Service Care Blog

When you allow a servicer into your home to repair your appliances or televisions, you are probably hoping that the servicer will be nice, won't damage your home, and will do what is required to repair your appliance or television at a fair price.

I think you should expect more.

I believe the service should leave you with a smile on your face, happy that you chose that particular repair technician to take care of your problem. It shouldn't just be a checkmark on a list of to-do items, it should lead you to think "I'm really glad that I called that company for service, it was a great experience."

Some of the things that make me smile are when the technician goes above and beyond regular service, and really shows that he cares about my problems by his actions (not just his words).

At a bare minimum, you want to feel comfortable with the technician in your home.

But wouldn't it be much nicer if you felt like that technician was a welcome guest in your home, somebody that you were happy to have in there?

I think so, and I'm sure you do, too.

What are the little (or BIG) things that a technician or servicer has done that has put a smile on your face? I'd really like to know, because I'd really like our technicians to do those things that put smiles on people's faces.

Feel free to comment, and tell us what a service man can do to make you smile.

Labels: appliances, servicer, televisions

See Part 1, or you will be a little lost as to what I'm talking about:

Okay, at last post, I had replied to our possible business contact (or scammer) and we were wondering if he would give us more information.

Here is the reply:

-----Original Message-----
>From: Terry Lane 
>Sent: Oct 2, 2009 12:27 AM
>To: Toxey McDavid 
>Subject: Re: Appliance Refrigerator repair inquiry
>
>Hello Toxey,
>Thanks for your mail, well this are what needed to be done on each appliance
>below:
>
> REFRIGERATOR:
>
>Not as cold as usual
>Not cold at all
>Frozen in the freezer side
>and warming up in the fridge side
>Frosting up?
>Pooling water or ice on the floor
>Whistling, warbling, chirping, clicking, buzzing or making other funny
>noises
>
>
>IS YOUR DRYER:
>
>Too hot
>Not as hot as it should be
>Not heating at all
>Getting warm, but just not drying as well as it used to? Or not drying at
>all
>Not doing anything
>Rumbling, rattling, squeaking, clacking,
>or making grinding or other noises
>
>WASHER:
>
>Not spinning
>Not draining
>Not agitating, or agitating weakly
>Not filling, or filling too slowly
>Not doing anything
>Leaking water or oil
>Overflowing
>Leaving your clothes too wet at the end of the cycle
>Vibrating uncontrollably
>Spinning and agitating at the same time
>Screeching, squeaking, clattering, knocking, buzzing,
>or making grinding or other strange noises
>Do you smell smoke when your washer is running
>
>
>WASHING MACHINE:
>Not draining
>Not filling
>Not doing anything
>Stopping in mid-cycle
>Buzzing or making grinding or other strange noises
>Spotting dishes? Or even etching dishes
>
>I want you to email me the total quote for repair service for the appliance
>and also i will like to confirm you accept credit card by mode of payment.
>
>Thanks
>Terry Lane

As you can see, he did not answer the pertinent questions, but he did seek to clarify what was wrong with each unit... or did he?

There was something suspicious about the complaints he had listed, so I copied a few and google them to see what I could find.

Bingo.

A quick search of google shows that these complaints are taken, word for word, from various online appliance repair websites.

Okay, there is no longer any doubt. This person is not legitimate.

Basically, I have a few options:

1) Stop replying and ignore this scammer, and forget about it. (What fun is that?)
2) Send him a nasty-gram, and tell him he's been spotted. (Like he cares.)
3) Reply as if he is legitimate, and press him for information and see what I can do with it. See where this goes and what happens (without giving him any money, of course).

I'm choosing 3, for better or worse, because I don't like scammers. This kind of preying, cowardly thievery really gets my goat. So to speak.

So, here's my reply (bear in mind that these estimates, as I explain in the reply, are basically worthless and made up off the top of my head):

Hello Terry,

Based on this unusual set of complaints, I can give you general estimates
for these repairs. These are only guesses, as it is impossible to determine
what the real cost of a repair will be until the diagnosis is complete.

