Thirty-five years ago, on-site appliance repair service was the only game in town except for toasters, irons, and miscellaneous household appliances people brought to the shop for repair. Almost every small town had at least one “repair shop” specializing in well, everything.
During the 1980s I noticed manufacturers paid more attention to their field training and insisted techs were better trained. Yes, I’ve been doing this a while! Up to this point, good training, aside from what was available at the dealer level, was lacking.
The 1990s ushered in advancements in electronics and the appliance industry saw many changes. Microelectronics meant better efficiency, more features, and better looks to boot. The changes required knowledgeable technicians and a new era of technicians emerged.
Manufacturers trained their techs better and demanded a high level of expertise for certification, or permission, to work on their products. For consumers, the training helped convince them to trust technicians working on their now expensive appliances.
Rise of Repair Costs
With the new, fancy appliances came higher price tags and even higher repair costs. The appliance repair service industry changed from groups of inexperienced technicians into larger groups of intelligent and specially trained techs.
The new group of techs have advanced troubleshooting skills and specialized knowledge of appliances. With this knowledge comes a higher price, however. The higher price is justified by the level of knowledge and experience of technicians, and the higher cost of parts, especially electronic PC boards.
I think it’s a good thing most techs have advanced skills, great training, and plenty of work. But, as a consumer, does the fact techs have these new skills benefit you? I think the answer is yes, with a few exceptions.
All of us who own appliances know from experience nothing lasts forever (anymore, that is). When the time comes for that dreaded repair, would you rather be inconvenienced with having to take time off work at least once, or maybe twice to have the repair done, or would a simple online chat be a good place to start?
The Advantage of Online Appliance Repair Help
The charge for a typical repair visit in your home includes the trip charge, diagnosis, and repair. If the tech has the part on his truck which is becoming increasingly rare, you’ll have the repair done in one visit. You’re faced with the usual part order, and the return trip is another inconvenience and a hit to your daily routine.
Appliance repair service doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, it should be the exception and not the rule. It’s a pain as we all know. Neli relieves you of the hassle of waiting and wondering when your appliance will work again.
Check out the video for a cool, but a kind of geeky explanation of what we do!
For a much-reduced cost, we can determine what’s wrong and either recommend a fix or guide you through the repair in a matter of minutes instead of days. Read more about when DIY repair is a better option for you in this article.
I think the best part is you always chat with experienced, certified techs who see problems just like yours every day. Efficiency and getting answers for you is our goal, and we like to think we’re pretty good at that.
Sometimes a repair is out of the question because cost becomes the deciding factor about repairing or replacing an appliance.
We get that, and it’s why we’re always willing to discuss the hard questions with you. Appliances aren’t cheap but we know the best brands with the least repairs.
Our vast appliance repair service experience qualifies our techs as experts in their field, who possess an intimate knowledge of all types of appliances, willing to share their knowledge to help customers.
Less Cost and Better Results
On average, a normal in-home service call begins with a $75.00 trip charge including perhaps a minor diagnosis. From here, costs add up quickly. Many times, a problem requires more than one part for a good repair, and labor adds more to the total.
For most in-home repair calls, a final bill over $300 is not uncommon for basic repairs. Two basic repairs in one year add up fast. I know from experience most repairs are not difficult or dangerous and a capable person can perform them and save hundreds of dollars each time!
There’s an old saying you may know. It goes like this: “If you want something done right, you do it yourself.” I think most DIY’ers would agree. Not only is the price right, the work is, too.
It’s my hope you leave with a better understanding of how appliance repair service evolved over the years. New appliance technology makes them more efficient loaded with features no one dreamed of only 10 years ago.
I talk to customers daily who tell me they wish they had their old appliance back! Why? Many tell me all they want the darn thing to do is wash or dry their clothes. They don’t need all the extra features. Sometimes, I have to agree!
Tons of cool features make us want them, but if you’re looking for better results, chat with a Neli Technician and we’ll give you the truth you’re looking for!
If you loved reading this post as much as we loved writing it for you, please feel free to add your comments below. We always enjoy hearing from our readers!
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