World of Washers

It's not much of a secret in the business anymore that Whirlpool is planning on eliminating the washer fill hoses from many of their units (anything that is not considered "high efficiency"). This is an obvious cost-cutting move scheduled for August '08, and I can't entirely fault them for doing it. However, I find it humorous how they go about doing it.

This link is to a copy of the letter sent to dealers from Whirlpool Corp. According to the VP of Sales, "We believe this change will not only provide consumers with more options, it will provide them with improved ones."

What the hell? If anything, it reduces the options available to consumers. As it stands now, consumers who purchase a Whirlpool washer have two options: use the hoses that come with a machine, or purchase aftermarket hoses. Two choices. Come August of this year, the hoses will be removed, so that pretty much leaves one option.

I don't really view this as a bad thing. I always recommend people toss the crap rubber hoses and buy steel braided, anyway. I just find it humorous how a corporation can take an issue and totally spin it into something it is not. A cost-cutting maneuver becomes a situation that not only "provides consumers with more options," but also "improved ones" and also provides the dealer "with a great new source of revenue generation and margin opportunity".

Thanks to The Appliance Advisor for breaking this story a while back.