Reframe protection plans as risk
- Assurant told retailers on April 23 to stop pitching protection plans as late checkout add-ons and instead introduce them earlier as part of owning a product. - The company said customers respond to outcomes like avoiding downtime, hassle, and replacement delays, not to legal terms, coverage lengths, or feature-heavy plan descriptions. - Big-box plans from Home Depot and Lowe’s already sell that convenience: repair-or-replace coverage, multiyear terms, and appliance service guarantees. (assurant.com)
Retailers are being told to sell protection plans as a way to avoid disruption, not as a last-minute warranty pitch. (assurant.com) Assurant said in an April 23 article based on its mystery shopping that protection plans are still commonly introduced at cart or checkout, after the buying decision already feels finished. (assurant.com) Its advice was to move the conversation earlier, especially on product pages and earlier in store, so shoppers weigh protection as part of the purchase instead of as extra friction. (assurant.com) The company said the message should center on outcomes customers recognize in daily life: less downtime, less hassle, faster replacement, and simpler help when something breaks. (assurant.com) That is a shift away from the standard register script built around coverage periods, exclusions, and legal wording. Assurant said the gap is often not the plan itself but how clearly its value is explained. (assurant.com) Other retail training advice is moving the same way. ServeCo, a furniture warranty provider, says staff should avoid framing plans as “insurance or an extra cost” and instead tie them to real-life ownership problems like spills, stains, and accidental damage. (serveco.com) Large retailers already market plans in that language. Home Depot says its major-appliance plan covers breakdowns after the manufacturer warranty ends, offers a two-day service guarantee in the top 100 metro areas, and promises repair, replacement, or reimbursement. (homedepot.com) Lowe’s says its plans extend beyond limited manufacturer warranties, add benefits like power-surge protection and reimbursement, and can run up to five years on major appliances with no deductible on approved claims. (lowes.com) The practical argument is simple: for a refrigerator, laptop, or living-room television, the customer’s problem is usually interruption first and repair cost second. Retailers are now being urged to match the pitch to that risk. (assurant.com)