Refrigerators: $150-300
Dryers: $100-175
Washers: $100-200
Washing Machines: $100-200

I do not normally accept out-of-state credit cards, but I might be able to
make an exception for such a large set of repairs.

I'm still curious to know a little more about who I am dealing with. What
is the name of your company, and where do you operate your business?

Thanks again,

Toxey McDavid

Let's see what happens.

Will the scammer read our blog and run away? Will he reveal the location of his secret lair? Will the Penguin triumph over a caped duo?

Tune in for Part 3 to find out... if you're really bored, of course.

Labels: appliances, scams

Just a cautionary note to other appliance and television servicers.

We have been contacted by a person, possibly originating out of Port Lavaca, Texas (but who knows, really?) who was interested in getting service on 20 units.

From the beginning, I was suspicious about this contact, but I thought I would play it out and see what happened.

Here's the original contact:

"Greetings, I got your contact On Google.com and i was just
checking if you will be available to repair some Appliance
(5) Refridgerator. Get back to me for more details if you'll
be available as soon as possible. Thanks, Kind Regards. Terry Lane"

This was from a gmail account, which is automatically suspicious if this is supposed to be a legitimate business. But I responded courteously, because you never know.

My response:

Hello Terry,

Thanks for contacting Service Care.

We are available for any appliance repair, and we've also been repairing
televisions for over two decades.

As of this minute, I have several calls available tomorrow, and many more
available Friday. If this sounds good to you, can you provide more information
about the refrigerator and also about the location where the repair will need
to take place.

Thanks again for your contact,

Toxey McDavid

Service Care, Inc.
Toxey McDavid
2812 5th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35210

** Save Money! Sign up for our free, do-it-yourself **
** maintenance reminders on www.servicecare.net **

Pretty soon, I get this reponse back:

-----Original Message-----
>From: Terry Lane 
>Sent: Oct 1, 2009 12:54 AM
>To: Toxey McDavid 
>Subject: Re: Appliance Refrigerator repair inquiry
>
>Hello Toxey,
>Thanks for your mail, below are the appliance i will like to repair:
>
> 5. Refrigerators
>5. Washers
>5. Dryers
>5.Washing Machines
>
>Those are what i will like to repair and i will handle the shipment of the
>appliance my self, and my shipper will bring down the appliance down to your
>place. However,get back to me with your last price for the 20 appliances.  I
>await your urgent response so that i can put the arrangement in order. And
>also i will like to know if you accept credit card for mode of payment.
>
>Regard
>Terry Lane

#1 Why the increase in appliances from original request. Why 5 each?

#2 What legitimate business person thinks you can quote a price to repair these appliances with no complaint, no models or brand names, nothing.

#3 Credit cards from out-of-state (or country) strangers are bad, bad news.

#4 Most of all... 5 each of washers and 5 each of washing machines? Does he (or she) not know that these are the same product type? **Klaxon bells, red flashing lights, a voice saying Warning! Warning! **

My powers of suspicion on high alert now, I send the following response:

Hello Terry,

I will do the necessary research to get you an estimate of what
these 20 appliances would cost to repair. This will be a very
general estimate as I do not know the models of the appliances,
nor do I know the problems and symptoms associated with each appliance.

By the way, which company are you with and where will you be
shipping the appliances from?

Toxey

At the end, I ask direct questions... What company are you with? Where are the appliances coming from?

Can you guess if I will get an answer to these questions?

Stay tuned to find out how this continues in Part 2 (unless of course this person reads this blog avidly).

Labels: appliances, scams

Service Care, as a service to our customers, has launched a free newsletter that will remind subscribers when it's time to perform maintenance on their appliances and electronics.

