Survey Series on Tiger Corporation and Home Appliances (10-year hold on repair parts) vol.3 – June 5 is World Environment Day. Choose home appliance repair and start the SDGs close to home! –

June 5 is World Environment Day. It is a day to remind people of the importance of environmental conservation and to raise environmental awareness. To this end, Tiger Corporation (President: Yoshisato Kikuchi, Head Office: Kadoma, Osaka), a world leader in thermal control technology with a 10-year warranty on spare parts, has announced the results of a survey conducted among 551 men and women in their 20s to 60s as part of a series of surveys on home appliances.

In this third installment of the series, the company has released the results of a survey on attitudes toward the replacement and repair of home appliances. In order to realize a sustainable world, it is important to start with small things that we can do ourselves. While efforts to repair and use good products for a long time are gaining momentum in various industries, there is also a movement among home appliance manufacturers to establish a repair system to prolong the life of a single product.

Parts necessary to maintain the functionality of home appliances are called “performance parts for repair,” and home appliance manufacturers hold these parts for a certain period of time so that they can be repaired in the event of a product failure. The manufacturing labeling regulations stipulate that, for example, rice cookers must be kept for six years after discontinuation of production, but Tiger Corporation has set the retention period for all its products at 10 years in order to ensure the long use of your beloved home appliances. (*)

We will continue to provide after-sales service that allows our customers to use their beloved home appliances for a long time.

Comments from Tiger Corporation

Repairing a product using repair parts can be cheaper than replacing it, and if only one part can be replaced, fewer products will be thrown away, which is also environmentally friendly. Our 10-year retention of repair parts is a service that we have started so that our customers can use our products for a long time with a sense of attachment to them. For example, after many years of use, the inner pots and lids of rice cookers may become worn, and the gaskets may peel off.

*Some repair parts may not be retained for 10 years because they may no longer be supplied after less than 10 years, depending on material procurement, facility conditions, etc. For other detailed conditions of 10-year retention, please refer to the following detailed pages.
https://www.tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/about-us/after-service/

[Survey Overview]

Survey target: A total of 551 men and women in their 20s to 60s from all over Japan
Survey method: In-house Internet survey
Survey period: Monday, February 26, 2024 to Wednesday, February 28, 2024

*The results are rounded to the nearest whole number, so there may be an error in the results if the results are calculated on a stacked basis.
*When presenting the results of the survey, please include the following note: “From Tiger Corporation and Home Appliance Survey Series (10-year ownership of spare parts)” and the following text: “Tiger Corporation and Home Appliance Survey Series (10-year ownership of spare parts)”. URL (https://www.tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/about-us/after-service/) of the 10-year ownership of repair parts page.

90% of respondents want to continue using their current appliances for as long as possible.
One in four respondents would like to use appliances longer to help protect the environment.

Regarding their current appliances, 90% of the respondents answered that they would like to use their appliances for a long time as long as they do not break down, indicating that many of them intend to use their appliances for their full lifespan.

The lifespan of an appliance varies depending on the conditions of use, but one guideline is the period of time that the manufacturer retains the “repair parts” necessary to maintain the functionality of the product.For refrigerators, this is 9 years after discontinuation of production; for color TVs, 8 years; and for rice cookers, 6 years, as stipulated in the Manufacturing Industry Labeling Regulations.

In response to customer demand for longer use of our products, Tiger Corporation is committed to holding repair parts for 10 years, which is longer than the industry standard, starting in 2019.
*Graphs are reprinted from the previous release.

When those who wanted to use appliances longer were asked why, the most common response was “to save money,” at 68.8%, followed by “to avoid the hassle of replacing them,” at 45.4%.

While most respondents were concerned about cost and hassle, 25.6%, or about one in four, said they wanted to use their appliances longer to “help protect the environment.

It can be inferred that a certain number of people are aware that prolonging the use of home appliances through daily care and regular maintenance will also help protect the environment.

53% of respondents know that home appliances may be repairable after the manufacturer’s product warranty period has expired.
Approximately 20% of respondents were unsure of the retention period for repair parts.

The percentage of respondents who knew that home appliances may be repaired by the manufacturer even after the manufacturer’s warranty period has expired was 53%, indicating that nearly half of the respondents believe that home appliances cannot be repaired after the product’s warranty period has expired.

Warranty certificates are attached to home appliances and state the warranty period, for example, “one year from the date of purchase. Even if the warranty period has expired, if the functionality can be maintained through repair, it may be possible to repair the product, although there is a charge for this service.

Approximately 20% of respondents were unsure of the retention period of “repair performance parts” (parts necessary to maintain the functionality of the product) required for repairs.

As mentioned earlier, manufacturing labeling rules stipulate nine years after discontinuation of production for refrigerators, eight years for color TVs, and six years for rice cookers, but the current situation suggests that repair of home appliances past the warranty period is not widespread.

About 15% of respondents indicated that the reason for replacing an appliance was because a part was damaged or missing.

More than 80% of respondents answered “because it broke” as the reason for replacing their appliances. In addition, 15.1% said “because parts were damaged or no longer available.

This indicates that even though manufacturers have spare parts for a certain period of time even for appliances that are past their warranty period, respondents are replacing appliances that could be repaired by replacing parts and throwing them away.

If a part is damaged or missing, repairing it with a repair part allows you to continue to use your favorite product for a longer period of time without having to replace it.

Interviews with employees about their thoughts on after-sales service are available on the official website.

We want our products to be used by our customers for a long time with peace of mind…”With this in mind, we are now showing interviews on our official website with Tiger employees who work day in and day out as a bridge between customers and Tiger products.

Part 1: Tiger’s commitment to after-sales service
– What we can do to make your Tiger products last longer –
https://tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/feature/blog/magazine/parts10years-1/

Part 2: Getting Appliances Checked Before They Break?
What is Refresh Maintenance?Professionals from Tiger’s repair jurisdiction department introduce tips for long-lasting care!
https://tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/feature/blog/magazine/parts10years-2/

Part 3: Aiming for Sustainable After-Sales Service.
“Tiger Kamado” was born from a single employee in the department in charge of “10-year retention of spare parts.”
https://tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/feature/blog/magazine/parts10years-3/

Tiger Corporation to Retain Repair Parts for 10 Years

Click here for details
https://www.tiger-corporation.com/ja/jpn/about-us/after-service/

*Some parts may not be supplied after less than 10 years depending on material procurement, equipment conditions, etc.
*Some repair parts may not be retained for 10 years.
*For other detailed conditions of 10-year retention, please refer to the above detailed page.