You can put Whirlpool's appliances to test by picking up a pile of dirty laundry and washing it in a demo Whirlpool washing machine.
Or, for that matter, test the company's microwave by verifying how fast it can thaw your frozen chicken.
The home appliances major is in the process of setting up 20 customer experience centres across India, which will enable potential customers to actually experience the range of Whirlpool products before purchasing any of them.
The experience centres should be in place by the end of 2006. The company is hoping that these centres will act as catalysts for sales of its appliances and enhance the brand awareness in the market as well.
The proposed centres will be open for customers to come and actually use any of Whirlpool's offerings in the home appliance space and judge whether the product is good. According to Whirlpool, this would enable the customer to make an informed purchase.
Anup Jain, general manger-brand marketing, Whirlpool, said, "Customer experience centres in India are a concept unknown in the Indian market. Whirlpool is the only player, which will empower the customer to actually experience the product during the pre-purchase phase."
Jain also pointed out that the initiative will lend a lot of credibility as well as awareness of the brand in the market and, on top of all, boost sales in the near future.
Whirlpool is also setting up hotlines at 500 dealer outlets across the country to take care of customer care needs in the after-sales service period.
"We are striving to minimise the headache of a Whirpool customer. The hotlines would give the customer instant accessibility to the Whirlpool customer care centre, which will enable us to act upon the customer's problems at a quicker pace," he said.
Besides, to increase the brand Whirpool's equity, the company has produced a television commercial, not focusing on any singular product or feature or benefit but a film that brings out the Whirlpool brand values.
The film stars the company's brand ambassadors Kajol and Ajay Devgan. Jain said, "The brand film will strengthen our positioning in the home appliances sector and will differentiate our brand in the cluttered market."
Home appliances cannot be sold like FMCG. Today distribution and sales do not support the customer's needs to experience the brand.
These centres will take the buying process to the next level, he added.
