Appliance Service Calls

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

I've always had a bushy head of hair and I usually don't bother trimming my beard. So, this is how I used to look when I'd go out for a service call:

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But I started thinking maybe I was scaring my customers. Little things, like I go up to the house and knock on the door and they'd answer with a shotgun in their hands. So, I figgered I better git me a hair cut and now I look like this:

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And would you believe that when I go out on service calls, I still get people answering the door armed!? That's what I love about this bidness--there's just no telling what people will do!

[ethicalfix]

Maybe that service manual tucked under your arm looks too much like a bible:angel:

[jahjahbinks]

haven`t  those photos been posted somewhere else   or maybe you need a hat to desiguse the hair cut but keep the beard

[jrobson1960]

There must be some sort of relevence that u posted those pics. a few days before Halloween!!

 

 

[yesfan]

Your pictures remind me of that guy from Turkey about five years ago whose Web site showed a 1970s photo of him in swim trunks. He wanted to meet American women, and one Web page said in huge letters I KISS YOU! I would shut the door:yikes:. Actually I appreciate your sense of humor.

[Guest TheMechanic]

I don't have any weird pictures to submit, but I do have a question.  assuming some of you are appliance repair people, I need some advice.  I am thinking of buying an appliance repair business allready in operation.  But I am wondering if I should rather start from scratch.  The cost of buying a business is expensive.  And starting one from scratch is less risky and can give a good idea of how the market is, without spending a lot of money.  Any comments!

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Are you sure you want to get into a dying trade? :toiletgrab:

[Guest TheMechanic]

If this is a dying trade, why are there people in this business.  Are you in the business, if so why!

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

It was a toss up between doing appliance repair or licking urinals at the Texaco. I did a coin toss and appliance repair won. What are the odds? Hint: 50-50. :rooster:

[Guest TheMechanic]

Thanks for info.  I was kind of leary about appliance repair also, but when I saw the operation of the business I was impressed.  I to had thought that appliance repair was a dying trade.  And it is, for some appliances, like toasters, microwaves and smaller appliances unless you have a large shop that repairs returns from retail stores to manufacturers.  But I worked one week with the owner of the Business I am looking at and he does have a good customer base.  He charges less than Sears and Sears at one time was his biggest competitor.  But Sears had a shotty reputation and charged a bigger fee, so he was able to  compete with Sears a lot better.  My research tells me that Appliances are getting more expensive, like washers and dryers, and some rifrigerators.  And most warranties only last one year unless it is an extended warranty.  Many people keep there appliances for many years, so wouldn't that leave appliances open to have a repair man do it.  Well, I could go on and on.  Any more input would be appreciated, because I haven't decided yet whether to buy the Business or not. Any information would be helpfull.  Thanks!

[Guest TheMechanic]

Me again.  The old mechanic.  Well the business I was looking at sold to another bidder.  I guess I was a little unsure of the Business, so I screwed up.  Kind of wish I would have known more about it before I looked into buying it.  I have seen there is little information about appliance repair business's.  Mostly advertisements for mail order courses and such things.  Maybe Appliance repair is a dying trade.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Probably just as well you didn't buy it, give you the opportunity to be more creative in coming up with your own concept. As my dear old Dad used to say, "Life sucks and then you die." Then again, he died by choking on his own tobacco juice.

[Guest TheMechanic]

How can a person go about getting service contracts.  And I had a friend who died by chewing tobacco, he also choked on a wad.

[Guest TheMechanic]

You know it's a funny thing, that if the appliance repair business is a dying business or trade why are the appliance franchises booming.

[Pegi]

From what I have been reading in the tech forums they are starting to do their own repairs on what they sell...have their own service departments, this will not bode well for us independents, untill we are called out to fix what they messed up due to not having a clue about how to fix this stuff...

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

[user=12277]TheMechanic[/user] wrote:

why are the appliance franchises booming.

Like a bad case of flatulence after big lunch of spicy buffalo wings and cheap beer, this, too, shall pass, mon petit chou.