This will be a very low quantity of emails per year, the majority of which will be seasonal notices that will remind you to do the little things that you can do yourself to save yourself money, increase the life of your appliances, and help to avoid unnecessary service calls.

Of course, we are happy to perform all of these services, but many people will want to do this themselves to save money (especially in light of the current economic troubles).

We're hoping that many people will subscribe, and we assure that their personal information is very safe (see our Privacy Policy).

Labels: appliances, diy, electronics, Service Care

I'm not sure that's true for appliance repairs or television repairs in Alabama, but the tightness of the current economy's dollar certainly makes you think about it.

http://kdka.com/consumer/repairs.cars.shoes.2.881107.html

Labels: Alabama, appliances, repairs, televisions

We have no problem with those folks who want to fix their own television or appliance. Frankly, there's nothing we could do about it if we did, but we really admire your interest and your independence. We're the exact same sort of person.

We will occasionally even have a customer call us for a service call, get our diagnosis, then tell us no thanks. They will then find and order the parts themselves, and install the parts.

Hey, if this works out, more power to you, I say. You've got that pioneer, do it yourself spirit that makes America great.

However, be sure to consider the following:

If you do the repair yourself, you are the only person you can turn to for warranties on your own repair. Think about that for a minute.

If Service Care diagnoses the problems in your unit, and we order the parts and put them in, and it turns out we were wrong and it needs different parts... what happens? We take the parts we put in, find out what parts WERE needed, and fix the problem. It's that simple. All the responsibility is on us, not you. If the parts cannot be returned, we eat the costs, because we were wrong and that's the right thing to do.

Another scenario: If Service Care is putting an electronic control board in your unit, and we short it out during installation and have to replace it, who pays for the damaged part? That's right, WE do. All the responsibility is on Service Care. Frankly, that's part of what you're paying for when you have service. You're also getting Alabama's best warranty on services performed.

However, when you do the repair yourself, it's all on you, even if we did the diagnosis. That's right, if we tell you it needs a water pump or AV board, and you put it in yourself and it does not fix it, then your only warranty is with you. Why? Because we did not install those parts. We cannot warranty someone else's repair.

Most people understand that already, but some people believe that if we diagnose the repair, and the customer does the repair themselves, that we warranty the success of the customer's repair. Unfortunately, we cannot warranty any repairs but our own.

Honestly, I know that it's tempting to think you can avoid paying labor for a repair that you imagine is quite simple, but if you're going to do the repair, be prepared to accept the following:

1. If you short out or damage a part during installation, it cannot be returned for credit. Parts companies are diligent (we should know) about refusing parts returns if there is any evidence that they've been used, installed, or damaged. Seriously, they look for little scratches on tabs and such.
2. If you order the wrong part, it might not be returnable. We have some leeway with parts distributors on returning incorrect parts because we're a large account. You may be able to return them, but you'll face shipping costs and restocking fees that we might not otherwise be saddled with.
3. If you successfully repair the unit, congratulations. But the only warranty you have on that repair is your own. If it fails next week because the part you replaced is being zapped by another part somewhere else, you'll have to repair it again at your expense.
   

If you're bound and determined to do your own repairs, and you are willing to accept the risks, then we wish you the best of success, and hope we can help you with anything that you don't feel comfortable tackling.

It's also quite possible that we'll post some DIY stuff here on the blog, especially for simple problems that are easily corrected by the consumer.

Labels: Alabama, appliances, diy, parts, repairs, televisions, warranty

We wish everyone the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Service Care is thankful for many things. We're thankful for the continued support of our customers, without whom we would not exist. We're thankful for our families, for our friends, and the fact that we live and work in what we believe is the greatest country in the world.

We're also thankful that you stopped by to read this lil' blog and we hope you'll be thankful that you found us. If you have any problems with electronics repairs (like televisions), or home appliances (like refrigerators), we're always ready to help you in Alabama.

Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy your family time!

