Troubleshooting and Repairing Major Appliances

Today’s service technician must be educated in major appliances and air conditioning theory and have the ability to diagnose problems with these products. The service technician also needs another important tool in their arsenal: customer service relations. The customer must be satisfied with the service call, the service company, and the service technician. When the service technician is in a customer’s home, to the customer, the service technician represents the service company. While the service technician is in the customer’s home, he or she must be able to accurately diagnose the problem and make efficient repairs. Repairing major appliances and air conditioners is only part of the job. The service technician must establish good customer relation skills in order to have good customer satisfaction. Service companies place service technicians in a unique position that affects customer satisfaction. The service technician will have to meet the customer face to face in the customer’s home or place of business. Service technicians meet customers when their products have failed or are not performing to their expectations or when the customer has to pay for a service call and repairs when the product is out of warranty.

Customer satisfaction is the customer’s impression that the service company and the service technician have done something meaningful and in the way that the customer wants it done. This is not the same as having done a good job by providing good service. The service company you are working for defines these concepts, which are generally based on the technical aspects of the job. However, when the service technician provides good service for the customer, the customer may not be satisfied. When you are on a service call, the customer must believe that you provided a worthwhile repair and that you did it in a manner that pleases the customer. Just remember this: the customer has the final word, whether they are satisfied or not. As a service technician you must balance what is attainable in your field and customer satisfaction.

From a business standpoint, when a customer is satisfied with the service company and the service technician, a bond of loyalty begins. When a customer is satisfied and happy, a great thing happens: they tell their friends and family of the experience. That is the best advertising for a service company. They do not have to pay for advertising and it brings repeat business and profits. When you have good customer satisfaction, the customers stay with that company; they do not have to look for another company to fill their needs. Customers place a high priority on good service and if they are not satisfied, they will go elsewhere for that satisfaction.

When the technician finds ways to increase customer satisfaction, they can make the service call and the job more interesting and rewarding for themselves and their company. Along with customer satisfaction, the service technician can expect to receive pay increases or even a promotion from the company. Once the technician has learned customer service techniques and treats the customer as a special person, it will carry over to other service calls. Going on service calls to happy customers is more rewarding and less stressful than going on service calls for customers who are not happy with you or the service company.

If the customer does not recognize the quality of service being provided as superior, then the skills of the service technician are not enough. The quality of the service call is whatever the customer recognizes it to be. When the service technician can recognize what the customer perceives to be quality service, and knowing what the customer expects, then the technician will exceed the customer’s expectations. The customer expects the service technician to solve their problems with their appliances or air conditioner. When the service technician cannot solve the customer’s problems, or creates new problems, then the customer becomes dissatisfied with the technician and the service company.

• Arrive at the customer’s home or place of business on the day that the service call is scheduled.

• Arrive on the scheduled time that was provided to the customer.

• Identify themselves when they arrive at the service call.

• Wear a uniform or have an identification badge that identifies the service company.

• Be properly groomed, knowledgeable of the product being serviced, and courteous to the customer.

• Show a genuine concern for the customer’s problems with the product.

• Listen to the customer’s complaint and ask questions regarding the complaint. This will allow you to better diagnose the faults with the product and to efficiently perform repairs.

• Do not leave the customer in the dark about the repairs. Always explain to the customer what the repairs involve. The service technician must provide the customer an estimate and a breakdown of the cost for the repairs to the product before beginning any repairs. At this point in time the customer will have to provide you with an answer as to whether they want the repairs or if they will replace the product with a new one.

• When the customer tells you that they want the repairs, you will make sure that you have the necessary parts to complete the repairs. The technician must work quickly and efficiently to complete the job. Make sure that you have no leftover screws or parts that belong in the product. Double-check.

• When the repairs are completed, you will demonstrate to the customer that the repair has solved the customer’s problem with the product. You will then offer to leave the old parts with the customer if they are out of warranty. Let the customer decide what to do with the old parts.

• Leave the work area clean and free of debris.

• When you are ready to leave the customer, do not forget to thank them for their business.

