Crutchfield

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Crutchfield Logo
Crutchfield Logo

Crutchfield is a consumer electronics company specializing in audio/video equipment for the automobile. It currently offers many consumer electronics items from mobile to electronics and high fidelity components for the home. It was created in 1974 by Bill Crutchfield, founder and CEO. It is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Contents

[edit] History

The company was created during the restoration of classic sports cars by Bill. Unable to find anyone to upgrade the car stereo in a Porsche 356 coupe he was preparing to sell, he realized the need to fill for this type of DIY project[citation needed].

The first year of sales in 1974 were scant and in 1975 Crutchfield contacted several hundred customers and catalog readers by means of a mailed questionnaire. It asked them to respond with what was wrong with the business. Based on the feedback, they decided to update their catalog with information for readers to make them comfortable with car stereo equipment and increased phone in support services and user instructions to increase customer confidence. The company has cataloged and diagrammed over 10,400 vehicles to provide detailed information for DIY stereo installation[citation needed].

[edit] Company growth

Over the years, the company has expanded its Charlottesville facility into its current 1.5 million cubic foot headquarters[citation needed], with a satellite facility in Norton, Virginia and retail storefronts in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 2007, Bill Crutchfield was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame alongside Paul Allen and Amar Bose[1]. The company's website, Crutchfield.com, was the first vendor-authorized audio/video retailer on the Internet[2]. Crutchfield Corp.'s call center has been certified by J. D. Power and Associates' Call Center Certification Program for "meeting key expectations"[3] and "outstanding customer service experience"[4].

[edit] References

  1. ^ CE Hall of Fame Inductees (html). Consumer Electronics Association. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  2. ^ Crutchfield Turns Up the Volume on Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Data Management with CommVault Simpana (html). Microsoft (November 2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  3. ^ Call Center Certification Program (html). J.D. Power and Associates. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  4. ^ Crutchfield Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Customer Service Experience (Press Release) (html). J.D. Power and Associates. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.

[edit] External links


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