Dixons sets up new technical support service Knowhow

Electrical retailer Dixons, which owns Currys and PC World, is to create a technical support service called "Knowhow" to help customers with their increasingly baffling digital purchases, amid competition from rivals such as recent US arrival Best Buy. Dixons, which was formerly known as DSG but has readopted the identity of its former high street brand, will unveil Knowhow this week as a revamped and upgraded service to replace its four-year-old "TechGuys" service. TechGuys will be axed in stores, at call centres and online, having been set up in 2006 with a £50m investment. Chief executive John Browett will provide details of the initiative alongside Dixons's interim results on Thursday. Analysts at Nomura anticipate a seasonal loss of £10.9m, an improvement on a £17.6m deficit a year ago. Strong UK sales of flat-screen televisions and Apple iPads are likely to make up for weak trading at stores in economically stricken Greece. Customer support is viewed as a critical element in electrical retailing, becoming particularly important as home entertainment products evolve into ever more complicated devices. The Knowhow brand will include a dedicated website and a unified in-house call centre. The name and logo will be introduced at both Currys and PC World, with new logos on vans, on uniforms and at in-store kiosks from March. It will compete against services such as Best Buy's "Geek Squad".