Repair Industry Research - Apple Needs Us
Those in the Tech Repair Industry (aka, cell phone repair) all know that Apple has the lowest hanging fruit (get it?) in that the iPhone screen replacement is by far the number one repair in the industry. So much so that some repair companies don't even bother fixing anything else. Even more so, that sooooo many repair companies have tried to incorporate all things Apple into their names. I have often referred to our industry as the 'i' industry.
Research on the Repair Industry
As a long time business person (in other words I've been around the block a time or two) I have been surprised at how little research has been done in the Tech Repair Industry and how little attention the media pays to, what I truly believe, is one of the most important up-and-coming industries on the planet. Most news stories are fluff pieces on industry entrepreneurs (which are awesome BTW!) or pieces about dudes stealing private pictures of women when they have their phones fixed (not awesome at all!!). Friends, glass repair is only the tip of a giant iceberg.
So, the entrepreneur in me decided to set off on my own and compile industry research myself. Some of it I will be sharing on this blog and some of it I will not be sharing for a few different reasons. My goal here is to help educate the industry with FACTS and help us all do a better job by taking GREAT care of people and growing our industry in smart ways.
THE BIG APPLE
So now let's talk a little bit about that low hanging fruit coming from our friends at Apple. First of all, let me say that Apple is an awesome company, that takes awesome care of their customers. I have personally gone into dozens of Apple stores hundreds of times and the people who work there are great! The product is awesome too, right?. They are all around an awesome company with awesome people and product. But these awesome products, sold by awesome people in awesome stores are made of glass and glass breaks.
Over the last two months I have visited around 50 Apple stores, including the very first one that was built in my own backyard at Tysons Corner, VA. I set off to find out more facts about repair and why Apple doesn't work with 3rd party repair at all. So I went into the stores and asked hundreds of Apple managers and store employees (who are all very awesome people) about what they see on a day to day basis.
When I asked each person if they saw people with broken iPhone's and iPad's I don't think there was one person who didn't laugh at me. Not in a funny ha ha kind of way but more of a "oh my gosh we see so many are you kidding" fashion. Some of the estimates on people with broken devices I heard were 50% of daily business or higher. When I asked them to put a number on it they responded with an average of about 50-100 units a day with physical damage. If we take the median number of 75 devices times 486 Apple stores in the world that's more than 36,000 broken devices a day!
I think we all knew the number was big, but that's a pretty big number, right? If one repair company got all of that business they would be pulling down more than $4 million a day or over a Billion dollars a year!!!!
How would you like a slice of that piece of fruit? Well you can't. At least not right now you can't because Apple doesn't trust 3rd party repair really at all.
APPLE Slices for 3rd Party Repair?
Not right now. Of course no one I spoke to would give me the name of a third party repair shop but here's the thing, only a couple of people I spoke to could even think of the name of one. They do NOT trust 3rd party repair in any way, sort or fashion! But they should, and here is why.
Many of the Apple stores I visited are OVERRUN by customers who need repair. I would share pictures but I'm afraid Apple would not like me posting pictures of the inside of their stores and I ain't got Apple money to fight off their lawyers.
In many Apple stores I couldn't even look at some of the product because the line for people to get with a service person was crowded with grumpy people. That's a problem Apple and that's a problem 3rd party repair can help you solve! Authorized service centers in cities and towns across the country could help repair one of your customers phones with no hassle at all or an on-demand service provider could get it fixed for them on their schedule.
I didn't go to some fancy business school but after running a repair shop for more than seven years I have learned that fast convenient repair means happy customers. Happy customers means increased revenue. Unhappy customers leads to declining revenue.
Now for the Bad News Repair Industry!
It's all our fault. "Why Rob", you ask? "My shop is legit", you say, "we can handle the work if Apple will only let us."
Right now the industry is still the wild West with little to no control. You want Apple to work with you then it will require a lot of work and some type of national organization that will certify shops and techs and help police the industry from rampant abuse.
These are some of the issues that need to be addresses professionally with companies working TOGETHER! Less talk and more action.
In an effort to grow big and fast and make a lot of money we have sacrificed ourselves at the alter of the almighty dollar. Problem is we're missing out on an even bigger slice of the Apple Pie! A Billion dollar pie in fact.
