Tips and Procedures
Learn how to restore appliances to the appearance and function they had when new.


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Repairclinic.com

Servicing Appliances

Business Hours

The author has been running a small family-operated appliance leasing business for over 15 years. Servicing appliances was added to the leasing business 8 years ago after repair skills were achieved for a wide range of machines and brands. Business hours were evenings and weekends after coming home from a "day" job. Service work was performed from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM on weekdays, 9:00 AM to 10:30 PM on Saturdays and 1:00 PM to 10:30 PM on Sundays. This was very convenient for the customers because they could be home from work when their appliances were worked on.

How do Customers Find You?

The primary form of advertising is via the yellow page section of local phonebooks. Other customers were previous leasing customers and many came by referrals.

Service Calls

Service calls will come in all hours of the day and night. A service form is filled out from information acquired during the call such as:

  • Name and address
  • Phone number
  • Date and scheduled time for repair
  • Type and make of appliance to be repaired
  • Symptoms of the problem

It's good to have an understanding wife that is home during the day to answer the phone and obtain this information. A small percentage of customers will leave a message on an answering machine. You will have to call them back to fill out the service form. The description of the appliance and the fault symptoms are important information to make sure you will have the right parts with you when you arrive at your customer's residence.

Parts

Your customers will expect you to locate the problem and fix it using parts that you have with you. If you have diagnosed the problem over the phone, you will know which parts to bring with you to ensure that the problem will be fixed before you leave.

Fees

You will charge the customer for your labor, parts and sales tax if applicable.

Truck and Appliance Dolly

You will want to carry your parts and tools with you on your truck. A dolly should be carried in case you have to bring the appliance back with you.

Free Loaner

Suppose you determined that your customer had a problem with his washer or dryer that would require you to get a part. If you knew that it would take a couple of days to get the part and another day to install it, you can make your customer very happy by bringing out a free washer or dryer to use until you get theirs fixed. If your are in the business of leasing used appliances, you can grab one from your inventory and impress your customer.