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From Servevast today:
8th November 2011
Comments SMEG ITALY ARE TO SUPPLY BLANK DISHWASHER PCBS FOR THE ENGINEER TO FLASH WITH THE CORRECT PROGRAMMING FOR THE SPECIFIC MODEL. THIS WOULD REQUIRE A COMPUTER OR LAPTOP WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION, IT COULD BE DONE IN THE OFFICE OR IN THE CUSTOMERS HOME. CAN WE HAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK ON THIS PROPOSAL PLEASE TO dmoorcroft@smeg-service.co.ukRe: Smeg
No issue with me, in principle. If one module fits all then thats a bonus. Dont like the sound of the “internet connection” though. Would prefer to be able to download the programmes at home onto the laptop for use in the house and keep a “library” of them for future use. No doubt that wont happen and have to wonder about the interface, needs to be a lot better than their previous “RDS” pile of crap. Also need to know if programmed versions are available or not for non agents.
Re: Smeg
When Whirlpool brought out their blank modules a few years back we were told that there would be 3-4 different blanks that would fit all, it turned out that there were over 20 of these blanks with different ones coming out all the time and the worst part was that some of the blanks cost 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} more than the programmed boards!!
Beware……
JohnRe: Smeg
And, that’s my great fear.
If this sort of thing is just allowed to happen without any checks or balance in play then where does it actually end?
If you think about it and, I know it may seem trite at times, if manufacturers are allowed to do basically, whatever the hell they like and restrict after sales to a small minority then great (perhaps), for the small minority. Not so great for everyone else.
Let’s look at a simple scenario for the future…
Manufacturer A (MA) goes bust.
MA have had a tight reign on all service, you need a laptop running only Windows 7 with a particular program that has an internet connection to reload the EEPROM of all laundry and dish product.
Website fees aren’t paid so the download isn’t possible.
Loads of people now have machines that cannot be repaired.
We lose. Customer loses.
Another…
Insurer B (IB) gets pi$$eed right off with the high charges MA makes for repairs but, cannot even think about contracting you, me or anyone else to do the work direct because nobody can repair the product bar MA and the agents that have the up to date kit to do it with.
IB loses a fortune in service costs but, more to the point, nobody else (us) can get a sniff at the work.
Oh, that would be Miele. 😉
Or is not now Bosch? 😕
Or Smeg.
Or Indesit.
Or Candy.
Excuse the language but, f**k me, that’s a lumping great hole in what we can actually repair.
Nothing to do with us. Nothing to do with out ability. Nothing to do with our pricing.
We’re just forced out.
We lose. Customers lose as they have and cannot have, any choice which is, by definition, not a free market. It’s a monopoly or cartel.
So while some of the smart ar$es sit and say that this is a great idea, yeah it may well be in the short term but, we all know in here and, we’ve all seen in here, these contracts change, move, mutate and we’ve all been bitten. So, yeah it could even do me a favour right now and give me exclusive access to some products but do I think this is a good thing for anyone?
Bet your a$$ I don’t because I know that, left unchecked, this will come back and bite us all in the that said same a$$ at some point.
K.
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