Press Release

“We want all of our appliances to offer long-lasting joy and help make peoples’ lives easier,” says Lars Schubert, Chief Operating Officer of BSH. “That’s why BSH products are fundamentally built to last and meet the highest standards of quality.”

The frequent awards won by BSH products in product testing by the likes of Germany’s Stiftung Warentest are a testament to that. According to information from the European Commission, large home appliances are in use for an average of between 12 and 16 years [1]. Many products still work perfectly well after that time, but are often replaced due to people moving, upgrading their appliances or going through a change in their personal circumstances, as a study by the German Environment Agency (UBA) shows [2].

Despite a manufacturer’s best efforts, product defects can still occur sometimes. “Repairing an appliance is often more sustainable than buying a new one,” Schubert adds. “We ensure a long usage of our products by offering over 350,000 spare parts, a service that goes far beyond minimum legal requirements in many cases.” The original parts are stored at 7 logistics centers and 22 regional warehouses around the world, meaning they do not have far to go if needed for a repair. As BSH has now extended the spare part availability even further, this reinforces the clear commitment to the high quality and durability of BSH products.

With such a strong focus on quality and durability, BSH customer service has an important role to play. BSH ensures that its customer service offering is just as high in quality as the products themselves, so that help is on hand as quickly as possible when needed. All employees at BSH are suitably qualified to offer expert advice, starting with the service hotline, which is open daily in many countries. Often consumers can resolve issues themselves using the tips provided by the service team, removing any need to schedule a repair. “If necessary, our extensive service network with around 12,000 BSH technicians and partners worldwide travels near and far to make sure that the repair is carried out swiftly,” says Michael Gerber, Head of Global Customer Service at BSH. “In around 82 percent of cases, the problem is resolved with the first customer service visit.”

Longer product lifetimes preserve valuable resources and reduce electronic waste, allowing consumers to play their part in making the world a more sustainable place.

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[1] European Commission – JRC Publications Repository:
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC108583 (laundry);
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC130716 (kitchen).

[2] German Environment Agency - Influence of the service life of products in terms of their environmental impact:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/378/publikationen/texte_11_2016_einfluss_der_nutzungsdauer_von_produkten_obsoleszenz.pdf.