Servicing Plumbing Fixtures: Adding Value to Our Customers. By DPHA Fellow Sarah Jenkinson

When we own a car, most of us have it regularly serviced by our mechanics.  We understand that there are parts that wear and tear and need to be replaced, even when not under warranty.  When it comes to home fixtures like our faucets and showers, this common sense seems to stop. Faucets still have parts that can wear and tear, we have thermostatic valves and steam generators that need to be cleaned, and yet this information is rarely given to the end user. While admittedly I am in the industry, I still have my plumbing products serviced and cleaned every 5 years, any mineral build up is cleaned up and all O-rings are checked and lubricated if needed. My plumber laughs at me, but at the same time I never have any issues. I recently had to get a new switch for my air tub; it is 11 years old and still works, but I could no longer read the numbers.  I didn’t think it was a warranty issue, bulbs go, but the dealer was very surprised I didn’t ask if it was covered by warranty.

So, who is responsible for getting this information to the end user? Most manufacturers have care and maintenance manuals that go with their products, but let’s be honest, it’s hard enough to get the plumber to read our instructions, let alone get them to hand over the maintenance manual to the consumer. A couple of plumbers out here on Eastern Long Island have started offering maintenance contracts where the customer pays a certain amount each year and then if anything goes wrong, the plumber comes in and fixes it.  My sister in the UK purchased a program for her appliances that if it breaks down, they fix or replace, again for a fee, and it covers dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, dryer, freezer and range. This is not an extended warranty but a maintenance contract.

Should our dealers be making sure the consumer understands the maintenance of the product they are providing?  Do your valves need to be cleaned, should your O-rings be lubricated, should you be cleaning your steam generator, etc.?  Or is it the responsibility of the plumber?  Honestly it should be both.

I think that we are missing a business/service opportunity here.  Plumbers could offer a maintenance service if faucets are purchased from a local dealer, not online, dealers could also offer this service if they wished, in conjunction with their plumbers. This is not a free service but again a maintenance contract. We seem to be the only industry where product needs to be serviced where we are not addressing this, nobody complains about having their oil burner or water heater serviced but a shower valve or a steam generator then we all get “isn’t that covered by warranty?”

With the Internet offering cheap prices but no customer service, maybe this is one of things we can do that increase our value to our customers. Architects and Designers are always looking for after use service.