Fun Friday: Appliance Trivia Challenge

Creative Commons license on image.

So you think you know all about appliances? Here is a short set of trivia questions to test your knowledge.

QUESTIONS:
1. This appliance was inspired by a melted candy bar. What is it?
2. The first electric washing machine was introduced in 1892, 1904, or 1916?
3. What is a wig wag on an appliance?
4. Who made the skinny-mini laundry center?
5. "Hillbilly music" will often use 2 laundry related instruments. What are they?
6. What is a monitor top?
7. J.C Penneys once sold appliances with their name on it. Who made them?
8. What appliance brand is a pun on waste treatment device that uses combustion?


ANSWERS:
1. The microwave oven. During testing of microwaves for use in radar, Percy LeBaron Spencer, a Raytheon engineer noticed that the microwaves had melted a candy bar in his pocket. Further testing and design led to the microwave oven.
2. 1904
3. A wig wag is an oscillating solenoid used on some belt drive washers.
4. Frigidaire
5.The washtub bass and the washboard
6. GE refrigerators that had the compressor assembly mounted over the top of the refrigerator.
7. GE
8. In-Sink-Erator (Incinerator)

O-2 correct: You know a bit, but still have a lot to learn. Luckily you came to the right place.
2-4 correct: You know a fair amount about appliances. Keep visiting this blog to learn even more.
4-6 correct: You know a lot about appliances. Pass some of that knowledge on to someone.
6-8 correct You are an appliance star! Great job!

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

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule

W.L. May Company will be closed Thursday, November 28th in order to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. Below is the Thanksgiving weekend schedule for W.L. May Company and our primary shipping companies. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

W.L. May

Wednesday, November 27th: Normal Hours

Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving. Closed

Friday, November 29th: Normal Hours

Saturday, November 30th: Normal Hours

UPS

Wednesday, November 27th: Normal pickups & deliveries.

Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving. Closed - No pickups or deliveries.

Friday, November 29th: Delivery and pickup of air and international packages only. 

Saturday, November 30th: Closed

Ontrac

Wednesday, November 27th: Normal pickups & deliveries.

Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving. Closed - No pickups or deliveries.

Friday, November 29th: Normal Deliveries. Pickups by special request.

Saturday, November 30th: Normal deliveries.

Fed Ex Ground

Wednesday, November 27th: Normal pickups & deliveries.

Thursday, November 28th: Thanksgiving. Closed - No pickups or deliveries.

Friday, November 29th: Open

Saturday, November 30th: Closed

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

Kelly's Korner - 10 Questions that are Needed for a Service Call

Hey, All,

So, I was thinking of 10 questions that need to be asked and answered when you take a service call.  Whether it is the tech taking the call or office personnel, these are things that the office and tech need to know before going out on a call.  And I'll put my reasons for these on it also.



Creative Commons license on image

1.  Contact info:  Name, Address, BEST phone number, opt – email.
     The more information you have on your customers, the more they feel like they matter to you and your business.  Having a file on customers ultimately helps you with return calls, warranty and with them recommending you to friends and family.  Having an email address makes it easy for you to contact them for follow-up, sales, specials, reviews, etc.

2.  What kind of appliance:  Manufacturer, model, serial and/or “P”   number.
     This is so needed in so many ways - the first questions we ask you to look up the parts you need is who made it and what is the model number.  Very, very rarely are we able to find parts without it and this is the information our research programs run on.  Also, some manufacturer's made design changes within a model and the changes are marked by the serial number and/or manufacturer's number (mostly  Amana models and we refer to them as "P" numbers as they always start with a "P").  Also, if the part we supply you with fails, we need to have the model and serial numbers to file warranty claims.  Without it, we cannot file a claim.

3.  Description of issue:  What is it doing or not doing?
     This information will give you a chance to pre-diagnose what is wrong with the appliance and to get the parts to take with you so you can fix it on your first visit.  Have the customer be as specific as possible - the more information you have the better and faster you can get them helped.  "It won't work" is not enough.  With each different appliance there should be specific questions asked to help diagnose.

