Award reflects businesses’ consistently high level of customer service

Andy’s Appliance Repair has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

“We are very proud to have chosen for this award,” said Andy’s President, Tanner Andrews.  “This is a testament to a great staff and a consistent approach to always taking care of our customers.”

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Andy’s Appliance Repair can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com. 

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

How long should I preheat my oven?

Making sure your oven is heated properly can make all the difference between the perfect meal and a meal that’s the perfect disaster

When you open up your oven to take out the meat loaf, garlic bread, pot roast, or those holiday cookies, the last thing you want is for your food to be under or overcooked. If you’re like everyone else in the world, there aren’t enough hours in the day and squeezing in time for cooking is already difficult enough without the frustration of having a sub-par outcome for you and your family.

After 40 years in the appliance repair business, I have learned a lot when it comes to knowing the little secrets about your appliances that can dramatically affect the outcome of your recipe. So, if you’ve been dreaming about that perfectly browned roast or expertly made batch of cookies but just haven’t quite gotten there, then read on!

Start with the basics: get a thermometer!

The first thing you need to ensure is that your temperature readings are correct. Make sure you have a GOOD digital thermometer. Unfortunately, if you want perfection, the thermometer you picked up at the dollar store just isn’t going to cut it. You get what you pay for with those things, and the temperature readings from your $1 thermometer can be highly inaccurate and lead to:

•  Burnt food
•  Undercooked food, and
•  Unhappy eaters!

Don’t have a good thermometer, do the cake test

Cooking a basic white cake is the perfect test to see if your oven is heating up correctly. If the cake is not cooked all the way by the time stated on the box, then your oven isn’t heating up correctly. Be sure to use the correct pan for the time listed. A larger or smaller pan will affect the cooking time. Before you run to the cupboard for your cake test, however, there is more to it than just your oven. Read on to “The human element,” first.

The human element: make your cooking process perfect

When it is time to cook, here’s how to do everything in your power to make that food cook right. Turn the oven to your set temperature and give it a good 20 minutes to heat up. It’s preheat ringer will go off after about 10 minutes or so to let you know it’s up to the right temperature. Disregard the ringer! Don’t put your food in just yet. The oven’s ringer goes off when:

• The air inside the cavity has reached the temperature you requested, however
• Those cold walls inside the oven have not absorbed all the heat.

The oven will actually fluctuate up and down in temperature after it reaches the correct heat. That is normal, so don’t be alarmed. On average, ovens fluctuate between 20 and 30 degrees up and down while they go through the preheating cycle. If you put your food in right after the oven ringer goes off (and don’t wait the full 20 minutes) then the oven is:

•  Not going to hold that initial temperature very long, and
•  Cycle back on to bring the temperature back up.

When this happens it throws your cooking time off and there’s a good chance it will lead to uneven baking. So, let your oven preheat for at least 20 minutes to fully bring the ENTIRE oven to its correct temperature before you put your food in.

No peeking: keep that door closed

Every time you open the oven you lose approximately 50 degrees of heat. So, use your oven light and trust your recipe (that’s what they’re there for). If you must open the oven – say, to put in your next batch of cookies – have that next batch right by your side. Be ready to take the first batch out and put the next one in as fast as you can. If you open the door, walk across the kitchen, grab the next batch, and then walk back to the oven to put it in, all you’re doing is:

• Messing with the oven’s temperature and
• Affecting the final outcome of your recipe!

What if you find out your oven’s temperature is not working correctly?

There are a couple of things you can check to help this situation. First, make sure there are no foil liners on the bottom of your oven. I know, I know, they help keep it clean. However, if you have a gas oven, that aluminum foil will:

• Block the air/gas mixture, and
• Disrupt the ignition process

This can cause a delayed ignition. The aluminum foil can also cause a gas build up in your oven, which will create a mini BOOM when it does ignite. Not a good thing. If your oven is electric, the aluminum foil can short out the element or thermostat, which will only leave to unneeded headaches. So, in a nutshell, get rid of the aluminum foil!

