# From the Stage: Remember the Maytag Repairman?
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From the stage Remember the old TV ads about the loneliest man in the world? The Maytag repairman never had anything to do because Maytags never broke. On stage I used him to explain what connectivity does to a business: "They understand that they are no longer an appliance company." When our own washer broke, the repairman showed up with a laptop instead of a toolbox. "It was already a computer." Then I pushed it further, to the day the doorbell rings unannounced: "well I didn't call you. Well no you didn't but your washer did." It's the same shift I'd seen with truck makers. Once you can predict a breakdown, you're not selling the truck anymore: "We're selling a service level uptime guarantee." Why it matters Once a product can report its own health, the business model quietly changes from the thing you sell to the outcome you guarantee. Appliance makers now offer technicians diagnostics that show which part has failed before they arrive. GE Appliances' SmartHQ Service is one example. Any company whose product is getting smarter should ask the same question Maytag had to: what are we really selling now? The takeaway If your product can talk, you're in the service business, whether you planned to be or not. Uptime and outcomes, not hardware, are what customers will pay a premium for. What's your "your washer did" moment? Related: Event Highlight: Whirlpool, Chicago — Future Impact of the Internet of Things (2017) · Case Study: Volvo and Mack Trucks — A Truck Is Becoming a Service Platform · Manufacturing & Industrial Source for the SmartHQ example: https://www.smarthqpro.com/blogs/service-technicians-reduce-downtime-boost-first-time-fix-customer-satisfaction From the Stage is a weekday series of short clips from more than 30 years of keynotes, and the leadership lessons that still matter.

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Source: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/10/from-the-stage-remember-the-maytag-repairman/