By Shikema Dey
shikema@newsroom.gy
World-class brands continue to show interest in Guyana’s growing market and the Whirlpool Corporation is the newest on the list.
Considered a household name in home appliances, the Whirlpool Corporation has teamed up with Bpi Guyana Inc. making it the official authorised distributor of Whirlpool products in the country.
Bpi on Saturday commemorated that partnership with the launch of the brand and showroom at its Ogle Airstrip Road Warehouse on the East Coast of Demerara.
There, Bpi’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Natasha Dass said the company takes prides in the relationships it has built with some of the world’s top international brands and remains committed to offer high quality service to Guyana complete with a competitively priced product portfolio.
“…and today, we are proud to be able to join forces with the number one manufacturer of world appliances in the world.”
The Whirlpool brand, according to Dass, is now driving “purposeful innovation” in an increasingly digital world to meet the ever evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio. And this is something Bpi intends to bring to its local customers, she added.
“Technology should impact our lives positively, otherwise, it’s just technology for technology’s sake. And Whirlpool boasts of its expert series that is water saving, and its expert energy saving,” Dass noted.
The Bpi CEO pointed out too that what makes the Whirlpool brand stand out from the rest is the amount of energy that it saves – almost 25% on electricity bills. And the partnership Dass pointed out, means improved quality service to all and sundry.
“Consumers and customers will enjoy satisfaction and a peace of mind when they buy Whirlpool products and we will ensure that the warranty management and after sale shop service is at our forefront of this partnership,” the Bpi CEO assured.
In addition to this, Dass noted that all appliances will have a one year manufacturer’s warranty as well as a 10-year warranty for compressors on refrigerators.
“We have Whirlpool guidance technicians trained and supported by Whirlpool – this is something has never truly been available in Guyana before and we will work with our retailers right here to bring quality to their customers,” she asserted.
Bpi’s partnership with Whirlpool was lauded by the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh – the featured speaker at the event. He pointed out that for the Whirlpool brand to have such confidence in Bpi to enter Guyana’s market paints a clear picture of where the country is headed in the years to come.
But Dr. Singh was keen to note that Guyana’s transformation must be buttressed by quality service – something the Whirlpool brand has boasted of.
“There are other equally important aspects of the transformation to which we must pay attention. And those aspects include the quality of service that people enjoy. When they do business with a Guyanese entity, when they do business with a government agencies, it must be of a quality service,” the Finance Minister underscored.
“I do not want the average visitor to Guyana to arrive at a fantastic airport, drive on a fantastic road, stay at a fantastic hotel, and then visit a government agency and have stone age quality service,” he further added.
Minister Singh pointed out that for too long, citizens have lodged complaints about the inadequate level of service they are exposed to, whether at the government or private sector level. This, he said, needs to be drastically improved. And with Bpi’s partnership with the Whirlpool brand, this is a step in the right direction, he added.
The event was also attended by the Executive Director (ag) of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission, Anil Sukdeo. In brief remarks, he lauded the Whirlpool brand for its focus on standard and quality.
“So we are very pleased that we have a brand that places high standards on its products and so this we would hope would eliminate the need for consumers to file complaints with the Commission.”
The Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States.
The Fortune 500 company is said to have an annual revenue of approximately $21 billion, 92,000 employees, and more than 70 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.