Second, if the temperature of your oven is consistently off by a specific amount, there are some calibration measures you can adjust on your own. As time passes, components may change or wear a little, which can adjust the temperature readings in the oven. On older units:

• You'll take the temperature knob off first,
• Then, on the back there is a screw that you can loosen and adjust the knob accordingly.

New units, with digital clocks, often have the option of adjusting the temperature +/- as needed.  The directions vary for each model. The directions for your particular model will be in your Use & Care Guide.  If you have misplaced your guide, or thrown it away (like I have been known to do) you can access that information on the manufacturer's website.

Turning to an expert

If you’re oven is still having a problem keeping the correct temperature and your food is coming out more or less cooked than it should be, call a reputable service company. To find a good company, inquire at places like:

• The Better Business Bureau
• Angie’s List, or
• Get a referral from a friend.

It’s important to be careful whom you choose to do your service. Ask questions and establish exactly how much it will cost for them to send a technician to your home and get an estimate.

DO NOT assume that if there is no service charge mentioned over the phone that it is free. Ask what the service charge is! ALL reputable service companies that come to your home have to charge a fee to bring their company to your door.

Getting a quality company to service your appliance right!

When you’re inquiring about a company, make sure they are:

• Established and that they do factory service for your brand and
• Undoubtedly more knowledgeable than “the other guys,” because in the world of appliance repair there are a lot of “other guys” out there

Getting a quality company might cost you a little more but – just like passing on the dollar store thermometer and going for a quality digital one – you get what you pay for. You don’t want someone to come to your home that doesn’t have a clue how to work on your appliance!

I hope this information has been helpful and leads to more fruitful cooking adventures for you and your family. Please give us a shout out on our Facebook Page if this has been helpful to you or just stop by the page to say hello. Happy Cooking, readers!

We've got you covered. For more tips visit Andy's Interactive Kitchen

First the problem:

• As of July 1st, 2010 detergent manufacturers had to remove phosphates from their soap.  Phosphates helped to clean the dishes and they also neutralized minerals in the water to keep this white film from appearing.

Now the solution:

• First we need to clean all of the soap residue out of the dishwasher.  To do this we have a Dishwasher Cleaner that we sell at our Lincoln & Omaha locations.  This needs to be done because all of the soap and soap deposits need to be removed from the dishwasher.  You can't mix different brands of phosphate free soaps or it will make the problem much worse.
• Next we need to change our soap use.  The brand that we recommend (as well as Bosch, Whirlpool & Maytag) is Finish.  Finish has replaced phosphates with enzymes and it works very well.  I use it and can tell you it has made a tremendous difference.
• Finally, when using Finish it is important not to rinse your dishes before putting them in your dishwasher.  I know, this sounds crazy, but it is true!!  The dishes still need to be scraped but the residues need to be left on the dishes for the soap to work properly.  The enzymes need something to wash and if you rinse first then it simply won't work properly.

 Get Creative: While you may not have the cash to make a large contribution there are other ways to help that just take a little imagination and work to pull off. For instance we have done several Food Drives over the past 2 years for the local missions and food banks. The creative part was trying to figure out how we could collect as much food as possible, while giving something to our customers at the same time. What we came up with was for a donation of 3 cans of food, we would take $10 off of their service call. Our company visits hundreds of homes every month to fix their broken appliances, so why not use our technicians to collect food and also save our customers a little money at the same time. You would be amazed how customers not only donated the food but donated more because it made them feel like they were helping out. While a single donation of 3 cans may not make a huge difference, you multiply that by 400 and now you have really made a significant contribution. People like being a part of a project like this and will not only embrace it but promote it as well. Last October we donated over 1,300 lbs of food to the Lincoln Food Bank and in August we donated over 1,500 lbs to the People’s City Mission and Omaha Open Door Mission. We are doing the same type of promotion this month with the Lincoln Food Bank and Omaha Open Door Mission. It will definitely be an annual event.


