
4. Some of us love a good argument about religion or politics. Those can certainly be interesting subjects for debate, and I personally have spent many an hour with close friends discussing those subjects. I would recommend against you discussing those on a business social media page. Yes I know, it is an emotionally charged subject and you WILL get likes and comments. Half of the readers will probably feel a closer bond to you, as they share your viewpoint. The other half will not. You may even drive some of them away from you. I think it does more harm than good and is best avoided. Remember too, that anything you post will likely be available forever to someone who who knows where to look.
5. Don't bad mouth your competition. It is just never good form. It says to the world that you have nothing good to say for yourself so you will say bad things about your competition. That's not exactly a confidence builder and won't do your business any favors.

Do you have any tips or observations you have learned from developing a social media presence in your business? We would love to hear about it in the comments section.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Appliance Tweets

This morning I was checking on Twitter for items related to the world of appliances. I found several things to share.

This first post is simply a declaration of appliance love:

You know your getting older when you love appliances! And I love my new dishwasher! ✨🍴
— αѕнℓєє ℓαωѕσи (@ashleelawson5) October 22, 2013

Then there is this tweet of a decidedly different nature:

Wife tried to show me how to do laundry before she left for work. I know how to do laundry, I just don't want to do laundry.
— A Man at a Desk (@guyinacubicle) October 22, 2013

Here is a tip I had not heard before:

Candles will burn longer and drip less if placed in the freezer a few hours before using.
— Facts Guide (@FactsGuide) October 18, 2013

There were several tips I had heard before, of course:

Clean the filter. If your dishwasher has a filter screen, clean it regularly. A clean appliance runs more efficiently.
— Busy Household (@BusyHousehold) October 19, 2013

Stinky Socks? Soak in color-safe bleach & detergent for about 15 min. Then place sock in the washer with chlorine or color-safe bleach.
— Inst of Home Science (@InstHomeScience) October 22, 2013

Want your clothes to dry faster in the dryer? Throw in a clean towel—it'll absorb extra water.
— Life Cheatings (@LifeCheates) October 22, 2013

Keep the lint filter clean in your dryer to maximize air circulation and energy efficiency. Keeping the lint filter clean also prevents fire
— Busy Household (@BusyHousehold) September 24, 2013

Don’t leave the refrigerator and oven doors open. Every time it’s opened, up to 30 percent of the air can escape #vegasgoesgreen
— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) October 12, 2013

And to close out this post, here is a tweet from a happy repair customer. We hope all of your customers feel this good about your work:

How much do I tip the washing machine repair man & how long do I hold our hug?
— lauren caltagirone (@MrsRupertPupkin) October 14, 2013

Throwback Thursday: News Recap September 19, 2014

If you have been reading the W.L. May Blog but haven't checked us out on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may not be getting the whole story. We use all of those social media outlets to share news stories that relate to our industry as well as appliance tips we have found from other sources. Here is a recap of some of the top stories we have seen lately. A lot has been happening so without further ado:

We start with a few consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• The Simple Dollar discusses the cost effectiveness of hand washing dishes vs a dishwasher. Link
• Rodale News made these suggestions for saving money when running your refrigerator. Link
• Reviewed.Com shared their picks for best American made appliances. Link
• Deseret News offered 8 tips for keeping produce frsh in the refrigerator. Link
• Angie from Angie List gives her opinion on the age old question: repair or replace? Link
• C-Net published their washing machine buying guide. Link
• The Daily Orange made some suggestions for new college students tackling using dorm laundry facilities. Link

Next, we look at the manufacturers and how they have been in the news recently:

• Whirlpool announced the hiring of a new executive chef. Link
• Multi-Housing news approves of Whirlpools "Ice" line of appliances. Link
• Whirlpool announced the launch of the industries first induction double oven freestanding range. Link 
• A new design of Heier dishwasher doesn't have a handle for its latch. Link
• Whirlpool announced their new WashSquad app for iphones. Link
• GE's chefs talked about what they like about GE appliances and shared a few recipes. Link
• GE told us about the process involved with formulating a new color of appliance paint. Link

We found a few articles that might be of interest to those of you who love all thing appliances:

• We reposted this older story from Digital Trends about some hi-tech refrigerator magnets. Link
• Newsleader.com discussed retro style appliances and their growing popularity. Link
• Peta Pixel shared a dishwasher trick for film photographers. Link
• Main St. had an in-depth piece on smart appliances and the internet of things. Link
• Scott. J. Higgins makes the argument that the washing machine was a more important invention than the internet. Link
• We found these images of destruction for those of you who like such things. Link
• Wired reported on a concept idea for washing machine sharing. Link
• Gigaom tells us why they think washing machines, not refrigerators, will be the first successful internet connected appliances. Link
• Digital Journal told us about a blog that offers dating advice based on what the dates refrigerator looks like inside. Link

Sometimes, the links we post are related to technology, business or happenings on the internet:

• Smart Van posted an excellent article about stock management and its relationship to first call completion rates. Link
• KFGO reported cautious optimism for manufacturing in 2014. Link
• Smart Van makes the list again with their 7 Deadly Sins for Service Calls. Link
• Hubspot offers 30 Terrible Pieces of Social Media Advise You Should Ignore. Link

A new contest was announced

• Womans world is giving away a Frigidaire refrigerator. Link

We close with an interesting article about the history of the Philips screw and screwdriver:

• From A Continuous Lean. Link