The best possible customer service.

[classichouse]

Hi guys,

think about you will sell washingmachines to customers. What is the best customer service you can offer? I'm looking for some extra services to make a different offer then my competitors. Best price is no argument. I won't earn money and can't compete with the big players like Mediamarkt or Amazon for the cheapest price.

I think about this services:

• free shipping
• free connect
• taking the old washingmashine
• 5 years guarantee
• financing is possible
• clean the way that my service team will made dirty
• plan on time to chatter to the old lady

I think the whole afternoon for more service points, but more i can't imagine.
Does anyone have a good service point for me that i can add to my offer?
Then the only way to win the fight against the competitors is a massive service offensive!

King Regards
Max

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

@minivanman

• free shipping

• free connect

• taking the old washing mashine

• 5 years guarantee

• financing is possible

• clean the way that my service team will made dirty

• plan on time to chatter to the old lady

All the above. Maybe even take the washing machine and give a credit for it, if it is worth for parts.

 

[minivanman]

How far do you plan to ship these? You're not selling locally? Are you going to sell new or used or both? Where will you be getting them?

I was very part time until a few months ago and now I sell used washers and dryer full time, locally. I'm already set as far as life goes but I like being involved in some type of day-to-day aspect of a business. If the rest of the year goes the way the last 3 months have gone, this will be making me a profit of $100k a year next year. Problem is that I will have to limit it at that amount because I am not going to have a lot of employees like I've had in other businesses. I have 3 now and that is enough. So tell me more about your business. I'm kind of lost on where you will be selling and if you will just be selling washers or washers and dryers or if in your country a washer and dryer is the same unit, unlike the US.

 

[classichouse]

It's a great Idea. Not only taking the old machine. I will give my customers (germany) an enviroment bonus.

"If you buy a brand new energy saving machine, i'll give you an bonus up to 100€"

That is a big reason for (crazy, idiot) germans. Thanks a lot MJ for the good idea.

@minivanman
I will sell new machines. My target customers are old people and in special old single women. For those customers it's not a big thing to pay 100€ extra for good service.

If i take the old machines can i make some cash? Is it a big thing to repair a washing machine? Maybe it's a good sidebusiness to sell the old repaired to poor people, i don't know.

 

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[wade1mil]

Instruct them on how to use it after it's installed.
Clean the floors underneath the washer.
Include their first bottle of laundry detergent/fabric softener for free.
30 days to change their mind (and get a new washer).

 

[daru]

Somehow make/find/invent a washing machine that is understandable and easy to use. Just reading The Design of Everyday Things and washing machines are mentioned and not in a good way! Or if that's not possible find settings that works for pretty much anything and write a really good and clear guide how to configure it with those settings fast and easy. Eventually even make stickers to put above the manufacturers crappy interface. To summarize: remove complexity for the user.

 

[minivanman]

It won't take long to find that the old machines are usually more trouble than they are worth, atleast here in America. I did start out taking old machines, nowadays if they ask, I will but I'd prefer not to. My guy that works on them for me takes them to the scrap yard... I let him keep the extra money. Nowadays I have a supplier of used machines.

Hopefully your target works for you. I'm not sure what you call old but I'd say most of my customers are male & female 35-60. I get a lot of buyers that buy for their college age daughter. And then when the parents need a set I usually sell a set to them as well. Speaking of great customer service, I get a lot of repeat family business because of my customer service. In the residential cleaning business customer service was priority 1, or atleast my customers thought that. In reality my employees were priority 1.

Do you have a source to buy new machines wholesale?

 

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[minivanman]

Instruct them on how to use it after it's installed.
Clean the floors underneath the washer.
Include their first bottle of laundry detergent/fabric softener for free.
30 days to change their mind (and get a new washer).

I have a 3 page, Operator Error sheet. The 1st page is about the dryer. The 2nd page is about the washer. The 3rd page recaps everything on the first two pages because people aren't smart enough to 'get it' the first time. And then within the first 30 days if they call me out and the problem is operator error, they pay me $89 for a service call. I do get called out on average once a week and 1 out of 50 is not operator error. So that means 49 people have to pay me $89 to come to their house to show them how to start a washing machine. But wait.... I showed them how to start it before I left their house when it was installed!!! How stupid can they be??

 

[classichouse]

i will put a bit money in the business and test it, i will see soon who are my customers. I think the best way would be another business 2 government deal like my first fastlane. It sounds a bit difficult to sell the government but with "global warming" they usually buy everything.

 

[minivanman]

So you do have a place to buy wholesale new washers?

 

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[classichouse]

Yes we have a wholesale for big eletric domestic appliances. Where should i buy them else? I don't think a company like bosch or siemens directly deliver to me.

 

[minivanman]

I don't know about Germany but in the US It's almost impossible to get new ones unless you order a truck load. Or, I can get a truck load but they are not a matching set (washer & dryer). Is it easy to get new in Germany? Do you have to buy a lot at a time?

 

[Van Halen]

Instruct them on how to use it after it's installed.
Clean the floors underneath the washer.
Include their first bottle of laundry detergent/fabric softener for free.
30 days to change their mind (and get a new washer).

Great advice I might use for my own product. Thanks for sharing

 

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[minivanman]

Great advice I might use for my own product. Thanks for sharing

I don't think you need to buy anything to give them such as detergent. I give a 30 day guarantee and once the dryer is hooked up I put the wire to my digital thermometer in the dryer and let them see the temperature go up and down and explain how it cycles. I give them my now 3 page operator error sheet which explains things that might go wrong in the future. I also have a high priced dolly and a $19 dolly. I get more compliments on those dollies than the washers and dryers. Men & women comment on my dollies every day. The $19 dolly is a file dolly and folds up and they think that is soooo cool. The high priced dolly has 2 extra wheels to lean the dolly backwards (plus the rubber things to go up & down stairs) and the pull straps rewind themselves. I go in.... be nice, act like I've known them for 10 years, be honest and customers love that. And for some reason kids and dogs love me so that helps.... although I'm not a big fan of either. What? Did I just say that out loud?

 

[classichouse]

I'm back in Business!
Sold my first washingmachine today. What a great experience!
There is something in e-commerce

Thank you very much for your help! Looking forward to sell another one.