4.   Ask if they have checked plug and breaker box.
      Believe me - your customer is not going to be happy if you come out and charge them a service call fee just to plug in the refrigerator.  Sometimes the fix is as easy as that.

5.  Date and time needed for technician.
     People have their own schedules, too, with work, family and other issues.  And if they need to take time off work to be there when you come to fix their appliance, the technician being on time is very important.

6.  Who is going to be there at time of appointment? Person calling/spouse/babysitter/adult child.
     If the person who is calling to schedule the repair is not the one going to be there, you need to know who is and if that person can make any decisions needed - like to fix or not, secondary appointment, or if anything else comes up.

7.  Any pets or other issues need to know about getting to residence?  Construction, detours, cross streets, landmarks, gates, security, etc.
     If you have dogs, especially running loose, most technicians will not get out of their vehicle until it is restrained.  You know your dog - they do not and they will not take a chance on getting bit.  The more information that the tech has for finding your house the better.  GPS is great up to a certain extent but can't provide for everything.  Also, if you live in a gated community or have a security gate into your property, your security people need to know a tech is coming and the tech needs to know how to get in there.

8.  Secondary contact people and will this person be able to make decisions.
     If the person scheduling the appointment is not going to be there when the tech is or is going to be unavailable for contact, having a secondary contact person - landlord, spouse, live-in partner, roommate, etc. - will avoid hassles about whether the repair needs to be done or the machine replaced.

9.  Payment method
     Make sure you are up front about your fees.  Is your customer paying cash, check, debit or credit card?  What if they only have American Express and you don't take that?  Best to get that sticky situation taken care of up front to avoid any miscommunications.

10.  Communication
       Is the tech that is going out for the repair able to communicate with the person that's going to be there?  If the customer doesn't speak the same language as your tech, it can be very frustrating trying to get questions asked and answered.  If there is going to be a language difference, either schedule a tech that can speak the same language or arrange with the customer to have someone available that can translate.


I believe that having all these questions asked and answered will make all service calls a lot less hassles for everyone involved. 

Have a great week all!

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

Monday Motivation

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

Friday Featured Client: Amco Appliance

Reprinted from: What's Cooking at W.L. May Co? Volume 1 Issue 9
You know you have built a successful service company when you're recognized on the streets of your community and are greeted by shouts of "For a Good, Job Rob". Rob Robbins was an employee of Amco Appliance when he and his wife Theresa purchased the business in 1973. For the last 39 years they have been servicing appliances from Anchorage to Peter's Creek, located at the foot of Chugach National Forest, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Rob and Theresa owe their substantial success to their internet presence. Over the last year, utilizing the internet, their business has actually tripled. While they realize the power of the internet, they believe it is actually a "double-edged sword". With the proliferation of do-it-yourself web pages, selling replacement parts as well, competition has become more prevalent. That is why they focus on providing superior service, which has built long term relationships with customers; consistently leading to repeat business, as well as referrals.

One of their concerns for the appliance service industry is the increased incidence of "disposable appliance" products. They believe manufacturers do not make appliances with the same quality as they once did. It used to be only the microwave was considered disposable. Now, with the decrease in quality, and the prohibitive replacement cost of electronic boards, they have found a decrease in actual repairs being performed.

When it's time for relaxation, Rob and Theresa can be found enjoying the scenic beauty of the Alaska territory. They enjoy many outdoor activities, whether it is fishing at Delong Lake, camping, or four-wheeling in Sutton, Alaska. One hobby Rob loves, seldom publicized in today's media, is his love of gold mining. He recently spent a week in Nome, AK watching the Discovery Channel film the "Bearing Sea Gold Rush", and sharpening his own skills. With gold prices as high as they are, it's a hobby that could actually pay for itself, and as we all know, that is quite rare.

