Customer Service Determines Appliance Purchase

"Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates, says the retail experience is determined not by the appliance or the price, but by the people.

"When it comes to how satisfied the owner is, price is the least important vis-a-vis satisfaction with the retailer," he says. "And that's not surprising, because retailers will match a competitor's price. So if I can get the same price at two or three places, my experience will be determined by customer service," says."

According to the survey, financing plays a big role in the purchase as one in five customers made a purchase dependant upon finance options....

"Per the study, 40% of appliance owners say they did not shop around, but went only to the store at which they bought the appliance; two-thirds said they purchased on the first and second visit to the retailer."

"Haines said there is so little shopping around in appliances because so many purchases are urgent. "We think that in many cases the appliance they are replacing failed and they need one right away, so there is probably a large number of people who are going to buy a replacement today, which is also why in-stock availability is also important. If I can get it at the same price from two places, and one of the stores has the appliance, I will buy it there."

"He says that in such a market, where nearly one-third of customers make a purchase decision based on a single retailer visit, the sales staff "must be knowledgeable and courteous in order to capture sales."

This is a great seeding article for our clients that sell appliances, what are they doing to make the pre-and post-purchase experience memorable in the best ways?

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