FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Riggs
Service Net, Inc.
jriggs@servicenet.com
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (October 18, 2002)
– In 1996, Service Net ended its first year of doing business with a handful of employees and $200,000 in revenue. Six years, several major clients and dozens of warranty and service innovations later, Service Net has eclipsed the $100 million life-to-date revenue mark.
“We feel really good about the progress the company’s made in a short amount of time,” said Lansdon Robbins, chief executive officer of Service Net. “It wasn’t long ago that we were considered a rookie in the industry, and now we’ve earned the respect of some of the best companies and true players in the industry.”
Service Net’s client list has grown to include some of the nation’s largest manufacturers and retailers of electronics, appliances, computer products, lawn and garden equipment and HVAC equipment. The company currently provides warranty and service-contract management and administration for industry giants such as Maytag Appliances, Hoover, and Office Depot. Service Net also has developed a niche in the online and catalog marketplace, serving some of the largest online and catalog retailers, including Yahoo! Shopping, MicronPC, MicroWarehouse, CDW, PC Connection and PC Mall.
“We selected Service Net as our business partner based on their consumer focus, new ideas and leading edge technological capabilities. These key capabilities have been instrumental in allowing us to grow our businesses together,” said Todd Carlson, Director, Extended Service Products for Maytag Appliances.
Service Net is currently working on new programs to incorporate warranty and service components into its clients “e-business” initiatives. Additionally, the company has launched sales-floor kiosks that streamline the warranty sales and registration process, and will soon roll out warranty programs that come pre-packaged with electronics products.
Service Net executives don’t shy away from the fact that the warranty industry has had somewhat of a bad reputation over the years.
“A lot of companies had gotten used to doing things the same old ways, with underinsured contracts, low-quality customer support and the like,” said Kevin Callahan, president of Service Net. “From the start, we set out to put a new face on the warranty industry.”
When Service Net was unable to find a satisfactory company to administer its service contracts, Service Net created its own subsidiary, SNAdmin, to handle these functions in-house. In 2001, Service Net forged a relationship with Kemper to add the backing of a nationally recognized insurer. Service Net also regularly issues “consumer tips” on what shoppers should look for before purchasing any warranty or service contract. Some of these tips include seeking out warranty programs with a “No Lemon” clause, and that are transferable to new owners.
Maintains entrepreneurial edge
Despite going from having just eight employees to more than 300 in six years, workers with Service Net say the company has not lost its “small-company feel.”
"I love working at Service Net because the company works hard to keep people motivated for a successful future,” said Melissa Mayfield, a customer service representative.
Service Net’s company perks and culture have been featured in Entrepreneur and Smart Money magazines, as well as human resources journals such as Employee Benefit News and HR Executive.
About Service Net
Service Net LLC (www.servicenet.com), a Kemper Insurance Company, is a service-management company that creates, markets and administers warranties and service contracts for manufacturers, retailers and distributors of durable goods, including consumer electronics, appliances, PC and peripheral products, as well as HVAC and lawn & garden equipment. The company provides service contract underwriting and marketing, customer-telephone support and claims processing, and manages and dispatches a network of more than 35,000 qualified technicians to service a product when necessary.
Service Net was named the second fastest-growing private company in greater Louisville in 2001, and a 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient. The company is headquartered in Jeffersonville, Ind., and maintains sales offices in Denver, Atlanta, and Irvine, Calif.
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