If you would like YOUR company profiled as a featured client send an email to: rob.m@wlmay.com

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

Throwback Thursday: News Recap November 21, 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 some consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• Consumer Affairs talked about features in refrigerator designs. LINK
• Consumer Affairs shared 5 things to know when shopping for a washer or dryer. LINK
• Detroit News discusses some of the gizmos and features being introduced on high end appliances. And whether they are worth it. LINK

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

• Patent Bar Review explored recent patent applications from Whirlpool. Its an interesting view of the potential future. LINK
• The Washington Post had an online chat with GE Industrial Design director, Lou Lenzi,. LINK
• Electrolux began production in their new Memphis facility. LINK
• Whirlpool Corp. promoted Joseph Liotine, vice president of marketing for the North American region, to president of U.S. operations. LINK

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

• PC Mag made a plea to designers to come up with an in-refrigerator composter. LINK
• Hints from Heloise found us yet another use for the dishwasher. LINK
• We found this older article on Freshome showing a unique design for kitchen appliance from 2008 that features a combination range/dishwasher that remains hidden beneath a planter box.  LINK
• What happens when you run legos through a cycle on a washing machine? Serious science! Gizmodo explains. LINK
• Bloomberg Business Week reported on the appliance trends we will be seeing heading into 2014. LINK

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

• Forbes suggested that moving of manufacturing back into the US may not live up to the hype. LINK
• Facebook made a "small change" that could have a huge impact. LINK
• Field Service Blog examined some of the tech behind the "internet of things". LINK

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

W.L. May Wednesday: A Report From Our Branches: Crosley Cars

A great post from our Seattle Branch: 

When you hear the brand name Crosley, what do you think of? You think of a radios, refrigerators, washers & dryers; but how about cars?

Crosley made cars, as somewhat of a sideline, from 1939-1952. They shared in the pioneering of automobile technology back then with, among other things, being the first to:

Mass-market single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engines in 1946

Use of the term 'Sport Utility' in 1948

American sports car, the Hotshot in 1949

The Farm-O-Road model in 1950, precursor to the John Deer Gator

During World War II, the Crosley became attractive because of gasoline rationing and the good mileage it could achieve: 50 miles per US gallon. Crosley was the last company to cease production of civilian vehicles in 1942, partly to aid Crosley sales to facilitate fuel conservation, and partly because the War Production Board needed time to determine a use for Crosley's small factories. The factories converted to produce the very top secret Mark 53 radar AA proximity fuse.  This was so secret that it was taken to the Lunken Airport in unmarked trucks to be flown to its final destination.  When in combat they were only used on ships so they could not be captured by enemy troops. Civilian car production resumed in 1948.

Humphrey Bogart liked a two-cylinder Crosley, President Dwight D. Eisenhower  had a 1951 CD Surrey, while Boy George preferred a VS Super Sport.

Farm-O-Road

Military Pup

1949 Crosley Hotshot

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

Kelly's Korner - Brad's Perfect Traeger Turkey

Hey, All,

A few years ago, I was invited to my co-worker, mentor and honorary big brother's, Brad, for a get-together and he cooked a turkey on his Traeger that was THE best I'd ever had!  The white meat was so juicy and tender it melted in your mouth.  So he is sharing his recipe with me and you.

(Flicker/CC)

BRAD'S TERRIFIC TRAEGER TURKEY

 

Brine: In a large, clean bucket (Home Depot 5-gallon plastic bucket works great) that will completely submerge turkey, mix: 2 cups of the Traeger BBQ rub (or you can substitute 1-1/2 cups of salt,1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of black pepper) and mix with some water.

Add equal amounts of quartered oranges, lemons and limes (half the amount in bottom of bucket) squeezed so the juice gets into the brine.  Put in turkey bottom end up and add enough water to completely cover.  With long handle spoon stir mixture around turkey so all the spices get all in and around turkey and then add rest of citrus.

