It shouldn’t be the case that simple, honest customer service is now considered unusual, but that’s the world we live in, says Jim Benninghoff, grandson of Joseph Stucky and third-generation owner of Stucky Brothers in Fort Wayne.
“I think of our staff members as service information specialists, not just regular salespeople,” he says. “Our constant goal is to be well educated about the products we carry and to be able to answer any question. People know us. We’ve been here for 107 years and have an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau.”
In 1914, before electricity had come to Allen County, Stucky Brothers opened a general store on the outskirts of Fort Wayne, “The kind of place where people gathered around an overturned barrel and talked about the general issues of the day,” says Benninghoff.
The business slowly evolved into the large showroom it is today, featuring top-brand appliances, electronics, and Serta and Sealy mattresses.
Stucky Brothers has held its own against national chain retailers by refusing to give up old-fashioned values like operating with integrity, answering phones in person and servicing what it sells.
“What we do is simple,” says Benninghoff. “You need a box to keep your food cold or to wash your laundry. We can bring you one for the same price you’d pay anywhere else. If anything goes wrong with it, you can call us up and a human being will answer the phone and we’ll send an on-staff repair person to your home to fix it.”
Offering a reliable service department is now more important than ever.
“Generally, appliances aren’t made as well as they once were. We believe you have to take care of people. The customer needs to feel safe about what he or she is buying and that’s what we offer.”
Providing better service doesn’t mean raising prices, however.
“Stucky Brothers is part of a massive buying group that enables us to compete in pricing with all of the big-box stores,” explains Benninghoff. “In addition, we carry a wide range of high-end specialty products.”
Learn more by stopping into the store, 5601 Coldwater Road, or by phoning (260) 482-8402, where a live human being will answer your call. ❚