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would someone maybe inform me what the benefits of helping people to fix their machines are? if they werent helped then they would be forced to call a service engineer, which the biggest proprtion of us do on here as a living to help pay our way etc, seems logical to me just as the people that are attempting to fix their own machines go to work to earn their living to pay their way.
Re: diy’ers
Yeah , agree with that in general Jeremy but don`t worry Martin`s getting his revenge on a DIY`er by getting him to take the rear casing off a Zanussi to have a look at the brushes 😆 .
Bryan
Re: diy’ers
I think the point here… within the public forums in UKW… is to ensure that the DIYer’s will only practice their DIY ‘safely’ and to promote the services of us independant engineers.
The advice given here is unlikely to lose us work as, let’s face it, they will have a go anyway with or without our help. This way they are not going to delve too deeply into unknown teritory.
Good point though… How do you other lads feel?
Bob
Re: diy’ers
don`t worry Martin`s getting his revenge on a DIY`er by getting him to take the rear casing off a Zanussi to have a look at the brushes
yeah true enough lolbut we are undersold, undervalued anyway, most other industries wont help the gp in this manner now i know some will argue well that makes us look better but there aint no smell or taste to that now is there?
Re: diy’ers
We had a DIYer done his own bearing job on a WMA. Started by gaining access to the pulley with a hammer and chisel!!!!! He kept buying spares. We kept selling them. By the time he brought it in to us to sort out it had cost well over the price of the standard bearing job. Our helpfull advice was well ment and he now see that we were right. His advice to his friends and family is our advertising.
We get the job and spares sales!wilf
Re: diy’ers
thats not in the context of this website though. as far as im aware there is no other website that has a forum for people to get the type of advice on whitegood repairs than this one, maybe and note my wording, its a case of to much info is being given out ?
Re: diy’ers
The Public Forums have a sticky at the top outlining what the site is prepared to tell them. All Trade Posters in the Public Forums should read and take on board.
Chris.
Re: diy’ers
ok lets get officious, what im asking is a generalisation of self preservation in our industry, peoples opinions not officaldom (if thats even a word)
Re: diy’ers
like i said an opinion , comments, isnt that what forums are about as well ?
not just polls and rules ?
Re: diy’ers
jeremy
If you find a post in which you think too much information has been passed out to a member of the public could you please notify a moderator.
Any such post will be evaluated and edited as appropriate.
The purpose of UKW is not just to refer everyone to a repairer; this will not maintain the current levels of interest in our site.
Sometimes you have to give a little to get something back 😉
As has been said, many of the public posters are going to have a go themselves regardless. I’d much rather we could at least advise them to proceed safely.
By offering people free assistance we are far more likely to be remembered for future use than if we just advised that every repair should be directed towards one of our members. Most of the DIYers will only get so far into a repair anyway before realising they have bitten off more than they can chew.
By making a repair a viable option we can help lessen the throw-away culture of modern machines, and when the now potential customer realises that it’s not as easy as they at first thought then they’ll know where to come to get professional help: Repairs@
Softly softly catchy monkey.
Re: diy’ers
It’s pretty simple really and this comes up every now and then. There’s varying opinions but my take on it is this…
If someone is prepared to search the internet to try to find out how to fix anything then they’re going to have a crack themselves anyway, whether this site is here or we help or not. Sorry, but that’s the reality and if you look at the like of diynow I think it’s called, it’s full of people that should be made to pass a test to hold a screwdriver let alone (God fobid) near some of the stuff they attempt.
Fact is that the world has changed and customers have evolved. They’re a lot smarter and savvy than ever they were, we either have to keep pace (which we’ve not been doing very well IMO) or die out. I prefer option number one.
So, the point is that by attempting to help we appear to be an open and honest trade and “we” collectively gain the trust and respect of our customers. An image that we’ve NEVER had in the past.
If people can’t figure it out with a few subtle hints then they will normally require an engineer and, to be fair, most seem to try Repairs@ before they go anywhere else. IMO that’s mission accomplished, the independents get the business and the chance to retain the customer over anyone else.
Now, where’s the problem with it? 😉
K.
Re: diy’ers
Never had a problem with somebody having a go themselves if they own up when it goes pearshaped, not the 1st time i’ve asked had anybody to look at it , nope nobodoy’s been near it and screws bolts etc etc are all fitted wrong, saves a load of time if they will own up and tell you what they did.
Re: diy’ers
ok given that i have given advice im not saying no way ho say, but liek the example of the guy who is looking at a zanussi and thinking there is 2 motors, to the point of telling that person how to take it apart, i guess its down to indivduals to how much info they want to give out, but im darn sure that if i rang me local garage and asked something they wouldnt tell me how to take it apart and then what to check. I just think sometimes it goes to far.
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