12 replies to this topic

[Cactus Bob]

below is a reply i wrote for another forum as a reply to a homeowner that was ranting how sears makes junk , sells junk, cant fix his junk and on and on ..what he was ranting about was a GE freezer  that he was going to " DO SEARS IN FOR MAKEING THIS POS " so i did this reply and i think i covered the basic thinking of todays appliance owner .....please look it over and comment on what i missed or messed up on ..................................i understand your upset , please hear me out . i work on appliances every day . the falt is not sears .  the problem comes from more than a few levels .... first , for years (around 40 ) the amercan people did not want there appliances to last , the second hand stores ,newspapers , and the city dump where full of working appliances that just did not match the owners new kitchen  . so why make them so good . then theres the "allways low prices " problem   in 1980 a uprite freezer costs 500.00 today it still costs 500.00 it should cost 1200.00 but you say i would not pay that . so the mfgr has to make a freezer that can be sold for 500.00 how do you think that happens ? you end up with junk , just what you wanted !  now the govt gets involved and says it uses to much electric , it costs money to make it green , but it has to sell for 500.00 or nobody will buy it . now it has to be made even cheeper stuff .....every day i rip out wonderfull appliances made in the 50s.60s,70s and install total trash and 6 months i am back to fix there new junk . one lady i asked after i had to go back for the 3rd time " ARE YOU SORRY YOU GAVE UP YOU OLD FRIDGE ? " SHE SAID NO !  this one looks so much better and i got such a great deal on it .......people get what thay want , the makers and sellers are just reacting to the WANTS .

[telefunkenu47]

Well I feel better now! Amen brother...

[Scottthewolf]

I totally agree with you Cactus Bob!

[ROBBYRIG]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[nickfixit]

Very good Bob, right on the money.

I'm also sick of people who want the machines to be super quiet.

[KurtiusInterupptus]

Preach on C-Bob!

and nick , if I get one more call on " a loud vibration during high speed spin" i'm gonna shank somebody.... it's turning 1200 rpm  a-hole,  what did you expect?

of course, they love that 30 minute dry time...

[Robin the Hood]

My beef is with those part-changing Monkey Boys (you know who I'm talking about....)

Consumer calls complaining about how noisy new refrigerator is. Monkey Boy doesn't want to argue with the consumer that this is 'normal', and also doesn't want to bill consumer for "instructional call", wants to get paid by warranty,  so he stuffs some sort of insulation into places it really doesn't belong.

Customer calls manufacturer because Monkey Boy "told me it can't be repaired, I want a new refrigerator!!"

"Well, the reason it can't be repaired is because it was never broken, ma'am, and no, we will not be sending service again for your 'noise' issue. Yes, the 20 year-old monster you used to have was quieter, but they really don't build 'em like the used to...you can thank the EPA for that."

Some people's kid, I tell ya....

Rant over. I feel sooo much better now....

 

[Scottthewolf]

I had one of those last week. It was a Frigidaire warranty call on the 18 cu ft top mount refer. The tech before me replaced the condenser fan motor, the condenser fan blade and the condenser fan housing.

Frigidaire wanted a second opinion, so they begged us to go out on the call.

I get there and the refrigerator is running and the noise level is normal and acceptable.

I wrote on my invoice that the noise level is normal and acceptable, BUT the customer thinks it should be quieter.

I told the customer that the problem is between Frigidaire and her, there is nothing that can be repaired on this unit and do not expect Frigidaire to give you a new refrigerator, because they won't.

[TroyAC]

I need to vent. The last few weeks has been nothing but new appliances within the last year and a half. What happened to the days of the 30 year old machine. Or being able to fix it reasonalbly, unlike these new fancy control boards. I miss being able to fill it agitate it and spin it under 15 minutes. Not the 19 plus minutes for a drain and spin. Every company needs to hire at least 3 techs to sit in on the designs of these machines. Now I here wp is changing to something new on their laundry? Well that is the last of a dying breed. First the good ole dependable care washer and now the direct drive. I quess I should just bend over and deal with it but as a servicer how can you stand behind a machine and feel that it will last for the family of 4 on a budget. You cant anymore and this is frustrating.

[betonjim]

I agree with you Cactus Bob but what about these "high end" units.  When people do spend more they can still get junk.  Have you seen these real high end Fridgidaire/Electrolux dishwashers?  They start at over one thousand dollars, they have a board behind the toeplate.  I'm not real impressed by what I see in most of the high end brands.  Asko, Dacor, Viking, the list is real long.  Thor washer dryer combo units...  A Lowes store I do service at just destroyed 6 Samsung dishwashers due to a quality alert. One of which I had just repaired a week earlier and it never even made it back out onto the sales floor.  I called Samsung and they said Lowes had too many of that model with issues so they refuse to sell them but you can still buy them at Best Buy. 

[appl.tech.29501]

Very true..its what they want and to a lot of people looks...I've tried to consult confused customers as I walk through sears and all though they understand if they buy that shiny red LG there's no servicers in the area and good luck getting parts more often than not they will still buy it...so if you want "looks " you buy for looks...the same goes for quality.

[Scottthewolf]

On the lighter side, I saved a 30 year old Whirlpool electric dryer from the junkyard. All it needed was a new heater element.  It's so old it doesn't have a door switch! 

The customer was so happy that I fixed it.  He still has the matching Whirlpool belt drive washer. They are both harvest gold in color. 

The good news it that Whirlpool hasn't changed the design of these 29 inch dryers with the lint screen on the top. 

 

[appl.tech.29501]

Yep I fixed one of those yesterday