New Maytag man
- Thread starter johnb300m
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danemodsandy
Well-known member
Just One Thing Wrong-
He's not Don Shier!
He's not Don Shier!
....or Jesse White.
brettsomers
Well-known member
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- Dec 30, 2005
- Messages
- 1,993
and those washers arent Maytags!
It could also be said that Whirlpool kinda hasn't been Whirlpool since DD hit ... although it really is and peeps keep buying them.
And technically, not all of Maytag has been Maytag for a few years, either.
;-)
And technically, not all of Maytag has been Maytag for a few years, either.
;-)
I applaud WP for trying to revive the Maytag brand. I hope they hit a home run. So far, I'm not sure how the numbers pan out, whether it's working or not.
kennyGF
kennyGF
danemodsandy
Well-known member
This Is True
Johnb300m has a point. Whirlpool has put a lot of money and corporate effort into continuing the Maytag brand. They have styled the new machines to resemble the fabled centre-dial series, and they are working on reliability.
Today's appliance business is far different than the one Maytag was in during its heyday. Back then, most people bought appliances from an established neighbourhood dealer; there was not a lot of price competition. Today, price competition is cutthroat, and consumers are spoiled several light-years beyond rotten, expecting to run down to Home Depot or Lowe's and pick up the best brands with the most features for next to nothing.
What Whirlpool has to do- what every company has to do- is to deliver the most quality available for the price consumers have demonstrated they will pay. If major appliances aren't what they used to be, I think that's because people have voted with their pocketbooks. There are some premium brands available, and there is a market for them, but those screaming sale-flyer prices have seen to it that there's only so much you can build in before the name goes on, with most brands.
I think the only way we would ever see bulletproof quality in major appliances again is if people began to leave the "bargains" in the big box stores, and voluntarily spent more money on higher quality. Ain't gonna happen.
As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Johnb300m has a point. Whirlpool has put a lot of money and corporate effort into continuing the Maytag brand. They have styled the new machines to resemble the fabled centre-dial series, and they are working on reliability.
Today's appliance business is far different than the one Maytag was in during its heyday. Back then, most people bought appliances from an established neighbourhood dealer; there was not a lot of price competition. Today, price competition is cutthroat, and consumers are spoiled several light-years beyond rotten, expecting to run down to Home Depot or Lowe's and pick up the best brands with the most features for next to nothing.
What Whirlpool has to do- what every company has to do- is to deliver the most quality available for the price consumers have demonstrated they will pay. If major appliances aren't what they used to be, I think that's because people have voted with their pocketbooks. There are some premium brands available, and there is a market for them, but those screaming sale-flyer prices have seen to it that there's only so much you can build in before the name goes on, with most brands.
I think the only way we would ever see bulletproof quality in major appliances again is if people began to leave the "bargains" in the big box stores, and voluntarily spent more money on higher quality. Ain't gonna happen.
As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
I think the average consumer has been looking for the best value for the money since capitalism was conceived. Maytag had no problem selling a superior product at a higher price and was successful with that business model for decades. They produced an excellent value for their consumers, as is demonstrated by the countless center dial machines that are still plugging away today across the U.S. and Canada.
Maytag found it necessary to change their business model and things went downhill from there. When we remodeled our kitchen 17 years ago and had some issues with the new JennAir range, I was surprised and somewhat disturbed to see the Maytag name lumped in with others on the side of the factory service van. I felt way back then that Maytag would never be the same, but didn't think it would be wiped off the map completely, which is what has effectively happened. I would sure like to know more on why continuing to build machines with the proven dependability of the center dial design was not considered an option, even by Whirlpool. There is no question that there has been a solid market for them since Maytag first came out with an automatic model.
What's next? Is Maytag going to go literal with the term cheesey by selling that business out to Kraft Foods?
Maytag found it necessary to change their business model and things went downhill from there. When we remodeled our kitchen 17 years ago and had some issues with the new JennAir range, I was surprised and somewhat disturbed to see the Maytag name lumped in with others on the side of the factory service van. I felt way back then that Maytag would never be the same, but didn't think it would be wiped off the map completely, which is what has effectively happened. I would sure like to know more on why continuing to build machines with the proven dependability of the center dial design was not considered an option, even by Whirlpool. There is no question that there has been a solid market for them since Maytag first came out with an automatic model.
What's next? Is Maytag going to go literal with the term cheesey by selling that business out to Kraft Foods?
Hey! You forgot the big guy!
Ahem, buddies...a moment of silence for Gordon Jump, the previous Maytag repairman and the general manager on "WKRP in Cincinnati"...
I must have a purely personal reaction to seeing the independent Maytag dealers in the St. Louis area now advertising themselves as "The Maytag Store...and a whole lot more!" It may be that WP is spending big bucks to keep Maytag a distinctive brand, but it's disconcerting to see Whirlpool, Amana, Estate, Roper, Jenn-Air, etc. lumped together with Maytag. Sort of like the Cadillac dealer which now also sells Chevies, Buicks, Pontiac, GMCs, Oldsmobiles--oops, check that, no more Oldsmobiles! Maybe eventually no more Maytags?
Ahem, buddies...a moment of silence for Gordon Jump, the previous Maytag repairman and the general manager on "WKRP in Cincinnati"...
I must have a purely personal reaction to seeing the independent Maytag dealers in the St. Louis area now advertising themselves as "The Maytag Store...and a whole lot more!" It may be that WP is spending big bucks to keep Maytag a distinctive brand, but it's disconcerting to see Whirlpool, Amana, Estate, Roper, Jenn-Air, etc. lumped together with Maytag. Sort of like the Cadillac dealer which now also sells Chevies, Buicks, Pontiac, GMCs, Oldsmobiles--oops, check that, no more Oldsmobiles! Maybe eventually no more Maytags?
