A Waterbedtime Story™ sponsored by InnoMax Corp.
Foreword & captions in italics by Irvin Saathoff
Foreword: I am again pleased to introduce Lars Brunso of Akva based in Denmark as contributing author for his second World of Waterbeds installment and especially happy he has chosen Service as the topic in this blog. As Akva has maintained a commitment to quality from inception by backing their product with a level of personalized service more akin to Rolls Royce, they have established an extremely devoted customer base. A real bonus for anyone really interested in the category is the linked article sharing some of Lars’ insights that have come into fruition a third of a century later.
Lars Brunso
Says Lars: Last time my article was about QUALITY, today I want to talk about SERVICE.
Service or service management is the best way for our dealers to ensure continuous contact and frequency of visits to the store/showroom.
Our quality beds are designed from the start so that the sub-components for the beds can be replaced according to the customer's wishes and needs for as long as the customer wishes to keep the bed. All the sub-components have a bar code and it only requires the customer to send a photo of the bar code label itself which is attached to the product and we will produce a new part. All our zippers are produced in Germany at the world's leading manufacturer of zippers. The zip fits again (we call an indexed zipper in the US) with the new spare part so that the teeth automatically fit together even though the bed was originally produced 20 years ago. This means that the satisfied end user returns to the Akva dealer again and again and again to renew their bed at intervals. It can be foam sides, a top cover, a complete cover, a mattress, a heater, new drawers for the drawer plinth, a new headboard to renew the color and design expression.
A recognized talent in his own right who adheres to the tenets of Scandinavian furniture tradition, Lars has added value to a number of Avka pieces conceived by notable artisans such as the Vega pictured above designed by Per Weiss. View Akva’s extensive catalog at www.akva.com and click on “Eng” to connect with the English translation site.
At the same time, the customers are often the most quality conscious and willing to pay extra for quality and are therefore not particularly affected by ups and downs in the economy. Additionally there are also customers who are aware of climate change and therefore want to look after their furniture and beds by maintaining them rather than replacing or throwing them away. It is precisely good business for us as a factory in Denmark to produce spare parts for our many thousands of beds and at the same time give our dealers a stable income.
All our Akva dealers in Europe are trained to fit and service our beds. This means that the end user contacts our dealer if the bed needs to be moved. They contact you if the bed requires a service inspection, which can be cleaning, checking the water level and filling with anti-algae agent. Our dealer knows that the service employee who performs this work has great value for customer satisfaction.
One of two dedicated trade publications from the industry hey days, in February of 1989 Waterbed magazine featured an article titled “European Market Mirrors U.S. Trends”. Conversely with a few exceptions, a third of a century later, it seems the U.S. Market would have benefited by mirroring Lars’ insights (read link below to learn more).
The qualified Akva dealer naturally makes sure to have a system in his contact with the customers, who are offered a service visit every other year to inspect and maintain the Akva bed. The customer is therefore free from bad experiences, as the preventive service visit just takes that into account. The image that our Akva dealer gets is of course in the Premium class and gives a lots of good reviews. Service management is an absolutely long-term investment that has helped make Akva Waterbeds in Denmark the leading waterbed manufacturer in Europe. It gives a really good conscience and faith in the future with so many sustainable Akva Waterbeds sleepers in all European countries. Your competitors can't just decide to step in with these competitive parameters like you have created with your own company over many years. So you have now created a unique competitive advantage in the long run.
Lars Brunso pictured above in a 1989 US waterbed trade publication being recognized as one of Europe’s leaders in waterbed marketing and product development. Read article
While not nearly as demanding as tending a baby, a waterbed does occasionally need burping to keep the mattress silent by removing air bubbles. And that occasion being a good time to add water conditioner, Akva dealers offer scheduled maintenance programs much as a Rolls Royce dealer would to service your Phantom on a regular basis. As Lars aptly points out the critical point being “information is the key”. So while a vast number of Americans remember their waterbed as the best sleep they ever had, but gravitated away not wishing to deal with servicing or moving their waterbed, Akva dealers make it a point to inform clients about service availability up front. In closing it should be noted a number of US waterbed resources, including InnoMax, also offer full service maintenance packages.
The contributing author for this episode has been Lars Brunso, President of Akva (Danish for Aqua), a veteran of the waterbed industry since 1981. Check back in with the next issue when Waterbedtime Story™, sponsored by InnoMax Corporation a voice for insights into fluid suspension sleep, shares yet another perspective. Meanwhile you may connect with InnoMax Corporation anytime at Sleep@InnoMax.com.