Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JULY 2019 64 M anufacturers, appliance retailers, extended warranty providers, parts distributors, and appliance service providers – there are so many players in the appliance repair industry. And every single one of the players has different goals and objectives. The players agree on some items, but disagree on others. Is there one item that our industry can agree on? Not so easy! But there's one complaint I hear constantly from all the players. We need more qualified appliance repair technicians. If the world had enough qualified repair people, we would all be much happier. The manufacturers, retail dealers and extended warranty providers would be happy because their customers would get their appliances repaired quickly and correctly, with fewer returns, exchanges and upsets. Parts distributors would be happier because more qualified technicians would cut down on parts returns and increase parts sales. Appliance repair providers would be happy because they would be able to supply faster, more reliable service and make more money. Perhaps most important, most of us would no longer have to worry as much about bad reviews on Google and Yelp. Okay, so all of the appliance industry players would be happy. And If we're all agreed on the need for qualified technicians, why aren't we working together to meet the demand? Like most trades today, there's a high demand for qualified appliance repair candidates but there's not much of a supply. I hear this complaint from all sides – from the HVAC, plumbing, construction, and automotive industries. All trades are begging for qualified people today. And we've all heard the reasons why it isn't happening. High school counselors are directing students to college but not to trade schools. This generation doesn't want to work with their hands. And so on and on. Maybe it's true, but have things changed all that much from the past? Let's look at some quick stats. It's estimated that 3.6 million students will graduate from high school in 2018-19 (National Center for Education Statistics). The Department of Labor estimates that 67.7% of 2016 high school graduates enrolled in college. The Department of Education tells us that 60.2% of these graduates will not earn a degree in four years. Let's check the math: • Estimated high school graduates 2018-19: 3,600,000 • High school graduates who won't attend college: (30.3%) 1,090,800 • High school graduates who won't finish college in four years: (60.02%) 1,510,539 • Target candidates for appliance technician trades: 2,601,338 What this means is that out of all the high school graduates in 2018- 19, only 1 million will complete college. This leaves 2.6 million who'll need to look for another career path. This is a huge opportunity. The question now becomes, will we be able to target these 2.6 million high school graduates effectively and sell them on the great opportunities in the appliance repair trades? Some manufacturers have bravely tried to promote careers in appliance repair, and I commend their efforts. SkillsUSA is also doing its best to promote all trades – and let's extend a big shout-out to them. But let's stay focused on the main question: can the appliance industry pull its resources together to promote the trade to the 2.6 million potential candidates annually? This industry includes many who can speak to young people about the rich opportunities in our industry: manufacturers, buying groups, trade associations, trade schools, extended warranty providers, and their lobbyists. Can we leverage these PR resources to promote the appliance repair trade? Each player has unique resources. Can we harness these assets to promote appliance repair? Separately, we'll barely be able to scratch the surface, but together I believe we can accomplish a great deal. What's the best way to organize and fund such an effort? We would need a neutral organization to step in and lead the effort – perhaps SkillsUSA — or AHAM? If you think these ideas have merit, please reach out and share your thoughts. Lance Kimball, Appliance Repair Specialists, President, CEO S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T RO APPLIANCE REPAIR INDUSTRY

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