Labels: Alabama, appliances, electronics, refrigerators, televisions

Recently had a customer ask if we carried a mixing attachment for the Kitchenaid Pro Mixer. Unfortunately, we do not (nor do we do service on them). We referred them to the Williams Sonoma store in the Summit shopping center (211 Summit Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35243, 205-970-4101).

Honestly, I don't know if Williams Sonoma carries these replacement parts, as the website did not list any, so I did a little research for you Kitchen Mixer folks and found this page on Kitchenaid's website:

Kitchenaid Fine Stand Mixer Accessories

They've really got a lot of accessories for these mixers:

I found several for pasta (mmmm, ravioli), an ice cream maker, shredder, slicer, food grinder, etc. They've got dough hooks, beaters and mixer whips.

Of course, you can always try Williams Sonoma locally, and tell them Service Care sent you.

Service Care does repair Kitchenaid household major appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.

Labels: appliances, dryers, Kitchenaid, mixers, parts, refrigerators, washers

If you need a replacement, electronic version of your manual, JVC has them online on the JVC website.

Below are some quicklinks to those looking for specific products:

JVC Plasma Flat Panel - link
JVC LCD Flat Panel - link
JVC LCD Monitor - link

JVC Refrigerator - link
JVC Laundry - link
JVC Air Conditioner - link
JVC Dishwasher - link
JVC Cooking - link

There's a few more on the website if you don't see your product here.

Labels: air conditioners, appliances, dishwashers, JVC, laundry, LCD, monitors, Plasma, refrigerators, televisions

For your information, this is a relatively new announcement, and the good folks at Wolf are trying to reach consumers who purchased one of these models (P48, PS48, and R48). If you do own one of these models, don't panic, but do stop using it until you read about the recall on the website: Wolf Recall Notice

News from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
	Office of Information and Public Affairs	Washington, D.C. 20207
	For Immediate Release September 03, 2008 Release #08-391	Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 643-6408 Firm's Recall Email: range18.rework@wolfappliance.com CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
	Wolf Appliance Recalls Gas Ranges Due to Burn Hazard
	WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.)
	Name of Product: Wolf Appliance Gas Ranges Units: About 24,000 Manufacturer: Wolf Appliance Inc., of Madison, Wis. Hazard: Delayed ignition of gas in the 18-inch oven can cause a flash of flames to be projected at a consumer when the range door is opened, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Wolf has received 97 reports of units experiencing delayed ignition, including 15 minor burns. There have been no reports of fires or property damage. Description: This recall involves the following Wolf Appliance 48-Inch gas ranges with model numbers: P48, PS48 and R48. The gas ranges are stainless steel with a double oven. A “Wolf” appliance logo is on the front of the larger oven door. Sold at: Home builders and appliance stores nationwide from January 1998 through June 2008 for between $5,000 and $9,000. Manufactured in: United States Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled gas range 18-inch oven and contact the manufacturer to schedule a free, in-home repair. The large oven and all cooktop burners are not affected and may be used. Consumer Contact: For more information, consumers can contact Wolf Appliance toll-free at (866) 643-6408 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.wolfappliance.com.

(Continued on the website).

Labels: appliances, ranges, recall notice, Wolf

From Samsung's website, in the interest of the your safety:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Maytag Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. are voluntarily recalling clothes washer units. Water leakage onto the electrical connections of the washing machine's thermal sensor could cause an electrical short and ignite a circuit board, posing a fire hazard to consumers. The recalled front-loading clothes washers were sold under the Maytag® “Neptune” and Samsung® brand names, which can be located on the control panel of the units. This web site is for purchasers of Samsung brand units.

Brand Model Numbers Serial Numbers Samsung WF306BHW and WF316 (all series) Models that have a 6-digit serial before a letter that range from 100001 through 799999.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure Samsung will take care of this if you have one of the affected models. Check this web page to see if you're part of the recall (and what to do): Samsung Washer Recall

Labels: appliances, recall notice, Samsung, washers, washing machines