Kelly's Korner - Buying Used Appliances -Caveat Emptor!

Hey, All,

While I think all of us would like to buy everything brand new, sometimes it is either not in our personal budgets or you just don't want to spend the cash or have the payments for new.

Buying used appliances is much like buying new - do your research!  If you have the time to shop a bit, find out what is the most dependable, easy to maintain, older appliances out there.  Check your usual sources; online, friends and relatives, and your friendly appliance repair tech.  If you have to get a used appliance in a hurry (personal experience:  power outage killed the compressor in my refrigerator and it was too old to fix and on a weekend to boot - luckily I know people!) I would steer clear of want ads.

Why?  Sometimes, and I've heard horror stories here at work, people lie.  I know, hard to believe, but that little whine in that front load washer you just picked up for $100 is actually the rear bearing going out and it's going to cost you about 10 times that to fix - that's why the previous owner was getting rid of it.  Yeah, it works great now but not for much longer!  It is a definite buyer beware situation!

Creative Commons license on image.

I would contact either your appliance tech and see if they sell reconditioned appliances, or find out a company that does.  A lot of times people upgrade their appliances or remodel, and their old appliances are fine but don't fit into the new spaces or decor, so they have to get rid of them.  Sometimes they will sell them in the want ads, but also they may call someone to haul them away.  Oft times, the company selling them the new appliances will install the new and haul away the old.  They then will either refurbish and resell themselves or auction/sell them to others who do the refurbishing.

These companies will go over these used appliances and determine whether they are worth refurbishing or destined to the scrap yard.  They will clean them inside and out and replace parts (belts, rollers, seals, refrigerator door bars and end caps, drawers, hoses, etc.) and make sure the appliance is in good working condition before they let it out the door.  They will even often some sort of warranty on it.

So, if you are looking for a second refrigerator for the garage, or on a tight budget, be as careful at buying a used appliance as you would buying a used car.

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

(Flickr user Tony Fischer/CC)

Friday Morning Videos; The Real Whirled

Whirlpool believes in having a well trained sales staff. This video talks about The Real Whirled, Whirlpool's 10 week training program.



For more from 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. How much revenue is generated annually by the appliance repair industry as of October 2013?
2. Kitchenaid's first product was a dishwasher T or F?
3. What disease was instrumental in developing the first practical system for refrigeration?
4. What appliance maker is headquartered in East Tamaki, New Zealand?
5. What decade saw the introduction of Freon as a refrigerant?
6. What is the average load capacity for a clothes dryer in the United States?
7. What year was the first practical refrigeration system debuted?
8. What kitchen appliance is often recommended for use when tie dyeing?


Answers
1. 4 Billion dollars (Source: IBIS World http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1710)

2. False-their first product was the tabletop mixer. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KitchenAid)

3. Yellow Fever. The system was designed to create ice to ease  patients suffering. (Source: http://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Major-History-The-Refrigerator-And-Freezer.aspx)

4. Fisher Paykel (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_%26_Paykel)

5. The 1920's (Source: http://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Major-History-The-Refrigerator-And-Freezer.aspx)

6. 11 lbs. (Source: http://www.homeguide411.com/blog/ten-interesting-facts-about-home-appliances-87.htm)

7. 1844 (See question 3)(Source: http://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Major-History-The-Refrigerator-And-Freezer.aspx)

8. Microwave Oven (Source: http://listverse.com/2013/01/16/10-household-appliances-with-surprising-alternative-uses/)

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

Three Types of Repair Companies

(Flickr user 401K 2012/CC)

How is your business doing? Are you happy with your current level of success? Would you like to to be more profitable?

We want you to succeed. In fact, your success is vital to our own. From this side of the counter we often see businesses in one of three stages: growing, holding on, or falling behind. We also see a lot of the same factors helping determine where a company might fall in that spectrum. Lets looks a little closer.

Growing. Even during the height of the economic downturn. some appliance repair companies managed to grow and expand. While each of those companies have their own style and approach to service, they also have a lot in common. Most of them are aware of how the Internet has changed marketing and have adjusted accordingly. They did not do this without help. Many of them also utilized training offered by the United Servicer Association. These companies also make time to keep up with new products and attend product training whenever it is available.