The service technician should be aware of specific procedures that will help them to increase customer satisfaction. By learning these procedures and practicing them so that they become automatic and natural, the technician should be able to demonstrate better customer skills. Remember that the overall objective is to demonstrate to the customer your ability to resolve their service problem, while providing them with great service that will encourage future business.

A service technician must have good communication skills to help them establish good customer relations. There are three important channels for communicating with the customer. They are verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal communications. The reason these three channels are important is that they can send conflicting messages from each other since they convey information independently of the others. When the three types of communications are sending different messages, the customer gets confused, and your point can be lost. Inconsistency can also create a lack of trust and undermine the chance to build a good working relationship between you and the customer. If a technician sends a message with conflicting verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal information, the nonverbal information tends to be believed.

As a service technician you must be able to communicate to customers effectively. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face to face. Speak clearly and know what you are going to say before you say it. Words that are critical, blaming, judgmental, or harsh tend to create an unwilling and defensive mindset that is not conducive to productive problem solving. When we speak, only 10 percent of the words we use get through to the customer. Spoken words are unlike written words, where a person can go over a passage several times to ensure understanding. It is the technician’s responsibility to make sure that the message gets across to the customer the first time. Therefore, if you want your message to be understood, you must be careful of the words you use. Technicians who are well versed in their fields have the tendency to use industry jargon when speaking to customers. While this is comfortable for the technician, the customer feels lost in the conversation. Choose your words with the intent of making your message as clear as possible for the customer; keep it simple and not confusing.

Nonverbal communication is the unspoken messages that a technician sends to a customer by gestures, posture, facial expressions, and sounds. Of the two types of communication already mentioned, nonverbal communication is considered to be a truer reflection of a person’s feelings and thoughts. Never underestimate the power of nonverbal communication; it accounts for 52 percent of what is perceived and understood by others. Our body language is always communicating to the customer whether we want to or not. Because of this, the customer is most likely to believe and trust the nonverbal communication over the verbal communication, especially when both types of communication are contradicting each other. If what you say to a customer is not supported by your body language, the customer might interpret your words as insincere. It also tells the customer how you actually feel and that you do not care about their problems with the appliance or air conditioner.

Paraverbal communication refers to how we say something, our tone, our volume, our pitch, and how we pace our speaking and articulation of the sentences we use when speaking with customers. Remember this: it is how we say something, not what we say. A paraverbal message accounts for 38 percent of what is communicated to the customer. When speaking to the customer, a sentence can convey entirely different meanings depending on the emphasis on words and tone of voice. Here are some points to remember about paraverbal communication:

Empathy is the ability to place yourself in the shoes of your customer and see through their eyes, the customer’s point of view. It’s thinking about the customer’s fears, anxiety, and trying to understand their previous service call experiences (good or bad) before they met you. Other times the customer is someone you’ve seen before and they are expecting to repeat a good experience with you. To effectively communicate empathy, you must have empathy. Your ability to view the situation from the customer’s point of view depends upon the following:

Improve verbal communication by also listening diligently to what the customer has to say. If you dominate the conversation or don’t pay attention to the responses you’re receiving, you won’t comprehend the customer’s point of view or know if they truly understand yours. Listening to the customer will provide you with the following:

When you are in the customer’s home or place of business, do not start to work on the appliance when the customer is speaking or look at your cell phone for messages without first listening to the customer’s concerns. When we open our minds to new ideas, we have the opportunity to learn new things and to hear different perspectives. Give the customer your full attention. Allow the customer to finish speaking, or wait for a pause in the speaking before you begin to speak. A good listener will:

• Set aside your own thoughts and agendas.

• Step into the customer’s shoes and try to see the world through their eyes.

• Suspend judgment, evaluation, and approval in an attempt to understand the customer.

• Not finish the sentence for the customer; let the customer finish speaking first.

• Share with the customer only positive comments.

• Move your body in response to the speaker, that is, appropriate head nodding and facial expressions.

• Always face the customer and show good eye contact.

• Maintain an open posture with arms and legs uncrossed.

• Not lean against anything; stand on your own feet. Show good posture.

