Remember taking your VCR to a service shop so it could be repaired after your kid shoved a Matchbox car into it? I do. (Okay, now I've dated myself, haven't I.) But until recently, except for their cars, most consumers probably can’t remember the last time they called a repair man or woman. Washing machine starting to rattle? Shop for a new one! Elements burnt-out on the toaster? Stop at Target!
That was all well and good in a world of Overwhelming Abundance. But when times are tough, expect “service and repair” to enjoy a renaissance, as consumers look for lean alternatives to spending more than necessary.
A recent story from MediaPost explained how Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” is taking advantage of this gravitation toward “repair versus replace”: A website calculator intended to help the customer decide which of the two would be most cost-effective. Simple. And brilliant.
Implications: Is yours a product that can be repaired? Do you offer factory- or factory-authorized services? Do you make consumers aware of these appreciated-more-than-ever options?
Designed obsolescence, once almost assumed, may be considered and avoided in the current economic climate. Ironically, cost-motivated consumers might not shop for the cheapest alternative… but rather, the alternative that is cheapest to own (due to durability and ease of repair).
Remember the term, “modular components?” They might be something to brag about again.
Mike Anderson
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment