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Services Matters
Big screen trade-up
Strike while the iron is hot, Should it be bigger?
urges Barry Street.
Of all the consumer electronics
products the one which consistently turns
in the biggest business for the
independent dealer is large-screen TV. It
also offers the most and the best
opportunities for trading up – in turns of
product upgrade, service and accessories.
And I’m not thinking only of stands and
leads, important though they are...
Adding value passion for a new gadget, be it a TV, mobile If the delivery/installation technician
As a service-orientated company our first phone or whatever, lasts a while after it’s in, takes with him a good universal remote
resource for adding value to a sale is the up and running, and it’s important to strike control there’s a good chance he can sell
special installation service we offer. It is while the iron is hot. So how about a follow- it on the spot, especially where audio and
taken up by many of our customers. Much up, by phone or post, just one week after surround equipment is in use, beyond the
more than an unpack and plug-in session, the TV has gone in, perhaps with the latest embrace of Sky orf other proxy zappers.
we connect up all the customer’s peripheral offers on associated gear? This really does For a skilled, enthusiastic and
equipment, provide the leads and work, and a primary advantage of it knowledgeable technician there are
interfaces, and programme the operational concerns sound bars, external speaker various specialist accessory opportunities,
software (generally in the installation menu, systems to boost up the soundstage of a ranging from wireless headphones and
sometimes in the factory/service one) for large screen TV. Virtually all such panels video senders to infra-red ‘beam-
optimum compatibility and co-operation have very tiny speakers whose benders’ of the sort marketed by Keene
between them. Then comes a quick course performance does not begin to do justice Electronics: they facilitate remote control
in driving the TV, and tweaks for the new to the big and beautiful screen image, but of equipment which is out of the viewer’s
user’s specific tastes and needs. This is you can hardly drive this point home when – and their zapper’s – direct line of sight.
very useful to punters who are not specially you’re selling the TV. To the real movie Think beyond stands and cables, then,
tech-savvy, and is charged for equitably. enthusiast some steps towards a home and try to remember when you last had a
The only other upgrade we try to cinema can be suggested, with a surround new car, house, gadget or whatever, and
achieve at the point and time of sale audio or all-in-one system. your ‘honeymoon’ with it, when your iron,
regards screen size. Virtually everyone so to speak, was hot. Maybe a good
who buys a big TV will use it for sports Matching HD salesman could have enhanced your
and movies, and it’s little-known fact that I find that people’s interest and enthusiasm pleasure in it at that crucial time? a73
to take advantage of a 1080-line display for their new TV certainly extends, initially at
the best viewing angle is between 30 and least, to making best use of the high
20°, corresponding roughly to a viewing definition capability and HDMI portage, and
distance of 5 to 10 feet for a 42in screen, thus they are most amenable soon after a
6 to12 feet for a 50in screen, and 8 to 15 TV upgrade to buying a high definition set
“How about a follow-up,
feet for a 60in TV. At greater viewing top box, now available for use with all three
by phone or post, just one
distances the high definition capability is air-broadcast platforms; and particularly a
being wasted – trade them up, then, to Blu-ray deck – it amazes me how many
week after the TV has
their proper size. people are not aware that these are
compatible with ordinary DVD discs, and
gone in, perhaps with the
Timed follow-up with many other types carrying sound and latest offers, such as
Other trade-ups consist mainly of peripheral pictures. Now that Blu-ray recorders are
boxes, and here we find that on the spot about they provide a one-box resource
sound bars or external
and at the time it can be difficult to sell centre for silver discs of all sorts. At the very
speaker systems or
further major equipment to a new TV buyer. least we would hope to sell an upscaling
Human nature is such, however, that the SD disc player.
associated gear?”
34 TheIndependentElectricalRetailer February 2010
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