Dixons "KNOWHOW" To Carry Out Appliance Repairs

Dixons Retail has confirmed it is further extending its nationwide service offering, KNOWHOW by carrying out in-home appliance repairs for its Whatever Happens warranty contracts.

It is reported that KNOWHOW will establish an in-house repair service for customers with white goods (large kitchen appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, fridge freezers etc.) covered by the company’s Customer Support Agreements (‘Whateverhappens’). The move is set to create around 100 jobs and means that Dixons Retail will be the only electrical specialist retailer in the UK able to carry out product repairs on white goods for its customers.

The service will launch in May 2012.

Dixons say that KNOWHOW currently employs some 4,000 staff. Its repair arm already handles laptops, desktops and televisions in-house at its repair lab in Newark. It currently fixes an average of 2,500 TVs and 9,000 laptops per week, with a repair time promise of 7 days.

Steve Gibb, Home Services Director for KNOWHOW said: “We will continue to extend the breadth and quality of services offered by KNOWHOW. The development of an in-house repair service for White Goods further extends KNOWHOW’s market-leadership position, and demonstrates our ambition to develop our relationship with customers and help them every step of the way.”

Meanwhile the Mirror has reported that Dixons is indeed creating 100 jobs in its repair arm but, just as its struggling rival Comet ditches engineers.

The newspaper goes on to say that until now, manufacturers have carried out the work and that Comet has done the opposite by handing repairs to product makers in a bid to save money.

Dixons have said it’s likely to take on more workers over time.

Analyst John Cummins, at WH Ireland, said: “This could be a pivotal year for Dixons.”

The move came as Comet’s stock problems continue, with credit insurance headaches hitting supplies from at least one firm – Korean TV maker Samsung.

Amid the turmoil, Dixons has had applications from a large number of Comet’s engineers.

However industry sources seems to indicate that Dixons are struggling to recruit service engineers. We have also heard from a number of Comet (and other) service engineers that they were not willing to work for the new KnowHow operation due to the demands and conditions that Dixons are placing on the enfgineers coupled with the not wonderful salaries on offer.