Interfaces: Parts is parts (General Electric)
Welcome to part one of a long pseudo-series that I'm calling "Interfaces". The Interfaces series will all generally relate to usability issues, ranging from website case studies to notable consumer products to an occasional fun piece looking at high-tech interfaces in science fiction.I'll kick the series off with a recent experience: I've been trying for months to replace the splash guard on our garbage disposal. It's an easy part to replace, theoretically, but I keep buying the "standard" parts only to bring them home and find that they don't fit. Sure, I could've looked up the part number in the first place, but sometimes I prefer the brute force approach, even when it takes ten times longer and a half-dozen trips to Home Depot.
Anyway, I finally got fed up and Googled the model number, which led me to the GE Parts and Accessories Store. Ok, so it's not the prettiest site ever, but I typed in my model number, confirmed I was on the right track, and then picked my replacement part from a list. Simple, logical, and effective.
Feeling ambitious, I decided to order another part to fix a drawer on our fridge. Now, I know absolutely nothing about refrigerator construction, but I typed in the model number and was brought to a list of diagrams. I loaded up the appropriate diagram for the fridge interior, easily found the damaged piece in the picture and its part number, and ordered that, too.
There's something to be said about a process that makes sense. Even given the sheer number of parts that GE must carry and my total lack of knowledge about how to fix anything, I was in and out with two parts in less than ten minutes (not counting the time spent with a flashlight under the sink).
