Selling Replacement Ice Machines

[QTEMP]

In your opinion, what would take for you as a service tech, a business owner, and a distributor to motivate you to sell a replacement icemaker if the replacement unit was reliable and the manufacture stood by their product via warranty etc.
Thanks in advance. Any and all ideas are much appreciated.

[Joe Harper]

I dont bother with it..The restraunt supply companies will give them away at cost...

[Super Tech JJ]

I agree with Joe. I also know that most, if not all restaurant supply salemen, will sell them an air cooled (not remote air cooled) machine and that as you all know makes our life more difficult! Why is my kitchen so hot??? Because you bought LOW BID!!!! Now live with your lovely purchase! I let a customer kinda have it for this a while ago.....Not sure if anyone at the office ever heard that I gave them an earfull?? I get tired of the low bid thing being the only choice in a purchase so I needed to vent!

:mad:

Anyway, not directed at you, just used, or air cooled (not remote) alot of times these are accidents looking for a place to happen.

JJ

By the way, when their kitchen is hot, tell them hey I can install more cooling or remote your condenser and make that heat dump outside.

[QTEMP]

More comments please. So if I understand correctly low bids and unqualified saleman who promise an all inclusive warranty? What else and any suggestions to change the situation. Thanks again

[QTEMP]

I have seen the evolution of the icemaker industry and it's devolving condition to what it is today. I was part of helping two big manufactures in capturing market share. That was accomplished through the service industry by recommendation based on service. Now, after market share has been obtained, the service network, who was a major part in achieving that goal, has been left out in the cold by not being able to sell, service, and install their recommendations. Low bids are the main reason for this problem since people who are selling them do not care or don't know any better and do not know the difference between a fryer and an ice machine. This is my experience and the time is right to bring back that service network for a ice machine manufacture to capitalize on this opportunity. So, with that small introduction, if the service network, distributors and the manufacture attempted to support the entire chain of purchasing through service, local distributors and tried to educate the customer on what they are buying, and share the pie fairly by changing national account purchasing to support local business where the machine is installed, would that make a difference in regaining the confidence of the service/replacement opportunity, which is at an all time low at this time. I have taken my time and made my professional recommendations for replacement machines in the best interest of the customer, only to return and find that the machine was purchased in Texas, installed by a factory approved local rep with a "relationship", then lose the opportunity to pick up the customer when the installation company, that did a great job installing the fantastic new ice machine, picked up the account instead of our company. Total income to our company.....$0.00 Thank you in advance.