It has been said that consumers want cheaper and cheaper appliances, manufacturers are even gearing up to produce appliances cheaper than ever before in relation to current economics. However the results of the current poll such as they are seem to indicate that consumers do not want that.
The current poll would indicate that what customers want is quality and a reasonable lifespan in domestic appliances, something that I hear from customers all the time.
What many people fail to see is that, with lower prices there is always a hidden cost to pay. This is normally in the build quality or the materials used in the construction of the appliance, orin many cases the quality of the components used in the construction. It also affects the level of aftersales care that you are liable to recieve, after all in a cheap appliance where is the money to service it to a standard that you expect?
I have on many occasions said that a washer, dishwasher, oven or fridge etc. is primarily a machine constructed from raw materials such as steel and plastics, the cost of these materials has not dropped therefore the significant price reductions can only be made in two or three ways. Reduction of labour costs, increased efficency in production and reduction of the quality of the raw materials used or the quantity used. Regardless of how you slice it the quality now is lower than it was, but then so is the retail price.
What customers cannot expect in the longevity or low occurence of faults that they would have expected from an appliance of years ago, unless you want to pay for that quality. Perhaps consumers should bear that in mind the next time they purchase a new appliance and remember the old saying that all that glitters is not gold.
Our advice is to ask where the applince was made, what is the expected lifespan and what the service response times are. I should think that many retailers will struggle to answer those simple questions. But when you buy a new car or most other major items, do you not research just exactly what it is you’re buying?
It is worth trying to learn just what appliance you are buying and who actually made it, it may pay off.
Interesting this should be posted as I was having a conversation with another UKW member about it just hours before.
The comment “ask where the applince was made” is one that interests me. Is there a league table of the best and worst countries to buy domestic appliances from.
Ok a league table is asking a bit much, how about a traffice light sceanrio:
Green: No issue in buying from this Country
Amber: Would buy with reservation.
Red: No way.
If the results come back as I think then I”ll tell you an interesting little story.