Research on the Repair Industry
As a long time business person (in other words I've been around the block a time or two) I have been surprised at how little research has been done in the Tech Repair Industry and how little attention the media pays to, what I truly believe, is one of the most important up-and-coming industries on the planet. Most news stories are fluff pieces on industry entrepreneurs (which are awesome BTW!) or pieces about dudes stealing private pictures of women when they have their phones fixed (not awesome at all!!). Friends, glass repair is only the tip of a giant iceberg.
So, the entrepreneur in me decided to set off on my own and compile industry research myself. Some of it I will be sharing on this blog and some of it I will not be sharing for a few different reasons. My goal here is to help educate the industry with FACTS and help us all do a better job by taking GREAT care of people and growing our industry in smart ways.
THE BIG APPLE
So now let's talk a little bit about that low hanging fruit coming from our friends at Apple. First of all, let me say that Apple is an awesome company, that takes awesome care of their customers. I have personally gone into dozens of Apple stores hundreds of times and the people who work there are great! The product is awesome too, right?. They are all around an awesome company with awesome people and product. But these awesome products, sold by awesome people in awesome stores are made of glass and glass breaks.Over the last two months I have visited around 50 Apple stores, including the very first one that was built in my own backyard at Tysons Corner, VA. I set off to find out more facts about repair and why Apple doesn't work with 3rd party repair at all. So I went into the stores and asked hundreds of Apple managers and store employees (who are all very awesome people) about what they see on a day to day basis.
When I asked each person if they saw people with broken iPhone's and iPad's I don't think there was one person who didn't laugh at me. Not in a funny ha ha kind of way but more of a "oh my gosh we see so many are you kidding" fashion. Some of the estimates on people with broken devices I heard were 50% of daily business or higher. When I asked them to put a number on it they responded with an average of about 50-100 units a day with physical damage. If we take the median number of 75 devices times 486 Apple stores in the world that's more than 36,000 broken devices a day!
I think we all knew the number was big, but that's a pretty big number, right? If one repair company got all of that business they would be pulling down more than $4 million a day or over a Billion dollars a year!!!!
How would you like a slice of that piece of fruit? Well you can't. At least not right now you can't because Apple doesn't trust 3rd party repair really at all.
APPLE Slices for 3rd Party Repair?
Not right now. Of course no one I spoke to would give me the name of a third party repair shop but here's the thing, only a couple of people I spoke to could even think of the name of one. They do NOT trust 3rd party repair in any way, sort or fashion! But they should, and here is why.
Many of the Apple stores I visited are OVERRUN by customers who need repair. I would share pictures but I'm afraid Apple would not like me posting pictures of the inside of their stores and I ain't got Apple money to fight off their lawyers.
In many Apple stores I couldn't even look at some of the product because the line for people to get with a service person was crowded with grumpy people. That's a problem Apple and that's a problem 3rd party repair can help you solve! Authorized service centers in cities and towns across the country could help repair one of your customers phones with no hassle at all or an on-demand service provider could get it fixed for them on their schedule.
I didn't go to some fancy business school but after running a repair shop for more than seven years I have learned that fast convenient repair means happy customers. Happy customers means increased revenue. Unhappy customers leads to declining revenue.
Now for the Bad News Repair Industry!
It's all our fault. "Why Rob", you ask? "My shop is legit", you say, "we can handle the work if Apple will only let us."
Right now the industry is still the wild West with little to no control. You want Apple to work with you then it will require a lot of work and some type of national organization that will certify shops and techs and help police the industry from rampant abuse.
These are some of the issues that need to be addresses professionally with companies working TOGETHER! Less talk and more action.
- High quality training and follow-up?
- Certification?
- Hiring practices?
- Industry standards?
- Accountability?
- Government Regulations (sorry it needs to happen)?
In an effort to grow big and fast and make a lot of money we have sacrificed ourselves at the alter of the almighty dollar. Problem is we're missing out on an even bigger slice of the Apple Pie! A Billion dollar pie in fact.
Please follow my blog, join me on twitter @TheWiGoMan or follow me on LinkedIn.
Yeah technicians have shown concerns over this news. mobile phone repairs
ReplyDeleteVery informative article which is about the repairing and i must bookmark it, keep posting interesting articles.
ReplyDeleteFast iPad Repair
Your article very helpful for me about the phones which i was searching but your blog providing me allot of information thank you.
ReplyDeleteHigh Quality Phones India
Very good article keep posting .. Though Apple has faced a massive backlash from the people who have been sold faulty products, it is still apparent that the masses adore Apple products and still flock to buy it. That is also evident in the craze before the launch of every new iPhone. To know more about Apple devices click here
ReplyDelete