Increased Demand for System Air Conditioners Due to Interior Effects... Samsung Sees 40% Surge in Sales
Manufacturers Say "One Month Wait" Amid Rising Summer Repair Requests
Experts Call for Expansion of Skilled Repair Personnel as Products and Services Combine into Finished Goods
A repair technician is inspecting the system air conditioner (photo unrelated to the article). / Source=Lotte Hi-Mart
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Pyeonghwa] With the unprecedented early scorching heatwave causing a surge in air conditioner usage, after-sales service (AS) is also facing an emergency. In particular, the A/S for ceiling-installed system air conditioners, which have rapidly increased, is so overwhelmed that it can be described as a crisis. This is due to the severely insufficient number of repair specialists and the difficulty of flexible operation under the 52-hour workweek system. Since the product and service are combined to enhance completeness, there are calls for air conditioner manufacturers to expand their workforce.
According to the home appliance industry on the 17th, Samsung Electronics Service and LG Electronics began operating an emergency standby system for air conditioner services from the 11th of last month. Due to the heatwave starting earlier than usual and the increased use of air conditioners, repair requests surged, prompting operations to begin 3 to 4 weeks earlier than usual. Both companies are actively increasing the number of service personnel to reduce waiting times, but the exponentially growing number of repair requests is causing longer wait times. Moreover, with recent flooding damage from heavy rains, repairs in areas like Gwanak-gu, Seoul, are only possible by mid-September.
Notably, a significant portion of recent repair requests are for built-in system air conditioners installed on ceilings. Known as ceiling-type air conditioners, these products allow multiple indoor units to be installed with a single outdoor unit, resulting in high space efficiency.
System air conditioners were previously used mainly in large facilities such as schools and shopping malls, but recently their adoption in homes has increased. Due to their high interior design effect, over 70% of newly built apartments installed system air conditioners as of last year. In fact, among Samsung Electronics’ Wind-Free air conditioner product line, this is the best-selling product cumulatively. Samsung Electronics’ home-use Wind-Free system air conditioner sales in the second quarter surged about 40% compared to the same period last year.
While product supply is increasing according to market demand, system air conditioner maintenance personnel remain insufficient. Unlike general air conditioners such as stand types, system air conditioners have a complex structure requiring specialized personnel. Existing air conditioner repair staff must undergo additional training, making substitution difficult. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have stated they cannot disclose the proportion of system air conditioner specialists, but industry insiders estimate that related personnel are inevitably fewer. A home appliance industry official said, "General air conditioners have more available personnel because manufacturers and home appliance distributors both have many in-house repair staff."
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics claim they are doing their best to respond to repair delays, but experts advise that efforts must also be made in A/S to improve product completeness. Professor Seo Yong-gu of the Department of Business Administration at Sookmyung Women’s University said, "For system air conditioners, A/S is more critical than the device itself, similar to how the core of selling a printer is the toner," adding, "Since service is part of the product and completes the finished product, efforts should be made to train related personnel."
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