Product Warranties and Your Brand Promise

I bought a new washer and dryer a few months ago. The stacker model I used previously lasted about 15 years, which is pretty good. If you haven’t looked at washers lately, then you may not know that most of them don’t have agitators. To me this doesn’t make sense. How do the clothes get cleaned without being agitated? But that’s a topic for another time.

Since it has been a while since I purchased a “durable good*”, like a washer, dryer or refrigerator, I had forgotten that most manufacturers still only offer very limited warranties — some as short as one year. Now, that agitated me. How can manufacturers talk about quality, reliability and durability — their brand promise — and then not stand behind their products for longer than 12 months?
*Durable goods are a category of consumer products that do not need to be purchased frequently because they are made to last for a long time (usually lasting for three years or more).

Customer expectations

We’ve all seen automobile manufacturers extend their bumper-to-bumper warranties out three years, five years, seven years and now even 10 years. We know it’s possible. And we expect durable appliances to last at least seven years, especially at the prices being charged. So the questions begs, “Why can’t, or won’t, they extend their warranties?” As a customer, it’s frustrating.

“Good Enough Never Is”

While I can’t answer for durable appliance manufacturers, I can tell you that this got us thinking at Hartzell Air Movement. As a result of our discussions, we realized we needed to practice what we preached. So, we have stepped up to our brand promise. At Hartzell, we have taken a stand against “just good enough” products encroaching into the industrial fan market. We design, engineer and manufacture our products to perform in the toughest industrial environments. And, with our industry-leading, five-year warranty, we firmly stand behind our brand promise. We guarantee our products are reliably built to last — well beyond the warranty period.

Look beyond the warranty period

If you are a professional engineer or contractor, the process air components you spec represent your brand promise to your customers. How they perform and how long they last matter to your customers. So it should matter to you. Specifying Hartzell fans and blowers guarantees that your customers will be delighted with the performance and long life of Hartzell products. Click here to learn how the industry-leading Hartzell five-year warranty can strengthen your brand promise.