Helping people choose the right Steam Iron or Steam Generator

Published: 05 April, 2011

Buying an iron is usually not the average consumer’s number one shopping choice in fact customers usually come in to buy an iron only once their last one has had its day. Because irons tend to be a low interest purchase, customers are more likely to make the mistake of buying on price alone, often going for a cheap low quality model not realising what they will be missing out on. At Bosch we make the best selling iron on the market*, so we know customers do not want to get into the nitty gritty when they purchase their next iron, they just want to know, “Is this iron going to make the job easier and how?”.

Consumers are keen to cut down time spent on ironing and the key to helping them choose the right iron for them is good communication about the product features/benefits and functions.

It’s all about the customer’s needs

Is the customer ironing a large amount of laundry once a week, or just one or two items every day? Are they concerned about ironing more delicate fabrics? Or do they have a requirement for extra safety features on their irons? These are some of the questions you should ask the customer to help steer them towards the right iron for them.

The key is to guide the customer through your iron range by the features they require and not primarily by the price tag. If you want to ensure that your customer walks out with the right iron for them the first question you put to them should not be “How much are you wanting to spend on your iron today?” but rather “How often do you iron?” or “What type of materials do you tend to iron most?” for example.

Quality is everything

What is essential to a customer’s understanding of their iron choice is that they are aware that the better specification an iron is the better the performance they will get out of it. Bosch quality irons ensure faster ironing times, less temperature fluctuations and, a smoother ironing experience overall. If a customer values their clothing and wants to maintain their quality feel then they will most certainly want an iron they can trust to do the job correctly without damaging/ruining their wardrobe.

What features are important when buying an iron?

Power

More power means better results quicker. Bosch has several iron ranges which feature varying wattages from 2000W on some of our lighter weight irons to a massive 2800W on our top of the range TDS1135GB steam generator iron. Look for higher wattage for faster heat up times and more consistent performance.

Steam

Steam opens up the fabrics’ weave to make lighter work of creases. A variety of steam outputs are available in the Bosch iron and steam generator range and these tend to start from an average 40g/min continuous steam up to a weighty 130g/min on our top of the range TDS35 steam generator. Look for higher grams per minute to get the job done more quickly.

Soleplate

The better the soleplate the smoother the glide; look for high quality Inox Glissee stainless steel, or Palladium Glissee ceramic to get the best results. Both these soleplate types can be found within the Bosch steam iron range, and you can even recommend a multi-directional soleplate as found on our TDA46 range.

Added Value

Features such as the Extra protect soleplate cover and Auto shut-off can also be essential to the right customer. Our new TDS3540GB Premier Protect design steam generator, as well as our TDA3640GB Protect Plus steam iron, features the extra soleplate cover. A unique attachment from Bosch, the soleplate cover is indispensable when ironing more delicate materials that can become shiny if exposed to too much direct heat. Auto shut-off is also a great plus if the customer wants that extra peace of mind. It is a built in safety system that switches the iron off after 30 seconds if it is left face down, or after 8 minutes if left standing – so its doesn’t matter if they get called away or forget to switch it off.

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