All right, I’m not really offering any profound truth here, just spitballing about an old corporate claim (that I’m not sure anyone even believes anymore).
About a couple months ago, we noticed that our clothes on our Maytag dryer (I don’t recall which model, but it had all analog controls, no electronics) were still somewhat moist after a full cycle. Someone stood by the exhaust vent while it was running and noticed that it was much less warm than usual…and it was getting worse. Soon it reached the point where we’d have to run it for four hours or more to get anything even somewhat dry.
I should point out that even when it was working properly, I had to set it to the absolute maximum time and heat to get a full load done. We hadn’t had it for very long…no more than 5-6 years at most. The reasons we got it were 1. Our previous dryer, which had an electronic interface, suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason, and we thought a less microchip-dependent machine would be longer-lasting, and 2. It’s Maytag. “The Dependability People.” The company whose machines are never supposed to break, remember? Needless to say, for it to crap out on us with stunning quickness was pretty upsetting.
(We replaced it with an LG, the same brand as our washer. Much more powerful and versatile. Highly recommended. )
Inevitably my thoughts went to that old standby, the Maytag Repairman, who was supposedly the loneliest man in the world because Maytag’s machines never break down. Well, having seen a firsthand demonstration that that’s utter bollocks, I had to wonder, what’s the real reason nobody wants anything to do with him? I came up with these possibilities:
He’s hopelessly incompetent, but he has pull at the company and nobody wants to fire him.
He used to be good at his job, but either got swamped with too much work or had to deal with too many rude customers, and he got so burned out that he doesn’t want to deal with anyone anymore.
He’s racist/sexist/fascist/xenophobic etc., which wasn’t a problem in the past but definitely is now.
He’s not really a repairman. He’s actually a secret agent hired to spy on Maytag’s competition, and his “repair shop” is his base of operations.
Nobody wants his services because it’s simply not worth it to repair a Maytag appliance. Too long, too expensive, too complicated, might not even be possible in some instances.
After thinking about it, I have to go with Occam’s Razor and #5. It seems almost depressingly mundane, but that’s just how the world is much of the time.
What do you think? (I’m trying to have has much excess time on my hands as possible, so you don’t have to go there. )
He was laid off his Maytag repair job because of #5, shifted to large screen color TV repair (business failed for similar reasons), and briefly ran Radio Shack and Blockbuster video franchises before giving up and retiring to Peoria.
It was, as you note, an old claim. Back when they first premiered the Maytag Repairman ads, with the premise that he was bored and lonely because Maytag appliances were so reliable, it was the 1960s, and the brand, at that time, did have a reputation for quality.
But, that was 60 years ago, when Maytag was an independent company that specialized in washers and dryers (though they also did offer other appliances). They were bought by Whirlpool 20 years ago, and that apparently has led to lower quality.
The 5th reason is true for most appliances anymore. Repair and extended warranties are revenue streams for companies. Often they will offer you a “discount” to trade “up” to a newer model. Thus leaving the the repair guy bored and lonely.
The Maytag repairman was a 40yo guy 60 years ago, able to repair simple mechanical things.
He’s now a senile old coot of 100+ and can barely remember that he used to be able to repair simple mechanical things. He can’t tell a circuit board from a Ryvita - Wikipedia. The company put him out to pasture long ago, but he still wanders the Olde Fartes Home in his silly suit, unaware he’s been unemployed longer than he held that job.
In rare lucid moments he wonders why he’s never called, but then the question fades unanswered.
Some years back, we had a generic repair guy in for our washer and asked about Maytag. He advised against them, saying the quality really went down. Little things like replacing metal parts with plastic parts. So when our washer proved to be unrepairable, we replaced it with a Samsung. So far, so good.
One of the repairmen had been the general manager of a radio station in Cincinnati that was owned by his mother - he was incompetent at that, as well. Maybe his mother was on the board of directors at Maytag and she had them give him a pretend job to keep him out of her hair.
Many years ago we bought a Samsung washer and dryer from Sears. We bought an extended warranty for the washer, but it turned out to be the dryer that kept breaking down. When it finally died we went to Best Buy and bought a floor model Maytag dryer to hold us over until the washer died, at which point we planned to buy a new set (which we have now, a stacking Electrolux washer/dryer that we really like).
Our Maytags are 30 years old. For the washer, I once had to replace the inlet filter screens for the hot and cold water lines. Ten minute job. That’s it. For the dryer I once had to replace the plastic impeller, and I replace a thermal fuse about every two years. Have never had to replace the belt.
They’re still going strong.
When/if they die, I’ll probably replace them with Speed Queen units.
Yeah, I figured it was probably corporate corner-cutting and refusing to give up a catchy slogan. Kind of like “liberal media”. There was a time when news reporters tended to be progressive and Fox News did not exist yet, but times change.
(Just for the record, nobody in my home has any brand loyalty; we went LG on the recommendation of a Costco employee.)
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