Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2017 60 C onsumers face service and repair challenges daily, and it crosses every industry. For example, when my car has a burnt out headlight; in the '90s I could simply go down to my local auto parts store, buy a replacement, pop the hood and plug in the good bulb. That was 20 years ago. Today, there are so many intricacies to replacing a headlight: do I need to wear gloves to prevent my finger from touching the bulb? What's the mount type? Can I even access the bulb without taking parts off of the front assembly? I'm faced with a decision: do I YouTube how to fix this problem, taking the risk of damaging my car (or myself), or take it to my local service center to have it replaced properly? A close friend, and appliance servicer, told me recently about an encounter he had with a customer looking to buy a pump for his washing machine, which he wanted to install himself. The internet is littered with installation and "DIY" projects. So why is this DIY mentality a bad thing? • Local retailers lose incremental revenue If the customer is buying a part without installation the retailer is out the profit to install it. But this assumes that the consumer is purchasing the replacement part locally. Sites like Amazon are ramping up inventory on obscure items • Fewer repair jobs = fewer qualified technicians As the DIY movement has grown, the number of knowledgeable and licensed service technicians has been declining over the past few years. Good techs are hard to come by, and when you have one, you better hold on to them. • Risks increase for the consumer From something as simple as replacing a belt, to trying to fix a sealed system, there's an enormous amount of risk (both financial and physically) associated with do-it-yourself jobs. Are all parts of the best quality? Are they imported and their construction somewhat questionable? What if the repair involves a gas power source such as a range or dryer? The risks can spiral at an alarming pace depending on the complexity of the repair needed. In the end, customer service is key to driving incremental business with repairs. Did the customer have a great buying experience and how did we handle delivery and setup? Did your sales team offer a product protection plan? Ultimately, consumers will be back if they feel that you care about what's best for them. Remind consumers through your marketing efforts about your repair programs. And if something will cost more to be repaired, help them move on to a new product purchase. In the end, this is how retailers and consumers win together. B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S RO WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF SERVICE FOR RETAILERS TODAY?

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