Getting your gifts to their destination is the last and possibly most important step when ordering online.  We know how much people value security and timeliness for their special packages.  We here at Abt have made shopping online something to be more confident about.  If you make your purchase by 2pm Central Standard Time on December 17^th, your items will make it to you or your recipient in time for Christmas.

Don’t worry about any post-sales return or exchange difficulties.  We’ve extended our return policy to January 15th, 2011.   For more information, follow our holiday shipping link.

Last night I got a call from a good friend of mine who sounded frantic on the other end.  She explained to me that the computer she uses every day in her college courses started making this strange noise.  There was a constant “clicking” sound coming from her hard drive every time the unit would boot up.  The computer would not even make it to the home screen.  Being experienced with computers and computer problems, I knew exactly what the problem was: a damaged hard drive.  An inexpensive fix, but priceless files, such as her school documents, photos and music collections were lost.

When just a hard drive is broken, the computer itself is okay.  The monitor, processor, RAM, all operate, but if a hard drive is damaged, the computer will not load because of the lack of an effective operating system.  A hard drive can be replaced, and your computer’s original supplied restore disc will allow you to upload an operating system, unfortunately once it’s damaged, more often than not, all the information you saved on it cannot be retrieved.

The best advice I can give anyone who actively uses their computer, is to back up your documents and files.  This can be done as many times as you want and you can use standard CD-Rs, or DVD-Rs, but if you really want to be secure I recommend LaCie’s Rugged external hard drive.  It plugs in easily via USB, has a huge internal memory of 500 GB and can travel with you wherever you go.  This is an inexpensive investment that will save you not only time, but any grief from losing any valuable files that can never be restored.

-Chad Taylor

The founder of the Bosch Company, Robert Bosch once said, “I would rather lose money than the trust of my customers”.  In keeping with that company mantra, Bosch was pleased to announce their new extended 10 year motor warranty on their line of Bosch Vision washers and dryers.

In doing so, Bosch believes that the high quality motor used in their Vision products fully meets the high quality standards and traditions of the company.  The extended warranty is effective on those Vision washers and dryers purchased after April 1^st, 2010.  This means, if you purchased and had a unit delivered after that date, the unit’s internal main motor is covered if a replacement is needed. If you own a Vision unit and would like to know more about the warranty, give us a call at 888-228-5800.

-Nick E.

You’ve just taken possession of your new appliance. Congratulations! The first thing to do is find the warranty card, fill out the necessary information, mail it to the manufacturer. After all the time you spent picking which product you wanted, don’t you want to know how to get the best use out of it? Grab a cup of tea or a glass of soda and learn about all the wonderful things your new toy can do for you.

The appliances we use today are much more advanced than ones made years ago. There are water-saving features with dishwashers and washing machines, and “energy-saving” is the buzzword for refrigerators and cooking appliances.

Here are just a few helpful hints I’d like to share with you.

- Dishwashers and washers require less soap than your old units. The soap dispensers in dishwashers do not need to be filled all the way, and too much soap leaves a white powdery film.
- Using a rinse-aid in the dishwasher helps the dishes to dry faster, leaves less spots and is recommended by the manufacturer.
- If the washing machine says to use HE soap, purchase only that kind. It is created just for these machines and a very small amount is required. More doesn’t always mean better (it only applies to chocolate and sleep).
- If you’ve gotten a refrigerator, be advised that it takes up to 24 hours for it to “settle” and know that it’s in a new home. This would be a good time to remove any tape holding parts in place, because if you wait until later it may not come off and I speak from experience…years of experience.
- Since we’re talking about refrigerators, stainless steel seems to be popular with a lot of folks. The biggest problem (granted, it’s cosmetic) is fingerprints. We have a premium stainless steel cleaner that works like a charm on those handprints. It’s Eco-friendly, made by Bayes and is only $9.95. They also make Eco-friendly cleaners for glass, ceramic, enamel, granite, marble, natural stone surfaces, barbeque cleaner and protectant, wood and bamboo cleaner, and even leather upholstery. All these products are only $9.95 for 125-175L per bottle.
- If you need a special part, our Appliance Parts Department can order any part for your appliance.

For more information, please contact our appliance service department or speak with a customer service representative through our live chat tool.

