Friday Morning Videos: A Tiny Breakfast

Have you ever heard of Kawaii cooking? It started in Japan and then spread throughout the world, primarily via YouTube videos. The style of cooking is to make tiny reproductions of full sized food, todays examples do that on a functional dollhouse, candle powered, range. I have two videos to share with you today that use the technique. First we have a simple bacon and egg breakfast, then we follow that with the incredibly elaborate Thanksgiving dinner. If you decide to try Kawaii cooking yourself we would love to see what kind of creations you come up with.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kibnTjGehAU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM8TUFo6RP0

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

Throwback Thursday: News Recap February 26, 2015

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. So without further ado:

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

• What is in your refrigerator can say a lot about you according to this expert. LINK
• Modern appliances require a little different care than the ones you might have grown up with. LINK
• Networx offered us some tips for maintaining the performance of your dishwasher. LINK
• The Observer gave us an example of why appliances should not be run when no one is home. LINK
• If you are looking at buying a refrigerator, this clip from the Today show might be helpful. LINK
• A follow up to an article about a needed a washing machine purchase that we posted last year. The writer is happy with his choice. LINK
• Workout clothes have special needs. This article explains. LINK

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

• Whirlpool ran an ad during the Grammy Awards that was quite a success. LINK
• The LG/Samsung legal drama continued. LG's head of Home appliances was indicted for vandalism. Meanwhile LG released video showing the "vandalism" as it occurred. LINK
• Brand channel interviewed Whirlpool Brand Manager Jon Hall about the companies "Every Day, Care" campaign. LINK
• The CEO of Electrolux talked to Louisville business people about the future of GE's Appliance Park in Louisville, KY. LINK
• In an interesting development, GE is sending 20,000 customers kits to retrofit their refrigerators into "smart refrigerators". LINK

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

• Treehugger illustrated an idea for a pedal powered washing machine. LINK
• Several months ago we shared a story about a man in the Middle East who put a refrigerator outside of his home to feed needy passers-by. Some students in Davis, CA did the same thing, until the health department shut them down. LINK
• National Geographic applied their photography skills to refrigeration. LINK
• Would You walk across Ireland with a refrigerator strapped to your back? This guy would...for charities sake. LINK

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

• In a story that was lacking many details, Latino Fox News told us about a new detergent created by Mexican entrepreneurs. LINK
• Wired explained how computer boards are also an issue the world of farm equipment. LINK
• According to this news report an Iranian inventor has invented a heat exchange refrigerator. I'm confused. Doesn't refrigeration work by heat exchange already? LINK

We close with a few fun stories:

• Sometimes all it takes is a broken appliance, to realize how much we have. LINK
• The cure for washday blues? Laundry room daydreaming. LINK
• Wash your blue jeans by putting them in the freezer? Never! Says this farmer. LINK

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

Wednesday W.L.May Profile: Nate Oman

This is the part of the blog where we share a little about ourselves. Today we would like to introduce you to one of the people that help provide you with our famously fast and accurate customer service.

Name?
Nate Oman

Job Title?
Warranty/Parts Inspector

Where did you grow up?
NE Portland

How long have you been with W.L. May?
I started at W.L. May on Oct. 30,2006

What did you do prior to joining W.L. May?
I did did moving and was an interior painter.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?
I like Cycling, playing guitar ,creating art ,hiking/camping/fishing, and cooking

To what do you credit your success?
I credit my success to thinking outside the box, trying to treat others the way I'd like to be treated, and adapting to diverse situations and scenarios to get what needs to be done accomplished efficiently.

What do you like about working at W.L. May?
I like working at WL May because we are a family here and I enjoy being presented with new challenges everyday and working with people.
         
Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry?
I guess the piece of advice I would have is that people should try to be attentive to customer needs and always adapt and do the best job you can do-whatever that job may be (Appliances or life). Any job worth doing is worth doing well!!

Can you share something most people do not know about you? 
I am very interested in Ancient Civilization History, quantum physics, string theory, and I can make a mean Mango Chutney!

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

Kelly's Korner - Appliance Decorating

Hey, there!

So you have this big, white refrigerator in your kitchen - what do you have stuck on it?  A few pictures that your kids drew, decorative magnets, recipes?  Pretty much a refrigerator is a blank canvas waiting for inspiration.  Here are some ideas to spruce it up.

Creative Commons license on image.

