Katie O’Shea, National Contracts Manager at Beko UK & Ireland, explains why the support behind an appliance matters throughout its life and why it should form part of the specification conversation from the start.
For new homeowners, getting the keys is just the start of their new adventure. What matters from the moment they close the front door behind them is what the home is like to live in – how well everything works and how easy it is to get help when you need it.
For housebuilders, that experience can shape how homeowners feel about their new home for years to come.
Appliances may be just one part of a new home, but they play a big role in everyday life. When choosing them, we naturally think about how they look, what they can do, how easy they are to use and how much they cost. But there is another part of the experience that can be easy to overlook: what happens throughout the life of the appliance. An appliance may be selected once, but the homeowner will rely on it every day for years. Having the right support behind it can help homeowners get the most from it and keep it working well over time.
According to the Home Builders Federation’s National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey, 93% of buyers report an issue with something in their home after moving in. It is a reminder that the homeowner relationship continues well beyond handover, and that the support available afterwards can play an important role in keeping that experience positive.
What sits behind the appliance matters too
Appliances are part of everyday life for years after a homeowner moves in, so the support behind them matters too. Making it easy to get advice, get the most from the appliance and access help when it is needed can make the experience simpler for homeowners and customer care teams alike.
This is why aftercare belongs in the conversation much earlier, rather than only when help is needed. Sometimes, the best support is the simplest. At Beko, more than half of first-contact issues within the first 30 days of warranty are resolved over the phone, meaning homeowners can get the help they need without needing an engineer visit. This level of support is underpinned by Beko’s 450-person customer service centre, available 364 days a year including a dedicated team supporting housebuilders.
A smarter fit for real life
There is also an opportunity to rethink what an appliance can do for the homeowner. Smart appliances are often talked about in terms of features.
The more interesting question is what smart technology can actually do for the homeowner. It can make everyday life easier through technology that responds to how people live. This could mean managing energy and water use, adapting wash cycles to suit household routines, or flagging a potential issue before it becomes a bigger problem. Rather than simply adding more features, these technologies can make appliances more intuitive, energy efficient and responsive to the people using them This is an area that deserves more imagination at specification stage. It is one of the few places where technology in the home can adapt to the way someone lives, rather than asking them to adapt to it.
Support that starts from day one
Good support starts before an appliance is ever switched on. Getting the fit and installation right first time gives homeowners the best possible start, while the support behind the appliance can help maintain that experience throughout its life.
That support remains important throughout the life of the appliance. When help is needed, having the right engineers and parts readily available means homeowners can get back to normal as quickly as possible. Beko’s UK and Ireland network, for example, includes 1,100 engineers, with 99% UK coverage. For housebuilders, that means appliance support can be handled efficiently, without adding unnecessary pressure to customer care teams.
There for the life of the appliance
An appliance can be part of a home for many years, so the relationship with the product shouldn’t end when it’s installed. Good support can help keep appliances working well, with repair, reliable spare parts and refurbishment all playing a role in extending their useful life.
None of this happens without the right infrastructure behind it. A trained engineer network, responsive customer support and reliable access to spare parts can make the difference between a fault being resolved quickly and a problem dragging on. For housebuilders, it means looking beyond what a supplier says and seeing what it actually does to support products over their lifetime.
For housebuilders, this changes the way we can think about appliance specification. It isn’t simply about choosing what goes into the home on day one, but choosing products and partners that will continue to support the homeowner for years to come.
The keys may mark the end of the build, but they are only the beginning of the homeowner relationship. For Beko, that means being there throughout the life of the appliance – helping homeowners get the most from their products and giving housebuilders confidence that the support behind them is there for the long term.