-Diane L.

Looking for a new air conditioner or grill?  Save during Abt’s End of the Season sale on most air conditioners and grills, with an additional 10% off our everyday low prices.  Quantity is limited and these deals will not last long.

-Jennifer A.

Beginning September 1st, Abt will become an exclusive AT&T authorized cellular retailer. “We’ve been selling cell phone for a number of years, but want to focus on one carrier to provide the best customer experience possible” said Brian Rozycki, Abt’s cell phone department manager.

Stop by tomorrow to see which AT&T phones we will have in stock (supplies limited). If you’re looking for a new cell phone provider or looking to upgrade your phone and contract, our knowledgeable sales staff can assist with both.

-Jennifer A.

It’s that time of year again, summer is winding down and the return of the school year is just around the corner.  All students know to have the essentials ready: a backpack, writing supplies, and books.  But there’s one school supply everyone loves to have: a new computer.  Here at Abt Electronics we have a large supply of laptops, desktops and computer accessories in our Connect store.  To make shopping a bit easier for you, we’ve narrowed down the best of the best.

Laptop: Boasting a 16’’ TrueBrite HD screen, the Toshiba model A665S6056 is our favorite laptop.  With a Dual-Core processor, this computer allows you to multi-task with ease.  Other features include a web-cam built in the monitor, a CD/DVD reader/burner and an HDMI port for easy connectivity to TVs and monitors. For those eco-conscious students, it’s Energy Star compliant and will adjust settings automatically getting the most out of your power consumption.

Desktop: If you plan on doing most of your work in a dorm or an office, you may want to invest in a desktop computer.  For our selection, we prefer the Hewlett Packard Pavilion Elite HPE210F.  With a powerful 3GZ AMD Phenom quad-core processor, 8 GB of RAM, 1 Terabyte of memory, Blu-ray player and an impressive 512 MB ATI Radeon HD graphics card, you can multi task your work while blasting away aliens or watching your favorite movie.

Software: The most popular computer software is Microsoft Office: Home and Student.  This software has everything a student needs: Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Entourage.  All are important tools for writing documents, keeping spreadsheets and creating presentations.

Accessories: Our salespeople couldn’t come to an agreement on just one favorite accessory, which is why they settled on both the Kenneth Cole laptop bags and any size External Hard Drive.  We carry a wide selection of fashionable Kenneth Cole laptop cases for students to protect their investment.  The external hard drives are also an important accessory when it comes to backing up important documents, projects and even keeping a library of music safe and secure.

For more information on our favorites or, to ask about our entire line of computers and accessories, call us at 888-288-5800.

-Nick E.

Did you know that not only does Abt sell computers & computer accessories, but we also offer a full array of services for your new or existing computer? We offer 2 start-up packages for your new computer to help you get going right away. Our Connect Techs can install software, operating systems, hardware, and upgrades to personalize your computer. Need a wireless network in your house? We can do that for you too!  All of your computer needs are coupled with the best customer service you already know from Abt. For more information, please contact the Connect Store at Abt.

-Walter O.

If you’re a native to the Chicagoland area, you will probably know the name Roy Leonard. Roy was the radio host for WGN’s mid-day radio show for 31 years and is considered on one of Chicago’s most trusted voices. He has interviewed entertainment stars such as Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Bette Midler, Paul McCartney and more. He has a blog where he talks about his past experiences with these celebrities and also what is going on in his life at the moment.

So it was an honor to have him mention Abt in his July 4^th blog “Retail service hasn’t vanished. You just have to look for it.” Roy talks about his experience as a long time Abt customer and cites a built-in air conditioner installation as an example of Abt’s service.  He tells his readers how removing the old unit wasn’t easy for our installers, but they were able to get the job done. However, the install wasn’t complete. Our installers wanted to make sure the outside frame wasn’t damaged (turns out they had to replace it) and actually painted the frame to match the trim. All this for no additional charge.

At Abt, customer satisfaction is our number one goal. It has been since David and Jewel Abt opened the doors at the first Abt location in 1936. I’m sure that Roy isn’t the only Abt customer who has experienced our above and beyond service. Let us know about your experiences! We hear about them every day from our employees, but sometimes some fall through the cracks. What was your favorite Abt moment?

-Jennifer A.