Take all those pictures you have stored on your phone or computer and print them on magnets.  You can buy sheets of magnetic paper that will go through your printer.  Spend some time arranging several on a sheet and print, then cut them out and stick them to your fridge.  You can even get some inexpensive plastic frames and glue magnets on the back to frame them.

You can also use the frame idea for kids' artwork - makes it a lot neater looking hanging on the fridge.

If you have one or two sides of your fridge exposed, assign portions to each family member for memos, notes and reminders or you can find magnetic dry erase boards and make your own notification center.

Duct tape comes in a wide variety of sizes, colours and patterns.  Get creative and make stripes and patterns to compliment your decor.  Check out contact paper.  There is lots of variety there, too.  And it makes a nice background for the pictures and artwork.  Get tired of it?  Just strip it off, wipe it down with a bit of Goo-Gone and put something else on there.  Wow!  Just checked out this site and it's got TONS of interesting stuff!

http://themegalomaniacmommy.com/give-refrigerator-makeover-diy/

Pinterest had a ton of ideas that you can peruse.  Caution:  Pinterest is very addicting!  Set yourself a time limit!  You can get lost on that website and spend HOURS just looking at stuff!

If you are really artistic, get your acrylic paints out and get your artist on.

Then, when you got it all figured out, do a mini/matching version for your dishwasher.  Have fun!  Your imagination is your only limitation.

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~ Helen Keller

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

Friday Featured Client: Zajic Appliance

Once a month we feature a client on this blog. It's way of saying thank you for allowing us the opportunity to help with a companies success, also it is a way of showing positive community involvement from the appliance service industry. We have found that there are a lot of unsung heroes in the appliance business, we want the world to know that. If YOUR business has had more success due to our help, or if your company is doing great things in your community, we would love to know about and share it with the world. To be featured email me at rob.m@wlmay.com.

Name?
Christopher Zajic

Company?
Zajic Appliance Service and Sales

Contact Info:
Zajicappliance.com
zajicapp@yahoo.com

Where did you grow up?
Sacramento, CA

How long in the trade?
30 plus years, life long.  Grew up helping at the business and got into the management after college.

How long in your current company?
Life long.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?
Family time is first and besides that I enjoy following sports on TV and participating in sports myself.

To what do you credit your success?
Top customer service.  Always being available to put out fires.

What do you like about doing business with W.L. May?
Incredible customer service.  All concerns are met promptly and accurately.  We can count on W L May to be dependable, day in and day out.

Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry?
Always call people back, even if you don't have an answer for them yet.  Let them know you are working on their issue and they haven't been put on the back burner.

Can you share something with us that not many people would know?
Zajic Appliance was founded when Breuners got out of the appliance service trade.  Also, Zajic means "rabbit" or "hare" in Czech and is our family name.

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

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

Thursday Trivia Challenge

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

Questions
1. According to the Institute for Energy Research, as of 2009 what is the number on source of electricity in Oregon?
2. If a person washed and dryed one load of clothes a day, how long would it take to do one days laundry for Walt Disney World?
3. What famous appliance made its debut in 1927?
4. What does an airman have with him if he is carrying his laundry bag?
5. From 2001-2008 stainless steel appliances grew in popularity. Do you know what the percentage increase in industry wide sales was?
6. How many loads of laundry does the average US family do in a week?
7. There is a universal drain heater that inserts into a refrigerator drain line to prevent the line freezing over. What is it's part number?
8. What year was the first artificial refrigeration demonstration?


Answers
1. Hydroelectric power. Primarally from dams on the Columbia River. (Source:
http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/media/state-regs/pdf/Oregon.pdf)

2. 44 Years. Every day the laundry department washes 285,000 PLUS 30,000 to 32,000 garments are dry cleaned daily. (Source: http://laundry.about.com/od/laundrybasics/tp/Interesting-Laundry-Facts-And-Trivia.htm)

3.The GE Monitor Top refrigerator and the direct drive dishwasher were both introduced that year. (Source: http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/downloads/kitchens_of_tomorrow_today.pdf)

4. His parachute. In military slang a parachute is called a laundry bag.

5. 425% (Source: http://www.geappliances.com/build-with-ge/downloads/kitchens_of_tomorrow_today.pdf)

6. 8-10 loads. (Source: http://laundry.about.com/od/laundrybasics/tp/Interesting-Laundry-Facts-And-Trivia.htm)

7. SH250

8. 1748 (Source: http://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Major-History-The-Refrigerator-And-Freezer.aspx)

Scoring
O-2 correct: You know a bit about appliances, but still have a lot to learn.
2-4 correct: You know a fair amount about appliances.
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!