Now this needs to be in a cool place for 8-12 hours.  I know I don't have a refrigerator big enough to hold it so you can put it in a cool garage or outside.  Make sure it's covered to avoid being spilled or anything getting into it.  When you are ready to cook take it out of the brine and rinse well under running water.  Discard the brine and fruit.  Pat turkey dry and continue with rest of recipe.

Fill Traeger hopper with Apple pellets and turn on High to warm up.

Coat turkey with olive oil inside and out.  Cut up equal amounts of oranges, lemons and limes and stuff inside turkey both body cavity and neck area.   Sprinkle a light coat of Traeger's Pork and Poultry Shake or your own favorite rub over the turkey.

Cook turkey on High for about 10 minutes then turn to Smoke setting.  Cook for about 4 hours, misting the inside and outside of turkey with apple juice very frequently (Brad just used a squirter bottle) - every 20-30 minutes (to me this is what made it so juicy!).  Then turn Traeger to 325 degrees and cook until internal temp of turkey breast is 165-170 degrees.  Pull turkey off Traeger and let rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

Man, I am making myself HUNGRY!!!!  I have GOT to get me a Traeger!  And if you don't have one you can make yourself an early Christmas present of one.  Come see our selection.

Bon appetit, mes amis!  And Thank You, Brad, for sharing your great recipe!

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

Monday Motivation

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

Is Christmas Creep Good or Bad for the Repair Business?

Here we are in the middle of November. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is almost 2 weeks away. When I turn on the radio, or browse the internet I am seeing more and more ads for "holiday" sales. Every year it seems that the adverstising starts a little earlier. Journalists have dubbed this phenomenon "Christmas Creep".

To be clear, I love the holiday season and always enjoy making merry with friends and family in December. The decorations and music always make me happy-I am no Grinch! However, when I was younger, the annual holiday advertising onslaught began on Thanksgiving or the day after, and it just wasn't done to advertise for Christmas and the other holidays before them. Obviously, times have changed.

The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are traditionally some of the busiest times of the year in an appliance service company. Lately I have been pondering if this Christmas Creep is impacting the work flow of the appliance repair industry. It seems likely that moving the holidays to the front of consumers minds should increase foot traffic into the stores of those repair companies that are associated with an appliance dealership. That can't be a bad thing.

What does not seem so obvious to me is how the phenomenon might change the service world. As we see more holiday advertising, it seems that less promotion is being dedicated to Thanksgiving. Will that decline in Thanksgiving promotion cause a decline in the number of service calls in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving? I don't know. I have observed that with less reminders the last minute rush seems to be gaining momentum during the last few years. Is that the result of Christmas Creep? Or is technology and the increased speed of modern life the cause? Or could there be some other cause?

Regardless of the causes, there does seem to be more of a last minute aspect to the Thanksgiving than ever before. This leaves servicers with the challenge of anticipating those last minute needs, and making sure that they are ready to provide their customers with those late requests. If you are servicer reading this, now is the time to make sure you are ready with appropriate stock on hand. If you are a consumer reading this, do yourself and your servicer a favor. Call your repair company earlier rather than later. This will be one less thing to deal with just before your big feast.

Have you seen any changes that seem to be caused by Christmas Creep? Do you think that holiday adverstising should wait until after Thanksgiving? Or maybe, do you appreciate the reminders so you can start your gift shopping earlier? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

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

Are You Ready For Aunt Inga's Secret Thanksgiving Recipe? Is Your Range Hood Ready?

Creative Commons license on image.

As we get closer to Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, it seems like a good time to bring up an often overlooked part of kitchen prep. It seems obvious to consider the range and the dishwasher. It might even come to mind to make sure the icemaker is working. When was the last time the range hood filter was checked? If its been a while, then it might be time to give it once over. When Aunt Inga starts warming up her secret Thanksgiving recipe on the stovetop, you'll want to make sure you're getting the best ventilation possible.

