Over the last five years there has been a decided change in consumer knowledge and understanding of the products they own. This includes everything from product features to product failures and the possible remedies for all that ails their appliance. The internet has facilitated this change by placing information in front of every consumer with a computer, smart phone, or tablet.
As a technician, I appreciate this change because it provides a more level playing field between the customer and the technician. Technicians who lack the knowledge and skill to perform repairs effectively will quickly be identified by customers and driven out of the marketplace. Conversely, adequately trained and educated technicians will be easier to identify based on their ability to support--and add to--common remedies for appliance malfunctions.
Although this change in consumer knowledge has been significant, it is not as thorough as it could be. Many people simply call their local experts out of habit or frustration. To all those consumers I suggest that you are not doing yourself any favors. As addressed in a previous post you may be missing a simple fix that does not require professional service, and more impotant to this post, you may be missing an opportunity to double-check what the professional is telling you--possibly saving yourself money and frustration.
When a problem does occur, the easiest way to research it is to Google the product's symptoms with the make and model included in the search. Google will most likely return thousands of results but only the first few will be truly relevant to your search. You can then use this information to make a more informed decision about who to call to complete your repair and how to judge whether they are performing up to the standards of an empowered consumer.
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