Technicians have a tendency to filter out parts of the message, or to fill in parts that have not been communicated by the customer. It is important to not only listen effectively, but to provide feedback to confirm what you think you heard from the customer. Effective feedback tells the customer that the technician has heard the message and indicates a response to the message. Feedback includes nodding your head up and down, a particular facial expression, direct eye contact, or posture. Feedback can also be communicated through words, like “yes” or “I understand.” Feedback is the technician’s response to the customer, so useful feedback can only be given when the technician has listened effectively.

Paraphrasing is a form of feedback to the customer. The paraphrase should be in the technician’s own words rather than using the customer’s words. In other words, do not be a parrot by repeating word for word. Paraphrasing not only indicates that you are listening, but it gives the customer the opportunity to verify your understanding of what was said. You do not want to interrupt the customer while they are stating their issues or explanations.

Asking questions indicates that the service technician does not understand, or wants to verify their understanding of the problem with the appliance. This helps focus the technician on the topic, encourages the technician to talk, and provides the technician with the opportunity to give feedback. Asking questions will help you to:

Questions will help you to discover the customer’s actions that may have caused the problem with the appliance. By knowing what actions have occurred, it will give you the opportunity to give instructions that will prevent the problem from recurring. Not asking questions or not obtaining enough information can lead to a misdiagnosis of the appliance or air conditioner. It also reduces the opportunity to know how the customer feels about the appliance. Knowing how the customer feels about the product will help you know what to do to restore, or improve, customer satisfaction.

Before a service technician arrives at a home or place of business, some important steps must take place first. When you prepare first, you minimize the conditions that can lead to customer dissatisfaction, while promoting customer satisfaction. Customers expect the service technician to be knowledgeable about their appliance or air conditioner. It is essential that you gather as much information as possible about servicing the appliances and/or air conditioners that you are likely to see in your area. One of the most important means of receiving information on these products is to attend an appliance and air conditioning school. While in school or working for a service company, attend any and all of the manufacturers’ scheduled training sessions. There are also appliance and/or air conditioning parts distributors that have training sessions. They not only give you information presented about new product introductions and updates, but also give you the opportunity to discuss issues that you are seeing in the field day-to-day. Training sessions also give you the opportunity to interact with other technicians from your area. You may find they are experiencing the same difficulties, or that they have a remedy for a problem that you were experiencing. Manufacturer’s service manuals or the service mini-manual (technical data sheet) that is attached to the appliance or air conditioner is another source of information. Most contain information on product operation, disassembly, diagnosis tips, and procedures for checking specific components. These manuals also contain error codes (on certain models only) that help the technician with the diagnosis. Trade magazines and periodicals often cover general and sometimes specific appliances or air conditioners and can be beneficial to the technician or the service company. The Internet is another source for technical and parts information. Yet another source will be salespeople who sell appliances and air conditioners to customers based on features that are intended to satisfy the customer’s needs. These features apply mainly to high-end appliances and air conditioners that are advertised as being the “quietest,” “most energy efficient,” “largest,” etc. Insights to these features will help you get an idea of what is important to the customer who purchased one of these products.

Customers expect the technician to repair the appliance or air conditioner on the first call. When a service call is placed, customers are facing two major sources of inconvenience:

When a return trip must be scheduled due to lack of parts to repair the product, it further adds to the customer’s inconvenience, as well as to their dissatisfaction. Prescreening service calls so that you can attempt to have the proper parts to complete the call will greatly reduce the dissatisfaction and add to the customer’s satisfaction. It also serves to reduce costs to your service company. It costs money to schedule a second trip, and the cost can be minimized, and customer satisfaction maximized, with just a little extra effort from you. Believe it or not, it’s part of your job description.

As a service technician you have only one chance to make an impression on a customer. Most customers will be more likely to overlook some flaws in the service call visit if they feel good about the technician. Customers will be more likely to call back the same company and ask for the same technician if they like you. First impressions make a technician’s job a little easier. Make sure that you start your day with a clean uniform and shined shoes. While it’s difficult to stay fresh all day, an extra shirt or two in the truck, with a shoe brush, will help you look your best. Shower, shave, (if applicable), and comb your hair (also if applicable). When you present the image that you care about yourself, the customer will feel that you care about them, and about their problem with the appliance and/or air conditioner.

