Possibly the most frustrating aspect of being a repair company is the inability to fix an appliance in a timely manner, especially when the reason for the delay is something outside the control of the repair company. The number one example of this is factory back ordered parts.

Factory orders can take anywhere from 10 days to 2 months for the servicer to receive the part. Have you ever wondered what actually happens when an appliance company orders a part and they tell you it’s on factory backorder? Here’s a description of the process:

• Usually there is a nationwide search to make sure no appliance parts vendors have this particular part. If no appliance parts vendor has it, then…
• The distributor will take it from the stock of the manufacturer if available. If the manufacturer does not have any in stock, then…
• The distributor will take it from the product assembly line. However, if you have an older appliance that is no longer assembled, then…
• The manufacturer will have to re-make the part, basically creating it from scratch because it doesn’t exist. Manufacturers usually have another company make certain parts for them and sometimes that particular company may be out of business. If this is the case, then the manufacturer has to not only find someone to make this part, but also then get them to do it. Sometimes this process can take 2 months.

Unfortunately, there is no way around this process. The best thing to do is be patient and understand that your service company is doing their due diligence to get your part as quickly as possible so they can fix your appliance.