This is a monthly feature. To submit your appliance trivia questions (and answers) email: rob.m@wlmay.com with the subject line "trivia".

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

Kelly's Korner - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Laundry Room....

Hey, All,

You may think that your appliances are no nonsense, straight forward parts of your home and there is nothing funny about them.  But, at almost 14 years on this job, I have seen and heard some hilarious things.

Pets seem to be attracted to appliances - maybe it's the warmth or darkness or that their owners just can't find them - but I have had some of our techs find pet snakes (and some that weren't pets!) inside washers and dryers.  But if you don't have a pet snake but some other small pet that has disappeared, check your appliances!

Provided by Misty at Miller's Appliance
in Klamath Falls, OR

A tech was called out about a dryer that wouldn't shut off even when unplugged.  The tech arrived to find out what the heck was going on and found an electric toothbrush had been jammed in the lint trap by the owner's toddler and was buzzing against the metal of the dryer.

Captured!

A lady fell asleep on her floor and her robotic vacuum thought her hair was dirt and started sucking it up - took four rescue people to get her out of that.

And then there was the guy who called me because his teenage boys had gotten in a fight and a chair was thrown (if you have or had teenage boys, this is a common occurance - I had 3!) and the glass on his oven door got busted.  I suggested a sweet revenge and asked him how long it had been since under the stove was cleaned with a toothbrush....he jumped on that idea and I think those boys probably ended up scrubbing under every appliance in the house!

There are little gremlins that live in everything - they'll have the machine or car or whatever do weird things until the tech is there to take a look at it - then it runs perfectly!

If you have some funny appliance stories, I would love to hear them!  Email me at kelly.m@wlmay.com if you'd like to share.

Have a great week!

Happy Presidents Day

ASTI 2015 Recap

Another great ASTI (Appliance Service Technical Institute) is wrapping up in New Orleans. As usual, the United Servicers Association provided a great program.

Attendees were treated to training classes on everything from basic appliance training to advanced brand and model specific sessions. Classes and discussions on business management helped service companies address changes in business techniques and marketing as the world continues in digital evolution.

For fun, skills competitions were held, Mardis Gras parades passed the hotel, and the French Quarter was just blocks away with all of New Orleans famous hospitality at attendees disposal.

Todd and Trev attended to represent W.L. May and did send us some pictures of their experiences. Those of you who visit our social media sites may have already seen these.

The Showroom Floor

Todd Talking to Few Booth Visitors

Skill Competitions Included a Door Rebuilding Speed Contest

Justin Duby from Just-In Time Appliance Repair In Grants Pass, OR

The French Quarter At Night

Todd With Mardis Gras Beads and a Big Smile

Todd Enjoying a Cool Beverage Before Coming Back Home To Portland

Todd asked me to share how invigorating the experience always is for him. He always enjoys seeing other folks in our business in a more relaxed environment. But what he likes the best is when he sees a person at their first ASTI.  When he sees them making the realization that United Servicers Association is sharing so many useful skills it makes him proud to be involved in bringing such a positive event to the industry.

For Trev, it was his first ASTI. He was also quite impressed with the knowledge that was being shared by so many participants from the United Servicers Association. As a side note, he pointed out that he really enjoyed that the event was in New Orleans this year because the food was just so delicious everywhere they went in that city.

We hope to see YOU at next years ASTI and at the Fall regional meetings later this year.  Until then have a great Spring and Summer.

Throwback Thursday: News Recap February 12, 2015

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. So without further ado:

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

• If you think you know how to load a dishwasher, this article may surprise you. LINK
• Some low water ways to keep clothing fresh. LINK

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

• Electrolux announced new logos, or as they call a it, a new visual brand identity. LINK
• USA Today seems to like everything about this Frigidaire, except maybe the price tag. LINK

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

• Here is sort of a crazy idea-imagine a dishwasher, disposal, kitchen table, and the dishes all rolled into one unit. LINK

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

• Did you know that they clean parts of the Large Hadron Collider with a dishwasher? Well, sort of...LINK
• IP Watchdog gives us a roundup of recent patent applications made by Whirlpool. LINK

We close with a few fun stories:

• A broken dishwasher leads to a New Years resolution, which ultimately leads to a new dishwasher. LINK
• Even if you disagree with him about the quality of the brands mentioned, it is a funny story. LINK

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

Under the Weather

On the Mend
 (Flickr user Robert Couse-Baker/CC)

Over the last few weeks, I have been fighting a battle with the flu that led me to pneumonia. Not a pretty picture. Reflecting during my recovery, a few thoughts came to mind.

