Walmart Begins Home Installation Program
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 10/22/2009
Bentonville, Ark. - Walmart has begun offering home installation services for TVs, home theaters and PCs through a partnership with NEW.
The services, which start at $99 for a basic TV installation and $129 for a basic PC setup, will be sold via prepaid cards displayed on descriptive merchandisers and within the home-theater and computer aisles.
The offering follows a major assortment and display upgrade within Walmart's CE departments, and represents a major step toward filling the service vacuum that separates full-line discount stores from specialty CE dealers.
The install program has already been introduced in some stores, and is expected to be rolled out nationwide by month's end, a Wal-Mart spokesperson told TWICE.
"It's an affordable and simple solution, and a real benefit to our customers," the spokesperson said.
Unlike a similar NEW program that will debut at Wal-Mart's Sam's Club division on Nov. 1, the Walmart offering does not include home delivery.
The in-home visits will be made by NEW's nationwide network of about 11,000 certified and insured installers. Basic TV services include a pre-installation consultation, TV placement, hook-ups to two A/V components, remote control configuration, packaging clean-up, and a follow-up visit and tutorial.
Walmart's premium TV service, for $339, also provides wall mounting, concealed in-wall wiring and two additional A/V component hook-ups.
PC services range from $129 to $199 and include software installation, peripheral hook-ups, data transfer, hard-drive defragmentation and tutorials.
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Sounds like our hospital manager Mr. Blouse had a bad experience with his installer. Any reputable installer should provide any programming to the home owner if asked to do so as part of the installation agreement. I know that this is not usually done and many home owners have been SOL when their A/V dealer went out of business. Mr. Blouse, sorry you got screwed.
salesman - 2009-31-10 18:11:28 EDT -
As we all may be mad at Walmart for lower the bar. We should look at this in a different light. 1st if you are worried about this remember this is for those people who do not know or care about quality... visio/ or what ever brand Walmart decides to show next week. Yes they are offering lower service... but do you really want that type of client anyway. I do not even go to clients house to look at what they need for less than $125.00 unless its a referral. If you are concerned about Walmart then you are officially a trunk slammer. I love the comment about Crestron.. Walmart is only trying to maximize their sales
Rush - 2009-27-10 16:06:27 EDT -
i'm hoping the level of installer exceeds the level of product knowledge @ the sales floor.
although, it could be a boon for REAL installers - cleaning up the mess mall wart created
morey g - 2009-27-10 09:45:09 EDT -
IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!
Yes, it is about time that all of us that have been training and perfecting a craft get to work for $8.75 per hour and can't afford to feed our kid's. It's about time a bunch of hacks make the entire industry look like a bunch of idiots. There was a time when satellite installers were professionals as well. Those days are gone too.
David Dusseau - 2009-27-10 09:02:38 EDT -
Its about time!! Many of these so called "A/V companies think they know it all.
Sooner or later, they will realize that they will be where they belong...like painters and carpenters.
Not holding customers hostage of stupid programs they hold on to.
Thanks WalMart!
John Blouse - 2009-26-10 23:03:17 EDT
Walmart Begins Home Install Program
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