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Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
You know some people seem to think that we have it in for Hotpoint or Merloni, we don’t really. What hacks us off is cheaper and cheaper appliances with poorer and poorer build but the spares are still expensive (extremely) in relation to the purchase price. Add to that the fact that technical info is not available, something that didn’t happen under Hotpoint or GE and you start to see where we’re coming from. The machines are being made hard to repair unless you happen to work for Merloni and even som e of their engineers struggle at times getting info.
Now that’s all fine and dandy I guess for Merloni, it isn’t for us.
Do we have a problem with the Merloni/Hotpoint engineer or employees, not at all. In fact they have an awful lot of sympathy from many of us here as we can understand only too well how you’re being treated at times. We don’t like being treated in some of the ways reported, why should it be okay for an employee to endure poor treatment? Short answer, it isn’t.
Franchises, well you can read it all here. We all think that these poor people have been suckered into it, most if not all involved would agree.
Probably, I suppose, feelings run high as all we can see is one of the two great British manufacturers torn asunder and the names sullied. The brands are, in some ways, being sold under a false pretense that they are “British” which of course they no longer are. That’s the truly sad part though, loyal customers don’t know any better.
As for Hoover, well Candy made a pig’s ear of it IMO. I’ve said that since they bought Hoover and I still hold that view.
Sadly I see things going the same way for Hotpoint. If you scan the internet, the greatest power of our time, you get a sense of Hotpoint products being rubbished all over the place and the aftersales support slagged to death. Do I think that’s the call handling staff or engineer’s fault, no quite simply. Engineers can be good or bad, there’s no escaping that, but there’s no way that so many in such an organisation are that bad. Whether it’s demoralisation, lack of information or just plain old fashioned poor management it doesn’t matter.
In the end, like any of us that are authorised agents for any manufacturer or brand, you go out there and do your best for the brand and represent them as best you possibly can without sacraficing your own integrity. I suspect that some have lost sight of that goal when it comes to aftersales service.
K.
Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
If you were to stand on any city street and asked people what washing machine they own and would they but another of the same make you would get those who would and those who not have another no matter what make.
Ive just been to a customer to sort a problem with her fridge freezer, she remembered me from a previous visit as a team leader with Hotpoint. Good memory as this is now 11 years ago, but yes I can recall the lady, door pecker problems on a 95 if memory serves me.
She happily informed me that she always had Hotpoint as long as she can go back. Reason she states the quality of service provided by the engineers and the local service office.I must admit I had to aplaude her for her brand loyalty, at least until I noticed the LG washer shining like a new pin where the Hotpoint use to live.
So whats changed? 😳Add On: Sorry its not a trick question we all know the answer and if not ken sums it up to a tee in his previous post, which wasnt there when I started typing.
Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
indespoint wrote:
There are engineers out there that when called to a Hotpoint machine that will change the part that is faulty on a machine less than 5 years old knowing very well that it would be cheaper for the customer to call the manufacturer out on the 5 year free parts.
I have also had local repairers complain that they cant repair newer models of Hotpoint machines due to the power module having a programmable chip in it.I worked for Hotpoint for almost 12 years, back in those days 1968/1980, we often questioned the management decisions and the quality, how wrong we were. On Monday I repaired a Hotpoint 1827 that was well over 27 years old. The current production will be lucky if it lasts 27 months. Despite your post in another thread, a labour charge of almost £90.00 in socially deprived areas, or for that matter in any area is extortionate. That said, I always inform my customers of the free parts guarantee if the cost of the part is more than £90.00. I have two WMA drum assys to fit this week , rebuilt with rear halfs, new seals etc. I charge £120.00 for that job and well over 95{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of my customers ask me to do the job even though I have informed them that it is £30 more than Hotpoint’s charge. The reasons for this are mainly due to long term customer trust ( 27 years on my own, never advertised for almost 25 years) long waits for Hotpoint’s service calls and a general lack of confidence in the company in general. I have many contacts within the company even to this day, and to a man they all despise what the spaghetti munchers have done to the company. 😥 👿 😥
On a different tack but just another example of the ‘rip off’ mentality of the Indecent Company, I need a heater box for a Hotpoint DF61 dishwasher, Indesit price inc vat just over £100.00. The exact same part from Bosch who made this machine, less that £50.00. as a company employee you will not see things like this but you can understand the general ambivalence towards your employers from many members of the trade and the public at large.
Jim. 77315. 😉
Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
kwatt wrote: Add to that the fact that technical info is not available, something that didn’t happen under Hotpoint or GE and you start to see where we’re coming from. The machines are being made hard to repair unless you happen to work for Merloni and even som e of their engineers struggle at times getting info.
K.Anyone thought of asking them if they are “”Practicing restrictive trading from a dominent position”?
I did this with another manufacturer after they refused to supply me with info, 5 mins after I emailed them I had what I wanted
Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
kwatt wrote:Now that’s all fine and dandy I guess for Merloni, it isn’t for us.
K.Nor for the public.
Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse
I don’t think it is fair to blame Merloni entirely for the decline in quality of Hotpoint machines. It has been a steady process which started long before the change of ownership. Detail changes like screwing self tappers direct into panels instead of the using clip on inserts, leaving the tails untrimmed on cable ties, leaving a handful of assorted screws, washers etc floating in the base of each appliance; all this happened before the takeover. The wrap around case machines were largely before my time but didn’t they have 3 suspension units, making do with only 2 on the later 95000 range?
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