If a commitment has been made between the service company and/or service technician with the customer, you must arrive on the scheduled date and time—this is what the customer expects. In many cases, the customer has to make arrangements to be home for the technician to do the repair. This may include taking time off work, rescheduling other activities, or having someone else there to let you into the residence. Do not enter a residence, under any circumstances, where there is a minor child present, unless an adult is present. This is for your protection along with the minor’s. If there is no adult present, use your cell phone to make contact with the customer or notify your office to call the customer to reschedule the service call. Be mindful of the fact that customers are not there for your convenience. You are there to help their situation. Be on time if a commitment has been made.

If the appliance or air conditioner is out of warranty, explain any service call charges, diagnostic charges, and establish a method of payment before you begin diagnosing the problem. This will avoid problems later. If the appliance or air conditioner is under warranty, you must make sure that your company is authorized to do the repairs. Use protective mats and protective equipment on your tools and for the product being moved for repairs. Do not place your tools or other diagnostic equipment on other appliances, countertops, or furniture. Do not damage the customer’s property.

Before you begin to take apart the product, ask the customer questions regarding the problem they were experiencing with the product and why they called. This involves actively listening to what the customer is saying. Do not presume that you’ve seen this problem before, so you know what it will take to repair it. To the customer, they are the only one having this experience, and many want to be certain that you completely understand their needs. By listening to the customer describe the perceived or real problem with the product, you can save valuable time by not checking or disassembling parts of the appliance or air conditioner that are not affected. Verify that the product has the problem that the customer described. Customers are not supposed to know about the technical aspects of their appliance or air conditioner. In most cases, customers can only relate the end result of a malfunction. Talking to the customer and asking questions may lead to a completely different condition than the one stated on your service invoice. There can be several reasons for obtaining an incorrect diagnosis:

• The customer’s spouse may have made the service call and did not understand the nature of the problem.

• The person responsible for taking the service call did not get the exact reason for the call.

• The person taking the call used “shorthand” in describing the problem, or all of the necessary information did not make it into the description of the complaint.

• The customer thinks they have a problem with the product, but they do not.

• The customer may have forgotten how to use the product, or they forgot to read the use-and-care guide.

After diagnosing the problem, explain what repairs are needed, and give an estimated cost to the customer. On some occasions you might have to give a written estimate. Remember, show empathy for the customer’s situation. When describing the nature of the repair or the product’s condition, explain it to the customer in a way they’ll understand. Never talk down to the customer, assuming they won’t understand anyway. That may be the case, but they do not want to be made to feel unintelligent.

If the old part is not returnable for “dud” allowances, offer to leave it with the customer. This will give the customer the assurance that you have installed the parts as stated. Use the old part to demonstrate the reason that the product malfunctioned. This will help the customer to understand the nature of the failure and its repair and assure that you are a trustworthy professional service technician. If the customer does not want the old part, remove it and dispose of it when you return to your company.

Explain any warranty on the repair, and point the warranty out on the service invoice. Resell the appliance or air conditioner by reaffirming its features. Give the customer the satisfaction of feeling that they have selected a quality product and that they can depend on it. Do not make the customer feel that they are destined to live with recurring problems that cannot be resolved. If you diagnosed the problem correctly and tested the product according to manufacturer’s specifications, and the product is working according to specifications, then there is no reason in your mind to doubt the product’s longevity.

Technicians try to complete all of the service calls within the first trip to the customer. Unfortunately, most service calls will not be completed on the first trip, but you should try to make the number of calls as few as possible. This will lead to some customer dissatisfaction, since they must wait to have their appliance or air conditioner operational, and may have to make arrangements to leave work early again so that you can complete the repair. How you handle the follow-up call can help minimize the customer’s dissatisfaction with the delay.

If a part needs to be ordered, or you need to come back to complete the repair, explain the reasons to the customer. If possible, give the customer an approximation as close as possible on when you will return to complete the repair. If you cannot estimate the date of your return, advise the customer that you or someone from your company will be contacting them to give them an update on the status of the delay and when the service call can be rescheduled. It is absolutely critical that the customer is contacted within a day or two, even if the status is yet unclear, to keep them from wondering if anyone is actively working on the problem. Many customers do not realize that their appliance or air conditioner repair is one of many to your company. The customer should be made to feel that they are receiving your utmost attention, and that you are doing everything possible to complete the service repair.

