I still haven’t forgotten the trauma of having to live without my washing machine for six weeks, and my microwave oven for over two weeks several years ago. I know I have said this on and off, but bear with me. More recently, my rather brand new top-of-the-line, big-brand-name TV went kaput, and I had to wait a month before I could indulge in the perverse pleasure of nixing my least favourite anchors into nothingness. In all of these instances, the reason given for the delay was that spare parts were not available.

I’m sure this is a problem you are familiar with too. Why do companies seem to be out of spare parts always? Where does the problem lie?

In its predictability, or rather, the inability to predict the consumption of spare parts, says HG Raghunath, CEO - Watches & Accessories Division, Titan Company. “Along with production quantity, we plan spare parts stocks too. But nothing is perfect in spare parts management,” he observes.

Here’s how complex it can get: Depending on the product (machine/car/watch), there could be thousands, hundreds or tens of spare parts and several of them are unique because of the models they come in. Add a host of other problems such as obsolescence and the spare parts vendor shutting shop, and that is why we are forced to make do without our beloved appliances once in a while.

Says Marzin Shroff, CEO, Direct Sales and Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Eureka Forbes: “There are a lot of fly-by-night companies in the consumer durables business. Often, Indian manufacturers import spare parts from other countries. After three years, that company moves on and the manufacturer here is stuck. We depend a lot on the outside world, but we need more indigenous manufacturing.”

PK Haridasan, GM & Head - Customer Service, V-Guard, says it is necessary to tie up with a vendor, especially for models that are no longer in the market. Also, a tie-up with a good courier service to ferry the parts from the hub where they are stocked to the complaint site is vital. He too points to the unpredictability challenge. “Companies often don’t know how many complaints to expect. Moreover, once the technology changes, the set-up changes,” he adds.

Eureka Forbes’ Shroff says that if the average life of the machine/product is 8-9 years, some companies feel repairing it after the warranty expires is no longer their responsibility. Which is an unfortunate attitude, because the opposite approach can breed brand loyalty. “Service helps us get new customers,” says Haridasan of V-Guard.

Notes Titan’s Raghunath: “Many times the consumer is happy with the attempt to address his complaint” even if the result is not positive. “Companies are under no obligation to carry out repairs after the warranty expires, but our responsibility does not stop with honouring the warranty.”

Considerate companies go the distance to solve the problem and repair even a well-used or outdated model. Some of them also, to maintain the customer relationship, sell the customer a new version for a lower price.

To sum up, from conversations with the industry executives, some of the several reasons that compound the difficulties in providing timely customer service are listed here:

1. Your complaint/repair request is about a model which is no longer in the market, and parts for that would be hard to find.

2. The company which sold you the product simply does not care. Especially if it’s out of warranty.

3, Demand for spare parts is sporadic. It costs money to stock them and if they are not used, that is money gone down the drain.

4. Often, companies cannot get a fix on what to stock in large numbers and what to stock sparingly. Expensive parts are not readily available but could often be the critical ones. Sometimes the company orders too many non-critical parts which end up unused and become damaged or outdated.

5. The supplier, perhaps one abroad, has shut shop.

6. The company does not have a spare parts inventory management and prediction system in place.

7. Logistics pose a problem.

Some companies provide replacements or make buffer arrangements for the consumer to use his/her appliances while they are being repaired. I wish my washing machine company had done that. Years later, after expensive repairs, when it gave me trouble and I decided it had given up the ghost, I moved to another brand. And the next time I buy a TV, I will downtrade.

Meanwhile, there is the problem of my AC to be addressed – a stopgap arrangement to get it working is working only intermittently. Sooner or later, I have to get it repaired and I’ve already been told it will take a minimum of two weeks … Sigh!

Vitamin C is a weekly dose of consumer empowerment

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