Appliance center liquidates inventory, plans to focus on service, repair
Sept. 28, 2006
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon@fredericknewspost.com
FREDERICK — When she was a young girl, Karen Hyssong Carpenter couldn't wait to hear a heavy metal clang. It was the sound of her dad dropping his toolbox after coming home from repairing appliances.
When he would wrap his strong arms around her, the bitter smell of grease that caked the machine's gears and pulleys lingered on his clothes.
“I was the daughter of a repair man; in theory, I could do the repairs too,” she said Tuesday at Hyssong Appliance Center on Franklin Street. “It's like a mystery — you make a diagnosis and
then see how you can fix it.”
When her dad started the business in 1972, he did repairs out of the family's home. About 13 years later, Mr. Hyssong moved the business to Patrick Street to sell parts and appliances.
Now his three children run the family business, but Hyssong Appliance Center will no longer sell appliances. The company is liquidating its inventory and will rely solely on appliance service and repair because it can't find enough reliable help to deliver and install appliances.
“At first it was depressing, and in a way, it's like your heart's been ripped out,” Ms. Carpenter said. “But, we will be here if that appliance needs to be fixed.”
A relatively low unemployment rate, a shrinking pool of repair technicians and pressure from large retailers, such as Sears, have pushed small appliance shops to focus on service over sales, according to economic and employment experts.
Changing workforce
Laurie Holden, director of Frederick County Workforce Services, isn't surprised.
“Many of our industries are experiencing severe labor shortages,” she said.
A low unemployment rate means many people who are willing and able to work already have jobs, Ms. Holden said. An aging population means an increase in the number of skilled workers who are retiring.
“Many young people are not prepared for the work that's out there,” she said. “So, most of the technical occupations are suffering from a lack of skilled workers that they can find.”
Other industries that require skilled labor, such as construction and manufacturing, are getting relief from a growing immigrant workforce, she said.
“That may be OK in some industries, but not when you have to go into people's homes and install appliances,” Ms. Holden said. “If there's a language barrier, it won't work.”
Tom Drake, president of the North American Retail Dealers Association, said many retailers are experiencing the same difficulties finding reliable and skilled help.
“I don't know of anyone in the industry who isn't concerned about the shortage of service technicians,” he said.
For Hyssong, the problem isn't a lack of experienced, skilled workers — Ms. Carpenter's brothers, John and David, have been service technicians for decades. The problem is balancing deliveries, installations and repairs.
“The common perception is that all you need is a big, burly guy,” Ms. Carpenter said. “But you need to know about electricity and plumbing, not to mention good customer service.”
Mr. Drake said when employees or owners take on multiple roles, including sales, deliveries and service, it can cause trouble.
“When you have to start shifting people around and have floor people make deliveries or take service guys away from their work, it kills the business operation and puts a lot of pressure on the system,” he said.
Bad to worse
The problem is exacerbated by the growth of large retailers.
“The big boxes have put pressure on the entire industry, not just because they sometimes have a better price, but because they have taken up most of the drivers and techs,” Mr. Drake said.
Ms. Carpenter said Hyssong has always been able to compete with chain retailers.
“When you've been in business for more than 20 years with a big name like Sears in your backyard, you know you're doing good,” she said.
Of the people who are attracted to technician work, fewer are going into appliance repair, Mr. Drake said.
“On the appliance side, there is a pinch in terms of workforce appeal — it's not the most glamorous or sexiest occupation in the world,” he said. “Computers, techie gizmos and electronics have a lot more curb appeal”
Another problem is fewer children want to take over family businesses, Mr. Drake said.
“In the old days, you had this infusion of people, because you had a lot of family members come in who were willing to drive a truck, or work the sales floor,” he said.
“There are a lot of kids that don't want to be the fifth-generation repair man. Today, they want to go to college and be lawyers or movie producers — they don't want to shove around washers and dryers.”
Solution from abroad?
Some NARDA members are going outside of the country to find workers to service and deliver appliances.
Many construction and manufacturing companies are drawn to those workers because they will work for less, Ms. Holden said.
But when it comes to service technicians, companies are willing to pony up the dough — they often pay moving expenses from Mexico and Eastern Europe, Mr. Drake said. The workers are among the most creative and motivated technicians in the world.
“They often don't have the right parts or tools they need to get the job done, so they are well versed with back door tricks,” Mr. Drake said. “The love the notion of getting to work in the states, and like making the change to working with good tools and good parts.”
One problem with the system is that it's cumbersome for a small business to recruit in another country, he said. Another is the language barrier.
Some industry workers are against importing technicians, Mr. Drake said. They believe United States citizens should be trained to do the work.
“The bottom line is, you're going to have to fix that appliance here — at least we're not offshoring the work,” he said. “But, when you get a good tech, you need to hold on to him.”