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A number of times over the past few years I’ve had that conversation with some (often older but not exclusively) person about how washing machines don’t clean like they used to or that they are ruining their clothes.
But this is a problem in three parts.
Part One – The Customer
All too often I’ve seen repairers faffing about like headless chickens looking for faults that don’t exist as well and all because of this…
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/stai … bols-.html
Every single one I’ve had to look into where the repairer could find nothing wrong has been down to the customer not following the care labels or, not using the correct detergent. It is extremely common for people to mess it up… then blame the washing machine, or you, or both.
The sad fact is, they often don’t bother to sort white and lights from colours so, what chance is there that they will pay any heed whatsoever to the care labels?
Answer: not a prayer.
Part Two – The Instructions
Fact is that the instructions on most detergents suck big time.
Most washing machine instructions aren’t much (if any) better.
It really is the blind leading the blind… with a blind, deaf guide dog that limps badly.
And often these days the deaf, blind guide dog only speak Turklish or some form of Chinglish. Which doesn’t exactly help matters.
Which is the very reason what we have care labels, they are language neutral being that they’re only symbols that merely tell people what way and with what they should wash their clothes. Trouble is of course, hardly any of them have the foggiest what they mean.
And, most of them wouldn’t take the time or trouble to find out.
Part Three – The Engineers
WARNING: This is brutally honest!
Most of you lot haven’t a damned clue either.
You wouldn’t know the difference between a delicate cycle and a normal one other than one’s shorter than the other, it doesn’t spin as much or something. You’d just guess at it and try to blag your way out the conversation.
Yet do you not think, just for a minute, that seeing as you’re out there mending these things every day that you should perhaps have an inkling of not only how they work mechanically but what they are supposed to do?
I mean, not knowing is a bit like a car mechanic telling me that he knows the engine is broken but what is it you put in it and what purpose does it serve? Yes, it’s an extreme example of a ridiculous situation but I hope you get the point.
So when some poor soul says that their machine isn’t cleaning properly or something you lot sort go, “err, ehm, eh, duh…”. That’s often after you’ve change the heater, the module and pretty much anything else you can think on.
When what you didn’t think to diagnose was the actual problem. The customer and how they use the machine.
But then, if you don’t have a clue what it’s supposed to do, how can you do that?
All wash result errors are down to use unless there is an obvious fault. It will be the wrong program being used or the wrong detergent in 99.9{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of cases. The other 0.1{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} will be it getting incinerated in the dryer or some such malarky.
What I hate and, I really do hate this, is having to tell a customer that (in the nicest possible way) that they’re a donkey and doing it all wrong after an engineer has been in, spent ages and gotten nowhere. Makes me out to be the evil overlord or something and makes the engineer out to be a muppet that hasn’t a clue about washing machines.
Worse still when it’s the husband that then has to relay the message to his wife. That’s never a fun conversation I’m sure.
Please spend a little while actually understanding the wash process and what the machines can and can’t do. It’ll save you so much time and you’ll even know what you’re talking about as well. 😉
K.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
you lot sort go, “err, ehm, eh, duh…”. That’s often after you’ve change the heater, the module and pretty much anything else you can think on.
I’m glad you hold us lot in such high regard. Where are you getting your facts from? Not from over here thats for sure!
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
I do hold most in high regard.
That won’t stop me from trying to make it better.
K.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
A surprisingly big put-down comment pointed mainly toward engineers by our Ken. Can’t imagine what prompted that I’m sure but puts many of us in our place anyway. Meanwhile we must try harder to do better and if in doubt just ask Ken.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
I’ve pointed this out many times, going back some time, Ken didn’t seem to grasp my point. Now he’s had time to reflect or rather has had a lot of rejected claims recently.
In one respect I’d love to see people become qualified to an Engineer level, have an industry recognized qualification and become paid for that knowledge, on the other hand, the one that pays my bills, I’m quiet happy there are a lot of numpties out there who struggle to even remove the lid.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
customer do often use the wrong prog , the biggest one we see is customer has worked out if they use dedicates etc the washing time is quicker – this seems to work ok for them for a while but then out the blue they call up saying its not spinning bla bla bla , we go out and confirm timer is set at delicate , and advise them in the error of their ways ..
often this has to explained to husband or house sitter etc …
MRS then comes in from shopping – and she not havn that explanation and is back on the phone – RECALLengineer goes back out and shes ready for him re dedicates – normaly they say the dont use dedicates and only used it once etc …
eng then spend up to an hour testing rinse spin etc .so i suppose it can all hinge of on what type of machine and whether the customer will accept engineers findings
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
:eeek: now your spoiling things Ken. You trying to tell me that after over 30 years repairing this junk, now i’ve gotta go out & learn what it’s supposed to do ? 😕 Damn how boring 🙂
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
Martin wrote:A surprisingly big put-down comment pointed mainly toward engineers by our Ken.
