SERVICE ABOUT SERVICING ISSUES VIEWPOINT
George Linder, product manager at Heatrae Sadia: why merchants ought to know about servicing in order to better servce their cylinder customers
‘SERVICING’ – IT’S ONE of those words that has become synonymous with certain heating and hot water appliances but not others. For instance, installers in the heating industry will already be aware of the need to service products such as a combi boiler every 12 months. Less known is the need for installers to undertake a service on unvented direct and indirect cylinders every year. This issue is not confined to heating engineers, some homeowners can overlook this need, treating their cylinder as an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ appliance.
Merchants are in a unique position to offer installers on-the- spot advice and recommendations and this means they can ensure their customers know that a cylinder service should take place once every 12 months. With a yearly service increasingly becoming a condition of the manufacturers’ warranty, it’s evermore important that merchants understand what it entails so they can pass this information on to their customers should they need – providing added-value to their merchant offering.
Cylinders that are not serviced every 12 months could pose a risk to the homeowner, their property, the heating system and even the appliance itself. For instance, it is crucial the service engineer regularly checks the expansion vessel, whether an internal bubble top unit or an external expansion vessel, to maintain the safety, integrity, and performance of the hot water. Without adequate servicing, the expansion vessel could fail, resulting in water being
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released via a discharge pipe to a tundish, and the cylinder to become un-operational. When providing an installer with a cylinder over the counter, merchants can discuss servicing with their customers. It presents an opportunity to ask: • Are you aware that a cylinder must be serviced every 12 months? • Are you aware of what you need to do during a service? • Will you notify your customer of the need to have their cylinder routinely serviced?
Myths are pervasive, and one of
the most common is that cylinders do not need to be serviced at all. By asking three simple questions, merchants can play their part in helping to dispel potentially harmful thoughts in the heating industry.
To help aid the conversation, the Hot Water Association has released a free-to-download guide to servicing to provide an insight for installers and homeowners alike into what to expect and why an annual By delivering first-class customer care, heating engineers could develop a deeper sense of loyalty to an individual merchant as they begin to trust the suggestions and advice provided over the counter. By reminding installers of the importance of ‘selling the service’ to their own customers, merchants could find that they become the first port of call for heating engineers when spares such as pressure relief valves (PRVs), flexible hoses, or even replacement cylinders are required.
This situation is a ‘win-win’ for any merchant as it increases
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Penny-conscious consumers will always be looking to save money where possible; merchants can work with installers to
remind consumers that an annual service is often a stipulation of the manufacturers’ warranty.
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the likelihood of return visits from loyal installers and could boost sales of components and appliances.
Merchants can work closely with manufacturers to ensure they are prepared to meet customer demand for parts and appliances, as well as working with the manufacturer to access information and technical updates. This will serve to bolster the added-value that merchants can offer to their customers, in turn, allowing heating engineers to better educate consumers about the importance of regular cylinder servicing.
Consumer conscious Penny-conscious consumers will always be looking to save money where possible; merchants can work with installers to remind consumers that an annual service is often a stipulation of the manufacturers’ warranty. This will usually be enough to convince a homeowner to take action – particularly if they’re looking to avoid a costly repair bill should anything go wrong in the future. It is worth mentioning that some manufacturers offer to send free annual service reminders to customers on behalf of the engineer through their loyalty schemes such as Megaflo Rewards – saving them time and ensuring repeat business. The purchase of a cylinder from a merchant doesn’t have to be the end of the relationship; the merchant can benefit from providing spares and replacement appliances should wear and tear begin to take its toll on the operational efficiency of a homeowner’s cylinder. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2019
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