Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JULY 2019 66 I n the appliance service world, there are more options than ever to drive your business. Although there are fewer manufacturers, they remain a healthy option for warranty work. The most profitable option for repairs – and still a very reliable one – is COD. Finally, third-party providers (TPAs) can be a great way to drive your business, depending on your business model. Over the years, some TPAs have given the business a bad name. It seems there were extended warranty providers hiding behind every rock, ready to do whatever was necessary to complete the call, no matter what the problem was or how far they had to go to resolve it. Unfortunately, some of these companies pulled the rest down, by making it well nigh impossible to collect on the call, by promising parts that never made it to the customer, and by forcing us to spend weeks or months collecting payments, if we could collect them at all. These practices made service companies wary of working with many TPAs. A few bad apples threatened to spoil the bunch. Nowadays it seems most of the rotten apples have exited the business, as nature intended. It's why third-party businesses today have a decidedly different look than they did 10 years ago. Many TPAs now have field support teams that equal or outnumber the appliance manufacturers'. It's much easier to get in touch with a company now, and most TPAs have call centers that can assist servicers with information about their calls, or to help resolve payment issues. There are still challenges, but resolving them is a lot easier than ever. Many TPAs will be on hand to meet with our guests at this fall's annual PSA convention, NASC 2019, to be held September 30 to October 3 in the greater Chicago area. At PSA we work hard to insure that our members and guests will be able to talk with companies who'll respect and support their efforts on behalf of their customers. While there will always be issues or disagreements when it comes to appliance service, we're here to help ensure that the companies you'll meet at a PSA event will be quality organizations who'll work closely with the field service providers in mutually beneficial ways. Is this market a good fit for your company? Only you can tell. As with any other venture, you'll need to review your business goals to determine if TPA support is right for you. Research the company, talk to the representatives, and review the available information online before making up your mind. But don't dismiss it just because you've had a less-than-stellar experience in the past. This channel can work for you if you do your homework. The main thing to be sure of is that you'll have a means of following up on questions or issues as they arise, and an assurance that your voice will be heard when help is needed. Communication is the key to a successful business partnership, and a TPA partnership is no exception. We'll have lots of providers at NASC 2019, and we hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity to meet them and make informed decisions that will pay off for your business. PSA stands ready to help our members whenever issues arise. Let us know how we can support you, as we continue to do whatever it takes to open doors to this channel. SERVICE PROVIDERS: DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THIRD- PARTY SERVICE ADMINISTRATORS S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T RO Randy Carney- Executive Director- PSA

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