To provoke reaction and thought was the intent.
If I said everyone was wonderful it would be (a) not true and (b) not accomplish the objective.
Martin wrote:Can’t imagine what prompted that I’m sure but puts many of us in our place anyway.
What prompted it was that I had to go learn a load of that stuff to answer queries from customers and engineers. Learnt a fair bit myself researching that I didn’t know, like all about dry cleaning.
Every day’s a school day.
K.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
Well I’m sure we are all open to learn new things, and can do a little research ourselves, but with life running at the pace it does a pointer in the right direction wouldn’t go a miss?
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
Hi Kwatt,
thank you for your posting, it brings back the reality of being self employed, after 8 years of being employed its now just knock and run for me and boy do i feel bad. if your post refects on the independents and the ones on your side then i feel frustation for you, but thanks for bringing back the values of being a proper appliance repair engineer and all the good days i remember.
i have also had a bad day.
Bob.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
Forearmed is Forewarned,If you go in on the front foot then chances are you wont fall over.
As an example I did the soap tech training all those years ago and I learnt a hell of a lot,for instance the one thing that stuck with me was that if you overdose with detergent it actually becomes less efficient,It gave me the confidence to “argue ” with customers,that were adamant that there was something wrong with their machines when in fact it was misuse on their part,the symptoms are often such that you could easily fit parts and go up a blind alley all the while reinforcing the customers(incorrect)assumption there is a fault.
On another note on warranty Jobs we are finding an awful lot of callouts are due to customer misuse/misinterpretation of the handbook.
We try and front load our engineers with as much info as possible including handbooks before they visit a call that way it saves time and money.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
No, I’m not having a bad day at all.
I get annoyed about some things easily I will admit and some take a while to fester and brew properly.
I see loads of stuff from self-employed and employed engineers and the one thing that really gets my goat is some muppet spinning a yarn when it’s pretty clear that the guy in the customer’s house is a muppet that doesn’t have a clue. That for me is completely unprofessional.
If you don’t know, STFU and go learn.
So, what I want is for the people (read engineers in this instance) that actually care about what they do and the service that they provide to give the best that they can. And, that means that they have to know what they’re talking about.
Not guess.
Not blag it.
Know it.
That for me is professional, knowing what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Know the product and what it does or should do.
Are you saying that’s wrong?
Are you suggesting that knowing what the machine you’re working on does, why and what the result should be is in some way an incorrect view? Is it wrong to ask that a “washing machine repair guy” knows how the machine works?
Or is it wrong to think that maybe the technologies might change? Not just the machines themselves but the other all important ingredients like the cloth we wash in them and the detergents that we use in them?
Or, is it acceptable to get stuck in a groove and assume that nothing will ever change?
I’m not berating anyone at all. I am berating general ignorance or the inability to learn new things as the world around you changes.
As my signature has stated for months and months, from a man far wiser than I will ever be…
K.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
lee8 wrote:I’ve pointed this out many times, going back some time, Ken didn’t seem to grasp my point. Now he’s had time to reflect or rather has had a lot of rejected claims recently.
Not even close.
Qualifications don’t make you any better, they just infer that you are. And, let you bum yourself up a bit. “I’m so much better because the bit of paper says I am”… I don’t think so…
Knowing your topic and how to apply that knowledge is far more important than knowing some theory.
I’ve seen a lot of idiots pass exams. Then they’re just qualified idiots.
Let me put it this way…
I get a knife wound because someone takes offence at my daring to even think of criticising the poor old engineers…
If I had a choice between the doctor with not a lot of experience that had qualifications up the yahoos or, a field medic with bog all qualification but that actually knew the real world stuff through experience and how to stop me from dying whilst lying on a table bleeding out…
Well, I know what one I’d want to patch me up.
K.
Re: How Much Do You Know About Washing Machines?
Ah I see know what your gripe is Ken. The penny has finally dropped, it’s the rejected claims issue and you are standing there as the big overseer making judgement on the reasons for them. That let’s me off the hook as I don’t do guarantee work and have to blag on claim forms.
One thing is certain though about the “muppets” that right out these claim forms is the sheer inventiveness of their reasons for the breakdowns. So whilst it may be true they didn’t have a clue about the machine they were dealing with they sure make up for it in print….! 😀
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