Range hood filters need maintenance like most other types of filters do. Range hoods typically will have one of three styles of filter. They all deserve a little attention and the all are cared for differently.

The professional style or commercial range hoods often will have a baffle type filter. According to Broan, a leading manufacturer of range hoods, this style of filters are designed to handle high grease environments like might be found in a commercial kitchen. As a result they can go longer between cleanings. Broan suggests that these should be cleaned when they become dirty and unsightly. They are usually washable in a dishwasher.

Most home kitchens do not have professional style range hoods. For these more common hoods, the big difference is whether the hood vents to outside of the home or not. As a side note, Broan advocates the vented range hood as a superior product, because in a non-vented hood many particulates are extracted from any smoke, but some gets past the filter then can recirculate into the home.

When your hood vents to the outside of the home, you should have a relatively easy fix. The filter will likely be an aluminum mesh within a frame. Being all aluminum this can be washed in the dishwasher. Some other cleaning methods I have heard of include soaking the filter in hot water to loosen any cooked on grease, then scrub vigorously. I have also seen recommendations to warm the filter in the oven over low heat to loosen grease. If you take this approach be very careful not to burn yourself cleaning the hot filter. Some degreasing oven cleaner might also be good for breaking down any build up. Broan recommends cleaning these types of filter on a monthly basis.

If your range hoods does not duct outside of the home, you might be happy to hear that you can go 3-6 months before having to deal with the filter. The downside is that at that point the filter cannot be cleaned. It must actually be replaced. The carbon used to extract smoke particles become saturated and the filter loses it effectiveness at that point.

W.L. May stocks many of the most common sizes of filters, both the aluminum mesh type as well as the carbon type used for ductless range hoods. There are a wide variety of sizes used though. If it turns out your hood has a filter of an unusual size we can still help you. The filter manufacturer will make any size filter by dimension.

Only a few more weeks to go until Thanksgiving. I think I will pass on Aunt Inga's dish, but bring on the pumpkin pie!

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

Wednesday W.L.May Profile: Glyn Stubbs

Reprinted from: What's Cooking at W.L. May Co? Volume 1 Issue 12-Glyn Stubbs has never been one to just sit around and be lazy. A native Portlander, Glyn has been involved in many sports activities since his youth. A 1988 graduate of Benson High School, he played baseball, basketball, and his biggest passion, to this date, golf.

His father, a former professional golfer and tennis player, was instrumental in Glyn's developed passion for sports activities; in other words, the "fruit did not fall from the tree". Glyn developed and refined his golf game while playing 4 years in high school, and was granted a school letter his last 2 years.

Upon high school graduation, he moved to Arkansas, to attend the University of Arkansas, where he played golf for 2 years. With his Associates Degree in hand, Glyn went to work for Lowe's Home Improvement. Over a 10 year period, his hard work and dedication, led to him being named Store Manager of what, at the time, was the largest Lowe's store in their nationwide chain.        

Despite his successful career, Glyn could never squelch the "pull" he felt from home; he missed his friends and family. The pull became overwhelming and in 1999, he made the conscious decision to return to Portland; where his heart always knew was "home".

Once he returned to Portland, Glyn enrolled at Portland State University, and in 2004, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication. He landed what many sports fans would say is a dream job when he earned an internship with the Portland Trailblazers in their Media Relations Department. With all the success he enjoyed in life, it came as no surprise that the Trailblazers offered him a full-time position acting as the liaison for media relations for the visiting team; a job that found him at every home game roaming the halls or hanging out in the visitors' locker room. After a disastrous 2006 season, Glyn was the victim of downsizing as the Trailblazers slashed their staff in half, and he found himself seeking employment.