Another promotion that we just offered was a Facebook “Like” drive. Andy’s Appliance Repair has teamed up with Matt Davison’s Foundation, Creating Captains (http://www.creatingcaptains.org/). If Andy’s Appliance Repair gets 1,700 likes on our Facebook Page we will donate $1,700 to Creating Captains. Creating Captains also works with the local backpack programs to help local youth with food over the weekend. Many kids right here in Nebraska don’t eat a real meal from the time they leave school on Friday to the time they go back to school on Monday. This program sends a backpack of food home with them on Friday so they have something to eat and not have to worry about being hungry. School and life for these kids is hard enough as is, just giving them food makes a difference. If you would like to participate click here and simply like the page. Just one click makes a huge difference and pass it along to your friends.

Lead by Example: I heard Matt Davison speak at a local event and part of his message was on leadership. He said that everyone falls into one of two types of leaders. The voluntary leader who is the vocal leader that chooses to lead. The other type was the involuntary leader that leads by example. Not all people lead in positive ways but everyone leads in one way shape or form. Your actions, what other people see, will influence how others around you act. You can either have positive actions which lead others to act in a positive manner or negative actions which can lead others to act in a negative manner. To illustrate this a little better think of that commercial where a person sees someone do positive deed and they in-turn do one and the circle continues. Just by trying and doing something positive you are influencing others in your community to do the same. It just happened to me by listening to Matt speak. His message continued to motivate me even further, thus the new Facebook Promotion. While we all may not be vocal leaders we all can control our actions and how we influence others around us.

Remember, everyone can make a difference and I feel blessed to be in a community that embraces this and takes it to heart. I hope that this post influences someone to think outside of the box and make a difference in their community. Believe me, I talk to the organizations that we work with and they are very appreciative of everything little bit.

Thanks,

Tanner

However, with all of these innovations come new problems. Appliances simply are not going to run 5 years without some kind of issue. Not that these issues cannot be fixed but a lot of service companies do not go through the proper training to know how these appliances work. Our company, takes the extra steps to get the training, actually right now I have 9 technicians at a Viking Training seminar. Puts us a little behind for the day, but the training is a necessity.

So to answer the question, "What brand of appliance should I buy?" I answer it like this, find one that you like and go with it. All brands have issues, so go with what you are comfortable with. We provide factory service for almost every brand, except Maytag and Whirlpool, so we let our customers know this, so they can use us for warranty service. If you have a dependable service company that you trust, call them and see what brands they are comfortable with and authorized for and steer towards those brands. Like I said, all brands have their issues and good service is hard to find. The person to ask for a recommendation is the company that fixes them, not the company that sells them.

Hope this helps,

Andy

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GE Recalls Dishwashers Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: GE Profile™ and GE Monogram® Dishwashers

Units: About 174,000

Manufacturer: GE Appliances & Lighting, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: Water condensation can drip onto the electronic control board, causing a short circuit and resulting in an overheated connector. This poses a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE has received five reports of fires, four of which caused minor damage to the kitchen countertops where the dishwashers were installed and one caused minor damage to adjacent cabinets and smoke damage to the home. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the GE Profile dishwashers manufactured between July 2003 and December 2005 and GE Monogram dishwashers manufactured between January 2004 and December 2006. They were sold in white, black, bisque, stainless steel and with custom panels. The recalled model and serial numbers listed below are located on the inside on the front left side of the dishwasher tubs.

Sold at: Retail stores nationwide, appliance dealers and authorized builder distributors from July 2003 through December 2006 for between $750 and $1,400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it and inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire. Contact GE for a free in-home repair or to receive a GE rebate of $200 for the purchase of a new GE Profile dishwasher and a GE rebate of $400 for purchase of a new GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact GE toll-free at (877) 275-6840 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company's website at www.geappliances.com/recall

We are constantly working for you, our customer, to provide you with Convenience, the BEST Guarantee and the Expert Personnel needed to get the job done right!