There are some things you’ll want to avoid while on the service call that can turn a good impression into a bad one. The customer is a valued person and should be treated as one. Keep a positive attitude when dealing with the customer. Make every effort to keep your conversations with the customer on a professional level. It is okay to be friendly, but avoid becoming too familiar. Here are some other things to avoid while on a service call:

• Avoid placing blame on the appliance or air conditioner, its design, the person who installed it, the company that built it, other technicians and other service companies, etc. It serves no purpose to point fingers. As long as the problem is taken care of, the customer probably doesn’t care who or what caused it.

• Avoid a negative attitude. You are representing your company, and the perception the customer forms about your company is based largely on you.

• Avoid getting too technical when explaining the repairs required. Don’t talk down to the customer, but try to speak to them in a way they’ll understand.

• Avoid profanity or joking around with the customer. There are limits to how friendly you should be with a customer. You are a professional and should act like one.

• Avoid causing damage to the appliance or air conditioner or to the customer’s home. You are there to correct a problem, not cause a new one.

• Avoid making promises you can’t keep. You need to maintain a balance between serving the customer and running a business. Some things just aren’t doable. Be realistic in attempting to satisfy the customer. Making a promise and failing to follow through will make matters worse.

• Avoid leaving the customer without an explanation of the “next steps,” if needed. If parts are required, or another service call will have to be scheduled, make it clear that you or someone from your office will be contacting them and give them an estimate of when. If the customer needs to make arrangements with someone else to resolve their problem, advise that they should call the dealer or electrician, plumber, etc., and give them the reason why they’ll need to do it.

• Avoid using the word “can’t.” Most customers don’t care about what you can’t do. They are only interested in what you can do. Do not give the customer any reason to tell you to leave; they will call someone else to repair their product.

There will be a time when your best efforts will not be enough and your customer will be dissatisfied. Unforeseen circumstances, a missed diagnosis, a problem where you couldn’t keep an appointment are all events that can lead to customer dissatisfaction. While these are things that should be avoided, sometimes they are inevitable. There are steps, however, that can be taken to regain customer satisfaction:

• Apologize sincerely If you are the reason for the dissatisfaction, apologize to the customer in a way that is sincere. This does not mean a quick “sorry” mumbled under your breath, but an apology that the customer will understand as being meaningful.

• Fix the problem quickly Okay, you’ve made a mistake and you’ve apologized. Now, you must resolve the problem and resolve it in a timely manner. All of the apologies in the world will not help the situation if you don’t take steps to fix it. Most customers will understand that mistakes will happen. The sooner you fix the mistake, the more likely the customer will forgive the mistake.

• Do something extra Having apologized and fixed the problem will not necessarily bring the customer to a feeling of satisfaction. They may no longer be dissatisfied, but there is more to be done to bring them back. It doesn’t have to be anything extraordinary, but something that the customer would not expect. You could offer a free inspection of another appliance or air conditioner. Also, you could offer an extension of the labor warranty. This will depend on your company’s policy and capabilities and should be checked prior to making the offer.

• Finally, follow up After the service call has been completed, call the customer to check up on the appliance’s performance. Follow up by sending a letter thanking them for their business and making sure everything is satisfactory. You must demonstrate to the customer that you are making a conscious attempt to regain their business and make them feel important and valuable.

Customers become angry when their dissatisfaction is poorly managed. By taking the appropriate steps in dealing with an angry customer, you can minimize their anger, resolve their problem, and end up with a satisfied customer. These steps, as they apply to the service technician, can be summarized as follows:

As a trained professional, it is your responsibility to maintain your self control. The customer is frustrated by the situation, and has become angry. If you become angry as well, the customer is likely to respond with increased anger, and to focus the anger on you. While you cannot control the customer’s response, you can influence it by remaining objective, reasonable, and calm. Remember, the customer is frustrated because things are not as they expected. Their anger may not be directed at you, but you may not be the cause of the anger, and should not take it personally. If you are the cause of the anger, apologize sincerely. Let the customer know that you acknowledge the anger, and that you will take actions to correct the cause. Let the customer express emotions and facts verbally, but remain calm. Do not panic, and do not respond with anger.

