need help finding customers

[brothermal]

how does a new guy who right now only does whirlpool washers and dryers find work?

[JWWebster]

Why do you only do whirlpool?

[brothermal]

for me, Whirlpool was the easiest to learn and it is very popular . it is sold under many band names. I am studying other bands. whirlpool is where I have the most confidence at this point.

[JWWebster]

What you should do is offer free diagnosis on stuff you don't specialize in and if you cannot fix it you don't charge them for looking either. This will gain you some experience.

[brothermal]

Good Idea. I will put into action.


Thanks

[MajorApp]

You MUST gain the confidence to work on other brands or you won't survive. There is not that much difference. Service manuals are available and the knowledge from this forum will give you the chance to study the machine and the symptoms before you go to the customers house. If you only work on Whirlpool brands and only washers and dryers you will be getting only part time work. You have to go for it. cmon, jump in the pool.

[JWWebster]

If you come across an unfamiliar brand get a model number, take some photos and ask us. Post what ya got and we all get a chance to learn together. Stuff is changing all the time. What makes this forum so good is we all exchange stuff we learn on here to empower each other.

[blondejon]

As far as learning other brands, buying broken appliances to fix or offering free removal of broken appliances can also help.  That's what I've been doing for over a year now.  There's less stress involved and you can learn at your own pace.  I don't see a ton of GE appliances here so I got a GE washer in the other day and took it completely apart and then back together just for the experience.

You can even do the used appliance thing to help bring in income while you build your customer base.  I've also had people call looking for used appliances and then after talking to them for a bit it would turn into a service call.  People seeking used appliances are many times more willing to get their appliance fixed if they know it will cost them less to fix it then buy a used appliance.

[brothermal]

Thanks so much for the input. It is greatly appreciated.
 Can you give me an idea how you advertise ?
What would you say is your most effective marketing strategy?

[Bailey]

There are local companies that send out coupon books through the mail. They have deals on pizza, mufflers, brake jobs etc.
When I first started out i ran a dryer tune up offer. A special price or sometimes money off with coupon. I also advertised at the bowling alley. The add was on the screen where bowlers looked at the scores. Local restaurants also have a newsletter on the table that customers can read while they are waiting for their food. These are cheap ways to advertise and I did them all.

[blondejon]

Thanks so much for the input. It is greatly appreciated.
 Can you give me an idea how you advertise ?
What would you say is your most effective marketing strategy?

I have a full time job and a young family on top of my part time repair service and used appliance sales so I haven't tapped into my full marketing potential.  But I use Craigslist for my used appliances.  I post each appliance individually (I don't usually have more than 1 or 2 running at one time.)  My appliances usually sell within 24 hours.  After selling an appliance I can generate leads off of those who call or email asking about the already sold appliance.  Depending on the time that I have,  I can state that I also fix them and then begin to ask them what's wrong with their appliance.  I have received business off of this method before.

I also have a website that draws some traffic.  Right now I only have about 300 - 400 unique visitors a month.  I'm signed up with Google Places and have a free Yellow Pages online ad or whatever it's classified as.  I wouldn't mess with the phone book.  If I had more time on my hands, I could do a whole lot more.

[AJ]

All great ideas!

You can also advertise here for free if you would like.

Appliance Repair Companies

[brothermal]

when you list your washers and dryers on Craig's list , how do you determine the price of the units?

[blondejon]

It was trial and error.  I sell most toploads at an average of $150.  Dryers generally $100 unless they are super fancy.  My prices are on the low side, but I set them lower so I can sell them quickly.  I kind of watch CL and see what things are going for.