Hardware failures , a strategic sales tactic?
We consciously think of various frauds happening in software industry, probably because, we are more familiars to its selling techniques. But, what about hardware? Uncover the science behind hardware failure.
Our natural buying behavior
With over a decade of use of gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and PC’s digital world has influenced each and every one of us. Did you ever think of the cost that we as a consumer pay to keep ourselves equipped with all these machines we use, in this digital era? How do you count on your spending’s? Cost you pay to purchase, operate or maintain the gadgets that you use?
Theoretically, yes! But subconsciously?
We are so much involved in this digital life that we only tend to consciously take a decision to purchase a new product after which whatever we do in our life whether it be our next decision or spending on the acquired gadgets, all are driven by associated company policies and their strategies. How much do companies earn from their consumers can indeed be depicted by its capacity to sell new products or its ability to charge for maintaining an existing product?
In such case how can we make the right choice for the right hardware that we choose? Is there something that they can checklist on? Battery failure rates? Screen malfunction frequencies? Processors or memory degradation break even? Keyboards and touchscreen qualities? Camera, speakers and lot more to enlist.
To find the answer to this question, let us take a step back to what do we usually think while purchasing a product. So to quickly define a product, a product is ideally a solution to our routine problems or expectations. Which means we need to think about what we really need to solve our purpose. If it is a Smartphone or a smartwatch or a tablet or Laptop that can address the goal. Once decided we look for the manufacturers, retailers or places that sell such gadgets and with a bit of research and opinion from friends, family, and colleagues we finalize to purchase. Now we come to a checkpoint where we look for the existing products and brands, the latest configurations and its value for money. Literally, that is it! We are all set to purchase a product.
Frustrating after-sales
With the highly casual tendency of ours, are we indirectly been targeted to a strategic sale? Let us try to analyze the answer to this question by enlisting a few practical cases.
Times when you have experienced that you purchased a new product and the parts or whole gadget got malfunctioned within its warranty period?
It might have also happened that the product failed, just after a couple of months, weeks or days from the date of the warranty.
Have you gone nuts listening to the conversation of a company representative from service and support sending you illogical template driven response as if you are a machine with some command prompt to feed in?
Do you feel victimize upon presenting or escalating practical scenarios which later are being suppressed by company representatives excusing upon the company policy?
Bingo! All of these forcing a consumer to either purchase a new product, a new part or opt for the extended warranty! So, as in for software’s you pay licensing cost what about hardware? Simple! You pay premiums, yearly or biyearly!
Hypothetical analysis
Diving a step further, have you thought or really noticed about what are the parameters a company might consider to declare their warranty policies? Do they only find the durability of hardware and the components used, to decide on how much guarantee they should take? Depending upon the best of the use of equipment? OR Is it an entirely new dimension of a SALES TACTIC, that is, limit the free support? By carefully researching and analyzing the durability of equipment and then defining a thin line in between product usage life-cycle, user addiction and reliability measures of a product versus urge and addiction of user looking for a solution of a worn out product!
Not everybody thinks so complexly! Isn’t it? Not everybody dives this deep while they are about to buy a new gift, new gadget or new instrument for their daily use.
Everything burst out on support sites, social networking sites, escalation emails, phone calls, service stations or even in media when consumers get stuck up and hanged in the middle of the ocean or getting dependent on such products for resuming or commencing their daily routine!
Though in the end with a lot of struggle result is simple, either customer purchase a replacement or change brand preference, with a hope that this will not repeat again! Is that true? But, don’t you think that the scenario should be much different than what it is? Should the brands keep building their business upon such loopholes that exist between product presentation, product performance parameters, product service area and an expected solution by a consumer from a provider? OR should it be the brands that need to stand by the product that they launch into the market with complete backup to provide excellent customer experience and support?
Dell came up with a laptop in the home segment with a brand called Inspiron ranging from USD 500 to USD 1100 with average durability and a high ratio of the general problem of battery failures, compared to its other brand of Alienware that range from USD 2000 to USD 3100. Similar cases can be noted on the internet if we talk about other brands like Lenovo, Acer or HP.
Conclusion
Should the companies concentrate on introducing a reliable product or just keeping adding a competitive product for other brands keeping themselves active within a particular consumer segment?
Is this an effective marketing strategy or a good after sales strategy to earn premiums?
Should consumers merely accept the standard policies that companies mention in terms and condition-driven on defined lines Or get a value for money, time and trust that consumers put on any product with genuine service and support that a consumer should get?
Some brands strategically launch products and services that they can effectively and efficiently serve!
Let me know your thoughts
Can disruption in hardware bring revolution in this digital era? Kindly share your thoughts.