When consumers’ expectations are not met, they are likely to become angry. The anger is likely to increase if the customer feels powerless to correct the problem. To the customer, it may seem that the only way they can get the problem resolved is to express their anger. The result is increased frustration. Allowing the customer to vent their frustrations verbally will help them relieve some of the frustration, because expressing the anger is doing something about the problem. Good listening skills, such as providing feedback, will encourage customer expression.

To correct the problem, you will need to get the facts. With the customer’s expression of anger, some of the facts will surface. You will need to ask clarifying questions to get all of the facts you’ll need. Avoid jumping to conclusions about the customer, or about the appliance or air conditioner problem. Many times you’ll think you know what the customer is leading up to, but you may be incorrect in your assumption. Continue getting as many facts as you can about the problem. Ask questions to get clarification that will help get the facts you’ll need to diagnose the problem. Be careful to ask pertinent questions. If a customer gets the impression you’re asking frivolous questions that are just wasting their time, they may become even angrier. Paraphrase the information the customer has given you to check your understanding of the problem, and to demonstrate to the customer that you are actively listening and making a commitment to resolve their problem. The facts you are seeking are not only about the appliance or air conditioner, but about the customer as well. The problem may be with the customer’s expectations, and not an appliance or air conditioner issue at all.

Use the skills you’ve learned in this chapter about empathy, listening, and providing feedback. As a service technician, you will have the technical knowledge and skills as well as a concern for your customer. You have to understand the customer’s feelings and communicate that understanding to the customer. Acknowledge the customer’s distress and let them know that you are willing to help. Recall how you felt in a similar situation. Be aware of the customer’s nonverbal communication. Remember that the customer is aware of what you are communicating nonverbally If you listened carefully and got the facts about the product and about the customer, you will be able to better understand the situation.

Using the skills learned in this chapter, explain your diagnosis to the customer in terms that they can understand. Do not talk down to the customer, and do not use terms that are too technical. This is sometimes the cause of their anger in the first place.

Many of your calls are likely to involve customer error. If the problem is with the customer rather than with the product, keep your suggestions focused on the product or on the process. Do not blame the customer for the problem. In most cases you may have to remind the customer how to set the controls properly or explain how the product functions. In your attempt to resolve a customer error and not an appliance or air conditioner problem, you may think that installing a part on the product will make the customer happy. In many cases, this will only prove to the customer that there is a problem with the product when there isn’t. This may lead to more problems in the future.

This last step helps ensure that a situation that began in anger ends with a customer who is pleased by your ability to solve their problem. Good service will help ensure repeat business, not only from that customer, but from people that the customer talks to about the service you provided. Believe me, customers talk to each other about service companies and service technicians. Here are some more ways to end on a positive note:

• Do more to solve the problem than a customer would ordinarily expect. Be willing to go the “extra mile” to demonstrate your willingness to resolve the customer’s problem.

• Resell the product by pointing out its useful features to give the customer the feeling that they have selected a quality product.

• Let the customer know that if any further problems develop, you are trained and prepared to resolve the problem.

• Be careful not to make statements that may not be true. Do not promise that this appliance or air conditioner will last for years or never have another problem.

In this rapidly changing field, you must keep up to date with the changes (Figure 4-1). This textbook offers you a broad basic background on the appliances and air conditioners that are already in the field. The one thing we all have in common today is the Internet, where you can keep abreast of the new developments, changes, and improvements in the appliance and air conditioner field. Also, there are publications serving the appliance and air conditioner fields that you can subscribe to. Manufacturers often offer training programs, and studying manufacturers’ literature will help you to update your knowledge on appliances and air conditioners. By belonging to a trade organization and subscribing to its publication, you will have a source for detailed information on any given product. Technical knowledge is a never-ending process. The appliance and air conditioner service industry is a multibillion-dollar business that is still growing. The benefit of staying abreast of updates in the industry is job security and a better chance to stay in business, if you are in business, and do not forget your customer relation skills.