Three Things You Should Know Before Buying An Appliance
Questions You Should Ask Yourself
#1 How Am I Going To Use This Appliance And How Long Do I Expect It To Last?
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Is this an appliance that gets heavy use?
Examples:
Laundry-- Do I do frequent loads, large loads, larger items (comforters, work clothes, etc)
Cooking-- Do I often cook large meals, cook multiple courses simultaneously, do I have multiple cooks in the kitchen, etc.?
Refrigeration –
-Do I need a lot of space in my refrigerator (cubic foot requirements),
-Space limitations (is there a cabinet above or beside?),
-Do I want ice and water in the door?
-What kind of configuration , e.g. do I want top freezer, bottom freezer, French door?
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Other things to consider:
-Am I interested in lots of “bells and whistles” or plain jane with good quality?
-Am I choosing an appliance that needs to fit within my budget?
-is this an appliance that is “at need, just to get me by for a while?”
These are things that we at MR PLANNERS use to help you focus on the correct line of appliances for you. If you objectively look at the way you use them, you will have a much better idea of which appliance is best for you and your family.
#2 Will This Appliance Match Accompanying Appliances?
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For example:
- My other appliances are fairly new and I need to match them
- My other appliances will be replaced in the next couple years and I may change colors and finish
- I don’t have to match anything
- I may replace multiple appliances if a package deal is cost effective.
A kitchen is a unique blend of function and style. Obviously you want equipment that works well for you, but you also want appliances that enhance the look of your kitchen and give you the satisfaction of a well-styled room. MR PLANNERS will be glad to assist you with any design questions that you may have.
#3 Who Would You LIKE To Buy Your Appliances From?
-Do I prefer to buy locally when I can, and support businesses in my own area?
-Am I looking for minimal help with delivery and installation or do I want someone who can assist with everything from buying decisions to final install and setup?
-If I am shopping based on price, do I consider ALL the costs, including accessories, delivery and install, shopping costs (yes, those two hours that you spent driving out of town and back ARE worth something, especially if you have to make a 2nd or even 3rd trip back up there to complete the purchase).
-Do I have a relationship with an appliance dealer / installer, and would I like to give them the opportunity to supply my next appliance?
We at MR PLANNERS would like to consider #3 the most important of all these things. We will help you at every step of the way to find out what your needs are and we will work very hard to meet those needs as efficiently as possible.
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We do not focus on the price of the appliance alone (although we are very competitive). We try to step back and look at your whole picture and find out what will give you the most satisfaction in the long term.
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We do this by choosing product lines that have a low incidence of repair, along with good warranties and a good variety of options.
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We have a broad selection of appliances in stock and order new on a regular basis.
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We use our employees to deliver and install so we have control over our installation.
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We also are happy to sell you your appliance on a cash & carry basis without delivery.
There are several ways that we can keep our prices as low as they are.
- We don’t spend millions of dollars on huge buildings.
- We don’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on slick advertising each week.
- We are part of a large buying group so we can buy better and keep our prices low.
- All of our inventory is paid for, so we are not operating on borrowed money.
The 3 Biggest Problems With Big Box Appliance Stores - How MR Planners Overcomes Them All
How to ensure you wont be replacing that new appliance a few years from now
1. Price vs. Cost We have overnight Digital Pricing
2. Dependability vs. Innovation We have the lowest rate of repairs
3. Dependability vs. Disposable We handle the brands that have been in America for over 100 years.
Buy American-Made, Buy Local
Product knowledge before you buy
Interpreting Consumer reporting articles
While consumer reporting articles can be a great place to start when gathering information on a purchase, you may want to ask a friend or better yet a trusted repair person. A columnist writing an article might not interpret their gathered data accurately or in the same way you would.
A great example of this is a recent consumer magazine actually lists “Hotpoint” appliances in 3 major categories (Electric ranges, Gas ranges and Dishwashers) as having fewer repairs than all other brands.???? This would include GE which makes Hotpoint as their entry level product.
This same article lists KitchenAid on these same categories as having more or most repairs.
I think if you talk to any Repair person they could easily tell you this is exactly backwards. A better interpretation of the data would tell you that KitchenAid dishwashers actually last long enough to be worth repairing and Hotpoint is a more disposable brand.
It would be better if reporting articles like these would do a comprehensive analysis (i.e. longevity, cost of repairs, frequency of repairs, overall cost of owning that item) by following the life time service of real appliances in the field.
Most reporting articles rely on surveys which can be skewed by many factors not the least of which is how you ask the question or how you interpret data.
Some actually purchase items for the article. While this is very noble (and costly) however it may give you a better snapshot on innovation and first impression rather than longevity or cost to own.
Even a hands-on study may give you a better snapshot on innovation and first impression rather than longevity or cost to own.
Some things the guys at Box stores won’t tell you (even the honest ones)
Some things the big Box marketers don’t want you to know
We spend millions figuring out what will convince you to buy
The sales person you are talking to today most likely wont be employed there when you have a service question
Service questions?… here’s the 800 number( i.e. you’re on your own, we won’t be “going to bat” for you).
Making sure your appliance fits? That is your responsibity.
Your appliances may need a skilled carpenter to fit into your cabinet space
Most box store rebates require you to buy something else in their store via in-store credit
“Free” delivery?…. we find the lowest cost person we can, to squeeze that heavy appliance in your door and drag it across your new floor.
Have you ever wondered where all the truckloads of scratch and dent appliances come from? They mostly come from our dissatisfied customers.
You might find a local dealer has a similar price without all the headaches.
MR Planners solves these problems by being flexible: we often match price. We strive to get you the service and the knowledge that you need to make the right decisions to fit your needs
We have more accountability if you have a problem you can talk directly to me or my associate. We try to weed out problematic items/brands because we do not want call-backs and/or unhappy customers. We inspect nearly every appliance when it comes in
No bait and switch tacticts
Professional, skilled craftsmen. No hatchet jobs on fitting cabinets to appliance
If I see you on the street I want to be able to greet you and be friendly.
Is there ever any reason to buy an appliance other than price?
Fears
I don’t want my stuff scratched
Want to make sure I am getting the right equipment for my needs
I don’t want to spend more than I have to
Do you know which low cost appliances will actually cost you more per year to own?
No Reasonable offer refused
That scratch and dent appliance may not have a warranty
Real delivery not in the yard or on the porch dump off
Nearly all their rebates force you to buy something else in their store in a limited time period
Our rebates come on a gift card you can use anywhere
Our staff will help you meet your needs
We can usually match price
The box stores have some low end stuff we don’t even try to carry
They buy some bargains I cannot match
But I have some items priced that they cannot beat
If you don’t need help choosing your item if you are not needing a complete package if you are not doing your complete kitchen if you are not needing any carpenter work done on your cabinets to make your appliance fit, if you can install it yourself or don’t mind low paid help dragging heavy appliances across your floors, if you are a person who doesn’t use their warranty when problems arise if you don’t need help with service after warranty then choosing a big box store may be a good option for you
A local dealer is often more flexible to match price and to convey helpful service and knowledge. A local dealer also has more accountability and are less likely to handle problematic items because they do not want call-backs and unhappy customers