Holding On. The companies that we see holding on are not expanding their businesses. Occasionally they will take advantage of training opportunities if they are convenient enough to attend. These companies may need more training in Internet marketing. Sometimes they are learning new products on the job, wasting valuable time in the process.  They might also be losing time by not keeping a big enough inventory of parts on hand, resulting in return trips that cost both time and vehicle expenses. Not everyone that is just holding on is lacking in skills, though. Sometimes retirement is close by and they have no exit plan. They are willing to go out of business when they retire, leaving them with no desire or need to grow their business.

Falling behind. Sadly, we see some companies falling a little farther behind each year. These are the toughest cases to watch. Often these companies declined opportunities for further skills, either mechanically or digitally. They tend to blame the economy. Many times there is an avoidance of anything resembling a computer. By avoiding jobs involving computer boards, and pinning their hopes on the phone book ads that used to work so well, they find themselves with fewer and fewer jobs. These are the people that need to hear what the successful companies are doing. Unfortunately, they are the same people who will probably never even see this post.

If you want to be one of those "growing" companies, it is up to you to keep your skills up to date. To help you achieve that goal, W.L. May will be sponsoring and attending the ASTI (Appliance Service Training Institute). The event will be held in New Orleans, LA from Feb. 8-12th. Classes will be offered not only on product training, but also on business and Internet marketing. We hope we see you there!

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

Kelly's Korner - Kitchen Fires

Hey, All,

I was cruising the web for ideas for this blog and came across this tidbit that I'd thought I'd pass along.

Did you know that unattended cooking is the number one contributor to home fires in the US?  Wow.  I mean, how could that happen?  You are always there in the kitchen, right?  Whoops, the doorbell rings and no one else is available to answer it.  Gotta go answer a call of nature - only going to take a sec, right?  Kids get into a major tussle and you're the only referee available.  Great grandma decides she's going to make some soup and then forgets what's she's doing and leaves the kitchen.  Kids decide they're going to "help" Mom and cook they're own dinner.

Creative Commons license on image.

All recipes for disaster, right?  The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) announced in October that they have a plan to help reduce the potential for unattended cooking fires. This will encompass all cooktops and ranges - not only conventional coil tops, but gas, glass and induction.

There are several things you can do to reduce the chances of a cooking fire.  First of all would be to KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING!  Do not ever leave things on the stovetop without turning off the burner and removing whatever you have off the cooktop.  You don't really need to turn the burners onto HIGH - it may take a bit longer, but lower settings will cook just as well.  Teach your children kitchen safety.  Make sure there is a fire extinguisher handy and in good working condition and everyone knows how to use it.  Many times just putting a lid on the pan that's flared up will kill the flames.  Dumping baking soda on flames works also.  DON'T EVER PUT WATER ON A KITCHEN FIRE!!!  If the fire is grease-based water will only spread the flames and you never put water on anything electric.  Call 911 immediately and get everyone out of the house if you have a fire.  Even if you get it put out, there may be other factors involved and your heroic firefighters will check everything out.

Now if you have a conventional coil range or cooktop, WL May has a solution for you now.  We have a product call Safe T Elements that can be installed on most stoves.  What this kit is are cast iron plates attached to the elements that are hooked up to a computer board that regulates the temperature of the burners.  You can actually put a piece of paper between the burner and your pan and turn it on and the paper will not burn but your water will still be boiling.  These are great in any kitchen - especially if you have children or elderly people who are a bit forgetful.  I know that many multi-family complexes are installing these.  They do need to be installed by a qualified technician and we can help you with that.  Cost of this kit is approximately $190 suggested retail, not including installation, and come in either 2 and 2 or 3 and 1 configurations (2 large and 2 small burners or 3 small and 1 large).  Isn't this a small cost to pay for the peace of mind of not having your home and loved ones endangered by a house fire?

The first of the year is a great time to check all fire extinguishers and batteries on your smoke detectors.  Get yours checked now!

Have a great (and safe!) week!

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

Monday Motivation