When shoppers talk about the advantages of home-town service, one of the places where is made readily available is Flynn Appliance Center.
“We are a service company that sells appliances,” said owner Thurman Flynn.
The store at 11 N. Jefferson is open six days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. “We may come in for a couple of hours on Dec. 24, and go home if we don’t have any business,” Flynn said.
Flynn and his staff of five are eager to help Christmas shoppers find that right microwave or television that parents know will be important for a college student, or one in high school who soon will be immersed in higher learning. But, Flynn explained, “more of what we sell and service are things that people need” for daily living and are seldom found under a tree on Christmas morning. That is such things as refrigerators, freezers and washers and dryers.
Major brands are Electrolux and Frigidaire, and Thurman, with years of experience in repair work, has put together a staff ready to respond at moment’s notice to correct any problem customers may have, with the exception of most microwaves. “There aren’t parts available for those,” he said. “At the price of news ones (from less than $100) the companies expect owners to replace one when it breaks down.”
As far as larger appliances, Flynn and his crew are prepared to respond when a call comes in, including warranty work on major brands the store doesn’t carry.
On any given day, Flynn has about 250 new appliances on hand, as well as some previously new that are checked out before being offered for sale.
What, he was asked, is the favorite of three colors, black, white and stainless. The overwhelming choice, at about 50 percent, is white. The other two colors split the remainder about half and half.
Laundry appliances also are what bring a good many shoppers to Flynn’s, although the wide range of refrigerators, particularly those with freezers across the bottom, are popular as well. Units with outlets that dispense cold water and ice also lead in sales. Sizes of refrigerators range from 26 to 36 inches wide.
If a customers wants an appliance that isn’t on the floor, it can be ordered.
FLYNN purchased McGinnis Appliance and put his name on it in 2004.
It wasn’t a new venture. He had spent much of the previous 30 years repairing and maintaining appliances, an experience that convinced him long ago that providing good, reliable and timely service was an essential mainstay for a small-town merchant.
The approach has proved itself time and again.
In addition to Flynn, four others — Craig Richey, Gerald Jones, Jeremy Sellman and Mitch Lucero — are more than capable of determining why a washer, dryer or refrigerator is on the blink, and can quickly make repairs. The importance of that feature will win testimonies from any homeowner who has had a problem that left them with an appliance inoperable.
A fifth employee who meets customers with a smile and helpful attitude when they come into the store is Stacy McMeritt.