[Guest TheMechanic]

None of my Business Samurai, but it looks like you got an award from "The Mr. Franchise place, so I assume you have one of there franchises.  So that puts you in the "Business Owners Catagory."  And I assume you own this web site to.  Well, I am kind of checking it out, because I had entertainted the idea of having my own Appliance repair business.  And a little market research doesn't hurt.  And with all the education you have in Electrical Engineering if the appliance repair business is such a bad idea then I wonder why a man of your calaber decides to do appliance repair as a business.  Of course the Television Repair business had panned out, you can buy a TV for next to nothing now days, the VCR repair business panned out, because we now have DVD's and cheap VCR's. And small appliances like toasters, microwaves and little things met the same fate.  Basically, those markets were the going thing for the want-a-be Business person in the past.  I have often wondered, why doesn't the large appliances do the same thing.  Come down in cost.  But, I have noticed that most washers and dryers and even some refrigerators are going up in price.  Many costing over 1000 bucks.  And with  those kind of prices it is no wonder that there are now Appliance repair franchises popping up here and frow. 

[RandyRAS]

I first started working in the Appliance Industry in March of 98, fell into it by accident so to speak, worked for a sales and service co, until Oct of 03, was told then that it was a dying trade, so opened a handy man bussiness, year later my old boss calls and tells me that he is retiring and wondering if I would be willing to hold up his service contract with mfg, the handy man bussiness was to competitive, so I said sure, now I am the only servicer for four brands for a minimum of 20 miles, and have been called up to 80 miles for service on out of warranty, (customer gladly paid the milage charges, and called me back a second time.)

I think that I am young for the trade, but I do see a future in this business, as long as I am willing to give the best service that I can at a price that is fair, to my customers and my competitors, I am not out to cut there throats, and hope that they will not cut mine, as thing progress in this industry, techs will be needed because the prices of appliances will do tho same thing that everything else is.....go up, and people will want the thing fixed as long as the repair is lower then the replacement.

I will say this though if you are thinking of getting into this business,

#1 you cant be thinking that you are going to become rich, you wont, you will make a living.

#2 You have got to be able to get along with all types of people, (Or at least be able to keep from strangling the ones that really need it.)

#3 Know when to cut your losses, when to tell someone that is really ragging you that you do not have to take abuse, pack your tools and leave.

#4 Sometimes you will run up on things that you do not understand, I am sure that not everyone has all of the answers all of the time, you may know it, but overlook the ovious, but never be to proud to ask for someone elses input, be it a tech line, or this forum.

 

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

[user=12277]TheMechanic[/user] wrote:

And with all the education you have in Electrical Engineering if the appliance repair business is such a bad idea then I wonder why a man of your calaber decides to do appliance repair as a business.

Ok, now you're insulting me-- my background is in Agricultural Engineering; I was going to have a commercial poppy farm in Afghanistan with my old buddy, Moostafa. But, alas, the war with the Soviets and the ensuing take over by the Taliban killed those plans.

And I consider both appliance repair and licking urinals to be a huge step up from the Dilbert world of engineering.

[Guest TheMechanic]

That's great news!  My area is a high unemployment area.  And a poverty area.  I mean there are some making  a living and retired people.  But on the whole to make a good living here is something to be achieved.  The appliance repair biss makes more money in this area than lets say, cleaning urinals at texico. But I am glad of the input from you techs.  I am a tech to.  Kind of a troubleshooter, on most anything.  I can figure it out with a little thought.  But, it is a bit late for me to be thinking of the Appliance repair business.  I was going to buy an established appliance repair business, but it was sold, I waited to long, and the seller finally gave into another buyer. He was basically the only guy in town doing it, so he has the competition pretty much sewed up.  So do the new owners!  I wish I had a little more knowledge on this business a couple of weeks ago, marketing and such, and some input from a few techs, with there own business's would have been a big help, like I am getting now.  Oh well, Hell's bells!

[Guest TheMechanic]

Hey Samurai, you are one ugly dude!

[Guest TheMechanic]

Hey Samurai!  I may go ahead and start an appliance repair Bussiness of my own.  I do need some training.  I am pretty good at fixing things Electrical and Mechanical, but I need a little knowledge of the Appliances before I actually start advertising.  Does your online appliance helpline provide this type of training, and if not what courses do you reccomend.  If any!

[Guest TheMechanic]

Hey Samurai, I also might add, that I do appoligize for the comment I made about your educational background.  I see it is Agricultural engineering that you are most educated in and something else, but I can't seem to remember.  And not electrical engineering.