As a man with many talents, it didn't take him long to find another opportunity, and in March of 2006 he was hired by W.L. May Co in customer service. Over the last 6 years, Glyn has many achievements, but is most proud of the respect he has earned from his peers, as well as from the many customers he is responsible for providing superb support and service. When asked what his favorite part of his job was, without hesitation he stated it was working with the people on a daily basis. He values the friendships he has developed and looks forward to forging many new relationships as he moves forward. If you are in need of appliance research, or just need help with your golf game, give Glyn a call; he'll fix your swing and game in no time at all.

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

Kelly's Korner - New Items

Hey, All!

We've added some new accessory items that you may need, want or like.

The first is the Every Drop portable water filter by Whirlpool.  This is a portable water filter that you can stick in a backpack, car or camping stuff that comes in its own plastic holder.  It filters  hard, soft, warm and cold water.  One filter has a 60 gallon capacity and replaces 450 plastic water bottles per filter.  They come in two colours and are $22.99 retail and the replacement filter is $13.99:

Blue:  DBWL2SM1
White:  DWWL2SM1
Replacement Filter:  DWWC2S1

Because of the unique design of this filter, it will fit a water bottle, cup, glass or pitcher and filters water through way faster that anything else I've seen.  No need to hook up to your faucets in any way, and you can have one sitting next to every faucet in your house.  Makes a great gift, too!

A couple of other items you may find useful:

GE dishwasher side mounting kit - WX13X10001 - in case you have a countertop that you can't drill into to anchor your dishwasher.

Another dishwasher mounting kit - L304458800 - for use on those solid surface counters.  These have a super sticky backing that you can stick to the underside of your counter and then anchor your dishwasher.  We've used them here on our display models and they don't budge.

Next week:  More Traeger!

Have a great week!

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

Happy Veterans Day

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

Friday Fun: Maytag History and The Maytag Man

As parts suppliers we have always had a special fondness for Maytag Men. The Maytag Man is probably the most well known association many people have with the appliance service industry. There are a lot of fond memories service techs have shared with us of working with Maytag before the company was acquired by Whirlpool. For those of you with Maytag nostalgia or a fondness for the Maytag Man, we hope you enjoy this video as much as we did. It is a little long, so give yourself 15 minutes to watch it. It has some great old pictures, clips from commercials and interviews with folks in the Maytag advertising department discussing the history of this iconic advertising character. Enjoy!



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

Throwback Thursday: News Recap November 7, 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 some consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• CTV jumped on the "scary things about your appliances" bandwagon that seems to roll out around Halloween. Link
• In a less "scary" vein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette had some helpful tips for cleaning appliances. Link
• Buffalo News pondered the old classic "repair or replace" question. Link
• Tribune-Review shared their cleaning tips to eliminate germs in the kitchen. Link
• Ask Anna gave some instructions for cleaning stainless steel. Link 
• Sears site My Managed Life gave advice for avoiding appliance "disasters" during the Holiday Season. Link
• Home Advisor shared some tips for fixing a "leaking" refrigerator. Link
• Style Caser showed some items to be machine washable, despite their "dry clean only" label. Link

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

• Whirlpool introduced the Everydrop water filter. Able to go anywhere this is a great looking product and we have them on hand for you to try. Link
• There was some bad news about Whirlpool September sales.  Link
• GE also suffered a little bit of a set back. Link

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

• New Philadelphia Times-Reporter told the story of how a washing machine was invented by a pastor, because 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness". Link
• Country Life shared some usual uses for dishwashers. Link
• Fire /EMS Blogs showed how they use old refrigerators for condfined area training for Fire fighters and EMT. Best use for an old appliance we have seen yet. Link
• The Tomahawk told us how "laundry day" was in the times before the automatic washing machine. Link
• For $100,000 you could have this music box set that actually comes in a refrigerator. (No really, we can't make this stuff up!) Link
• KERO Bakersfield shed some light on why today's stainless isn't the same as it used to be. Link

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

• Vertical Response Blog shared some tips for social media promotions. Link
• CyberBiz described a scenario where smart appliances could cause trouble on the internet. Link
• Forbes talked about the virtual trail we leave behind us in some modern vehicles. Link

We close with a couple of fun stories:

• TribToday.Com posed the question: An alien offers you a Magic Washing Machine that automatically washes, dries, folds and puts away all your laundry for the rest of your life. But you need to give up 10 points of your IQ. Do you take the deal? The writer has his own solution to the dilemna. Link
• Seattle Home Inspector, Charles Buell  suggested he would rather appliances uses names rather than  model numbers. Link

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

Web Tools Wednesday: The Importance of Original Content

Creative Commons license on image.

