Store Removes Guesswork From Appliance Shopping

If you’ve ever been in the market for a home appliance, you know that the choices can quickly become overwhelming.

Most consumers will likely head to the Internet for initial research, but depending on cost, availability and suitability, it’s anyone’s guess where they will buy or what kind of service they will receive.

Workers at on Union Avenue, said they aim to change all that by taking the guesswork out of the whole buying process. The store sells a full range of home appliances, including refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, gas ranges and television sets.

“If you’re looking for a stove, you can go on the Internet and pick out a stove,” said Barry Goldan, owner of Barry’s appliance. “But is it the right stove for you, you don’t know. If you come here, we will educate you, we’ll ask you questions about the cooking you do and the features you want.”

The appliance retail business, is, of course, a commoditized one, meaning there are countless local and Internet vendors who sell similar products. What’s left from a business perspective comes down to quality of service, employee knowledge and recommendations.

Goldan said Barry’s Appliance is proud of the fact that it fields all its own customer service calls. This gives his staff inside knowledge on what products are best, regardless of reviews, he said.

“We are on the front lines as far as service goes,” he said. “You can look at consumer reports and they will give you a service history. Well, that’s a five-year history on an appliance that may have been good at the time, and maybe it’s the opposite now.”

Still, when dealing with technology built into so many of today’s appliances, anything can happen. Barry’s keeps tabs on everything that goes in and out the door, and can alert customers to any potential issues.

“We know that if we have a product we sell to you and a week later we get a service call from you, we start to see a pattern,” Goldan said. “We know that  even thought it’s well-rated, we are starting to see a lot of problems.”

“Because the customers are calling us rather than the 800 service number, we  like to recommend products that we had better success with,” Barry’s son, Jay Goldan, added.

The Goldans said that they also service appliances that were not bought at Barry’s.

“If you call me with a five-year-old Sears washer, will fix it for you, do a great job and maybe the next washer you’ll buy from me,” Barry Goldan said.

Price also helps Barry’s Appliance shines.

“We will price match any price from any reputable dealer,” Jay Goldan said. ”With many of the places on the Internet, once you check out, you are forced to buy an extended warranty and pay through the nose for shipping or home delivery. We’re lucky because we belong to a buying cooperative and, in most cases, we can match or beat any price.”

And customers have great service to go with it.