Here are some of the things that we do to ensure that your Appliance Repair and Service experience with our company not only meets your expectations, but exceeds your expectations.

• Same Day or Next Day Appliance Service in most cases
• 1 year Part and Labor guarantee on all of our residential appliance repairs for your peace of mind
• Convenience with On-Line Scheduling, 2 hour appointment time frames and Saturday appointments available at no additional charge
• The largest appliance parts inventory in the area to ensure that we can fix most problems on the first trip
• We have also taken extra steps to guarantee that we have expert Appliance Service Technicians, such as being Lincoln’s only Nationally recognized Certified Service Center, all Certified Master Appliance Technicians (M-CAP) and a Certified Service Manager on staff

Search Andy's Interactive Kitchen for a hidden COUPON!!!

A Unique Appliance Service Approach

We have a truly unique approach to providing In-Home Appliance Service.  We  take a guest mentality when in your home, providing appliance service.  We protect your property using safety equipment, floor coverings and mats to ensure no damage is done to your property while in your home.  All of our technicians have laptops to ensure that they have any and all technical appliance service information needed to handle your appliance problem.  They also order appliance parts directly from your home to ensure that we get the part needed as fast as possible.  We also use Appliance Job Rate Pricing, that is specifically designed for this region, so you can rest easy knowing that the technician will price the job fairly and accurately.   All of our appliance service technicians are factory trained and certified giving you peace of mind that the job will be done right the first time.  To back all of this up, we also provide a 1 YEAR PART & LABOR WARRANTY on all out of warranty appliance repairs.

These are just a few reasons why Andy's Appliance repair is the company to call when you need appliance repair done right, the first time, by a service company that respects both you and your property.

Company History

Andy's Appliance Repair has been locally-owned and operated in Lincoln, NE since 1971.  We are a 3rd generation company.  Originally founded by George "Andy" Andrews and his wife Jane.  In 1991 George and Jane sold the company to their son Terry and his wife Debbe.  Then after 17 years Terry started teaching the Major Appliance Professional program at Southeast Community College and sold the company to their son Tanner Andrews.  Currently the company has 7 technicians, 3 office staff and Debbe is the CFO for the company.

We are committed to providing the best Appliance Repair Service possible.  We have expanded our technician staff to 7 fully trained appliance repair technicians and are still looking to add on to our staff, but we promise we will only add those appliance repair technicians that meet our very high company standards.  Our appliance service area also now covers Lincoln & Omaha and the surrounding communities.  All of this ensures that you, as a customer, will get your appliance repair needs taken care in a prompt, professional manner by appliance repair technicians that are professionally trained and truly care about our customers.

Technicians

With a strong staff and the use of technology Andy's has continued to be a leader in the Appliance Service Industry. With that said, Andy's prides themselves on having the best technicians in the area. Andy's technicians have also received extra training to become MATTC Certified through the Marcone Service Association and MCAP certified through the Professional Service Association. Andy's also belongs to many national organizations such as the United Servicer's Association and Professional Servicer's Association.

Meet Andy's Technicians

Community Involvement

In October of 2010 Andy's Appliance Repair teamed up with the Lincoln Food Bank for a month long food drive.  For the entire month of October, Andy's appliance repair technicians collected 2 cans of food (many times our customers insisted on giving more) in exchange for $10 off of the service call.  In the end we, as a team, had collected 5 drums full of food.  The food drive was a complete success and it will be come an annual tradition for our company.  Thank you to all of our customers who supported our effort, without you none of it would have been possible.

At Andy's we also strive to give back to the community that supports our business.  Andy's is proud to support many local charities and non-profits, such as the Child Advocacy Center, Friendship Home and St. Vincent Depaul. We also donate regularly to sponsor several children's sport teams, scouting events, and many other important youth activities in Lincoln.

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