Here at W.L. May, we are seeing the marketplace shift in some dramatic ways in a very short time. We have chosen to take a stance of educating our customers to help them address those challenges. That is why we so strongly support the technical and business training opportunities being offered by the United Servicers Association, as well as providing information to help your business via this blog, Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

It has been fun to watch as many of our clients have developed their own social media strategies, often with great success. We have seen some companies gaining greater prominence in their communities which is reflected in their adding technicians and growing their businesses. It is our desire that our efforts here have been helpful to you in providing inspiration or information to share with your customers, we even hope you have been having fun along the way. We do wish that for you.

As more and more companies begin their own forays into the world of social media. This seems like a good time to talk about original content. This can be a confusing issue when discussing social media because social sharing is at the core of how sites like Facebook work. For the rest of the article I will be using Facebook as my examples but the points are true for whichever social media platform you are using.

Sharing is a good thing to do when you come across an item that you think your page followers would find of interest. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it though. I have seen some companies that will go so far as to cut and past entire articles as their status posts. I have even seen posts like these that claim the were written by the poster, when a quick search shows the post to be a preexisting article. This is a really bad idea. You will be getting the information out there, but you are also exposing yourself to the potential of lawsuit for copyright infringement.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself that there is plenty of that sort of copy and paste thing happening on the internet every where you look and no one is going to notice if I just copy the text as if it were my own. You may be right, so far. The truth is, a search of Google did not lead to any stories of successful lawsuits for plagiarism in Facebook. Lawsuits have been filed against some blogs though. As a business owner, you are always the target of a certain breed of lawyers. Why give them something to work with?

The best method is either to take the article and rewrite it yourself, in your own words, and with your own opinions mixed in. The is not the most original approach but it still leaps and bounds above directly cutting and pasting. As those of you who follow W.L.May on the social networks know, we prefer to offer a link directly to the article. Best is a comment to go with the link explaining why you find it of interest. This allows the writer to recieve credit for their article being read. Since many writers are paid by the number of people who visit their page this is a way of letting them get their due for helping you with your marketing efforts.

When it comes to pictures, it is perfectly acceptable to "share" a picture that someone else has posted. However, if you choose to post a picture yourself again it is wise to make sure that you own the rights to the picture. There are numerous sources of free images you can use or you can take pictures yourself to use. Don't just copy a picture from Google images and use that. Those pictures are often copyright protected and again leave you vulnerable to lawsuit. Some photographers have been successful in suing for images being used on blogs and settlements have been fairly large. Why take the chance?

There are considerations to be made about the style of your posts: personal or business like, how often to talk about yourself or your company, whether you should talk about religion and politics. All of these things can have a huge impact on your success using social media. But that will have to wait for a future post. Have a great day and happy servicing.

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

Kelly's Korner - Traeger Smoker Barbeque's

Hey, All!

Wow, it is November already!  Where has the time gone?  And now comes the holidays and all the joys and frustrations those bring.

Are you looking for something a little bit different for your holiday meals?  Have you ever had anything cooked on a Traeger barbeque?  In my opinion, these are the best barbeques - by far! - over any of the others, whether gas or charcoal, out there. 

Traegers are electric smoker/barbeques that have a hopper that feeds flavored wood pellets into the burning chamber to cook your food.  It gives the food a wonderful smoky flavor that is out of this world!  And because the burning chamber is covered, there is a very small chance of the flame ups that you get with gas and charcoal.  They are rated as a smoker vs barbeque so if you have restrictions where you live regarding barbeques then you may be able to have one of these.

