By R. Bruce Wright
Does this sound familiar? A consumer contacts you and says “After that storm we had the other night, my TV (or computer or air conditioner or furnace or other favorite appliance) is burnt up and the repairman says that it was likely the result of the blinking lights I have experienced over the past few months. I want you to buy me a new one.”
Pretty common, huh? Out of all those calls you get, do you think most of the damages are really the result of so-called power fluctuations, or is it possible that the repair person has just grabbed onto the excuse the customer provided, since it was the easiest way out? Are they always able to tell just by looking at the device if an appliance failed due to a distribution surge, a lightning surge, or an internal failure? Is it typically a firm diagnosis, or just a "best guess" that is based as much on the story the owner tells as on the visible evidence?
Why not invest a little effort to tell your story and bring these folks over onto your side? Why not have your Member Service folks meet with, or at least send out to, the appliance vendors/repair facilities in your area and give them some information on how the distribution system works, on how you see your responsibility with respect to providing an uninterrupted supply of power, and on all of the precautions you have in place to protect the public. Maybe if you take the time to teach them a little about what you do, and how you approach it, they may be a little less likely to quickly agree when someone brings in a damaged appliance and tells the "power surge" story.
It would also be good to mention to them that surge protectors are valuable loss prevention devices, and that once a person has decided to buy a major appliance, the small additional cost is easy to justify. (And, they can be sold for a profit!)
And, as a post script, Fran Achille at Palmetto EC in Hardeeville, SC contributed the following thoughts:
"If you tell a consumer [As opposed to an appliance vendor or repairer. --ed.] that a surge protector will protect their appliances during the next storm, that is incorrect too. Nothing will protect you from lightning. We tell them that anything that has electricity outside of the house should be on a dedicated breaker. That way it MAY not take out any more than what is on the "yard light" breaker, pool breaker, computer (modem) breaker, TV (cable) breaker, etc. The reason is that the phone and cable TV may not be grounded well and damage the appliance when ground lightning comes in off of the improperly installed 'other than electricity' cables."
Thanks Fran!