It may seem like I am about to give a lecture on immunization. I'm not. W.L. May is an appliance parts company. We are professionals at appliances and their parts, but when it comes to medical advice, I will leave that up to the professionals in the medical community.

Being off the job for any length of time is always challenging. It becomes more so when you really have no notice.

I have long been an advocate of periodic down town to charge your batteries and keep your enthusiasm levels high. Generally, that means vacations. Vacations can be quite do-able with some preparation.

Similarly, if you were to be taken down for a few weeks due to illness, good preparation can help minimize the impact. In a perfect world, you might have co-workers that can step up and take up the slack.

If you are a "one man show" you may have to be a little more creative. This is where having a bit of a savings account can be helpful. A common recommendation is to have 3-6 months worth of wages in savings to account for "rainy days". By now, a lot of you may be rolling your eyes thinking that just paying the bills doesn't leave room for saving.

I understand. A dollar just doesn't stretch as far as it used to, Remember that bit about co workers taking up the slack? Maybe there is another servicer in your area that would be willing to give a hand. Consider cultivating relationships like that when you are healthy.

How do you handle unexpected absences? As a guy who has always been a worker bee and not a business owner, I can only comment on what I see others doing. What do you do? We'd love it if you shared your ideas in the comments.

One last thing, while you are healthy take a moment. Give your loved ones a hug let them know how important they are to you.

Stay healthy, we are all in this together.

Kelly's Korner - I GOT A TRAEGER!!!

Hey, All,

Yippee, hurray, with a happy dance thrown in there - after years of throwing my name in the ring at our company functions for the Traeger barbeque, I FINALLY won!!!!  More happy dances!

The first problem I ran into - how do I get this home?  I thought maybe dropping the top of my VW bug convertible and set it in the back seat, but that didn't work.  Good thing my kids' friends have bigger vehicles and Elissa dropped by work and took it to my house in her SUV.  Yay!

So now I have it home, and with me reading the instructions and Kevin (#2 son) doing all the work, (ha, I've got them trained well, right?) we got it put together.

Bryan (#1 son) spent hours on the computer watching Youtube videos, Alton Brown shows, and other sites collecting advice, tips and recipes to try out on the Traeger.  Our first meal cooked on it was boneless pork chops.  Bryan marinated them in his own concoction and tossed them on the grill - YUM!  Moist, flavorful and just plain yummy!

So, Thursday night he put a pork roast in a brine overnight and Friday smoked it on the Traeger for pulled pork sandwiches, plus some sweet peppers and onions to munch on for dinner.  Total heaven!  It was soooo good!

I have a feeling we are going to be spending a lot of money on meat!  And hardly ever using the oven again.  Bryan is brining a turkey today that is going on the grill tomorrow - can't wait!  As soon as he gives me the recipes he's using I will post them.

To find out more about Traeger barbeques, read my previous post, or better yet, come on down to W L May and buy one for yourself - you'll never have another barbeque!

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - Now What?

Hey, All,

Well, holidays are done, the Super Bowl is over and not much till look forward to till Memorial weekend.  The winter blahs are setting in.

So what to do?  Well, now is a good time to get all those little projects you've been wanting to do done.  Get started on spring cleaning.  Call your favorite tech to come give your appliances a checkup.

Creative Commons license on image.

Usually, February, March and part of April is a slow time for repair technicians - people are doing their taxes and don't want to spend any money until they find out if they are getting money back or not.  But now is a good time to call and get on your tech's schedule.  Maybe you are not having any real problems, but it doesn't hurt for them to come and do an all appliance checkup - have your furnace looked at, too!  It has been running all winter and probably could do with a filter change.

Home and Garden shows are going to be starting up and if you are earmarking some of that tax return for new appliances, now is the time to start doing your research and figuring out what you want to buy.

Clean out a closet a weekend.  If you are not buried under snow and you have a few nice days, get out and start doing some preliminary yard work.  Get your lawnmower and other yard power tools cleaned up and tuned up for when the real work starts.

Beat those blahs by getting you nest in order for the busy summer seasons - I've started mine!  So get some good music on, marshal your family, assign tasks and clean on!

Have a great week!