If you have a one stove kitchen like I do, then timing and space are very limited when getting that holiday dinner together.  So free up your oven of that turkey, prime rib or whatever you cook for the holidays, and cook them on the Traeger.

W L May is an authorized Traeger dealer and we have the smokers, pellets, sauces and rubs and other accessories here.  Come on down and check them out - you will find yourself cooking on this more than you will your stove - summer or winter!  And if you come down on a Friday, chances are that we have ours going and are cooking up something for you to sample.

So come on by anytime and check out these exceptional Traeger barbeques - I will be posting other things - recipes, helpful tips, etc., throughout the holiday time so keep an eye out.  And if anyone is wondering what to get me for my birthday/Christmas - I'll take one of these!

Have a great week!

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

Motivation Monday

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

Friday Facts: Five Essential Stock Items for November

Creative Commons license on image.

We at W.L. May hope that you had a nice Halloween last night with plenty of tricks and treats and we also hope that you are enjoying the fall colors in your local area. With Halloween behind us, a glance at the calendar reminds us that we are heading into  the holiday season with Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away. When the pages of the calendar turns to November, the calls begin to come in for ranges. Unlike most of the year, when more recent appliances are the usual service call request, during Thanksgiving time people have a tendency to evoke nostalgia and go with what has always worked to create a memorable holiday. Often, this means an old range. Many of the more universal range parts are those found on electric ranges and that is what we will be concentrating on here. However, if you are in an area with more gas appliances you'll want to make sure you have an adequate supply of igniters on hand.

How can you be prepared, as a servicer, for those electric range calls? As we have previously stressed on this blog, you want to minimize return trips so a stock of "universal" parts for ranges can do wonders for your efficiency during the holiday season. So what should you have ready to go? Here are a few suggestions:

• Bake and Broil elements. This is probably the most common request we get during Thanksgiving season every year. Sure, we stock a lot of elements, but you'll want to have some on hand yourself. We recommend reviewing your service history and at least make sure you have the most common ones on hand. If you have a brand that is particularly well represented in your area, you might want to include a few less common elements from that brand as well. If you need some suggestions, ask your W.L. May parts expert. We would be happy to help.
• Surface Elements. Many ranges uses the same standard surface elements. Having these in your truck can mean the difference between completing a call and going back later. Whether you decide to use OEM surface units or a generic version, make sure you have some on hand.
• Burner Receptacles. Don't forget that sometimes replacing a surface element also means replacing the receptacle. Again, many use the same receptacles. Don't let yourself be caught short.
• Universal Thermostat and Surface Switches. We recommend using the OEM specified thermostats and switchs whenever possible. However on some old ranges they thermostat may be out of production. If that is the case a universal thermostat may save the day. We also stock a few universal switches that could come in handy on these older machines.
• Drip Pans and Cleaners. The holidays are a time for entertaining and many people see this as an opportunity to spruce up and do some extra cleaning in the kitchen. If you are prepared with cleaning solutions and replacement drip pans, you may be surprised to find customers eager for those items. Beware of you own bias here. You might not be inclined to replace stained drip pans on your own range, however many customers appreciate the opportunity to replace their own drip pans. If you have them on hand, you can spare your customer from trying to find pans that fit (and probably don't) at their local big box store and , by the way, you will be increasing your own bottom line as well. Win-win!

The holidays also have a tendency so increase calls for dishwashers, icemakers, and trash compactors. Consider how you can prepare yourself with pieces for those items as well. We look forward to helping you solve some of the mysterious old appliance parts problems as you work your way to a delicious turkey dinner (or Tofurkey if you are so inclined). Just give us a call and we would be glad to help. So what do you find to be an essential stock item at this time of year? Please, let us know in the comments.

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